Money Saving Mom®

Guest post from Beeb of Contest Corner

These days, it’s extremely rare that I spend money out of pocket for birthday or Christmas presents. I have a variety of frugal strategies which I use to achieve this, but the most unorthodox one also happens to be one of my favorite pastimes: Entering sweepstakes, or “Sweeping”.

Yes, I’ve been able to utilize my hobby of entering contests to win a variety of great gift items over the years — everything ranging from camcorders to toys to MP3 players and more!

My “wins” have made for memorable and appreciated presents. But this isn’t the result of being especially “lucky”; it’s about using simple strategies to improve my odds of winning.

Here are a few tips for any novice who would like to try their hand at entering contests – and maybe even win a Christmas gift or two:

1. Think statistically.

People often dismiss giveaways thinking they’ll never win anything, but this simply isn’t true. If you enter consistently, odds are that one of these days you’re going to win something. And if you narrow down your options to sweepstakes with fewer entries, your chances increase exponentially.

2. Increase your odds.

Did you know that there are hundreds of blogs hosting giveaways that receive 200 entries or less? I’ve won so many prizes by focusing my attention on giveaways with low entries. For example, I won the computer which I am typing this from in a blog giveaway that had less than 100 entries.

So how do you find these giveaways in the first place? There are a variety of websites that list “Low-entry” giveaways – my favorite is Tight Wad in Utah, which maintains a daily round-up of giveaways with few entries.

3. Make a plan of attack.

Head to a reputable contest directory such as Online-Sweepstakes, where you can filter giveaway listings by prize and type of giveaway. For example, you could quickly conduct a search for current electronic giveaways hosted on blogs. Focus your attentions on contests for either products that your family would love or gift cards that you could use to buy presents with.

4. Use your time wisely.

You don’t need to sit around all day entering contests to win. Nowadays, I usually check out a low-entry link-up list such as the one I mentioned above, scan quickly for giveaways that I really like, and enter one or two. By focusing on more “winnable” giveaways, you make the most of your precious time.

5. Be realistic.

You are not guaranteed of any outcome when you enter giveaways, so you can’t plan on anything specific. Sweeping is one tactic that I use as part of an overall frugal lifestyle to reduce my expenses, and while I can’t plan for a specific prize the way I can plan for a coupon sale, using it as a part of my savings strategy has helped me save big over the years.

Do you enter giveaways? Have you ever won a present for somebody? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Beeb Ashcroft is a British journalist and “Sweeper” who lives on the Oregon coast. She teaches others the basics on how to enter sweepstakes and find “Winnable” giveaways on her blog, Contest Corner.

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Guest post from Sara of The Traveling PhoBlogWhiPher.

I am expecting a little one and am working hard to generate relatively steady income from my blog and self-published books before he or she arrives. I have found a few free (or almost free) self-marketing tips to be very useful and I think they would be useful for nearly any business.

Blogging

My blog brings me a small amount of revenue via Amazon Affiliates and a slightly larger amount of revenue through Google AdSense. Basically, non-invasive ads are placed on the sidebar of my blog and I get paid a small amount if/when a person clicks on them, a larger amount if an order is made.

I have taken advantage of free or almost free marketing by creating a Twitter account, using Pinterest to link to interesting or useful posts, and business cards.

Writing

I have chosen to go the self-publishing route and am therefore my own publicist. I know this is true for many big-six published authors as well, but they have the advantage of their books being on the shelf at Barnes & Noble or Borders!

Any time my books will be on sale, I put the sale information up on my blog and my Twitter page, as well as a Facebook page I created specifically for my books. I have also made business cards for both of my books and I find them to be particularly useful. Any time someone asks me what I do for a living, mentions in passing that they love to read, references a child named Shannon (the main character of my children’s book) I give them my card.

Additional Tips

Know Your Audience.

It doesn’t make sense to tell a college student about my children’s book, just as it doesn’t make sense to tell someone who dislikes travel about my blog. Knowing my audience helps determine which (if any) of my products I should be marketing.

Put Yourself Out There.

This is tough for me, but it’s important. I’m not a famous author. Nobody knows who I am. My own mother probably says “Who is Sara Lucinda Bell? That name sounds familiar.” It’s silly for me to expect sales to fall into my lap without putting effort into it. I have to tell people about myself and my blog/books.

I have found social networking and business cards to be a great help in this area, but a really great area that surprised me was giveaways. People are hosting giveaways on their blog all the time, and I have found that offering a giveaway is often very helpful.

Accept Rejection Gracefully.

Don’t be one of those people. You know the kind! If you start to tell someone about your business and they tell you they aren’t interested, let it be. You can always close with a statement like “I really think you’ll like it, so let me know if you ever change your mind…” but end it there. They may digest it all and come around, but I can almost guarantee that won’t happen if you continue to try forcing it on them!

Good luck!

Sara is currently finishing up an RVing adventure she and her husband embarked upon this summer. She is a full-time writer and blogger who loves to read and save money, and she is expecting her first child this spring. You can visit her blog to read more! 

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Guest post from Christine of Grace Covers Me

As a church planting pastor’s wife, I have countless opportunities to invite people over for dinner, host parties and showers, and give gifts. Unfortunately, because we are a church plant without a building or a large budget, my husband and I must primarily use our personal budget to carry out our ministry.

I have learned, first and foremost, that the goal in hospitality is not perfection or complexity; it is inviting people into relationships and into our heart. Our small budget has also forced me to get creative with how I practice hospitality.

Here’s what I do:

1. Perfect a Signature Dish

At the beginning of our church plant, we invited most church guests into our home for a meal. I developed a menu that I used for every guest that I felt confident in making and that was easy and inexpensive.

