This story has two parts, the way I used to enter sweepstakes and the way I enter now. It is also about what I used to win, how much and what I win today.
Like with anything we do in our lives, things change and evolve over time as we learn more about them, mature, and find our “groove”.
Let’s go back to when I first learned about sweepstakes and that magical lightbulb went off in my head when I figured out there were prizes to be won. Well, you would have thought a big ole’ lightbulb moment would have happened when I won my first prize but it just didn’t catch on for me.
Way back when I was young, had young children and found myself clipping coupons and swapping them with a group of people in my local library, someone in the group told me about sweepstakes and how I could send in entries through the mail to win prizes. I sent off my first entries to a Cap’N Crunch cereal sweepstakes and won a stereo, TV, wireless headphones and $50 in cash. Wouldn’t you think I would have caught the “sweeping” bug from that. No, actually, I didn’t.
You see, this group wasn’t as much into entering sweepstakes as they were rebating and coupon clipping. And, this was way, way, way, before the Internet. Al Gore was just a tiny child at that point and hadn’t invented the Internet (don’t let him fool you though cause I don’t think he knows how to turn on a computer yet). Entering sweepstakes wasn’t as easy as it is today and I wasn’t surrounded by a group of people who encouraged me to keep at it.
I entered on and off and kept winning but I remember that I didn’t really get into entering “religiously” until the age of the Internet. When I found the Internet, with my 300 baud modem and the sound of hissing and sputtering to get online, I found a small group of people who entered sweepstakes on a regular basis. We started entering everything we could find and back then, probably 1993, it was easy to win.
Jump to the present – sweeping has become a huge hobby with lots and lots of people vying for the same prizes. Sweepstakes sites abound and even sites that don’t even really write about sweepstakes include some sweepstakes from time to time so you know there is a lot of competition.
Now through sites like mine and others, sweeping communities have cropped up so there is a lot of “virtual” support even if you can’t join a group of local sweepers who share the same interest. Support is great because it keeps us encouraged and we feel like there are others out there “get us” and this wonderful, odd, and addictive hobby.
Now onto the prizes. When I did start to really focus on entering and winning I became addicted. Who wouldn’t when the prizes started to roll in. I found myself trapped in the “a win, is a win, is a win” syndrome. Yes, this is a phrase common to the sweepstakes world and if you haven’t ever heard it let me be the first to tell you about it. What it means is if you win a coupon or a t-shirt it’s still a win and it’s better than nothing. I went along with that “better than nothing” idea for a very long time and tried to win everything under the sun.
I had a “prize closet” and at the end of every year I would donate bags and bags of unwanted prizes to my local Youth Services toy drive. They loved me. But, the key in this paragraph is “unwanted prizes”. What the heck was I doing trying to win everything that I really didn’t want? It’s like picking up every free pen when you go to a conference. And, yes, I had lots of them too 🙂
Over the years I found my “groove” and I soon realized that I didn’t really need to win everything just to get that “win high” and I started entering to win just what I wanted, to give to my family, or maybe sell to get much needed cash. That is where I am at today.
I now win almost just as much as I did before but I don’t enter near as much as I used to. Sometimes I even take a whole week off from entering and I still win. I focus my attention on those sweeps with better odds – Sweeties Picks or sweeps restricted to my state – and I don’t do work so hard to win.
As an example, this year I have won prizes from more sweepstakes that were restricted to my state like a trip to Arizona. That trip is perfect because a good family friend has been wanting us to come out and visit. She just had a baby and there was no way we would ever be able to afford that trip – problem solved. We won NFL tickets to any game and two of my boys are football fanatics so they are thrilled. We would never buy NFL tickets. We won Cirque Dreams tickets – love shows but also won’t spend money on them, and passes to every museum in Connecticut. And yesterday I won an iPod Touch. All of these were from sweeps for my state. I won a $100 Office Depot gift certificate from an instant win game the other day as well which will be used to buy my husband a new office chair. I haven’t been winning large quantities of prizes this year as in years past but what I have won are things I really want and can use. I no longer have a prize closet either 🙂
I share this to say that everyone needs to find their groove and I would encourage you to look at what you are doing today with this hobby. Are you entering everything under the sun just to win something, anything? Do you really need it? Slow down, enjoy the ride, and remember that this is a long-term hobby and it will burn you out quicker than a 9 to 5 job if you enter that way. I know, because I’ve been there and when that happens you will either quit or starting seeing this as a job and where’s the fun in that. Start focusing your energies on the things you want, the winnables, and the sweeps for your state and you will win prizes that are more satisfying.
