Is anyone here a real sweepstakes junkie?

**Chevelle72** · 09-01-2011, 10:09 PM

I was once upon a time. This was pre internet 25+ years ago. My dh and i won some fabulous stuff between 1986 & 1991. But I lost interest when the internet took over.

If you're winning I'd love to hear

. I know it's possible!

g.

**Telephus44** · 09-02-2011, 09:41 AM

I go through phases. The only sweeps I do consistently are the Allure first 500 at noon ones. I am up to 14 wins this year from them, and am excited to see how I did last month (when they do 4 or 5 sweeps per day, every day).

The biggest thing I've ever won was a $100 GC, which I never received (followed up, apparently missed whatever official notification I had to respond to, fell outside the claim period, etc.). I did win an iPod shuffle in July that I'm supposed to get sometime next month.

Out of curiousity, since you were pre-internet, was it all "mail a postcard" kind of stuff? Did you have to pay lots in postage? That's kind of why I got into it - because online it's really easy to enter, and free.

**Dancing Lotus** · 09-02-2011, 12:58 PM

no Im not but I believe that's only because I have never won anything

I have heard of people who practically make a living out of it.

**Momto5RN** · 09-03-2011, 10:44 PM

there is a new show out similar to the extreme couponing show about extreme sweep-ers

if i have the time i enter a few never won much
some now want you to make them a video etc and i dont have time for that

**Libby** · 09-03-2011, 11:20 PM

I just watched that Extreme Sweepers show. It was 'odd'. The one Canadian person they featured stated that she had to pay taxes on anything she won so if you've entered to win something big (ie car) she had to be prepared to pay the taxes on it. She began 'sweeping' when she lost her job 10 years ago.

**hippytreehugger4ever** · 09-04-2011, 10:57 PM

I like to do the instant win contests online, some of those bigger sweeps can be a pain in the rump to do. Today I won a free Twix, free pack of Starburst, a $10 Scholastic gift certificate, and a free carton of Florida Natural orange juice.

In the past I've won some random things like 2 pairs of 7-Up boxers, a collector tin full of M & M's, and my favorite, a free year supply of Suave Professionals products.

I wish they would bring back the type of contests they had back in the 50's where you actually had to have some writing talent to win.

**Chevelle72** · 09-04-2011, 11:49 PM

I recall a movie about contesters in the 50's - 60's. Housewives that wrote a lot of winning jingles. That would have been fun too. It was an interesting movie. But the sponsors gave it up probably due to the effort it took to judge & choose a winner.

Yes paying taxes on prizes is a necessary evil. But winning a car is nearly as good as winning cash because they can be sold. We won 3 cars in 5 years and sold every one with less than 150 miles on them. That way we only paid tax on what we sold them for, not sticker price.

We were phenomenally lucky in the first 8 months when we started sweepstaking that kept us interested for a long time. But we worked hard at it too. We eventually burnt out when our lucky streak ended. It was just as well, the Internet was taking off and it's not the same.

**Chevelle72** · 09-05-2011, 12:08 AM

To telep... Yes we spent a lot on stamps but we looked at it as "hobby" money. We also could find sweeps with in store entry. If those were local or regional chains, even better because we had better odds.
I do like that on line entries are free. But old mail ins quite often said "enter as often as you wish" because postage was a hindrance. On line oftn have a limit of one per person.
When it was mail in only a very few ever bothered, it was too much trouble to address an envelope!

**mommy2many** · 10-24-2011, 04:38 PM

I used to be really into it. I entered everythign I could and won small stuff on and off for years. But with the way the economy is right now i am revisting my sweepstakes and freebie pasts and entering more haven't won anything yet but I can say it sure does give you a feeling of "hope" just to enter.

**monkeywrangler71** · 10-24-2011, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by Libby

I just watched that Extreme Sweepers show. It was 'odd'. The one Canadian person they featured stated that she had to pay taxes on anything she won so if you've entered to win something big (ie car) she had to be prepared to pay the taxes on it. She began 'sweeping' when she lost her job 10 years ago.

That doesn't make sense, there is no tax on contest or lottery winnings in Canada.

**khaski** · 01-06-2012, 06:37 PM

I enter a lot of 'blog' sweeps, usually for items for etsy. I might enter 20-40 a month, I usually win something every few months. Last year my biggest win was a new Marc Jacobs purse and a pair of earrings. I just won this art and tree chatter of aquariann: Giveaway: Moon Agate Necklace by Rainwater Studios which has got to be my fave in the last few years!

I am a total jewelry junkie but rarely will spend money for it, outside of yardsale finds, so winning a $68 handcrafted necklace made my day!

**AllyG47** · 06-09-2012, 03:53 AM

I'm a huge sweepstakes junkie. From 2007-2009, I entered a ton of online sweepstakes. I won 2 50-inch HDTV's, an iPod, a Zune (kind of like an Ipod but made by Microsoft), a year supply of Kellogg cereal and cookies, a $500 gift card to American Apparel, a year supply of dog food, tickets to many concerts and all kinds of other cool stuff. From 2010 until now, I didn't win as much and I lost interest. I'm in the process of moving right now and haven't entered any sweepstakes in months. After I move, I plan to start entering sweepstakes full time - at least 8 hours a day. I may be crazy but I'm unemployed with nothing better to do. I'm going to post a list of my wins on my new blog at winningwithsweepstakes[dot]com. I am going to start the blog on July 1 and it will have tips and tricks to winning more sweepstakes because there is a strategy to winning these things. It's a fun hobby and I love having prizes show up in the mail unannounced. For example, last week UPS dropped off a bottle of expensive perfume from Victoria's Secret. I haven't entered any sweepstakes since December so it was a huge surprise when UPS pulled up. It really can be addicting. I can't wait to get started again.