Posts filed under ‘contests’
Feeling Ever So Lucky – I Won $450 and a Bunch of Other Stuff Too
Over the past two months I won $450 worth of Visa and Amazon gift cards from a variety of online giveaways. I used to enter contests quite often and even kept track of all of the items I won on my old blog, but unfortunately when I ported it over to Word Press I lost the details of that page. In the past I entered contests for just about anything I thought I could sell or give as gifts, but these days I typically look for prizes that will benefit my son, husband or myself. In fact, I rarely enter contests, so it’s surprising that I won five within a 45 day period.
I didn’t dedicate much time to entering. In fact most of the giveaways required nothing more than a comment and an email address. Unfortunately, since I won all of this loot I’ve gotten into a bit of a giveaway frenzy and I realized today that I’m probably wasting a little too much time submitting entries to these contests.
I can’t help but wonder if I’m on a lucky streak. Of course, I realize every gambler thinks that as she sits at the roulette or black jack table and watches her chips stack up.
Whether I win contests or not I consider myself very lucky in life. I’ve written about my happiness hundreds of times on this blog, but this post highlights the joy in my life.
This paragraph says it all:
The joy in my world is so great that sometimes it makes my heart hurt. It’s those little moments. You know the ones. Like when my son plays hide-and-seek and runs out from behind the furniture when he hears me coming to get him. When my husband scoops ice cream, drizzles chocolate over the top along with brightly colored sprinkles and brings it to me while I sit in the living room. Or how about the sound of my son giggling for absolutely no reason from the back of the car. It’s a sound that immediately makes me smile and melts my heart.
A friend once asked if luck begets luck. I don’t know the answer, but it does seem like the luckier I feel the luckier I am in life.
A Shameless Plug – Vote for Me
I am competing in the Free Money Finance March Madness and could really use your votes to win. FMF was gracious enough to include my post about a gift I received as a child. If you are a fan of One Frugal Girl check out today’s bracket and write the word ‘Gratitude’ in the comments section.
There is no prize, other than pride and glory, for winning.
Magazine Giveaway from Zinio (10 Winners)
The fine folks at Zinio are offering 10 One Frugal Girl readers a free magazine subscription.
Not familiar with Zinio? The website has thousands of top magazines from around the world and you can browse and purchase subscriptions or single issues instantly from your computer or mobile device to read wherever and whenever you like. The Explore section lets you read – even without a subscription – thousands of articles from your favorite magazines and share them with friends.
Zinio has 300 magazine titles available at up to 50% off already-discounted prices. Sample titles include: LA CUCINA ITALIANA, VEGETARIAN TIMES, FOOD ARTS, CLEAN EATING. You can find more and receive 50% off by clicking here.
According to Zinio BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS has also put out some fantastic special holiday issues at 30% off: Food Gifts, Party Food, and even an entire issue devoted to Christmas Cookies. To learn more click here.
If you’d like to win a free magazine subscription simply leave a comment in the form below telling me which magazine you’d like to win. I’ll pick 10 winners at midnight on Sunday, December 23rd.
Update: The winners have been selected. They are canadian_sadie, Newlyweds on a Budget, evelyn, Amber, Jennifer, Michelle, Michelle Hart, Cindy Brick, Sense and Mary. Congratulations to all of the winners! I will send an email shortly. Please respond to my email within 48 hours.
My Dad Could’ve Been $10,000 Richer!
My dad likes to play the lottery. He isn’t a fanatic or anything, but he buys tickets from time to time and always jokes about what he’d do with the money if he won. Sometimes he let’s the machine pick the numbers, but most of the time he buys a ticket with his lucky set. Three of the numbers are the birthdays of my brother, mother and grandmother and the other is his anniversary date.
This time he didn’t buy a ticket for the $587.5 million Powerball jackpot, but this time his numbers were picked! Four of the six numbers, including the Powerball number, were among the four he plays week after week. If you match four numbers including the power ball you win $10,000 and $10,000 would’ve made a pretty sweet Christmas gift!
Well you win some, you lose some, but it’s true what they say “you have to be in it to win it” and this week of all weeks he decided not to play. I haven’t talked to my dad yet today, but I’m sure he’s kicking himself about it.
I rarely play the lottery, but I do enter online giveaways from time to time. Winning for me is less about the prize then the excitement of being picked. I’ve been pretty lucky in the past. I once won a $250 gift card to Marshall’s. That was definitely my biggest haul, but I’ve also won smaller prizes typically ranging from $25 to $50. My favorite prizes are money and gift cards, but I’ve also won board games, books and even a huge box packed with high-quality barbeque sauces.
I’m usually a pretty optimistic girl, but I really love the idea that luck is on my side. Entering and winning giveaways somehow reinforces that notion. Here’s to hoping I win a couple of prizes and that my dad’s lucky numbers are picked on a day he actually plays the lottery!
Job Hopping is Expected and Loyalty Does Not Pay Off
This post was my final submission for the GoBankingRates Personal Finance Olympics. The contest ended a few weeks ago but the winners will not be announced until FinCon 2012. (I’m pretty certain I came in last place in the finals, but hey it was still nice to make it that far. Thanks to all of those who voted to get me there.)
