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  1. #1
    Registered User Chevelle72's Avatar
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    Default Is anyone here a real sweepstakes junkie?

    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.

  2. #2
    Registered User Telephus44's Avatar
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    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.
    Loving wife to DH (8/31/03) and Mommy to Owen Alexander (9/20/06) and Oliver Andrew (5/25/12)

  3. #3
    Registered User Dancing Lotus's Avatar
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    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.

  4. #4
    Registered User Momto5RN's Avatar
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    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
    *~Debbi~*
    Happily Married Mom to 5 ; PT Home Care RN
    Living with FMS


    “Fear less, hope more; Eat less, chew more; Whine less, breathe more;
    Talk less, say more; Love more, and all good things will be yours”
    Swedish Proverb


    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

    Getting Gazelle like 7/1/10
    Paid off 6 CC's totalling $6807 in 2010
    Paid off car 9000
    2011
    Quit 2nd Job for health reasons so going slower .
    2012
    purchased used car in cash 5000
    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  5. #5
    Registered User Libby's Avatar
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    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.
    2012: The Year Of The Purge!

    UPDATED: MAY 15/12

    2012 FLING - 673/2012 | COUPON SAVINGS $178.93

    EMERGENCY FUND #2 - $510.78 | VACATION FUND - $513.58 | CHANGE JAR $222.51

  6. #6
    Registered User hippytreehugger4ever's Avatar
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    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.

  7. #7
    Registered User Chevelle72's Avatar
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    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.

  8. #8
    Registered User Chevelle72's Avatar
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    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!

  9. #9
    Registered User mommy2many's Avatar
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    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.

  10. #10
    Moderator monkeywrangler71's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Libby View Post
    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.

  11. #11
    Registered User khaski's Avatar
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    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!


    May:
    Coupon/drug store rewards:$15
    $ Spent accumulating coupons: $5.99

    YTD totals:

    Coupons/drug store rewards: $759.04
    $ spent getting coupons:$92.70
    2011 total savings:$2068.18 2010:$1066.58

    Meatless dinner: 13/52
    Weight loss challenge:1.4/35

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