Recently, I read two articles on how people are making money by entering sweepstakes:
- How to Make Money Entering Giveaways for a Living
- Side Hustle Series: How I Make Money Entering Giveaways
While both articles gave some useful tips for getting started, neither went into detail about how much money you can make or how many hours you need to work for it to be lucrative. So I decided to test it out myself.
Pre-Planning Strategy
The first thing I did was create a separate email account just for my giveaway and sweepstake entries. Next, I created a new Twitter account since many giveaways offer additional entries for social media shares (I didn’t want to bombard my online friends with giveaway spam). I used my personal Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram account for additional entries; but in hindsight, I wish I would have created new social profiles just for this case study.
Once I got my new accounts setup, I searched for giveaways on the following websites and platforms:
My initial goal was to enter five giveaways each day, using as many entry methods as possible, so I would increase my odds of winning. The plan was to primarily enter gift card giveaways and then sell the gift cards on CardSell.
For items I did win, I planned to sell them on VarageSale, Craigslist, and my local Facebook Swap group. The last step was to create a spreadsheet to track dates, prizes, values, and winnings.
Note: Giveaway earnings are not exempt from tax withholdings. In fact, it’s quite a hefty tax around 30 percent. I know, because I won a spa gift certificate ($700 value) many years ago via the radio, and received a 1099-MISC which I had to pay taxes on at the end of the year. This article talks about taxes and giveaways — be sure to check it out. If you have further questions about taxes and sweepstake winnings, consult the IRS or your tax professional.
Execution of the Giveaway Plan
With my plan in place, I was off to the races. The first few days, I was really excited and confident that this would produce some positive results. Each day I would spend about 30 minutes searching and entering giveaways. By day 14 I was starting to get discouraged. Not only had I not won anything, but the process was starting to get tedious. So to improve my odds, I decided to boost my efforts by entering ten giveaways a day instead of five, which increased the time I was completing surveys to around an hour a day.
By day 19, I started to lose hope. I still hadn’t won anything, and I was spending more time completing repetitive tasks that I didn’t enjoy. It became exhausting. One giveaway I entered had 98 possible entries. Another giveaway had 175 possible entries! Talk about mind-numbing.
Finally. On day 24, I received correspondence that I had won two giveaways! The first prize package I won was a set of Bumkins Travel Bags worth $38.00 along with a $20 Starbucks Gift Card. The second giveaway I won was for a $25 World Market Gift Card. With some renewed hope and energy I pushed through to the end.
My Results of Entering Giveaways for 28 Days
My Results of Entering Giveaways for 28 DaysAll in all, I supposedly won three prize packages. The Bumkins Travel Bags and Starbucks Gift Card ($58.00 value), a World Market Gift Card ($25), and a Visa Gift Card ($50) which I still have not received.
I entered a total of 220 giveaways and spent approximately 22 hours entering and searching for sweepstakes. This total does not include the time I spent setting up the new email and social media accounts for this experiment. Since I’m a huge Starbucks fan, I kept that Gift Card, and I gave the Bumkins Travel Bags to my daughter. I was going to sell the World Market Gift Card, but instead, I gave it to my nephew who is moving out for the first time.
So What’s the Verdict?
Can you really make money entering giveaways? I’m going to give this method two thumbs down. Not only is it a gamble, but the taxes you have to pay on your winnings are hefty. The overall tasks of researching and entering giveaways are mind-numbingly boring too. If you’re looking for a way to make money to cover bills and expenses, this is definitely not going to cut it.
There may be a handful of people who are making a living doing this, but I kind of doubt it, and I couldn’t find any real-life examples online. You would honestly need to enter giveaways all day long, and still, it’s a gamble; not to mention even if you do win, you may not receive the prize.
If you’re looking to make some side cash, I suggest short tasks or completing surveys. If you need a steady income, I suggest applying for a remote job or training for an at-home career where you can make some real money.
