Money Monday: Make, Keep, Enjoy, Move — Week of September 21

Welcome back to Money Monday, week three. This week has a theme, and I didn’t even plan it: everything on the list happens outside the house. Making money while you’re out running errands. A freebie that protects your financial future. And exploring your city like a tourist — for way less than a vacation.

The goal isn’t to obsess over money. It’s to make your money support the life you’re building. Let’s go.

MAKE: The Hetal App — Get Paid to Film Store Aisles You Were Already Walking Past

This week’s money-maker is for the errand runners. You know who you are — the “I’ll just swing by Target real quick” people. (Hi. It’s me.)

Hetal is a free gig app that pays you to film short videos of store aisles at retailers you already visit — Walmart, Target, Sprouts, Whole Foods. Retail brands use those videos to check product displays, shelf stock, and how things actually look in stores. You’re basically their eyes on the ground.

How it works:

1. Download Hetal (free, iOS or Android) and create an account
2. Open the app and browse available gigs near you — gigs are location-specific, so they show up along your normal errand routes (hopefully)
3. Accept a gig, go to the store, and film the specified aisles — the app records video only, no audio, no talking to strangers
4. Submit, get approved, get paid

The numbers: Gigs typically pay around $10 for about 10 minutes of filming, and larger jobs (20+ aisles) commonly run $17.50 or more. If you’re doing your regular grocery run anyway and there’s a gig at the store you’re standing in, that’s found money.

Why I like this one: No startup cost, no experience, no schedule. It stacks onto errands you’re already running — which is the best kind of side hustle: the one that doesn’t demand new time, just new attention. I did a gig last week and it was a bit time consuming but simple to do.

What to watch out for: Video quality matters. If your footage is shaky or blurry, the gig may not be approved — hold the phone steady and walk the aisle at an even pace. The app actually tells you if you are moving to fast. And treat gig availability as a bonus, not a paycheck: availability varies by location and week. If your area has few gigs, pair Hetal with similar field-work apps life (Be My Eye) so you have options at the same stops.

KEEP: The Freebie Nobody Claims — Your Weekly Free Credit Report

This week’s KEEP is not flashy. But it might be the most valuable freebie I ever put in a Money Monday.

Here’s the thing most people don’t know: you’re entitled to a free credit report every single week from all three bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — at AnnualCreditReport.com. That’s the only official site (the bureaus run it). Not “once a year.” Every. Week.

Why this matters:

• Your credit report determines decisions for apartments, cars, credit cards, and sometimes even jobs and insurance. Errors on credit reports are common — and an error you don’t know about costs you money silently.
• Checking it weekly is the financial equivalent of checking yourself out in the mirror: you catch problems while they’re small.
• Checking your own report does NOT hurt your credit score. That’s a myth. Soft inquiries from you are free.

Your 10-minute version: Pull one bureau’s report right now. Skim the accounts. Look for anything you don’t recognize — that’s it. You’re not doing credit repair today; you’re doing a wellness check.

What to watch out for: Lookalike sites that charge you or demand a card. The real one is AnnualCreditReport.com — free, no credit card required, no “free trial” nonsense. If a site asks for a card, you’re on the wrong site.

This is financial self-care, sis. It’s on the list.

ENJOY: Viator — Sightsee Your City (or Any City) Like a Tourist

Here’s my favorite kind of lifestyle upgrade: the one that turns where you already live into somewhere worth exploring.

Viator is the biggest marketplace for tours and experiences on the planet — 345,000+ things to do across cities worldwide. Walking food tours, ghost tours, kayak rentals, segway adventures, skip-the-line museum passes, day trips, the list goes on and on. If a city has a story, someone on Viator is telling it.

The money angle: Viator prices are often lower than booking the same tour at the door, most experiences come with free cancellation (usually up to 24-48 hours before), and there are flexible payment options. That cancellation policy is the underrated part — you can lock in a spot now and decide later, which is exactly how a busy woman should book leisure.

How to use it:

1. Search your own city first — seriously. Most of us have never done the tourist version of where we live.
2. Filter by date and group size, and check the free cancellation window before booking.
3. For trips: search your destination and book the big experiences (food tours, day trips) in advance — those sell out first.

Perfect pairing: Selfcare September has been all about getting out of the house. A walking tour of a neighborhood you’ve never explored is self-care, a solo date, and a Pynk Collar Lifestyle moment all at once. Browse tours and experiences here.

What to watch out for: Read the reviews — especially the recent ones and the critical ones. Tour quality varies by operator, and Viator is a marketplace, not a single tour company. And don’t over-book: one great experience beats three rushed ones. I’ll be using it for Miami soon do the speed boat.

MOVE: Your 10-Minute Money Assignment for the Week

Two parts this week — set a timer for 10 minutes total:

1. (5 min) Credit check: Go to AnnualCreditReport.com and pull one bureau’s report. Skim your accounts. Note anything unfamiliar.
2. (5 min) Errand scan: Download the Hetal app, turn on location, and scan for gigs along your regular errand route. Don’t accept anything yet — just see what’s available in your area and what it pays.

That’s it. Ten minutes and you’ve done both a financial wellness check AND scouted found money. Next week when you’re at Whole Foods anyway, you’ll know whether there’s a gig waiting at the door.

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Pynk Thoughts

The theme this week is attention. Hetal pays you for paying attention while you’re already out. The credit report is 10 minutes of attention that protects you for years. Viator turns a regular weekend into something worth remembering — because you paid attention to what’s around you.

Money is the same way. The opportunities aren’t hiding. They’re on your errand route, in your credit file, in your own zip code. Most people just never look.

This week: look. Scan the app, pull the report, book the tour. Then come back next Monday and tell me which one you did.

This post contains affiliate links. If you book through one of my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend things I actually use or believe in. See my full Affiliate Disclosure for details.

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