It all started innocently enough. I entered a giveaway for a book on a personal finance blog and won. Feeling a bit lucky I ventured onto a few other sites and entered giveaways for a bunch of small items. The next thing I know I won a board game, a gift for my niece, a handful of coupons for free grocery items and then a $250 gift card!
I decided to enter a couple each night just to see what else I could win. I haven’t been nearly as lucky since I started the hunt for prizes but every once in awhile I seem to win something. I haven’t won anything as big as the gift card in quite awhile, but I still take ten to fifteen minutes every night just to enter and every so often I get an email notifying me that I won.
Funny enough I started seeing a lot of the same names in the contests I enter and I’m beginning to wonder how many other folks have gotten addicted to these giveaways. I don’t typically enter the contests with hundreds or thousands of entrants. I stick to the small contests and only enter for things I want for myself or that I’d like to giveaway to others.
An addiction to giveaways seems pretty safe, as long as I only allow myself a few minutes to enter each night. There are thousands and thousands of contests out there and I’ve read a few bloggers who spend hours entering!!!
You never know with these things. I always fill out those surveys, the ones with the link at the bottom of store receipts. I actually won a $100 gift card from Office Depot. At first I couldn't believe it and thought it was fake. But I called the number and it was a real card with a real balance. I sold it on eBay for almost its full value and kept the cash. That was almost 2 years ago. I'm due for another win! :p
I have a giveaway on my blog right now. I think there are about 25 entrants so far. The drawing is Friday.
http://outofthecrayonbox.blogspot.com/2009/06/revisit-refrigerator.html
OMG, I'm so glad you made this blog entry, I accidentally discovered giveaways the first week in March during Bloggy Carnival. I went nuts entering and now have the bug. I used to search freebies online and don't even have time for that anymore as Giveaways have taken most of my time. Just this afternoon I happened on a giveaway for 1 pint of gourmet ice cram and there were 185 entries. This is stuff you can buy for 3 bucks or $2.50 if you hit a sale. I had to laugh and I had my "aha moment" realizing others had the bug too. I always seem to follow the same names in giveaways and they have become so familiar to me even though I don't really know them. Do you keep track of your win? Just curious.
I rarely find/enter them – though I can see where it would be fun to win! š
I never thought about keeping track of my wins, but maybe I should do that just for kicks.
I enter those giveaways but then I never win. So at this point for me, it's a waste of my time. Plus you have to go to their blog to check the next day who the winner is.
I've always wondered…Do they purchase these items to giveaway themselves or does the company give them these items for publicity? Any ideas?
@marci — I think many companies seek out blogs and provide bloggers with the items to 'give away.' I've been approached this way a couple of times, but I must admit every once in awhile I come across a strange product that doesn't seem to fit the blog and I've wondered if the blogger might have received the item as an unwanted gift.
@One Frugal Girl, thanks for clarifying. I bet companies go after blogs that have the best or most traffic for their target audience. That makes sense.