Here is my 28-day giveaway map. You can see exactly what giveaways I entered, the value, the drawing date, and the outcome.
If you’re making money entering giveaways, would love to hear your story. Or if you’ve tried this method, let us know your results.
Day 1:
Minted Custom Labels GC – $150
Buggy Wuggly Ride-On – $29.99
Jouviance Gift Card – $100
Starbucks Gift Card – $10
Cheddar’s Gift Card – $25
Day 2:
Aden + Anais RED classic daydream blanket – $99 – 7/10
Joovy Zoom 360 Ultralight jogging stroller – $300 – 7/10
Yoga bag, pants, and tank – $216 – 7/20
Cash Giveaway -$200 – 7/8
TIMBUK2 Laptop Bag – $99 – 7/14
Day 3:
Phillips Sonic Care Toothbrush – $300 – 7/3
Phillips Sonic Care Toothbrush – $300 – 7/3
Phillips Sonic Care Toothbrush – $300 – 7/3
Phillips Sonic Care Toothbrush – $300 – 7/3
Phillips Sonic Care Toothbrush – $300 – 7/3
Day 4:
Cuisinart Electric Pressure Cooker – $185 – 7/5
Crazy 8 Gift Card – $25 – 7/5
Target Gift Card – $50 – 7/5
Pastry Stands – $100 – 7/5
Girl Scout Cookie Oven – $49.99 – 7/5
Day 5:
Visa Gift Card – $100 – 7/6
Sephora Gift Card – $300 – 7/6
PayPal Gift Card – $25 – 7/6
PayPal Gift Card – $25 – 7/6
Toys R Us Gift Card – $25 – 7/6
Day 6:
Cuisinart Grind and Brew 12-Cup Coffee Maker – $305 – 7/8
Visa Gift Card – $25 – 7/8
Thirty One Gift Card – $25 – 7/18
GelMoments Beginner’s Choice Kit – $75 -7/14
Amazon Gift Card – $100 – 7/30
Day 7:
Limeapple Swim Suit – $48 – 7/8
Ghirardelli Love and Joy Summer Gift Basket – $69.99 – 7/10
Amazon Gift Card – $100 – 7/10
Brilliant Blanket by Nikiani – $94 – 7/10
Pearl Earrings from Wendy Mignot – $125 – 7/10
Day 8:
Target Gift Card $25 – 7/11
Book, Nail Polish + Ray-Ban Sunglasses – $160 – 7/11
Visa Gift Card – $50 – 7/11
PetSmart gift card – $25 – 7/11
PayPal Gift Card – $20 – 7/12
Day 9:
Amazon Gift Card – $100 – 7/13
Amazon Gift Card – $300 – 7/13
Visa Gift Card – $25 – 7/13
Brio SmartClean Sonic Electric Toothbrush – $68 – 7/13
Sigma Basic Brush Kit – $77 – 7/14
Day 10:
Coach Purse – $400 – 7/15
Visa Gift Card – $50 – 7/15
Amazon Gift Card – $25 – 7/15
Visa Gift Card – $50 – 7/15 — WON, BUT NEVER RECEIVED
Amazon Gift Card – $25 – 7/24
Day 11:
Visa Gift Card – $50 – 7/19
PayPal Cash – $25 – 7/12
Outback Steakhouse Gift Card – $25 – 7/31
Costco Cash Card – $50 – 7/14
Noonday Earrings – $38 – 7/14
Day 12:
Neutrogena gift-set – $50 – 7/17