You can say it any number of ways; I was given the boot, handed a pink slip, terminated, sacked, axed, canned or dismissed. On a warm summer afternoon I received notice of my fate and in the fall of last year I was officially laid off. Three-quarters of my entire department also received pink slips including my manager and all of his direct reports.
The people who chose to cut me didn’t know me. They couldn’t tell you if I was talented or incompetent, strong or weak. They had no knowledge of my skills or abilities. They had no idea that I started this job just after college or that I often worked twelve to fourteen hours learning my trade and proving my worth. I’m sure they didn’t know that I received stellar yearly reviews or that I was assigned complicated work.
What did they know? They knew that the recession dramatically altered the landscape of our business. In 2007 my company’s stock plummeted from $60 a share to less than a buck. My pension was frozen and my benefits were cut.
A series of layoffs moved swiftly through various divisions and departments. One-day security guards filed in and employees filed out. It was clear that layoffs would continue, but I thought my drive, determination and effort would save me from the cuts.
I thought 12 years of hard work for the same employer would pay off. While my friends switched companies every few years I stayed put. My company could have cared less about my loyalty; I was just a number. I was one of hundreds cut.
In interviews I quickly learned that loyalty is no longer an admirable quality. An HR representative said, “Wow, 12 years with the same company, that’s tough” and a career coach told me to “downplay the length of time I spent working there.” Some interviewers said I was not well rounded despite the fact that my technical background was quite diverse. When I pointed out my technical merits people said “Hmm, yes, but in your entire career you’ve only really worked at one place.”
These days it seems an employee is measured by the number of companies listed on their resume. While job-hopping isn’t necessarily the goal employers do want to see at least a few companies under one’s belt. If you stay in one place for too long you are seen as less adventurous, motivated and ambitious.
It’s easy to see why the perception has changed. There are a lot of employees who stay in the same job, performing the same tasks week after week. They have no desire to learn new things or expand their talents. This wasn’t the case for me, but perhaps those employees have given the rest of us, (loyal employees), a bad rap.
It seems the very nature of employee/employer relationships has changed. In a world where most companies offer 401(k)s rather than pensions there is simply no need to stick around in one place. Switching companies allows you to explore new opportunities and get faster pay raises. It can also help you learn new skills and broaden your network.
In this economy job-hopping might feel a bit like walking a tight rope. You don’t want to be viewed as someone who never moves around and you don’t want to be viewed as someone who moves around too much. It can be difficult to find the right balance. Employers are looking for individuals who aren’t afraid to try new things or learn new skills, but be aware that companies aren’t keen on hiring employees who never stay put.
I’m sure there is a magic formula for when to stay and when to go. I’ve read that you should wait at least two years before moving on to a new job and shouldn’t ever stay at one place for more than seven. There was a time when it was best to be loyal and a time when it was okay to job-hop. These days I think you have to walk the fine line. You also have to look carefully before you leap.
Interestingly enough it was my desire to look for new opportunities that cost me my job. I switched positions within my company just 90 days before I was laid off.
$50 Gift Certificate Giveaway
This week I celebrated my 35th birthday. Some people are afraid of their birthdays, but other than a few years with health issues my time on this earth certainly seems to be getting better. In celebration of my big day I’ve decided to host a giveaway.
If you’d like to win a $50 gift certificate to Restaurant.com feel free to enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter entry system below. One lucky winner will be selected on Monday, August 13th.
Thanks to All Those Who Voted!
I made to the finals in the GoBankingRates.com PF Olympics! Thanks for all your votes! The next round of competition centers around one question
What is the one financial “golden rule” that you’ve since abandoned in our post-recession economy?
I need to submit my answer to that question by August 5th. Then I’ll need your help again. Voting for first, second and third place will begin August 6th.
Wish me luck! I’m definitely going to need it!
I Won! I Won!
Happy Valentine’s Day to me! I won the Spoil Your Sweetie Contest hosted by the Ultimate Coupons blog! You can check out my entry here. I’m super excited to win $500 in gift cards and want to thank the Ultimate Coupons blog for sponsoring this contest. I also want to send a special shout out to Newlyweds on a Budget. If Erika hadn’t posted about this I wouldn’t have been inspired to write an entry of my own.
Yes, I Am That Kind of Mom
Before my son was born I could never understand why people entered their children in cutest baby contests. Now that he’s here I can’t wait to submit a photo of him. That’s just one of the many ways that my thinking has changed since the arrival of our little bundle of joy and I’m sure I’ll encounter more and more mind altering moments as he grows.
- Cutest Baby (From ages of 0-24 months)
- Cutest Kid (From ages of 25 months – 10 years old)
- Cutest Family
- Cutest Couple
- Cutest Pet & Owner
Breyers Sundae Scoop-Off Contest
Breyers® is in search of the next great sundae with the Sundae Scoop-Off Contest and you have a chance to win! From now through September 13, 2010, the Sundae Scoop-Off Contest is challenging America to create original, family-friendly ice cream sundae recipes including 10 or fewer ingredients. View complete contest requirements and enter the recipes at www.breyers.com for a chance to win $10,000, a trip to Chicago featuring a private cooking lesson with renowned pasty Chef Gale Gand and one year of FREE Breyers® ice cream. The sundae recipe entries will be judged on taste, creativity, use of Breyers® ice cream and presentation.
** I am blogging this on behalf of Breyers and may receive a product for posting the details of this promotion.
