I am on a mission to minimize our Christmas spending so more of our cash can go for debt repayment. My first strategy is to use Swagbucks to win free gift cards. Entering sweepstakes and giveaways is my next strategy. Here is why:
There are many hobbies out there that have the potential to make you money such as writing and painting, for example. Around the blogosphere, one hobby that many mom bloggers talk about is entering giveaways or sweepstakes. Yet, is it worth the time? Does anyone ever really win big?
Discipline and Commitment Lead to More Frequent Wins
Anna, the blogger behind Real Ways to Make Money Online, enters sweepstakes as a hobby. She spends about two to three hours a week entering sweepstakes. In return, she averages about $2,000 a year in winnings. More recently, she won a giveaway from Anderson Cooper for Carrie Ann Inaba’s favorite things including makeup and candles. One of her biggest wins was for $500 worth of Xbox 360 games. She has also won several prizes in the $100 to $200 range.
Anna says of her interest in entering sweepstakes for a hobby, “I spend time on it because I know that if I don’t enter, there is no way to win at all. Also, winning (when it does happen) is such a thrill and keeps me motivated to continue. When I am spending time entering regularly, I usually manage to win a few small prizes each week. And who knows, one of these days I may just win a really huge prize that could make a big difference in my life.”
One Lucky Entry Is Sometimes All It Takes
Jon, the blogger behind Free Money Wisdom and his fiancée (now wife), Hannah, didn’t enter sweepstakes. However, when planning for their wedding, they saw a sweepstakes on the wedding site, The Knot, for an all inclusive 6 night stay in Puerta Vallarta and decided to enter. Out of 6,000 entries, they were the lucky winners. Not only did they have a gorgeous, free honeymoon, but they saved the $5,000 they were planning to spend on their honeymoon.
Not Everyone Is a Winner
Many people begin entering sweepstakes to win big, then when they don’t win, they quit, usually within a few weeks. The important thing to remember is that there is usually no instant gratification in entering sweepstakes. You sometimes must wait weeks to find out if you are the winner.
Anna encourages people to enter sweepstakes regularly because the more sweepstakes you enter, the more you increase your odds of winning. However, she also emphasizes that it is important not to think of this as a “job” or you will burn out quickly.
How To Begin Entering Sweepstakes
By now, you may think you would like to try your hand at entering sweepstakes. If so, the best place to go is Online Sweepstakes. This site has been around since 1997, and they list many major giveaways from corporations as well as smaller giveaways from bloggers. You can even search for specific products you would like to win. Have a passion for Starbuck’s but don’t want to spend the money there? Right now there are 8 Starbuck’s gift card giveaways listed on Online Sweepstakes. You can also keep track of the giveaways you have already entered through the site.
If you want to learn more about the ins and outs of entering sweepstakes, Anna has an 8 part series explaining everything you need to know from how to organize your sweepstake entries, to your tax obligations on winning, to where to find the best giveaways.
You may not make a million dollars entering giveaways, but if normally do in the evening is watch a few television shows, perhaps try turning off the t.v. and entering a few sweepstakes. You just might win, which is more than you will do watching television.
I am hoping to win at least a few prizes before Christmas. I’ll keep you posted.
Have you entered sweepstakes before? Did you ever win a big prize?
If you multiply 3 hours times 52 weeks and divide by $2000, you earn $12 or $13 per hour. You also have to claim your prize winnings on your taxes. Is this still worth it?
I don’t devote that much time to it (less than 3 hours for the month of September), so it is not a biggie. I know some people can get obsessed, which I think runs in the save vein of extreme couponing.
I have entered and won several prizes. Nothing earth shattering but they are always what we need when we need it. One time we were short on grocery money and I won Santa cruz peanut butter and two jellies and coupons for 2 loaves of gluten free bread. Just a month ago I won $75 dollars that stocked us up on meat. A few years ago we made a donation to the arbor foundation and we won a free year of fair trade coffee. God always seems to bless us like that. There have been several times that I have not won but I am always excited for the people who do.
That’s a great story. Isn’t it funny how you always get something when you most need it? You can definitely feel that He was taking care of you.
Nope, not likely to do it, although I appreciate the post, haha. My wife and I afford a yearly cruise trip because we sit through 2 weekends/yr of this company trying to get us to buy a timeshare. We do it every year. Their ploy to get people to sit and listen and buy a timeshare is that you get a free cruise. Most peopel end up getting a timeshare too, so it makes money for the company…but my wife and me are strong enough that we just sit and listen and bide our time until the weekends are over. And then we get our free cruise! 🙂
That’s a great deal! Do you sit through the presentations with a different company each time?
I’ve only won small prizes from corporate sweeps. Most of my bigger wins- a $200 Visa giftcard- were from blog giveaways. My friend’s husband enters them all the time and has often won large prizes, including a trip to Jamaica.
Wow, your friend’s husband must know some secrets! That is great.
I’ve won a few blog giveaways, but no sweepstakes. I think i’ll give it a shot. Starbucks cards sound like really great stocking stuffers for the Princess!
I’m definitely going to give this a try. This was kind of the kick in the pants I needed…. due to some serious “kick you in the teeth” financial setbacks lately, Christmas is going to be LEAN! It would be great if I could supplement that a bit!
I enter giveaways, but have not won anything “huge”. I mainly enter them for Christmas gifts. We cannot afford to buy a lot, so the giveaway winnings are mainly for the special people in my life.
Last year I entered a ton of blog contests and won quite a few. I thought it would be fun to do Christmas for my family mainly from giveaways. It was fun, but a lot of work and I found the kids didn’t care for the things I won (for the most part). This year I’m trying to cut back a little and not have Christmas so much about the “stuff”. I heard there’s a great book about the wise men and their 3 gifts and then it encourages you to do three gifts for you family members (specific like a gift of time, etc.). I know that sounds vague because I haven’t looked it up yet, but that’s my plan for this year.
I have heard of that, and it may be a principle we adopt, especially because I have been lax about entering the giveaways. Too many other things going on!
I do the same thing…and I focus on blog giveaways because they’re easier to win. If I find one giveaway for an item that would make a good gift, I search to see if there are other giveaways going for the same item (there often are) and I “shop” for new giveaways on low entry giveaway linkies and blogs I know have had low entry giveaway in the past. You can find my low entry giveaway linky here (one of your giveaways is one it…or will be once I get the latest one posted). http://suchfuntogive.blogspot.com/search/label/easy%20wins
Thanks for including my giveaway. I have bookmarked your site. 🙂