Starbucks Gift Card – $15 – 7/17
Visa Gift Card – $25 – 7/17
Petsmart Gift Card – $50 – 7/16
Ahoy Pearl Stud Earrings – $85 – 7/15
Day 13:
Visa Gift Card – $25 – 7/11
Amazon Gift Card – $25 – 7/22
Threads Worldwide Gift Card – $25 – 7/15
Petsmart Gift Card – $25 – 7/11
Outback Steakhouse – $50 – 7/11
Day 14:
Amazon Gift Card – $100 – 7/28
Target Gift Card – $100 – 7/26
Brio Tuscan Grill Gift Card – $25 – 7/15
Genius Pack Travel Backpack – $198 – 7/15
KitchenAid Ceramic Casserole Dish – $99 – 7/15
Day 15:
Magnum Ice Cream – $100 – 7/20
Magnum Ice Cream – $100 – 7/20
Magnum Ice Cream – $100 – 7/20
Magnum Ice Cream – $100 – 7/20
Magnum Ice Cream – $100 – 7/20
Magnum Ice Cream – $100 – 7/20
Magnum Ice Cream – $100 – 7/20
Magnum Ice Cream – $100 – 7/20
OXO Good Grips Mixing Bowl Set – $59.99 – 7/20
Petsmart Gift Card – $25 – 7/20
Day 16:
Playmobil Waterpark – $59.00 – 7/26
Apple Charing Dock – $65.99 – 7/21
Jlab Audio Headphones – $139 – 7/21
Cuisinart Classic Stainless Steel Toaster – $145 – 7/21
timi & leslie Marcelle 7-Piece Bag Set – $169 – 7/21
PayPal Gift Card – $50 – 7/21
Jlab Audio Headphones – $139 – 7/21
Jlab Audio Headphones – $139 – 7/21
Jlab Audio Headphones – $139 – 7/21
Jlab Audio Headphones – $139 – 7/21
Day 17:
Skip Hop Giveaway Pack – $125 – 7/21
Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker – $90 – 7/22
Visa Gift Card – $25 -7/22
Visa Gift Card – $25 – 7/22
Visa Gift Card – $25 – 7/22
Amazon Gift Card – $25 – 7/22
Amazon Gift Card – $100 – 7/22
Amazon Gift Card – $100 – 7/19
Amazon Gift Card – $50 – 7/30
Amazon Gift Card – $25 – 7/18
Day 18:
PayPal Gift Card – $50 – 7/17
Visa Gift Card – $25 – 7/23
Cuisinart PowerBlend Duet Blender and Food Processor – $89 – 7/23
Target Gift Card – $25 – 7/23
Amazon Gift Card – $10 – 7/17
Visa Gift Card – $25 – 7/17
Visa Gift Card – $25 – 7/18
Visa Gift Card – $25 – 7/18
6 Quart Power Pressure Cooker – $99.99 – 7/18
Starbucks Gift Card – $50.00 – 7/18
Day 19:
Visa Gift Card – $25 – 7/20
LG G Pad F 7-Inch Tablet – $240 – 7/22
Restaurant.com E-gift Code – $50 – 7/27
Visa Gift Card – $25 – 7/25
Walmart Gift Card – $50 – 7/27
Fandango Gift Card – $25 – 7/29
Keurig K-Cup Day Break Coffee Gift Basket – $85.99 – 7/24
Undercover Waterwear Gift Card – $150 – 7/24
Visa Gift Card – $25 – 7/24
World Market Gift Card – $25 – 7/24 — WON!
