I WISH!
When my sweepstakes friend Jenn posted this status update on Facebook:
I was talking to someone today and mentioned when I enter sweeps; I lose 99.9% of the time. They were actually shocked and thought that I just won about everything I enter. I wish! 🙂
I knew I had to break the myth that contestors and sweepers win everything.
Companies in the U.S. spent billions, yes billions, on promotions, contests, sweepstakes, and giveaways. I sure didn’t win that much!!
I submit 100-300 entries per day, and I win 5-15 prizes per month. All one has to do is the math to figure out the percentage of entries vs. prizes.
100 x 30 = 3000
5 ÷ 3000 = 0.001
or
300 x 30 = 9000
15 ÷ 9000 = 0.001
It turns out Jenn’s math is wrong. She loses 99.99% of what she enters! But we don’t focus on what we lose. We focus on what we win, the prizes, the fun, and the excitement. (Jenn also wrote a blog post on this subject: Are People Who Win Sweepstakes Just Lucky Ducks?)
This also ties into the people I meet that say, “I entered a few contests and didn’t win anything. You are so lucky.” They don’t realize that contestors make their own luck.
“I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more of it I have.”
Thomas Jefferson
So yes, it only takes WON to WIN, and I do know those who have won entering one contest one time and walked away with the grand prize, but that is very rare. For the vast majority of us, we have to enter many to win a few.
Are you a seasoned sweeper? A dedicated contestor? If so, why do you enter day after day and month after month?
For me, Dortha Schaefer said it best in The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio, “No matter how many kids you might have, I’m firmly convinced that a person can find time to do the things they want to do, and you and I must want to contest.”
How many sweepstakes do you enter each day?
I enter contests daily. But i used to go to my daily entries and enter them daily. I do not do that anymore. Contesting is time consuming but it is fun and exciting when you win. My family sometimes jokes around with me saying I win lots. But I don’t. I see so many people win multiple times more then i do. It has you thinking that you can do it to. But you do have to take your time to enter. Luck and fun and time is what contesting is.
I work with a friend who, in seeing all my fantastic winnings coming in, entered for about (1) hour only (1) day. Now she complains to me 1-2 times per week about how she hasn’t won anything yet! She’s a wonderful person, but I don’t think she’s grasping the hard work that goes into this hobby. I know it’s worth every minute to me!!
I enter tons! I win a small percentage! I look at this as a great, low cost hobby that is fun and sometimes have wonderful results. I enjoy fantasizing about winning different prizes so I get pleasure even if I don’t win!
I have been sweeping for almost 6 years. I am entering 350-500 sweepstakes a day (4-5 hrs a day) and I am very please with my results. Over 400 wins last year. You do the math. Some wins were small $20 movie tickets some wins were big , a 10 night trip to Ireland. I average 10 grand prizes a year. Have not paid for a vacation since I got into this hobby. You get out what you put in. I put a lot in. Entering with every method possible and always learning something new. Oh by the way this is ALL ” The Contest Queens” fault. My hubby jokingly pointed out her book to me 6 years ago in the Library and I read it. (about 10 times) and I am enjoying my sweeping life.
I love your story! I wish I had time to enter as much as you do. Somedays I get 10 minutes! Happy to take all the blame for all your luck, fun & adventures 🙂
That is awesome. Please tell me what you do cause I don’t win very often
The key is to enter in concentric circles and better odds giveaways. Be sure to enter sweepstakes locally first. Then statewide. Then nationally.
I enter 1-2hrs about 4days a week. I am very happy with my wins as I feel they add to my life & life experiences. I don’t enter contests for things I’m not interested in. I enjoy my hobby & I know my family loves it too. I have to admit, by the time I go thru emails & facebook, I just don’t have time to sign up for a twitter account or follow a bunch of blogs so I don’t enter contests those ways. Maybe one day when I have more time. I would love to contest full-time like Ron Smith on Extreme Sweepers! Haha! That is so awesome that he created a job for himself from his hobby as did Carolyn!