How do you enter and what do you enter for? I would love to hear your story. No judging here. If you are in the addictive stage that is completely okay. Like I said, I have been there and I just want to encourage you and help you keep this as a long-term hobby that you will enjoy for many years to come.
I used to be in that win win win everyting i could just to win a month after i started.it was really time consuming and it put a strain on my whole family.i went back home to help my mom and and didnt enter barely anything because she didnt have a computer that worked. so i guess i realized everyting else i was missing out on while i was there missing out on the kids my husband and everything it really isnt worth it just to get a win (yes i did have a prize closet too lol) but now i only enter ones with prizes i will use or need i only enter daily entrys that have alot of prizes i will enter a 1x entry if its something i really want i do SSS and i enter contests on twitter i still win about the same and it is stuff we will use the week i came back i won a flip cam, hammock , and a roadtrip coleman grill! talk about making up for the month i was gone. and its been pretty steady since ive been back ive won giftcards that we can buy groceries with and won school supplies and giftcards to buy school clothes for my son. it only takes me about an hour a night to enter my dailys. I agree with you wendy ppl need to find there groove it really is less stressfull and more fulfilling
How do I find specific sweepstakes and contests for my state only? I live in New Jersey and would love to have a better shot at winning because the prizes are offered to fewer people.
That is what the Secret site is all about. We find sweeps for specific states and post them there. It’s a lot of work finding them so that is why it costs to join but it is only $25 a year and you will make that back and more in no time. Ask anybody http://www.sweetiessecretsweeps.com Besides, if we didn’t keep them a secret everyone would enter and then you wouldn’t have a great chance of winning.
With rare exceptions–for example, cars and houses which would be lucrative as sales–I only sweep for money prizes, and only those over $100. There aren’t any objects out there that I want or need, after living a lifetime of acquisition of things. Money prizes are fewer and (I believe) usually harder to win, but it’s nice to get a check for $500 or even $100 now and then from a contest you forgot you entered.
I tried sweeping when I only had 2 kids (back in the early 90’s) and quit because it was getting expensive with all the envelopes, index cards & postage. (yes I was in the a win is a win stage then). After taking off for a couple years I started entering ones that only interested me……then in 2000 we got our 1st computer! WHOA NELLY! I signed up for a bunch of sweeping site back then & burned out again. Now I enter only through Sweeties , woman’s day, allyou & home & garden…..occaisionally I enter through a coupon site but that is rare.
I joined 2(?) months ago & just got my 1st win today…. a plush for my 6 yr old neice. I can’t wait to see what else is going to come my way.
Happpy Sweeping!
I am still in the addictive stage …a win is a win…LOL , but I am haphazard about entering. I need to get more organzied.
