How to Win Free Stuff: January 2011

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Some new instant wins to try

Pepsi-Cola - Max Vend And Win Sweepstakes - Ends 6/30/11

Here is an easy one to win. There are 20,000 shirts being given away! It won't take more than a couple of tries (once per day). I already won mine. When you win you will be taken to a page to choose your size. Who can't use another shirt! I won my shirt already :)

Enter here: http://maxvendandwin.com/
Official Rules: http://maxvendandwin.com/rules.html

Honey-Nut Cheerios Non-Challenge - Ends 6/28/11
This one offers a chance to win a year's supply of Honey Nut Cheerios (awarded as coupons for free boxes).
Also, you don't really have to play the little game. Near the bottom on the left (after you enter your email) is a link that says "Click here if you can't see the game" or something like that. Just click that to find out right away if you won. Most games have this and you can just click it, find out if you won, and move on to another instant win game. If does not affect your chances of winning at all. I won this one already :)

Enter here: http://honeynutcheerios.promo.eprize.com/nonchallenge/
Official Rules: http://honeynutcheerios.promo.eprize.com/nonchallenge/display_page?page=rules&cid=p1core-tbx08.f.1800/afd43/7c/fd88210e.0aa561e2ecec24112bf698ab3940b09e

Dannon Small Steps - Ends 2/28/11
In this game you have the chance to instantly win:
Groceries for a year (awarded as a gift card for $7,800) - 3 prizes awarded
Groceries for a month (awarded as a gift card for $550) - 50 prizes awarded
Groceries for a week (awarded as a gift card for $150) - 100 prizes awarded

This game goes in my "MUST PLAY" bookmark folder because the game is only about 5 weeks long, so there are several prizes on average each day. There is a link under the spot to add a UPC which says "Don't have a code. Click here." Clicking that will enter a bunch of 999999999999 which is their free UPC code to enter with. You can enter 4 times per day! Good luck.

Enter here: http://dannon.com/smallsteps/
Official Rules: http://dannon.com/smallsteps/official-rules.html

California Wine and Dine Getaway Sweepstakes - Ends 2/14/11
This one only lasts one month and has lots of prizes, so it also is in my "Must Play" category. It's sponsored by Harry and David and I love their products. The instant win prizes are:

TEN (10) FIRST PRIZES: Taste of the Valley Double Discovery gift box assortments. ARV: $79.95.
TEN (10) SECOND PRIZES: Super Moose Munch Mmm-able Tins. ARV: $49.95.
TWENTY (20) THIRD PRIZES: All-Occasion Delights Double Discoverygift box assortments. ARV: $49.95.
FIVE (5) FOURTH PRIZES: Creamy & Dreamy Cheesecake Samplers. ARV: $39.95.
THIRTY (30) FIFTH PRIZES: All-Occasions Tower of Treats gift box Collections. ARV: $39.95.
TEN (10) SIXTH PRIZES: $25 Harry and David gift card (terms and conditions apply). ARV: $25.
FIFTY (50) SEVENTH PRIZES: Chocolate truffleassortments. ARV: $19.95.

Enter here: http://harryanddavid.promo.eprize.com/valentine/
Official Rules: http://harryanddavid.promo.eprize.com/valentine/rules.html

I'm still trying to win this one! Good luck!

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Earth-Friendly Giveaways

As I continue on this new journey of blog-hopping, I've noticed that a lot of reviews and giveaways are related to Earth-Friendly products. So I thought I'd gather and share some of this type of giveaways, many of which I have entered, too!

EcoUsable® Review and Giveaway at ABCD Diaries
This is a review and giveaway for stainless steel water bottles in many great designs and colors. Read the review and enter the giveaway at ABCD Diaries Ends 2/2

Planet Wise, Inc. bags at The Baby Bottom Line
Here you will find a great review and giveaway for reusable bags from Planet Wise, Inc. I've entered to win these at a few different blogs, but so far no luck. I really love the sandwich wrap bar which can double as a placemat! Check it all out at The Baby Bottom Line blog. Ends 2/5/11

Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner from Confessions of an Overworked Mom
Love green cleaners? This one is for you. Head over to Confessions of an Overworked Mom for a review and giveaway for Simple Green. I won Simple Green multi-purpose cleaner in an instant win contest some time ago (I think that's how I got it free) and I used it in my classroom. I felt good using something I knew was safe for the students. You can read more and try to win Simple Green here. Ends 1/29/11.

Hurry - Low Entries and Ends Jan. 22 11PM HST

What are you waiting for! Here's one of those great opportunities to get something great for free.

