Despite my lack of splurging this month, I was taken in by the Mega Millions $640 million jackpot hysteria and bought a ticket. This was basically like flushing a dollar bill down the toilet, but it’s a little fun to think that you have the chance to win an astronomical amount of money. I supported education in Georgia a bit too.
I can shrug off the wasted dollar spent at the convenience store in my office building, but what about those people who drove long distances, waited in long lines and spent hundreds of dollars in the hopes of hitting the jackpot? Do you think they have a Mega Millions hangover? Worse yet are those who continually sink money into the lottery week after week thinking that scratch off tickets and lucky numbers can be a path to prosperity. I hate to be judgmental, but it’s sad to think about how $5 spent weekly on a non-winning lottery tickets could turn into thousands of dollars if it was saved over the course of several years.
I think I’ll stick to free sweepstakes, but do you think the lottery is worth entering?
Remember my Sweepstakes Experiment? Let me refresh your memory…back in September I watched High Stakes Sweepers on TLC and was inspired to regularly enter sweepstakes. The people on the show entered sweepstakes all day and made a living out of “sweeping,” but my version of sweeping has been limited to entering sweepstakes a few minutes a day while watching television. Sweepstakes hobbyists suggest that it takes about six months of entering sweepstakes to yield some good wins, so I’m ready to update you on what I’ve won so far. Spoiler alert: I didn’t win any of the sacred 4 C’s of Sweepstakes-Cash, Computers, Cars or Cruises. Here’s what I’ve won, by order of awesomeness:
- $500 Target Gift Card
- Nestle Dolce Gusto Coffee Machine
- $75 Victoria’s Secret Gift Card
- Tea for Two at the Four Seasons
- Memphis the Musical Tickets
- Atlanta Greek Festival Tickets (including lots of great Greek food)
- Two-$25 Macy’s Gift Cards
- $25 American Express Gift Card
- $25 Visa Gift Card
- Free Personalized Business Cards
- Giant Popcorn Tin
- Shaving Prize Pack
- Casino Buffet Passes
- March Madness T-Shirt
- $10 Starbucks Gift Card
- Smorgasboard Tickets at IKEA
- Pet Treats
- Mechanical Pencils
- L’Oreal Mascara
- Era Detergent
- McDonald’s Fries
- Twix, Snickers and Skinny Cow Candy
The results of my experiment weren’t too shabby, and I may be a little hooked on entering sweepstakes when I have some downtime. I just may have to keep trying until I win one of the 4 C’s. Until then, here are my top 4 tips for entering sweepstakes:
1. Embrace Auto Fill
You’ll be entering A LOT of forms. Using Auto Fill on a browser like Firefox or Google Chrome will save you a ton of time. Auto Fill software is also available.
2. Follow Companies You Love On Social Networks to Learn About Sweepstakes
I learned about the Target contest I won from following them on Twitter. Several of my prizes came from entering contests through Twitter or Facebook.
3. Check Out Sweepstakes Websites
Instead of searching the internet for new sweepstakes, I regularly visit websites like SnazzyWin.com to find instant win sweepstakes.
4. Enter Giveaways on Your Favorite Blogs
Several of my favorite bloggers host giveaways on their sites. Your chances of winning a contest on a blog are typically higher than entering a big national contest.
Have you ever won a contest or sweepstakes?