I started sweeping in ’97, when I was staying home with our twins and thought it might help us to get by. It did, but even then for all the time I spent filling out cards and stuffing envelopes, not sure it was worth all the effort. I’ve never had a prize closet, though I have had several small wins through the years. When I first started and until I was unemployed in December of 2008, we did not have internet access so everything I did was either on lunch at work or by snail mail. Since I lost my job, though, I became so addicted to internet sweepstakes that everything else in my house has sufferred. I am trying to wean myself off from the process, but Wendy you make a good point about entering for things you don’t need. There are a lot of cash prizes or things we need or would use (furniture, TVs, etc.) so I am still entering every chance I get. The last big win I had was this year with a Bertolli weekly prize of a Bianchi bicycle, valued around $400. I gave the bike to my 22-year-old son (who is also currently unemployed) and he told me yesterday he gets a lot of use out of it so that makes it worth the effort. We also received 24 coupons for free Bertolli dinners, and that will be helpful when the kids go back to school and I start my new job at the school. I’ll probably never be rich (Publishers Clearinghouse?????), and I will likely always have to work, so for now I just hope to find a balance between hobby and addiction. 😀
One good thing though, even if you are addicted it’s not like a bad addiction because you end up with some kind of reward. My personality is such that I tend to get addicted to anything I am doing that I am passionate about. Right now I am addicted to blogging. I found that I was getting depressed when I would spend all day entering and not winning so I am glad I finally found that balance in sweeping. Now to figure out how to balance my blogging addiction 🙂
I just heard about sweeping at the beginning of August (I had heard of publishers and seen a few things around, but never really thought about it). So, at the beginning of this month, I started entering. I spend about 25 min a day (while I’m feeding the baby) and looking up other sweeps at other times while feeding him. With 5 little people running around I can’t spend a lot of time, and I really don’t have space for a prize closet, so I try to only enter if I can use it. Most of my entries go for places that have gift cards (I can buy what I want!!) I also look at the prize and see if I can justify paying for the taxes (With a family of 7, money can be tight).
So far I have won a bottle of pop, and a $100 gc from Office Depot!!
Great article Wendy =) I have never been the type to enter just to win something because it would take up too much of my time. I enter between 50-75 iwg/sweeps a day and that is more than enough. Mainly I enter to win cash (to help pay off student loans) or my all time favorite grocery gcs =). I’ve got a couple of trip sweeps in my list too. Sweeping is a fun hobby for me although my hubby calls it my job (that I must admit I dont do everyday). Its a hobby that I do when I feel like it. I feel that quitters never win and winners never quit but winners can and do take breaks =). I think if more people entered for stuff that they really needed/wanted they wouldn’t be as stressed and complain as much when they don’t win. I’ve stopped complaining a couple of months ago about not winning and figure I’ll win things in my own time. A win here and there is nice but I find that I don’t need to be winning all the time. I spend more time with my hubby and our 3 kids and take more time for myself because I am not sweeping as much as I did last yr. I also figure with the new baby on the way I won’t have as much time for this hobby as I have before (although once the baby is here I can start middle of the night sweeping to go along with middle of the night feedings =)) so its best to cut back now and get in the groove of entering what we need/want. Thanks for all you do Wendy.
Sweetie your story makes a lot of sense and I was at that stage years ago. I started doing sweeps here and there and started doing them more often over the years. I would enter anything in hopes of winning and it just wasn’t fun anymore. It was early last year that I decided to give it another chance and saw your website.
I’ve been entering only for the items or trips that I really want, not any and everything. It has paid off in the end. I’ve won a trip and my mother won a week long cruise to the Bahamas. I trying to win another trip for the family. My kids are playing sweeps appropriate for their ages winning toys, games and online cash. Thanks Sweetie for having such a great site and giving all of us great advice.
When I first started, I was sweeping constantly. Its all I did all day long. I was winning, yeah, but at what cost? My house was a total disaster, I would get angry when I wouldn’t win for days on end, and I would end up depressed because I felt like I must have been doing something wrong. When I realized that I didn’t need 500 tshirts and I already won THREE video cameras, I took a break and reevaluated what I was entering for. Now, I only win tshirts (and God forsaken baseball hats) when trying to win bigger ticket items. I only enter for things that we want and can’t afford, and if I know one of my friends or family really wants something that I could probably win, I enter that too, even if I already have it. I don’t enter for things to sell, someone else out there can’t afford what I am trying to win just so I can try to sell it to them. I am looking forward to middle of the night sweeping again, I guess its one reason to look forward to middle of the night feedings and babies that just won’t sleep.
I’m glad you see it too because the motto is “win what you can’t afford” not “win what you don’t need” 🙂 It took me years to figure it out because I was so addicted to the thrill of winning.
