There are many ways to get things for free. No, I’m not talking about stealing! I mean getting products for nothing, zip, nada, zero. Freebies come in many shapes and sizes – samples, free trials, cash-back, borrowing, giveaways, vouchers, and of course prizes (I mentioned competitions in my last post).
Stay tuned to my blog for tips and stories about getting things for nothing. As the saying goes . . . the best things in life are free . . . and I can show you how true that is!
I sign-up for many different website newsletters so that I can be informed of discounts, freebies, and competitions as well as things of interest – like kid’s school holiday programmes. There are hundreds of thousands of freebies and competitions available online, but only a few are relevant for New Zealand. Being a member of these sites takes the work out of trying to find new comps and wade through the huge lists which appear when using a search engine.
Generally it is free to sign up for a newsletter or online clubs. It is usually very easy to unsubscribe to them as well if you don’t want any more contact with the company. Simply send an email or change your preferences on their website – check the bottom of their email newsletter for details. Just make sure you do it after you receive your freebie, sample or the end of a competition!
I have listed some freebie websites on my blog (to the right) and I will continue to update that link area as I find more sites of interest. Most of the sites listed are New Zealand or Australian, but many times you can find a counterpart for your country. It may be as simple as changing the end of the URL from NZ to COM.
If you come across any more sites of interest for me and my readers let me know in a comment or email. Thanks!
Showing posts with label competitions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label competitions. Show all posts
Friday, 6 July 2007
Thursday, 5 July 2007
Competitions
As I mentioned in my last post I am addicted to entering competitions. This seems to have become even more of an obsession since I moved to New Zealand. Probably because I have won quite a few prizes and nothing fans the flames of an addiction more than the sweet taste of victory. However, I have to admit I haven’t won the “big one” yet but I do win lots of little things.
To name a few things I have won since moving to New Zealand (I can’t name everything as it would take up too much space): Microwave oven, Nintendo game system with two games (unfortunately this was stolen from our house in Papakura two weeks after we got it, back in 1997), dishes, movie passes, Easter Show tickets, Home Show tickets, Dorothy the Dinosaur Show tickets, $50 voucher for Pumpkin Patch, $40 voucher for NZGirl, books, CDs, DVDs, videos, stationery, LCD monitor, baby products, and so on.
Most of these things I have won in the last few years which is why I can remember them. There are some things I won I didn’t need or couldn’t use, like the Dorothy the Dinosaur Show tickets, so I simply on sold them. I can always use money. I do try to only enter competitions for things I want or need, however with the show tickets I didn’t read the fine print properly and it turned out the show was in the middle of the week when my girls were in school. I couldn’t take them out of school to go to a show in Auckland. However I made another family very happy by selling them the tickets for half the retail price on TradeMe. So it wasn’t a complete loss.
My advice is to read the fine print when entering competitions, even if you don’t think you’ll win. It is those times that you do get the prize.
Last year I had my daughters enter a colouring competition in the hopes that they would be one of the 50 runners up and get a double movie pass. Much to my surprise and my eldest daughter’s delight I got a phone call to say she won the grand prize which we didn’t even know what it was. A few weeks later at school she was presented (literally as it was wrapped like a Christmas gift) by an ASB bank manager a brand new Playstaion 2 console and a Buzz Junior game with controllers. She even got her picture in the local paper. That was a wonderful prize as I couldn’t afford to spend a couple hundred dollars on a game system, especially with my tight Christmas budget at that time.
The amazing thing was the next day a package arrived for my youngest which was a Leapster TV console game system that she had won (I’d entered her name in a mail-in competition). So both my girls had their own TV game systems and I could reclaim the computer, so I thought!
What has really increased my interest in entering competitions is the Internet. Now I can enter lots more competitions for free. In the past it would cost the price of an envelope and a postage stamp, which has just risen to 50¢. Now I can enter virtually hundreds of competitions, however the chances of winning are lessened because there are thousands (possibly hundreds of thousands) of people entering these competitions as well. But even with those odds I still seem to win a few.
My top 10 tips for entering competitions:
1. How many entries can you make? Many competitions only allow one entry per household or email address. However there are some, usually mail-in comps, which allow multiple entries.
2. Do you qualify to win? If you’re doing online competitions check to see if the country you live in qualifies to enter. You can’t rely on the URL to tell you what country the comp is for.
3. Are you prepared to win the major prize? This may sound like a silly question, however you must think about it. Many “trip” prizes are to be taken within a specific time frame, so if you don’t have a passport or cannot take time off work to go, then don’t bother entering the comp.
4. Are you willing to have your name or photo used for promotion? Most companies will print your name and possibly your photo if you are a winner. If you don’t want the publicity, then don’t enter the comp.
