STEAL THE BUNGALOW'S BOOTY!
OUR MONTHLY CONTEST IS GETTING BETTER EVERY MONTH.  DON'T BE LEFT OUT. PLAY HERE TO WIN TERRIFIC PRIZES.  LET US BE YOUR FIRST CONTEST!

I started entering contests on the web about four years ago, and while I haven't won the "big" one, I've won a lot more often than I ever did with the mail-in's I used to do.  With that in mind, I thought I'd share some of my favorite sites and tips with you.
This is a hobby that can be shared by all members of the family and can sometimes be very rewarding.  It's always a lot of fun!

First of all, let's talk about the difference between a contest and a sweepstakes.
Contests
1. Usually involves some sort of participation by the entrant.
       Invent a new recipe, write an essay,  answer trivia questions, scavenger hunts, or some other means of testing an entrants skill.
2. Usually judged on merit not a random draw.
3. More difficult to enter since you must complete the requirements in order to qualify.
4. Usually have fewer entrants so the odds of winning are a little better.  Personally I really enjoy the trivia contests and the scavenger hunts.  I'm not really skilled at writing essays or inventing recipes, so I usually don't enter these types.

Sweepstakes
1. A straight giveaway, no skill is involved.
2. You enter the required information and a winner is drawn randomly from all entries.
3. Very easy to enter.
4. There are usually more entrants in sweepstakes since no special skills are required to enter.

Costs and Fees
1. A raffle requires the purchase of a ticket and then the winner is drawn randomly from all the ticket stubs.
2. NEITHER contests nor sweepstakes require a purchase to enter.
3. Some contests require a non refundable entry fee.  If they do have an entry fee, I don't do them.  There are plenty without such a rule.
3. A legitimate sweeps/contest will NEVER have you send them money to claim your prize-these are scams and to be avoided!
4. Legitimate sponsors will NOT have you call a 900 or other chargeable number to claim your prize.
5. Some sponsor's WILL ask you to pay shipping/handling costs for your prize, this is legitimate and always stated in the rules.  If you don't want to pay the shipping/handling don't enter these sweeps/contests.

GENERAL ADVICE
1. The most important thing to remember when entering any contest or sweepstakes is to READ THE RULES and FOLLOW THEM EXACTLY!  I can't emphasize this enough.  If your entry is incomplete or you enter too often or with the wrong material you WILL be disqualified.  Double check your entries to make sure the information you've given is correct.  You can't win if a sponsor is unable to get in touch with you.
It doesn't matter whether you are entering your contests on line or by mail, the rules are the most important part of your decision to enter.
2. Things to consider before entering ANY contest/sweepstakes
    A. Are you eligible for the contest?   Age, location, type of employment, and ending dates for entry, are all  things that may be specified in the rules.
    B.  Is the prize something you want? If it isn't something that you really want for yourself or your family you should pass on the contest.  There are always people who really want the prizes you hate.  There is no joy in being greedy and winning a contest just because you entered and then getting a prize you hate and will never use.  For example: I don't usually enter contests for trips unless they are for 4 people.  I would want my entire family to share in my win.
    C. How often can you enter?  When is the deadline for entry/s?  All of these questions will be covered in the rules.  Enter every contest that you really want to win as many times as you legally can to increase your odds of success.  On the web you'll find daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly and some even hourly or more frequent entries.

One of the best sites I found regarding sweeping and the law and particularly the internet is "Contests and Sweepstakes Law"
website, maintained by the law firm of Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn in Washington, DC.

Shout! Sponsor your site and earn up to 15 cents per click!

GETTING ORGANIZED
Now that you know the basics, where do you go to enter these great contests?
As you decide to enter more and more contests, you will probably find it easier if you organize your bookmarks.
I have my bookmarks organized as follows:
Folders:
Contests
   Lists of Sites
   Ongoing contests/games
   One Time Entry
      One Time Entry- completed
      One Time Entry- do later
   Daily Contests
   Weekly Contests
      Monday
      Tuesday
      Wednesday
      and so forth
   Monthly Contests
      Enter Early in month
      Enter Late in month
      Must enter every month
      May enter any time during month
   Sites with Answers
   References for Trivia
 
This will do for a start, you may want to further customize your bookmarks to fit your needs and desires. Do whatever makes keeping track of your contest entries easier for you.
There are many many sites out there on the web offering contests/sweeps to generate traffic to their business', you just have to look for them.  A really terrific spot to learn about contests, get your questions answered, and just meet a lot of really nice sweepers is Blondie's newsgroup.  The folks that visit this newsgroup are friendly, willing to share tips and answers.  They also post a lot of new contests for you to enter.
I visit here usually once a day, just to see what's going on.

Make more money with your website, click here

Sign My Guestbook View My Guestbook

    We invite you to visit our other pages.                Next >

Star Trek     CFIDS     Irish Things    Reference      US Navy   NASCAR

Get Out of Debt  Credit Repair   Virtual Web Hosting     Work at Home         Play Games!

Southern CA Romance Connection   My Banners  Friends of the Bungalow