I began my sweeping hobby in Jan ’10 and have already had many sucesses, albeit some were small. I was quickly gathering a mini prize closet, winning things that I really didn’t even want. So I recently re-evaluated my strategy and using about 1-1 1/2 hours a day (depending on the day..sometimes I go a few days with none!) and enter those I’m really interested in. The thril of the ‘win’ is addicting and great, but when you realize that you spend all this time and energy for prizes that really don’t thrill you, you begin to rethink. I love having a forum and group to communicate with who has the same hobby 🙂 Probably the best thing I did was join up the Secret Site, as not only does it have area-specific sweeps, but the forums are a great way to encourage other sweepers. I always am excited to hear about one of their wins–if it can’t be me, I want it to be one of them! Thanks for all you do, Wendy!!
I have always entered sweeps that I wanted the prizes for. I don’t enter ones that are meant for say college students or kids. I don’t do trips because of the taxes. Mainly I do cash and small prizes unless something really nice like a car pops up, and only if I can sell it and get the money. 🙂
Diane
Wendy, I only enter what I can afford to pay the taxes on. I never enter for cars or trips I don’t want. I usually enter IWG’s and daily games and it’s only approximately 40 to 50 a day. When I win duplicate prizes that I can’t use I give to family members. If I win on my husband or son’s email I give the prize to them. I have had months were I won $100 here or $100 there and I can’t forget my $300 Claritin win that I have also been sharing with anyone who needs them. Everyone is always saying your day is coming you will win big, but even if I never do to me my biggest win for the 1 1/2 years I have been on your site is meeting people in your chat room that I have come to call some of my best friends.
I focus my effort on winnable sweeps and things that I want. I can’t afford a lot of entertainment right now, so I like looking for tickets to movies, sporting events, etc. I also enter many trip sweepstakes, because I would love to take my wife on a nice vacation.
Other things I like to enter for are gas grills, laptops, tvs, ipads, ipods, etc.
I generally spend less than an hour a day on sweeping and usually win at least 1 thing per week, so for me it is just a fun hobby. It hasn’t become overly addictive. I enter what I have time to enter.
I will admit when I first stared sweeping, I entered everything under the sun & then some. I joined every mailing list of every product I used. I got lot of balls, key chains, pens, coupons, free products that I used, & t-shirts. This is what I started to do when I could not sleep. I was quiet, kept to myself & remained in my own little world. I shall spare you all the depressive details with the many responsibilities sitting on my plate then. I was thinking of those in a higher place one day while entering for the Ellen Show. Though I needed to get away, even though I am not one that is into travel. I won the trip to Orlando. Imagine that! I honestly did not believe it until I actually printed out the tickets @ the airport. yeah I was still entering everything. I won tickets to the American Music Awards & got a swag bag that delivered Christmas presents to many. I found Lifetime TV web site & @ that time Wendy was doing some writing for them.. Well anyway, I had a question & Wendy was the person that answered. I guess we can say that is history now…lol So now I join Sweeties Sweeps. I could not believe all the stuff there was to enter.. OMG I thought I hit the lotto of sweeps. I felt like I was stealing from Wendy with all that she does.. I made a promise to her that I would always help her in anyway that I could. I intend to keep that promise as long as I am alive!
I am glad I took her advise & enter the world of chat….lol I mean chatroll.. I have never met so many interesting & delightful people all in one place. There is more support in that room than any bra I ever depended on! lol When I get the chance to get in the room, I feel like I’ve won that day because I finished what I needed or wanted to do. My reward is the room.
I make a habit of reading the rules to see the prizes. If there is an opportunity for a gift card I am in. I don’t really do travel. Rarely submit pics… Don’t do videos, or any cooking submissions. I have done one or two blogs but not into it. I am an enter & move on person…lol I do the magazines if I have extra time while in chat. Yes, I have won from them all at lest once.. Some more. I have entered some for fund raising event prizes, which is donation for me tax wise. Since the $25K win & the custom guitar package win, my tax lady is on speed dial…lol Now all of a sudden many members of my family & some off line friends want to win too, they will only enter what I post on FB. lol I post stuff I don’t even enter…lol.. I figure some will want it.. There really is a reason for my madness…. Most of the time, anyway…. lol
The thing is I am here for fun.. I really don’t care if I win. If I do I am sure what ever it is would be put to good use in one way or another.
I may do 200 a day… Since all in the room convinced me to have Face Book & Twitter. I try to dedicate 4 hours to entering, finding, sharing. etc.