Day 20:
KitchenAid 5-Quart Artisan Stand Mixer – $460 – 7/25
Cuisinart Sparkling Beverage Maker – $145 – 7/25
Amazon Gift Card – $10 – 7/25
Visa Gift Card – $25 – 7/26
Yeti Tumbler – $39.99 – 7/26
Kroger Gift Card – $10 – 7/26
SecretSerums Anti-Aging Pack – $199.90 – 7/26
OXO Good Grips Everyday Kitchen Tool Set – $99.99 – 7/27
Amazon Gift Card – $1,000 – 7/23
Castaway Travel Hammock – $39.99 – 7/21
Day 21:
Soffe Back-to-School Backpack – $150 – 7/21
Barnes and Noble Gift Card – $100 – 7/22
Visa Gift Card – $100 – 8/1
Fandango Gift Card – $50 – 7/27
Visa Gift Card – $100 – 7/26
Nuna Rava Convertible Car Seat – $449 – 7/21
Cuisinart Classic Stainless Steel Toaster – $145 – 7/21
White Tale Coffee Subscription Box – $20 – 7/21
Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker – $90 – 7/22
Baci Gift Card – $300 – 7/23
Day 22:
All-Clad Stainless Steel Lasagna Pan – $119.99 – 7/28
Shopping Spree to Senegence – $25 – 7/28
Shopping Spree to Bejeweled – $25 – 7/28
Berricle Earrings – $56.90 – 7/28
Amazon Gift Card – $40 – 7/22
Amazon Gift Card – $20 – 7/22
Amazon Gift Card – $100 – 8/1
Amazon Gift Card – $50 – 7/26
Visa Gift Card – $25 – 7/26
Amazon Gift Card – $25 – 7/27
Day 23:
Cuisinart Classic Graphix Cutlery Block Set – $160 – 7/29
Petco Gift Card – $50 – 7/29
Amazon Gift Card – $100 – 7/29
Visa Gift Card – $25 – 7/29
Dick’s Sporting Goods Gift Card – $400 – 7/29
Amazon Gift Card – $75 – 7/29
Cuisinart Advantage Plus 9-Speed Hand Mixer – $145 – 7/30
Bose QC35 Noise Cancelling Headphones – $349 – 7/30
Amazon Gift Card – $50 – 7/30
Whole Foods Gift Card – $25 – 7/30
Day 24:
Avon Gift Card – $50 – 8/3
Starbucks Gift Card + Bumkins Travel Bags – $58 – 7/24 — WON!
Amazon Gift Card – $50 – 8/4
Target Gift Card – $25 – 8/4
Walmart Gift Card – $25 – 7/30
PayPal Cash – $100 – 8/3
Target Gift Card – $200 – 7/31
Amazon Gift Card – $25 – 7/31
Nordstrom Gift Card – $500 – 8/5
Travel Bag – $29.99 – 8/1
Day 25:
Mini iPad – $269 – 7/31
Amazon Gift Card – $200 – 7/31
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge – $792 – 7/31
Visa Gift Card – $50 – 7/31
Petco Gift Card – $50 – 7/31
Visa Gift Card + Book – $100 7/31
Visa Gift Card + DVD – $25 – 7/31
Visa Gift Card + DVD – $25 – 7/31
Amazon Gift Card – $75 – 7/31
Kindle Oasis – $289.99 – 7/31
Day 26:
Nicole Miller Dress – $290 – 8/1
Books, Beach Towel, Ray Ban Sunglasses – $305 – 8/1
Breville Handy Stand Mixer – $119.99 – 8/1
PeachSkin Sheets – $160 – 8/1
PayPal Gift Card – $25 – 8/1
PureCare Bedding Set – $320 – 8/1
Minnetonka Gift Card – $50 – 7/26
PayPal Gift Card – $20 – 7/31
Amazon Gift Card – $10 – 8/5
Amazon Gift Card – $175 – 8/6
Day 27:
Waring Pro Toaster Oven/Toaster – $190 – 8/2
Visa Gift Card – $25 – 8/2
Starbucks Gift Card – $25 – 8/2
Nordstrom Gift Card – $100 – 8/2
Amazon Gift Card – $50 – 7/29
Apple iPad Air – $399 – 8/1
PayPal Gift Card – $50 – 7/27
Target Gift Card – $25 – 8/2
Life Verse Creative Journal – $9 – 7/27
Visa Gift Card – $25 – 7/27
Day 28:
Henckels Provence 45-Piece Flatware Set – $168 – 8/3
Amazon Fire – $49.99 – 8/3
Rachael Ray 14-Piece Nonstick Cookware Set – $290 – 8/4
Amazon Gift Card – $50 – 8/2
Waring Pro Snow Cone Maker – $139 – 8/5
Visa Gift Card – $25 – 8/5
Breville 4-Slice The Bit More Toaster – $150 – 8/6
Amazon Fire – $49.99 – 8/4
Amazon Fire – $49.99 – 8/2
Book + Amazon Gift Card – $15 – 8/4
Day 29:
StitchFix Gift Card – $50 – 8/7
Visa Gift Card + DVD – $50 – 8/8
iTunes Gift Card – $25 – 8/8
Amazon Gift Card – $50 – 8/5
Starbucks Gift Card – $75 – 8/5
Outback Gift Card – $50 – 8/7
Breville Mini Smart Oven – $220 – 8/8
Visa Gift Card – $50 – 8/8
Amazon Gift Card – $175 – 8/6
Sephora Gift Card – $100 – 8/11
Conclusion
It turns out I did 29 days. In my opinion, this wasn’t a great way to spend my time. But if you have nothing else going, on entering giveaways could be a good way to get a little extra swag.
