How to Win Free Stuff: May 2011

Monday, May 30, 2011

Win a Powermat!

If you are like me and have cords everywhere trying to keep your electronics charged, then this giveaway is for you! Here's your chance to win a Powermat 2X and eliminate all those cords! Head over to Confessions of an Overworked Mom today for your chance. You can read all about Powermat and all the great options if offers here.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Win a Contigo Auto Seal H2O Bottle at YoursToWin

Head over to Yours to Win to enter for a chance to win a Contigo Auto Seal H2O Bottle. It comes in a variety of colors and the winner will get a bottle just like the one reviewed. Head over and read the great review to learn it's fabulous features and enter to win one of your own!

Chooka Rain Boots Giveaway at Momma Told Me

Why don't I ever think to wear rain boots?! I can't think of any time I even considered it since I was a kid, but one look at the adorable boots at Chooka has changed that. The boots come in many styles, colors and patterns. Here are my favorites (Classy Stripes and Abstraction):

Head over to Momma Told Me blog for a fabulous review and a chance to win these boots! You'll learn all the great features of these boots and have lots of ways to earn entries. It's all part of an amazing Blog Pop! The giveaway runs till 5/16. Check it out!

About This Blog

I have really benefited from the advice of my sister-in-law, the queen of freebies! I have learned a lot and have decided it's time to start sharing. I plan to share links to contests and sites where you can win stuff for free. Instant win games have been my specialty so that is what I will share about first. There sadly are people who have found ways to cheat in those games, but I have legitimately won a lot of great stuff (ipods, gift cards, gaming systems, etc.) and it really is possible. I have just begun to enter blog contests and will share links to them, but am not yet proficient enough to share advice on them.

My first bits of advice to those who are new to contests:

1. Create an email that is just for contests
This is the MOST IMPORTANT advice. I say this because you WILL get spammed and your email will be shared. Not all sites will share your information, but many will and you just have to accept that. You must use a real email address and a real street address when you register for games because this is where they will send the prize if you win and the way they will contact you about your win.

2. Be persistent
You win by random luck most of the time, so the more you enter, the better your chances. Enter as often as the contest allows. Also, even if you don't win instantly, there is usually a sweepstakes involved and you are entered in that as well. I've won several times through the sweepstakes end of the game (most notably $100 gift cards to online stores!)

3. Timing is everything
Most instant win contests are based on a set time for winners. Random times are predetermined as winning times. If you sign in to play at that moment (or are the first after that predetermined time) you win. SO...if you wake up in the middle of the night, or get up early, etc., that is the time to enter. I have a bookmark folder called "Enter in the Middle of the Night". In that folder are the contests I really want to win and which seem reasonably possible to win, ie. lots of prizes. I open all the windows in that folder and enter all the contests in a matter of minutes (unless I just really need sleep!).

That is my initial advice. I'll add more ideas as they occur to me. Be sure to look at the sidebar (Places for Free Stuff) for links to sites where you can win! GOOD LUCK!