Today I am on overtime…lol
I can’t tell you all how much I have learned about all kinds of products, applications, & even what applications go with what device. So many times my husband ask me how I know some of this info I share…lol The answer is always a contest. I never feel like I am wasting my time when I learn something new. I am delighted to be a part of this awesome group. I can’t thank Wendy enough.
I started entering sweeps when it was fill in the form and drop it in the box,my first big win was at Jamesway(remember them)it was for a trip to see the Pointer Sisters in concert.I forgot all about it and we got a phone call ,mom answered ,they asked for me and I was told I won 1 st place 10 albums!Ever since then I enter anything with a sweep,I’ve had some great wins/gameboy from Nickelodeon/$500 from a Computer Shopper survey and the biggest prize being an Xbox 360 complete with 12 games and a Gold online membership.This was also the best to me because I lost a longtime job and it was near the holidays..the kids were so happy it just brought such joy to my life to give them something really nice as the grand present under our tree.I have a lot of sources I look to for new adventures insweeps.Happy sweeping to all and don’t ever give up!
I used to enter sweeps from the newspaper coupon section. I follow the advice of another lady that enter sweeps putting stickers on my envelopes(was that U?). It worked and I did win some small prizes, but just like you said nothing I really wanted. I am retired/disabled and have more time to devote to sweeps, however, thanks for letting me know that I can take time off!!!Hope I win BIG!!!
I used to decorate and put stickers on my envelopes but not anymore. I just use whatever I have. These days, unless it is a local being picked by a small office of people, the entries are getting put into the computer so the envelope doesn’t matter.
I’m getting discouraged. I started sweeping a couple of months ago, and at first I was at least winning some very small food prizes and the things that everyone else seemed to also get just by entering. I spend about an hour a day, and have a long list of dailies I enter. Mostly things I really do want. I’m just not winning ANYthing. I’m faithful about entering and playing the instants, and…. getting squat. It isn’t much fun if you put in the time and effort and never see any rewards. Dang- I’d be THRILLED to win a hundred bucks. Or a bunch of Clariton. I’m a night owl, so I often enter in the wee hours to make my chances at some things better. Doesn’t help.
Are there others out there that just don’t seem to have the luck?
When this happens you need to refocus what you are entering. Are you entering sweeps that has just a few prizes, maybe the sweepstakes last a long time so it will get a lot of exposure and not be as winnable. Are you entering sweepstakes for your state? It’s not the quantity of sweepstakes that helps you win, it’s the quality of the sweepstakes, meaning is it restricted in some way, have a short ending time, isn’t highly advertised, or if it is does it have lots of prizes.
Well… most are Sweeties Picks. That and some cash giveaways. I see other people mentioning winning multiple things in a week, and I just don’t get it. I haven’t found much of anything for my state or other requirements which cut down entries.
What state do you live in? Some states have lots and lots, while others are limited. However, on the secret site I have found sweepstakes for every state, even Alaska and Hawaii.
I’m entering for several reasons. I’m just under 5 years away from retiring and would like to have more set aside. Since I have internet acess regardless of sweepstakes, I consider entering online to be free. I first started this a little over a year ago, and only won twice – a $5.00 Subway card and a $25.00 Coke Card. I wasn’t getting discouraged, but other stuff in life began to get in the way, and I stopped until early June of this year. Since then I’ve had far more wins, but nothing to get overly excited about – personalized M&M’s and an M&M’s $25.00 card, Sobe’s free drinks and t-shirts (3 t-shirts), two sets of Bic Permanent marker pens, $25.00 Travel Smith’s card, S’Mores ingredients container, $5.00 Home Depot Card, Barillas free dinner (coupon for a box of pasta and jar of pasta sauce), and last week a $25.00 card in the Ram Truck games. And a few other small things like that.
Much better luck this year, but I’ve given away virtually all of the prizes because they weren’t what I’m really after – money. On the upside, I am now entering video contests. Having spent a good deal of my career as a news editor – edited videotape, wrote for tv, radio and newspaper and read a lot of live radio newscasts (early in my career), I firmly believe I will make money at that – not the sweeps. I will keep entering sweeps but I believe video contests will be my ace in the hole.
