The Best Sweepstakes | A Dollar Wise

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In case you’re wondering, yes, people really do win sweepstakes and contests. I’ve scored some great prizes over time, including a cash, gift cards, and a designer handbag. There are people who do even better, but they also tend to dedicate much more time to their hobby.

There are, of course, no guarantees that you’ll win. You could easily spend hours filling out sweepstakes entries, only to come up empty. When you do get a notification that you’ve won, though, it’s exciting as heck.

Finding legitimate contests and sweepstakes can be a huge time suck if you don’t know where to search or what to look for. The following are the most effective ways I know of to find the best sweepstakes. Quick reminder: You shouldn’t have to pay to enter sweepstakes.

The Best Sweepstakes: Sites and Newsletters

A key benefit to subscribing to a newsletter is time savings. Editors pore through the muck to find the best sweepstakes, clarify submission instructions, and organize the sweeps into categories. All you really have to do is enter.

Good newsletters also offer tips for winning, and additional benefits like forums and tools that let you organize your sweeps and enter online notes. Some newsletters are completely free, some require a paid membership, while others offer both options.

If this is a serious hobby, subscribing to a newsletter is worth the small investment, in my opinion. Here are just a few to consider.

SweepSheet

When I have time to devote to sweepstaking, I’ll subscribe to Sweepsheet. They’ve been around since 1990, having changed owners in 2008, and again in 2020. SweepSheet lists hundreds of high quality sweepstakes at any given time.

One of my favorite features is their organization of sweepstakes. I can search for my favorite sweeps in a number of ways, including by instant wins, text message sweeps, skill contests, and my favorite, by prize category, like cash, trips, or shopping sprees. This makes it easy for me to find the types of sweeps I want to enter and avoid wasting time on those I have no interest in.

Since Sweepsheet has been around for several decades, they’re in a prime position to offer their members solid tips to increase their chances of winning. Their members-only online, moderated forum is a solid place to chat with other sweepers, share wins, and learn about additional sweeps.

Sweepsheet offers paid subscriptions only, on a monthly, semi-annual, or yearly basis. As of this writing, a one-year member is $60 per year.

Sweepstakes Advantage

In business since 1997, Sweepstakes Advantage is another major newsletter provider on the sweepstaking circuit. With their free membership, you gain access to a limited number of sweeps; as well as a member’s forum to communicate with fellow sweepers, get tips, and learn about new sweepstakes. Their paid membership option (Sweepstakes Plus) provides access to additional benefits, including additional sweeps, the ability to customize your prize categories, and add your own sweeps.

Sweepstakes Plus offers monthly, quarterly, and annual memberships. The current fee per year is $60.

Search Online for the Best Sweepstakes

The biggest benefit of searching for your own sweeps is that it’s free. It’s also more time consuming. You can easily spend hours trying to find legitimate sweepstakes that haven’t expired.

If you’re determined to search for sweeps using this method, try entering more specific search terms. Here are a few suggestions to give you an idea.

Cash sweepstakes 2022
Contests
Win a trip
Win cash
Grocery giveaway
(Your favorite store) sweepstakes

You’ll still likely end up with irrelevant search results, but entering more specific terms typically yields better results.

Use Google Alerts to Find Sweepstakes

You can also program Google to send you notices of current sweepstakes by entering specific search terms. It’s free and easy to set up.

To start, go to Google’s Alerts page, then choose your criteria, like how often you’d like to receive notices and your preferred search terms. The trick is to enter specific terms that will yield relevant results, which will require some trial and error.

Peek at the Bottom of Your Sales Receipts

The next time you go shopping, check the bottom of your sales receipt before tossing it. Some retailers will enter your name in their sweepstakes in exchange for feedback about your recent store experience. (Note that you can still enter sweepstakes without having made a purchase.)

Magazine Sweepstakes Pages

A number of consumer magazines regularly post sweepstakes. Here are just a few with dedicated pages.

Woman’s World
Country Living
Better Homes & Gardens
Travel + Leisure

The Best Sweepstakes: Network with Other Sweepstakers

One way to network with fellow hobbyists -aside from online newsletter forums- is by joining sweepstakes clubs. They’re a good way to learn of new sweeps, as well as to share tips and comaraderie.

To find clubs in your area, check pages like Contest Queen, Sweeties Secret Sweeps, and SweepSheet. For die-hard and new sweepers alike, the Annual National Sweepstakes Convention is a multi-day event that hosts workshops, vendors, an opportunity to win prizes, and meet new friends.

For me, subscribing to a dedicated newsletter is worth the small investment. It saves me the time of having to search for sweeps that may or not be legitimate or current, or that offer low quality prizes. What works best for me and my schedule, however, may not work for you. Regardless of which technique you use, I hope these tips help you become more successful and win more prizes.

This post contains references to products from one or more of my advertising partners. When you click on a link to any of these products, I may be compensated. Please visit my Earnings Disclosure & Disclaimer page for more information. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for your support!