5. Don’t get your hopes up. I find that I don’t win the competitions I really want. However it is when I enter a comp and then forget all about it that I get the prize. I don’t know why or how this works, but it does.
6. Don’t enter competitions that charge you money. I’m always wary of comps which require an entry fee. If you aren’t getting something for your money then steer clear.
7. Don’t spend a lot of money on a competition. If you have to buy something to enter a comp then only do it if the product is something you would normally buy. Don’t go out of your way to spend a lot of money just to enter a competition. You will be disappointed in the end.
8. Beware of referral competitions. Many comps will give you extra entries if you refer friends – give out people’s names and addresses. Check that this is okay with your friends first, as no one likes junk mail. However I don’t mind as I can easily delete the email if I’m not interested.
9. Remember to read the fine print. It’s always good to check the rules before entering a competition. Some competitions have age restrictions and time limits. The deadline might be expired or years away, in which case you’ll have a very long wait to see if you win. You may even find that the company will send you emails or letters promoting their product. If you don’t want further contact then don’t enter the comp.
10. And finally, tell others about your wins. If you do win a prize let others know. The company that gave you the prize will benefit from you telling others. I believe it’s a karmic thing – if you share your good news, or even your prize, then good things will continue to happen. I’m hoping giving out these tips will put me in good stead (karmic-wise) to win the “big one”! I’ll keep you informed.
In the future I plan to create a Competitions link area on this blog, so if you know of any good comps let me know. Check back often to see my progress and please let me know if you win anything from my advice or blog.
To name a few things I have won since moving to New Zealand (I can’t name everything as it would take up too much space): Microwave oven, Nintendo game system with two games (unfortunately this was stolen from our house in Papakura two weeks after we got it, back in 1997), dishes, movie passes, Easter Show tickets, Home Show tickets, Dorothy the Dinosaur Show tickets, $50 voucher for Pumpkin Patch, $40 voucher for NZGirl, books, CDs, DVDs, videos, stationery, LCD monitor, baby products, and so on.
Most of these things I have won in the last few years which is why I can remember them. There are some things I won I didn’t need or couldn’t use, like the Dorothy the Dinosaur Show tickets, so I simply on sold them. I can always use money. I do try to only enter competitions for things I want or need, however with the show tickets I didn’t read the fine print properly and it turned out the show was in the middle of the week when my girls were in school. I couldn’t take them out of school to go to a show in Auckland. However I made another family very happy by selling them the tickets for half the retail price on TradeMe. So it wasn’t a complete loss.
My advice is to read the fine print when entering competitions, even if you don’t think you’ll win. It is those times that you do get the prize.
Last year I had my daughters enter a colouring competition in the hopes that they would be one of the 50 runners up and get a double movie pass. Much to my surprise and my eldest daughter’s delight I got a phone call to say she won the grand prize which we didn’t even know what it was. A few weeks later at school she was presented (literally as it was wrapped like a Christmas gift) by an ASB bank manager a brand new Playstaion 2 console and a Buzz Junior game with controllers. She even got her picture in the local paper. That was a wonderful prize as I couldn’t afford to spend a couple hundred dollars on a game system, especially with my tight Christmas budget at that time.
The amazing thing was the next day a package arrived for my youngest which was a Leapster TV console game system that she had won (I’d entered her name in a mail-in competition). So both my girls had their own TV game systems and I could reclaim the computer, so I thought!
What has really increased my interest in entering competitions is the Internet. Now I can enter lots more competitions for free. In the past it would cost the price of an envelope and a postage stamp, which has just risen to 50¢. Now I can enter virtually hundreds of competitions, however the chances of winning are lessened because there are thousands (possibly hundreds of thousands) of people entering these competitions as well. But even with those odds I still seem to win a few.
My top 10 tips for entering competitions:
1. How many entries can you make? Many competitions only allow one entry per household or email address. However there are some, usually mail-in comps, which allow multiple entries.
2. Do you qualify to win? If you’re doing online competitions check to see if the country you live in qualifies to enter. You can’t rely on the URL to tell you what country the comp is for.
3. Are you prepared to win the major prize? This may sound like a silly question, however you must think about it. Many “trip” prizes are to be taken within a specific time frame, so if you don’t have a passport or cannot take time off work to go, then don’t bother entering the comp.
4. Are you willing to have your name or photo used for promotion? Most companies will print your name and possibly your photo if you are a winner. If you don’t want the publicity, then don’t enter the comp.
5. Don’t get your hopes up. I find that I don’t win the competitions I really want. However it is when I enter a comp and then forget all about it that I get the prize. I don’t know why or how this works, but it does.
6. Don’t enter competitions that charge you money. I’m always wary of comps which require an entry fee. If you aren’t getting something for your money then steer clear.