And I have this site to thank for inadvertantly realizing that. I once noticed links for free things. One of the free things I clicked on took to me the site where the free item was availabale, and lo and behold there was a video contest for their product. At that time I had no camera of any kind. But when I watched the videos that had been submitted at that time (and since), I realized I could win hands down. I realize that may sound conceited, but I truly do know how to write, shoot, and edit video. I purchased a decent 1080p HD pocket camera, sd card and a tripod and have been shooting off and on for several months. Just yesterday I uploaded a video for another contest that was listed here – the Sears 1 Billion points. Unfortunately that contest is not about how good anyone’s video is, it’s about who can drum up the most votes. I’m working hard on that now. And quite frankly, if I win I would give all but a liitle of it to the charities. But I would feel great being able to do that, since I willing left tv news behind to find a more meaningful life and work. Ah, but I digress.
Once Sears e-mails me letting me know my video has posted and can be voted on, I’m hoping I can ask those of you who frequent this site to vote for it. I do happen to visit this site often. But I rarely have gotten into chatting, so most of you aren’t familiar with me.
I have uploaded what I did for the Sears contest to youtube so my friends and family can see it in advance. I am playing to win for: the Oregon Humane Society, Portland Women’s Crises Line (helpline for battered women) and the Salavation Army. Please help me help them.
If you want to see my handiwork – before voting on it at Sears contest site – here it is at youtube. Watch it in 720P HD – it looks better. It’s not my best work – had to shoot and edit fast to get it entered to start getting votes. And I am absolutely not a natural on camera (but few people are). I’m just a fat, old broad trying to put some good out into the world and make it to retirement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U3JTgVWyq8
Whew, I got long winded.
You can post your voting request in my voting database. Look for the button for that on the right side of the screen. Good luck
Thanks. It’s available to be voted on now. I’ll post the link there.
Oh, I forgot to mention my biggest win – yet to be confirmed. I was the highest scorer in week 1 in the Butterfingers Facebook game called The Good, The Bad and The Candy. The prize: $575 Apple card. I have no idea what I will get – but whatever it is, I will sell it.
Why not just sell the card? Trade it in at plasticjungle.com. Create your account, mail the card, and they will give you cash or Amazon credit.
At the time of me posting, a $575 card to the Apple store is worth $506.00 or $531.30 Amazon cash. That may be more than you can make by selling back something, even if it is new.
They disqualified my score – said I wasn’t playing in accordance with the official rules. Not true, the game didn’t have a time clock on it that day. So I won’t be getting a card.
I’ve really just begun, and I only enter for things I really want or can use, or can as you said sell for much needed dinero, lol. I haven’t won much yet, a few small gift cards, about a year ago and ipod touch, a video baby monitor (I reallly loved this win- we’d just had a baby boy!) I enter and I hope and hope, and hope, lol. I tell my hubby we should get passports in case I win one of those dream trips I enter for (we have four kids- I really, reallly need and want a trip FOR TWO, lol)- I don’t think I’ve really entered my swing yet with sweeps but I keep trying, it’s worth it, AND I do so love to say to someone, oh that, I won it- lol….
I just started sweeping at the beginning of August. I won my first prize through a blog giveaway- a Goodbyn lunchbox. I was so excited you would have thought I’d won a million dollars. I wanted to win more! I started entering more blog giveaways. Then instant wins, then magazine sweeps, and now local contests. Im already starting to get burnt out and am learning that I need to find my “groove”.
Im aiming my focus towards things we actually want or need. Im, also, following your advice, Wendy, and focusing more on local sweeps I come across. Im entering blog giveaways that have few entrants and entries. I about to dwindle my instant wins to only games that dont take long to enter/ high amount of prizes. I still fairly new to sweeping and am learning a lot from your site, Wendy. Thanks for all you do.