There is a giveaway by MommySalad of a Slapwatch. There will be 2 winners and there appear to be only 37 entries as of this post. Enter RIGHT AWAY! Enter here: MommySalad Slap Watch Review and Giveaway. She does a great review and your chances to win are good! Good luck!

Friday, January 21, 2011

Money Savvy Pig Giveaway by ABCDDiaries

Time is short, but I just found a giveaway that I LOVE and want to pass on. Teaching kids to use their money well is such a challenging task. The Money Savvy Pig bank is a great addition that makes learning to divide the money you get fun. It is a clear blue bank (at least in the picture) and has 4 slots for money - DONATE, SAVE, INVEST, SPEND. Children divide their money into those separate parts of the bank and see how their different categories compare. I think it's ingenious! Try to win it ABCDDiaries. Contest ends 1/21!!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Halls Pop a Drop – ends 3/31/11

Enter here: http://popadrop.gethalls.com/

Official Rules: http://popadrop.gethalls.com/rules.do

Use these codes to enter: 1254663237 and 1254663239 (These are the free UPC numbers they give you when you call the 800 number in the official rules)

There are 500 prizes a day. I won a coupon for a free bag of halls a few times. You can win that 3 times. Other prizes are available :

$1,000.00 (awarded in the form of a check) (15)

$500.00 (awarded in the form of a check) (20)

A pair of sneakers (awarded in the form of a $100.00 Foot Locker(tm) GiftCard )(150)

$100.00 Gas Card Prepaid MasterCard (175 available)

Herbal Essences: Something Beautiful is About to Blossom - Ends 2/28/11

Enter here: http://herbalessences.promo.eprize.com/blossom/

Official Rules: http://herbalessences.promo.eprize.com/blossom/display_page?page=rules&locale= (link to PDF for rules)

250 prizes – include a variety of store gift cards or Herbal Essences product collection including shampoo and conditioner. (You're also automatically entered for a chance to win* the sweepstakes grand prize $500 USD gift card!)

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Pink Owl Pillow Giveaway - EDIT: ENDED

Here's a chance to win an adorable Pink Owl Pillow (handmade!). This giveaway is hosted by Subtle Southern Snapshots and ends 1/20. It's easy to enter! There are a few other contests offered there also. Good luck!

EatSmart Scale Giveaway

OK, for all those of us trying to lose weight, here is another great giveaway. Over at Making Ends Meet there is a great review and giveaway. The brave blogger even shows herself on the scale to show how easy it is to read the display! The giveaway goes till Jan. 26th. Head on over to read the review and enter the giveaway. Good luck!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Enjoy chocolate without the calories! - EDIT - ENDED

Here's another chance to win a great smelling candle! This time it's a Chocolate Drizzled Candle from North Fork Gifts. All the chocolate without the calories. The giveaway is being offered on the Confessions of An Overworked Mom blog and ends on 1/21. There is a wonderful review of a vanilla lavender candle and instructions for entering the giveaway. While you are there check out the site because there are lots of other reviews and giveaways. I also went to the North Fork Gifts website and they really have all kinds of great smelly stuff. Check them out here. My favorite scent is peppermint and they have several things. I plan to try one out! Good luck!

Win a Glade Sense and Spray - ENDED

I found a great giveaway for all those like me who love smelly stuff! Over at the ChicNSavvy Reviews blog you can read a great review of Glade's new Sense & Spray and enter for a chance to win one. I had one with a different design a while back and my students loved it! They came into class each week and said "It smells GOOD in here!" - Yes, some did that every week. And they were right. Unfortunately it eventually got knocked off my desk and cracked. This new model of their automatic air freshener actually looks like it will take a little more knocking around. The thin plastic was my only fault with the one I had before. It has a motion sensor and so it only sends a spray into the air when there are actually people there to enjoy it, which made it last a long time. Go read ChicNSavvy's full review and enter to win this great product. Last day to enter is 1/17. Here is the link: http://chicnsavvyreviews.blogspot.com/2011/01/enter-to-win-new-glade-sense-spray.html

Friday, January 14, 2011

More instant win games

Dentyne Pop 'N' Play Instant Win Game - ends 3/31/11
Daily entry: http://www.facebook.com/Dentyne?v=app_114823498591300

Prizes:
First Prizes (10): Samsung Epic 4G mobile phone from Sprint along with three (3) months of free service on a Simply Everything Plan with premium data add-on. (Approximate Retail Value ("ARV"): $829.96 each)
Second Prizes (270): A $50 Quantum Rewards Prepaid MasterCard(r).
Third Prizes (900): A Dentyne Safe Breath Alliance t-shirt. Exact size of t-shirt will be at Sponsor's sole discretion. ARV: $15.00 each.
Fourth Prizes (3,600): A $1.29 Amazon.com Gift Card* for MP3 music downloads. UPDATE: I won the Amazon GC
Fifth Prizes (3,100): A coupon redeemable for a single 9-piece pack of Dentyne(r) gum.