7. Don’t spend a lot of money on a competition. If you have to buy something to enter a comp then only do it if the product is something you would normally buy. Don’t go out of your way to spend a lot of money just to enter a competition. You will be disappointed in the end.
8. Beware of referral competitions. Many comps will give you extra entries if you refer friends – give out people’s names and addresses. Check that this is okay with your friends first, as no one likes junk mail. However I don’t mind as I can easily delete the email if I’m not interested.
9. Remember to read the fine print. It’s always good to check the rules before entering a competition. Some competitions have age restrictions and time limits. The deadline might be expired or years away, in which case you’ll have a very long wait to see if you win. You may even find that the company will send you emails or letters promoting their product. If you don’t want further contact then don’t enter the comp.
10. And finally, tell others about your wins. If you do win a prize let others know. The company that gave you the prize will benefit from you telling others. I believe it’s a karmic thing – if you share your good news, or even your prize, then good things will continue to happen. I’m hoping giving out these tips will put me in good stead (karmic-wise) to win the “big one”! I’ll keep you informed.
In the future I plan to create a Competitions link area on this blog, so if you know of any good comps let me know. Check back often to see my progress and please let me know if you win anything from my advice or blog.
Wednesday, 4 July 2007
Saving
I’ve been reading another website, John Chow dot Com, about writing and maintaining blogs. It suggested I add new posts regularly and write about something I am passionate about. So I got to thinking . . . what am I passionate about?
I know what I am good at, and what I like to do, and what I don’t like to do, but passion? I don’t really feel passionate about much these days. So I approached the question in a different way. What do I consistently do that others don’t do?
Yelling at my kids? No, most (possibly all) the mother’s I know yell at their kids. Computer work? No, I am good with computers but I can happily go days without turning one on, if I had my way. Crafts? I do like my crafts and have tried a great variety, but lately I haven’t had the time or energy to do much. Gardening? I was very “in to” my garden a few years ago but I think that was just a way to escape the unhappiness I felt in my marriage.
Then it hit me . . . the one thing I always strive to do . . . in every aspect of my life . . . SAVE! My friends know I save money any way I can, but I’m talking about saving everything: time, money, things, energy, and even the environment.
There you have it – I am passionate about saving things! That doesn’t mean I am a hoarder, although I do have a lot of little pieces of scrap material and wrapping paper that I am sure I’ll find a use for someday. But I do know when to have a good clear out, if only to make way for more stuff.
So besides my ranting about whatever happens to take my fancy at the time I will try to do regular posts about saving. Don’t worry, I won’t be talking about investments or which KiwiSaver provider is the best. There are many other experts on the WWW who can help you with those problems. I will simply let you know ways in which I have saved things.
Being a single mother of two young girls I find lots of ways to get things cheaply or free. I am also addicted to entering competitions, probably because I quite often win (the small prizes, never the really big ones). Sharing my strategies and past experiences on saving would definitely create a lot of posts and hopefully you will benefit from reading them as well.
In fact, if you have any good ideas or stories to tell about any great deals you have gotten or anything about saving please let me know either in a comment or an email. Who knows, if your story is good I might just post it here!
I know what I am good at, and what I like to do, and what I don’t like to do, but passion? I don’t really feel passionate about much these days. So I approached the question in a different way. What do I consistently do that others don’t do?
Yelling at my kids? No, most (possibly all) the mother’s I know yell at their kids. Computer work? No, I am good with computers but I can happily go days without turning one on, if I had my way. Crafts? I do like my crafts and have tried a great variety, but lately I haven’t had the time or energy to do much. Gardening? I was very “in to” my garden a few years ago but I think that was just a way to escape the unhappiness I felt in my marriage.
Then it hit me . . . the one thing I always strive to do . . . in every aspect of my life . . . SAVE! My friends know I save money any way I can, but I’m talking about saving everything: time, money, things, energy, and even the environment.
There you have it – I am passionate about saving things! That doesn’t mean I am a hoarder, although I do have a lot of little pieces of scrap material and wrapping paper that I am sure I’ll find a use for someday. But I do know when to have a good clear out, if only to make way for more stuff.
So besides my ranting about whatever happens to take my fancy at the time I will try to do regular posts about saving. Don’t worry, I won’t be talking about investments or which KiwiSaver provider is the best. There are many other experts on the WWW who can help you with those problems. I will simply let you know ways in which I have saved things.
Being a single mother of two young girls I find lots of ways to get things cheaply or free. I am also addicted to entering competitions, probably because I quite often win (the small prizes, never the really big ones). Sharing my strategies and past experiences on saving would definitely create a lot of posts and hopefully you will benefit from reading them as well.
In fact, if you have any good ideas or stories to tell about any great deals you have gotten or anything about saving please let me know either in a comment or an email. Who knows, if your story is good I might just post it here!
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