I started towards the end of November last year when I learned I was losing my job– I found this site when I was doing an internet search about ways to make extra money. My first win after two weeks was a year of credit monitoring from Quicken loans. Then nothing for more than a month, and then I won a $25 iTunes gift card and a few days after that a personalized sign from the Documentary Channel ( I was going for the iPad.) I won 4 boxes of Toaster Strudel and just the other day a $25 Home Depot gift card. The wins are fun, and I realize this is a long-term hobby, but I think I’ve become a bit obsessive- putting in 1.5 – 2 hours a day, time that probably could and should be better spent looking for a job or getting (sorely needed) exercise. At some point I know I will have to cull this down to maybe an hour a day hobby by entering only sweeps for cash or things I really need or want, but right now every win is thrilling.
I agree! I stopped working out, or taking my kids & dog for a walk because I got home and just wanted to get my ‘sweeps’ done!
I know this was written over a year ago, but I wanted to thank you for trying to warn about the ‘beast’. I have spent countless hours EACH day doing sweeps because I have felt like I need to enter EVERYTHING and a “Win is a win”. But your right, when you get a bunch of stuff you don’t need or can’t use, it’s not worth it. I won 62 tickets to a Sammy Hagar concert in Columbus, OH (I live in the Cincy area).., I have NO IDEA what I am going to do with all of them! And because its a ‘private’ concert I have no ‘bites’ on craigslist or ebay to sell them! I also won a Bud Light trip but since they have a $380 registration fee, we can’t really afford to take it with school about to start for our kids.., so I am going to try to focus on sweeps that offer things I need or want. Thanks for the tip Sweetie, I think doing this I will actually have motivation to enter EVERY DAY and it won’t feel soo much like a chore anymore! (Try doing 200 sweeps in your 45 min lunch break at work, lol) 4 tabs open and robo form was going nuts! LOL. Thanks again!
I used to enter a lot, then I got stuff I would never use, gave it all away, when my husband worked odd hours retail I would win nice small trips we could never take, I won spa treatments too far from our home to use..I gave it up to rebate and volunteer a lot, hubby retired, I only enter local contests, do pretty good now..also won something recently from a national company wow whee, nice to get blankets and towels when it is 300 days of nearly cloudy and rain and ice and snow..brrr…now I just enter a few when I can between work and volunteering, people here are unemployed, homeless and hungry, 99 weeks of unemploymnet exhausted and losing their homes.oh, my goodness!!!Lots to help out at food pantry and battered women place..such a need, families don’t help each other out much anymore at all~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!!!!!!!!! shameful, love your blogs, but little time to take much attention to it..happy holidays though!
I spend 40-50 a week plus hours sweeping. I have won quite a few small wins and had a couple thousand dollar wins, which were great. But nothing this year and I’m spending countless hours and time sweeping. I enter almost all daily, weekly, one entry, sweeps out there. I do not enter the small stuff t-shirts food products, DVD,s etc etc. I’m in a terrible dry spell and don’t know what to do to end it. I feel like with the time I’m spending and the level of sweeps I’m entering that I’m pretty much hitting the bulk of sweeps out there. I’m just having bad luck and don’t know what to do about it. I’m hitting little wins like 50 camel gift gard, some movie tickets, a 25 restraunt gift card but nothing to justify the time spent. I love doing it and know the wins are potentially there but just not happening. Any ideas?
You sound like me, hang in there!!!! I started sweeping when I broke my elbow in Feb ’12. When I felt good enough to get back on the computer, it was hard to play my games, but started sweeping!! I love it!! My FB peeps think I have totally lost my mind!! I am interested in finding fellow sweepers who I can connect with in Georgia or anyone who can help me create a list of legitimate sweepers on FB who actually appreciate the pass on and we could help each other out!! Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you Wendy for a great site and Jeannette, good luck girl!!!
I know how you feel, I enter 200-800 sweepstakes a day every category, 12-13 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the last year and have only won three items: a bike, a 3 piece set of facial rejuvenating cream, and a cookbook. What is going on. Not even winning on my own local ones. Last year I entered far less, and won far more. Any suggestions?
Not sure why you aren’t winning Suzy. I never enter that much each day. Maybe a half hour in between posting sweeps. I win once a week. Have you tried using the Facebook Wildfire list of sweeps? I don’t post most of them on my site because there are too many of them and many of them only last one week. You can sort them by end date too and enter the ones that end quickly http://promoshq.wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/marketplace