Below is one with lots of prizes and its only one month long! Decent odds here!
Harry and David California Wine and Dine Getaway 2/14/11
Daily entry: http://harryanddavid.promo.eprize.com/valentine/
Official Rules: http://harryanddavid.promo.eprize.../rules.pdf

Sweepstakes Prize: ONE (1) GRAND PRIZE: A trip for two (2) to California Wine
Region: Healdsburg, California. (see rules for more info)

Instant Win Game Prizes:
1st prize (10): Taste of the Valley Double Discovery gift box assortments. ARV: $79.95.
2nd prize (10): Super Moose Munch Mmm-able Tins. ARV: $49.95.
3rd prize (30): All- Occasion Delights Double Discoverygift box assortments. ARV: $49.95.
4th prize (5): Creamy & Dreamy Cheesecake Samplers. ARV: $39.95.
5th prize (40): All-Occasions Tower of Treats gift box Collections. ARV: $39.95.
6th prize (10): $25 Harry and David gift card (terms and conditions apply). ARV: $25.
7th prize (70): Chocolate truffle assortments. ARV: $19.95.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Let's get started winning!

Here are a few of my "must enter" instant win games. I try to do these every day because the odds seem good.

Pillsbury Toaster Strudel Pastries
Here's a great contest for those of us with a morning sweet tooth. 2000 people a week are winning a month of toaster strudels (coupons for 4 free boxes). With a little persistence you are bound to win! Enter every day. Good luck! Ends 2/7/11 UPDATE: Forgot to say I won 2X this already. You can win up to 3 times. Stick with it! There are lots of prizes.

Enter here: http://strudelsmiles.pillsbury.com/
Official rules: http://strudelsmiles.pillsbury.com/display_page?page=rules

Tony's Pizza
Here's a chance to win all kinds of great prizes including iTunes Gift Cards, a Wii, $50 and $100 VISA cards, pizza, and a chance at a $500 VISA card. Enter every day! Ends 4/9/11

Enter Here: http://www.tonys99daysofmore.com/
Official Rules: http://www.tonys99daysofmore.com/rules.html

Red Baron Pizza
Do you see a theme here? I do love pizza, and I'm clearly hungry.

Enter Here: http://redbaronpizzapromo.com/2011-Q1/
Official Rules: http://redbaronpizzapromo.com/Rules.aspx

ONE ENTRY per person. I entered and did not win. I recommend waiting a bit and picking an odd time to take a shot at this (like 4 or 5 AM Eastern). There are quite a few prizes - pizza for a year and some serious VISA gift cards (from $50 to $750) I wish I'd paid more attention that it was one entry. This ends 2/11/11.

Getting started winning

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!).

4. Ignore those random "You (may) have already won!" type emails (and regular mail, too)
If you did not go to the site or sign up for emails from a site, ignore those emails that tell you can win or have already won something. At best they are trying to confirm your email address is a real one, and at worst you will end up with a virus. After you have entered an instant win game you will often get emails from the company sponsoring the contest, and unless you opted out when you signed up you may get other emails about future promotions. These are reasonably safe. Otherwise, do not open the email and certainly do not respond! You have not suddenly won a lottery where a random email address was chosen...blah, blah, blah. Stick to contests where you go to them to enter.

5. Save winning email confirmation and take screen shots.
When you win there are 2 wise things to do. First, take a screen shot of the winning message that pops up and save it. It is useful in case there is a problem later and a prize doesn't arrive. The screen usually has some sort of confirmation number, and you screen shot records the time/date as it shows on your screen (I use the snipping tool in Windows 7 for this). Second, if they send you a confirmation email (they usually send it very shortly after you win) save it! Again, you'll want it in case the prize doesn't arrive. I've replied to that email or otherwise contacted the company a few times because a prize didn't arrive, and only once have I ended up with no prize (never got an answer). Once in a while something just happens, but when you contact them they usually take care of it.

6. (NEW) Skip the game!
You usually can skip the game to find out if you won. Look for a small link to click, usually near the bottom of the game, which says "Click if you can't see the game" or "Click to skip the game". It will take you right to the screen that tells you whether you won. Playing the game HAS NO IMPACT ON WHETHER YOU WIN. It's all based on the time you enter.

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!