Have you made money entering giveaways? We would love to hear about your experience!
I have been entering sweeps for years, but only consistently for the last 2 years (when I became a stay at home mom). Over time, I have learned the real key to winning, is organization! I only spend 45 minutes to an hour a day sweeping (which is about 300 sweeps a day for me), but I am CONSISTENT. If it’s a daily entry sweep, I enter it every day. Weekly sweeps, track them and enter every week. I was extremely burnt out in August/September, so I skipped days here and there, making October a slow month so far for wins. Prime example, a friend of mine works full time, but sweeps at least 2 hours a day.. the difference is, she is not consistent. Rarely does her daily entries every day, instead entering a lot of blogger sweeps for small prizes. She hasn’t won anything in months. Skipping a day or 2 really does make all the difference!
But I really do feel luck plays a small part in it, too. Some of my biggest wins have been contests I only entered 1 time and it ran for several months (a trip to Universal, Ellen’s 12 Days of Giveaways, trip to Atlanta, and a trip to the Super Bowl), or judging contests.
Sweeping is definitely not a way to make a living, but I have won enough toys to cover Christmas for my kids, TONS of food, and a lot of gift cards – those things add up, and free up cash for actual bills. All in all, my advice is keep organized, do your daily entry sweeps daily, don’t waste time entering contests for prizes you don’t really want, stay positive, and have fun with it!
Wow! Erika, that’s amazing! To be honest, I wasn’t that organized, and because I work on the computer all day long, I didn’t enjoy being on it for another 30 minutes to an hour entering sweeps. Thanks so much for sharing your story!
I enter sweepstakes/contests, and have won a few small items… a couple of books and a t-shirts, as well as a trip to Montreal. It’s been a couple of years since I last won anything. I still enter, but I do it for fun. I don’t spend a lot of time on it, and only enter those that interest me.
I also do the “earn cash by taking surveys”. The “cash” is usually in the form of gift cards. A lot of articles say you can earn a lot of money doing this. Ffffttttt! On average, I earn about $10-15 a month in a gift card, or the odd check. This includes receipt rewards, search rewards, etc… Again, I do it, but I don’t fall over myself to get it all done. Most times, on surveys, I get told that I’m not eligible.
Do it, but do it for fun.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Korey. I do surveys and use smartphone apps too. It’s not going to make you rich, but every little bit helps.
I’ve entered many sweepstakes for years, and I’m doing it. But, I have never won anything. It gets very disappointing not winning anything. I only enter things that I would like or use. Now I just enter about 4 a day, just in case, one day I might win. Thanks for all the information you give, I’m always happy to see a new email from you. Thanks again.
