How to Win Sweepstakes: What 1,900 Wins Taught Me About Stretching the Budget

I won my first sweepstakes in October 2012: a Puma gym bag. A few weeks later, I won a pair of UGG boots, and I've been entering ever since.

Since then, I've logged more than 1,900 wins and over $200,000 in cash and prizes. That doesn't even count about three years when I didn't keep records.

I don't think of sweepstakes as a way to get rich, and it's not all luck. For our family of eight, it's been a steady way to stretch the budget: groceries, gas, Christmas gifts, and once, a whole new HVAC system. Every win adds up.

Here's how I win sweepstakes, where I find them, the routine that fits around six kids, and the manners that make sponsors happy to pick you.

What a sweepstakes actually is

A sweepstakes (or giveaway) is a random drawing. You enter, and a winner is picked by chance. In the US, a legal sweepstakes can't require a purchase to enter, which is why the rules always say "no purchase necessary."

A contest is different. It's judged on skill, like a photo, a recipe or an essay. I enter both. Most of my wins come from sweepstakes and giveaways, but my biggest cash win came from a contest: $10,000 for writing about my debt story. Fewer people take the time to enter contests, so if you like to write or take photos, they're worth a look.

What winning has meant for our budget

People picture TVs and trips, and I've won those too, along with phones, a Microsoft Surface laptop and even a Chanel bag. But the wins that help the most are the everyday ones.

Groceries. Nearly $9,000 in grocery gift cards over the years. The biggest was a $5,000 Albertsons gift card that came with a $5,000 donation to a food bank of my choice. That was groceries for months for us, and food for families in our community. I've also won hundreds of dollars in Instacart gift cards, which cover my midweek top-up orders, plus cards for Costco, Whole Foods, Sprouts and Walmart.

Gas. About $3,000 in gas cards, including a $2,600 Shell card that covered our gas for the year.

The kids. When I was having babies, sweepstakes helped more than I can say. I won a $1,000 baby bundle, a breast pump, a car seat carrier and a sound machine, things every new parent needs and few budgets have room for. As the kids got older, the wins grew with them: a dollhouse, toys, books, back-to-school supplies, movie tickets and theme park tickets.

Shoes and clothes. With six growing kids, shoes alone add up. I've won a $1,000 Nike gift card and 12 pairs of Vans worth about $1,000.

Dinner out. When nobody wants to cook, restaurant gift cards help: $520 in Pizza Hut cards, a $250 Texas Roadhouse card and plenty of smaller ones to other restaurants. I've also won DoorDash and Grubhub gift cards for the nights we order in.

The house. My biggest win ever was an HVAC system, worth about $15,000. I also won $4,000 in Home Depot gift cards, which helped with home repairs, plus mattresses, a dishwasher and plenty of kitchen appliances we'd otherwise have had to buy. My husband's favorites are the grills and car tools.

Gifts. I've given plenty of my wins as gifts. It's one of the ways I keep Christmas on a budget with six kids.

The everyday wins matter just as much: a box of snacks, a $25 gift card, a bottle of laundry soap. Those are things I'd have bought anyway, and over a year, they add up.

None of these made us rich. But every one was money we didn't have to spend, and that's what makes room in the budget.

One honest note before we go further: in the US, prizes count as taxable income, including gift cards and products. I cover that below.

Quick-start guide: set up in an afternoon

A little setup at the start makes every entry faster, and it keeps sweepstakes from taking over your inbox.

1. Make a new email just for sweepstakes. Use it for every entry. Your personal inbox stays clean, and winner emails are easier to spot. Check its spam folder every day, because that's where real winner emails often land.

2. Join a sweepstakes site. Start with one, like iWinContests, so you have a steady list of sweepstakes to enter.

3. Save your details in your browser's autofill. Name, address, phone and that new email. It saves time on every form. Just never use bots or entry software, which most rules ban.

4. Make a bookmark folder for daily entries. When you find a sweepstakes you can enter every day, save it. Then your daily entries are a few clicks in a row.

5. Keep mail-in supplies on hand. Envelopes, stamps, index cards and a good pen, all in one spot.

6. Tidy up your social profiles. If you'll enter on Instagram or Facebook, make sure your profiles look like a real person (more on that below).