Carolyn – I’m so glad to be receiving your emails again after your hiatus. Glad to have you back in my contesting world!
Thanks Nicole. I am on a 31 day blog challenge. I do not think I can keep blogging at this pace as I want to put energy to finishing the next edition of my book. My goal is to keep blogging at least 3 days+ days per week.
i have been contesting for 13 years. i have won once last year.my family and friends think contesting is a joke and not one of them i can use to send a contest to when referring friends.im still optimistic that more wins are in the future.i spend about 3 -4 hours a day on contests
This is so true! I enter lots and have won several major prizes but i definitely lose so much more than I win. I not only do it because I love winning, but also because I enjoy it as a hobby. If it quits being fun for me, I won’t keep entering. Several of my friends want to know how I win, so I will try to get them started. They stick with it about a week or so, and then quit because they didn’t win.
I have been entering sweepstakes and blog giveaways for four years now. I have won some great prizes in that time. I am currently experiencing a “dry period” but I continue to enter day in and day out. I know the “dry spell” won’t last forever. Thanks for introducing me to this great hobby. I enjoy it immensely. Good luck to all.
I’ve been entering sweeps since May 2015. I had some nice little instant wins early on, which kept me going (summer months were particularly fruitful, I noticed!) Since then, I’ve won 44 prizes! November was my leanest month (only 3 very wee wins), but I knew it was only a matter of time until I started winning bigger prizes again. So I kept at it. And lo and behold, come December, I won several gift cards, a fancy bottle of nail polish, and my biggest (and most unique) win so far, a pair of gloves signed by Rihanna & a bottle of her perfume, RiRi! I spend about 1-2 hours a day entering. For me, the key is consistency and persistence! The more you put in, the more you get in return!
Not sure you got your maths right there. Yes its 5 / 3000 but then you need to multiply by 100 to get the percentage. To find the percentage you lose you would do 100 – (5/3000) * 100 = 99.8.
Thanks for the new calculations Zachary, but even according to your math, I still lose a heck of a lot!
what do you go to enter
Check out my Resources for hundreds of links to legitimate sites that offer winning opportunities: FIND SWEEPSTAKES
I love entering contests and sweepstakes and my family and friends think I am a lucky person who just enters a few contests and win all the time. Only my hubby sees how much time I actually spend entering contests (and even he doesn’t even realize just how much time I actually spend). But the joy of winning is so exciting to me and makes me feel good no matter how small the prize is. I use to enter everything I came across but now I only enter contests that offer prizes that I actually want. It is just like any other hobby it is for the enjoyment of it.
I have not won any national sweepstakes but enter every so often. I have won tickets for 4 to a water park at a grand opening celebration. I recently got back into it because my family is going through a tough patch and I was hoping to make memories with my husband who has cancer. I’m looking for entries that allow you to write in your reason why you want to win but there aren’t that many. I’ve been applying consistently for superbowl tickets but I know it’s a long shot.
One of the keys to entering is to use a sweepstakes aggregate. You can find them here: https://www.contestqueen.com/us-resources/find-sweepstakes/sweepstakes-aggregates/
I enter when I can – but a couple of hours in the evenings – as I can fit it in & it is fun when I win. I only enter for things I need or would enjoy. It drives me nuts to see people win & then – shortly thereafter want to sell items. I have entered for charities & love when that works out. We have an event for fundraising for #OneWalkForCancer each year …An Amazing race & I love winning items for the auction table etc.
Lady luck has passed me by!!! I enter quite a bit but because i’m from the province of Quebec i’m limited & even when I only enter contests that are just for my province I still don’t win. It is very difficult to win no matter how hard you try. I do better with radio contests but even that is failing me. The gods don’t want me to win anymore – I only won 2 big prizes which were trips which was like 10 years ago – since then zilch. I have a good mind to drop the whole thing altogether which I’ve done but get sucked back in with no results.
There are no percentages, there are no odds. Since 2010 in have won now over 2000 contests and net worth around 400000 buckaroos. Although there is no science, there is a very easy way to enter, as I enter over 350 per day on average……..