When items from my signature dishes went on sale, I bought in bulk. Sometimes, instead of inviting people for dinner, we’ve invited them for dessert and coffee, which is much cheaper and less labor-intensive.

2. Create a Bridal Gift and a Baby Gift

Because I get invited to most showers, I made a cookbook of all my favorite recipes on my computer that I can give to brides. After printing off the recipes, I put them into protective sleeves in a notebook that I make personal with scrapbook paper.

For babies, I use Gymboree reward bucks to buy clothes when they’re on sale or I buy diapers in bulk to give as gifts.

3. Keep Staples on Hand

For parties or larger dinners, I bought glasses, place mats, pitchers, and white serving dishes at the dollar store. I also keep paper products (including kid’s cups) on hand, as well as staples such as coffee, sweeteners, lemonade mix, and popcorn.

4. Decorate on a Dime

When hosting showers or Christmas parties, I decorate tables with things in my yard (pine cones, berries) or décor in my house (candles, wreaths, trays). I also bought inexpensive fabric and sewed tablecloths that I use over and over again.

5. Maintain a Gift Closet

Anytime I see clearance sales on gifts or cards, I snatch them up and put them in my gift closet. Then, when I need something, I can shop my own closet.

6. Make it a Group Effort

Whenever possible, I ask people to share the load. Our community group folks take turn bringing snacks, we often have potluck dinners, or we accept a dinner guest’s offers to bring a side or dessert.

7. Keep it Simple

Simplicity is the most important thing to remember when practicing hospitality on a budget.

Why meet a friend for lunch when you can meet for coffee or, better yet, have her over for coffee at your house? Why buy a cake for a shower when you can make a lovely one yourself?

Why freak out about a complex dinner menu when hosting friends? Simple works, and it enables you to concentrate on guests rather than worry about your home or the food.

Hospitality doesn’t depend on money. It depends on relationship. With a little creativity and a lot of simplicity, we can all practice it well.

Christine Hoover is a church planter’s wife and mom to three boys. She is the author of the forthcoming book, The Church Planting Wife: Help and Hope for Her Heart (Moody, February 2013), and she enjoys helping other ministry wives embrace God’s calling on their lives through her blog, Grace Covers Me.

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Guest post from Rachel of Third Stop On The Right

I have saved mementos from special events for as long as I can remember. I saved graduation tassels, play programs, awards and medals, keepsakes from my wedding, as well as from when my son was born.

It can be hard to know what to do with these things. Recently though, I found a way to inexpensively display these items so that everyone can enjoy them: Shadow Boxes!

Here’s what you will need to create a Keepsake Shadow Box:

• 1 Shadow box
• 1 Piece of cardboard cut to size of shadow box
• 1 Piece of felt, scrapbook paper, or fabric
• Favorite mementos
• Double-sided tape or pins

I bought an inexpensive shadow box to display these items. The one that I purchased was from Joann Fabrics and was originally $14.99, but with a half-off sale as well as a 20% off coupon I was able to get it down to $6. You can also get these for under $10 at Walmart.

Some of the shadow boxes have an inner display board which you can pin things to, but you will pay more for these ones. Instead, I used a sheet of cardboard cut to fit inside the shadowbox.

To begin, I gathered some of my son’s birth mementos such as a picture taken after he was born, the hospital bracelets, his hat, and also the card that was inside his bassinet.

Then, I cut a piece of cardboard to the size of the shadow box and covered it with a piece of scrapbook paper (felt or fabric will also work) and then secured it with double-sided tape. I added the mementos, securing them with either the double-sided tape and pins.

After you add the mementos, you can just put the piece of cardboard into the frame, and you are finished! Then hang the shadow box on the wall and you have a beautiful keepsake that everyone can enjoy.

Some other great ideas for these shadow boxes are:

• Wedding memories (such as the bouquet, garter, vows, or the veil)
• Birth Memories (hospital wrist bands, hats, pictures, hand and footprint impressions, or cards)
• Pregnancy Memories (ultrasound pictures)
• Child memories (favorite toys, hand and footprints, pacifiers, or onesies)

Rachel blogs at Third Stop On The Right, a blog dedicated to crafting, DIY, and the realities of parenthood.

Guest post from Tessa of The Recreational Word Slinger

I discovered my love of writing earlier this year. I was looking for a full-time teaching position, but I had to resort to substitute teaching. On my days off, I would work on my blog.

Then, I started a book. Then, I started submitting articles for publication. (I even had one posted earlier this year here at MoneySavingMom.com!)

I didn’t know it at the time, but I was a writer then. Just like I’m a writer now. I love to write like nothing I’ve ever loved to do before, except maybe play basketball.

When I started my full-time teaching position at the beginning of this school year, I realized it would be difficult to try and do both writing and teaching. But I wasn’t ready to give up my dream just yet.

I decided early on that I would just get up early and do it. I had to make myself get up and write. Some forty days later, it is finally a habit for me!

The best way to get started on your dream is to do something. You can’t expect something to happen from nothing. Dreams don’t work that way. Start small, and you’ll eventually build some momentum.

I used this concept when I wanted to lose some weight. The first thing I did was to cut out sugar. That’s all it took. Nothing life-changing, but I did something about it. And, you know what? I’m starting to see some results.

It doesn’t take a philosophical revelation to begin doing something you love. Start small. Write. Run. Paint. Take a picture. Bake.

Just do it.

I hope that you make yourself do something today. Tell me about it in the comments. I want to celebrate with you!

Tessa is a teacher by day and a recreational word slinger by early morning/night. She blogs at The Recreational Word Slinger.