Make money by entering competitions
This is a money making idea, but is a bit "left field", and is not a to be considered an "income stream". This post is really a bit of fun to show you how you could make a small amount of cash each year…
Enter Competitions
The basis of this idea is that you enter as many online competitions as you possibly can. There are usually at least 50 new competitions daily - all of which you could (and should) enter.
How does that make money?
Easy. When you win a prize, stick it onto eBay.
Here's how to get started
- The main site that I know of for finding competitions is a site called "loquax". If you register, you get access to all the latest competitions - registration is free of charge. Most competitions ask you to answer a simple question and then fill out your name and address details…but that's a lot of work, so…
- Download and install "roboform". With this you can input your name and address 1 time - then you have a button on your browser saying "fill form". 1 click and the form is filled…
- Press submit on the competition entry form, and hope for the best…
It's easy as 123, right? Well, yes. As I already mentioned, this can in no way be considered an "Income Stream", let alone an AIS. You have to hope that your competition entry is a winner, AND that your prize would sell on eBay…
You are thinking "BS , this is a crap idea"…
Well, how about I tell you that the last prize I won was a 30Gig Apple iPod Video. That was just a few months ago. In the past I've won T-shirts, CD's, a computer, money off vouchers for all sorts of stuff, cash and all manner of other goodies.
Perhaps I am lucky, but I think that luck does not exist. You simply have to be "in it to win it".
I think that spending 30 minutes per day entering a ton of competitions is certainly more fun than Sarah's idea of filling out surveys, and I reckon that over the course of a year or so, it'll probably be more profitable too!
What do you think about this "left field" idea? Do-able, or totally unworkable?
Of course, if you did win a prize, instead of selling it on eBay, you could just keep it - or you could use it as a prize/giveaway to your readers/list…the possibilities of what you do with the prize are endless. The hard bit is actually being chosen as the winner 
Comment by David Getchel — August 13, 2007 @ 12:54 pm
I do this every day. Started maybe 3+ years ago. I enter first thing in the morning.
I've won a camera, signed guitar, PSP, piece of a race car and some small stuff.
Now I just need to win a car.
Comment by SarahG — August 13, 2007 @ 1:22 pm
Hey, thanks for the menion. I was only talking about Surveys tho
I've already decided the time isn't worth the payback.
Competitions is something I've always thought about doing but never actually got around to looking into it online. However I'll be taking a look at loquax now
Comment by Paul — August 13, 2007 @ 4:57 pm
I imagine that it is a numbers game isn't it Gary?
If you make it part of your day, spend 20 minutes a day entering competitions and you have a much better chance of winning than if you just do it once in a while.
A good way of getting stuff to give away as Christmas presents..lol
Comment by Will — August 13, 2007 @ 5:57 pm
Perhaps it be possible to automate the entire competition entering process using something like the iMacros plugin for Firefox/IE.
It would depend on individual competition, but if the entering process didn't change and wasn't CAPTCHA'd then it might save some valuable time.
Comment by Gary — August 14, 2007 @ 10:46 am
I haven't entered many competitions for a long time. Some years ago is when I did it religiously every day.
I might start again as it would make an interesting case-study, eh?
Dave; a car would be nice.
Sarah; loquax is good, there are some others but none are laid out so well in my opinion.
Paul; a numbers game, yes. More you enter = more chance of winning something.
Will; I don't know if that would work. It's easy as pie with loquax and roboform