I have had very good luck entering giveaways. I never had to pay taxes on anything either. I believe you only have to pay taxes if you win one prize valued over $1,199.00. In one month I’ve one $1,250 worth of prizes. One year it paid for my entire Christmas. I only entered for items that I knew would make good Christmas gifts. My daughter really wanted a new hair straightener so I entered 9 or 10 giveaways for them. I ended up winning 3 straighteners! I usually enter giveaways that don’t have many entries, on smaller blogs.
Wow, Angela, you’ve had some good luck!
You should definitely follow up on that gift card win. Some sponsors won’t send out prizes until the entire entry period is over. If they’re giving away a prize a day for the entire summer, someone who won at the beginning in June may not see their prize until September or October. I think I’ve waited as long as 6 months for a promised prize to show up.
I’ve been entering sweepstakes since 1997. I definitely wouldn’t quit my day job, but I have won a lot of nice things over the years (including a car!), plus plenty of things and experiences that would never happen unless through a sweepstakes. I’m thinking of things like backstage tours at Disneyland and a trip to the Footloose movie remake premiere in Hollywood. It’s a nice hobby for when you have some time to spare at nights or on the weekend.
I will follow up with her. I know legally she is responsible for delivery of the prize, whether or not the sponsor delivers the prize to her or not.
Wow, that’s incredible that you won a car! Thanks for sharing your experience, Denise!
I don’t obsessively enter sweeps, but do it on occasion when I run across them. I happen to be lucky and have actually won a ton of things over the years… cases of food, cookbooks, gift cards, etc. It’s never been anything huge, but it’s been enough to be a nice source of random gifts. I have a personal rule that I never enter to win anything that I wouldn’t actually use. After winning too much junk that just laid around my house, I became more picky with what I entered to win.
Hi Angie, I agree with what you said. I think entering giveaways for items you really want is totally fine, but you have to have the right mindset about it. It’s not going to be a reliable source of income. Thanks for sharing your experience with us!
I tried entering sweepstakes of all kinds for 2 years and never won anything It is definitely a gamble.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Shawn.
Okay, I could not resist replying to this article. I’ve been “sweeping” for years and have won significant prizes for the time invested. But, there is a “trick”. Yuck, I hate using that word but here it is. You have to enter smaller, lesser known, limited entry period sweepstakes. The only way I’ve found access to those is by entering local radio sweepstakes (online not call -in) and by subscribing to Sweeties Secret Sweeps. She charges a $30 yearly fee. You can use whomever you want but that’s just who I use. Totally changed my winning streaks around. For anyone who wants to win consistently, those are the 2 things I recommend. The other thing is that you have to enter everyday. I set aside 30-45 minutes tops. No, I don’t believe you can make a living entering sweepstakes but I can personally attest that I have many things that I could not have afforded to buy at the time if I hadn’t won them. Just my 2 cents :)
Thanks for sharing your experience and tips, Tracy. And congrats on all of your wins!
I used the strategy of entering smaller giveaways with smaller prizes — usually giveaways that were hosted on small blogs. I also made sure not to enter giveaways that were open for more than two weeks. I even entered a giveaway for a $9 journal with only like 10 entries and still didn’t win — I guess maybe I’m not lucky – LOL.
I had a friend just comment the other day that “You’re the luckiest person I know” so maybe that DOES have something to do with it. :)
I’m going to say that luck definitely plays into it. =)
I used to enter giveaways as a hobby before I became a blogger. Definitely not a way to make a living, but you do kind of get addicted to that thrill of winning something. I used to work at it for about 30-45 minutes a day and would usually win 2-5 prizes a month. I only won small amounts of money a few times. Most of the time it was gift cards and merchandise — nothing major.
I think it’s fine for a hobby if you find you enjoy the process and love winning even the smallest of prizes, but I totally agree no one should ever bother with this thinking it will replace their day jobs!
I can see doing it as a hobby. In the one article, they said they did it at night while watching TV, and that they were going to pay for a vacation using their winnings — which is a neat idea. But this is definitely not a reliable source of income.