Every statistician would disagree. Everything in life has odds.
@kurt
Where do you find 350 a day to enter. I cruise a ton of sites that offer contests/giveaways/sweepstakes and not only are there a lot of the same ones, there’s no where near 350 to enter a day.
Are you factoring in the instant win contests?
Thanks to anyone that weighs in!
I enter about 100 everyday some are daily and I’m lucky if I win 1-2 a year I don’t enter for things I don’t need. I just started to enter toys because toys for tots so what am I doing wrong I google my name I use Facebook Twitter did something to my account back in dec. and I’m restricted I don’t know why I never entered Sweepstakes there just used for extra entries please help me
Bobbi, a big key to winning is to be organized. Do you have a contest entry system in place? If not, start there. Don’t know how to set one up, buy my book. I teach you how to do it step-by-step. It’s only $10 on Kindle. A worthwhile investment. GOOD LUCK!
What are the best times to enter a sweepstakes?
Anytime. If you are trying to win instantly, the middle of the night will give you the best odds, depending on your time zone, but my best instant wins have been during the day.
So what am I doing wrong. U win every day I’m Facebook 1 name
I enter on weekdays save the weekends for my grandkids.I have won some nice prizes .I have help others .I was once asked how can you get so happy winning a coupon .My reply was if you can not appreciate the little wins ,you may miss bigger ones.
I have always played here and there. Winning a bike, telescope a few other things back in the 90’s. Mostly a little challenge because my daughter started around the age of 14 and I saw how often she won. Then in 2013 I went in for a minor surgery and due to something that happened I became very sick. It took almost 3 yrs to diagnose and during that time my dr offered me a number of antidepressants, but I refused. I knew it wasn’t in my head, so I started making schedules and entering everything. Radio, online, Facebook. Soon I had to start keeping track of my wins (30 day rules!) all the while attending hospital 3x a week. I was eventually diagnosed with full on Lupus/RA/Sjogren disease/Raynauds and more recently some author the hips? I still attend hospital 2x a week and I still play my contests. With 2 degrees and years of experience I’m unable to work for long periods of time, but didn’t qualify for a pension from my employer because I have a few good weeks here and there. Winning helps me feel like I’m contributing where otherwise I might not be able to. It’s a lot of work, but I never did start taking those pills. My doctor swears it’s because I have a different focus: My schedule. I e met wonderful people and get lots of help from other contest friends. I love when we win together! I think I may have rambled a little long. We just got back after midnight from a free 5 star week long at the Royalton Suites Cancun. It was my 7th or 8th sun vacay since I started my schedule. Good luck everyone!! ❤️
I enter daily I focus on local contest to my area in doing this I have one gift cards spa sessions free haircuts movie passes etc. I have set sites I use daily I enter around 500-1000 depending on my day, just keep entering you will win. I love this hobby i have one vacations been to invite only events been able to take my son places we normally could no afford.
I win more when I enter less, and pick and choose, rather than enter everything. Sweeps will steal your time from real life. If you look at how many you enter and how much you actually win, you can easily see how it can be a time waster. Better to just enter a variety and not spend all day and night on them.
I agree with this fully – for the amount I enter, I win very little! It’s still fun to enter and you never know – one of the contests COULD be the next win!
Many of my family and friends think I am incredibly lucky, but I don’t think they realize how much I enter and don’t win!
I enter contests about a hour and a half every morning. I go through spurts where I win and also dry periods where I don’t win anything.
I started entering sweepstakes in 2009. I had a few good years of winning. I am currently in a dry spell. I haven’t won anything in years, but I continue to enter daily. I know My dry spell will end eventually. Good luck to all.
Hello everyone,
I also enter daily for several hours. My results vary. Some months are dry others provide various prizes. I have also won several trips and a week long motor home rental.
I started many years ago. Have changed up my methods that work for me. I am pleased with my hobby lol. Some things you may win were not what you wanted so then donate it or give it away to someone who may need or want it. Lightens your heart.
Thank you