Well, Aunt B survived the merchandising assignment.

Last week, I told you about a merchandising job I picked up through Customer Impact that paid a flat $150. I had anywhere from one to four hours to complete the work, and I promised I’d come back and tell you how it actually went.

So, how long did it take? One hour and 45 minutes.

For $150. I’ll take it!

What Was the Assignment Like?

When I arrived at the department store, my first step was checking in with the store manager and letting them know why I was there.

From there, I headed to the men’s department and got to work.

My assignment involved things like organizing belts and wallets, straightening merchandise and making sure the appropriate winter signage was displayed.

I’m not going to name the specific department store I worked in, but I will tell you this: three major department stores in the Fort Wayne area participate in these types of projects through Customer Impact.

So these aren’t necessarily one-and-done opportunities.

There can be other assignments available depending on the stores, projects and what’s needed in your area.

Not Every Assignment Pays $150

I definitely don’t want anyone reading this and thinking every merchandising job is going to pay $150.

They’re not.

I’ve seen other opportunities that require less time and pay somewhere around $25 to $75, depending on the assignment.

That’s why I always look at the whole picture before accepting something.

How much does it pay?

How far do I have to drive?

How long should it take?

Am I already going to be in that area?

Sometimes a smaller-paying job can still be worth grabbing if it’s nearby or fits into something else you’re already doing.

For this particular assignment, though?

$150 for one hour and 45 minutes of work was absolutely worth my time.

Want to Try Customer Impact?

If merchandising sounds like something you’d enjoy, you can check out Customer Impact and see what opportunities are available in your area.

Their merchandising projects can include things like stocking or restocking products, maintaining displays, product placement and other in-store work.

The available jobs will vary by location, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t see something immediately. This is one of those side hustles where I think it’s worth checking back periodically.

Customer Impact: https://customerimpactinfo.com

Another App I Like: Field Agent

If you like the idea of mystery shopping but don’t necessarily want to commit a couple of hours to an assignment, another one to try is Field Agent.

Now, let me set expectations: These usually aren’t huge payouts.

You might find an assignment where you get reimbursed for something like a sandwich and make another $5 for completing the job.

You may see jobs that ask you to go into a grocery store, find a particular product, take some pictures and answer a few questions for a few dollars.

You’re probably not quitting your day job with one Field Agent assignment.

But that’s not really how I look at these.

If I’m already going to that store, and I can make a few extra dollars while I’m there, why not?

Five dollars here. Eight dollars there.

A free product or meal here and there.

It adds up!

Field Agent offers several types of jobs, including mystery shops, audits, surveys, product trials and assignments where you’re collecting photos or information about products inside stores.

Field Agent: https://app.fieldagent.net/

Small Side Hustles Still Count

One thing I’ve learned from doing this for a while is that you don’t always need to find one magical side hustle that pays hundreds of dollars every time.

Sometimes it’s about stacking opportunities.

Maybe I make $150 doing a merchandising project one weekend.

Then I pick up a couple of smaller mystery shops.

Maybe I grab a Field Agent job while I’m already grocery shopping.

None of those things alone are going to make me rich.

But put them together over a month?

Now we’re talking.

And that’s really what I want to show you here at Aunt B’s Corner — real opportunities that I’m actually trying, what they really pay and whether I think they’re worth the time.

This $150 merchandising assignment?

Aunt B would absolutely do it again. ❤️