7. Set up a way to track wins. A simple spreadsheet or notebook for the date, prize, sponsor and value. Save a screenshot of every winner message.

8. Read the rules before you enter. Check who can enter, how often, how to enter and when it ends. Thirty seconds now saves a disqualification later.

Where I find sweepstakes

Sweepstakes are all over the internet: on brand websites, blogs, and across social media, including Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok. Here's where I look.

Sweepstakes sites. iWinContests is my favorite, and the one I use most. The sweepstakes there are higher quality than what I find anywhere else. Members also get an exclusive Discord where sweepers share sweepstakes and tips. That's where I found the low-entry Instagram giveaway that won me a Microsoft Surface laptop. If you sign up, I'd love it if you put Her Better Home in the "How did you hear about us?" field.

I also use Sweeps Atlas and Sweepstakes Plus (the paid version of Sweepstakes Advantage). Sites like these gather sweepstakes in one place, with links to the official rules.

Instagram. This is where most of my wins come from now: about 7 in 10 since 2020, more than 600 wins in all. Small brands run giveaways there every day, and many get only a few hundred entries. I wrote everything I know in my Instagram giveaway guide.

National days. One of my favorite tricks: look up today's national day (National Coffee Day, National Donut Day) and search it plus "giveaway." Brands love a reason to celebrate, and these often run for just a day or two, so fewer people enter.

Local sweepstakes. Local businesses, radio stations and shops often have better odds, because fewer people see them. Focus on your own area, and be ready to pick the prize up in person if they don't ship.

Ways to enter that add up

Some sweepstakes let you enter just once. Others let you enter daily, weekly or monthly, and those repeat entries add up. I do my regular daily sweeps every morning, after I get back from dropping the kids off at school.

Many sweepstakes also let you enter by mail, with a handwritten entry. Depending on the rules, that might be a 3x5 card, a 3x5 piece of paper or a postcard of a certain size, so read them carefully. Few people bother, and some of my best wins came this way, including that $5,000 Albertsons gift card and $5,000 food bank donation, and a gold bar. I do mine early in the morning, before the kids wake up.

My routine with six kids

I don't sit down for hours at a time. I enter in short batches all day:

• Early morning, before the kids are up: I sit down and do my mail-in entries before I take them to school

• After school drop-off, when I do my daily sweeps

• In the school pickup line in the afternoon

• A little before bed

• In any spare minute, like a doctor's waiting room, instead of scrolling

If you're just starting, try 15 minutes a day for a few weeks before you decide if it's for you.

Sweeper etiquette: how to be the winner sponsors want

Here's what changed my wins the most: I started thinking about what the sponsor wants. A sweepstakes is a marketing plan. There are a lot of kind brands out there, but their goal is to find new customers and, sooner or later, make sales. So present yourself as someone who might become a customer one day.

Always say thank you. When a prize arrives, I take a photo, share it to my Instagram Story, tag the sponsor and thank them. Sponsors remember gracious winners.

Be a person, not a bot. On social media giveaways, write real comments that mention the product, not "wow" or "amazing." Never copy and paste the same comment everywhere.

Make your social profiles look real. A lot of sponsors don't like sweepers. A real photo, a short bio about your life and a few posts that aren't giveaways show them a real person.

Ask before you tag. On Instagram and other social media giveaways that ask you to tag friends, only tag people who've said yes, and make sure everyone you tag has a real profile too. I usually tag 4 to 6 people. Tagging 20 tells the sponsor you're a sweeper.

Never be scammy. Stick to the entry limits in the rules. No fake accounts, no bots, and never fib about your age, state or country.

Respect small businesses. On social media, don't unfollow the minute a giveaway ends. And skip local giveaways from other states: that hardware store across the country is looking for its own customers.

Be easy to pick. Reply fast when you win, be friendly, and send your details without fuss.

Enter for what you'd really use

When I started, I entered for every little thing. I just wanted to win. There's nothing wrong with that, but now I'm much more selective. I still have prizes in a closet that I won and realized I didn't really want.

I have the most success with prizes I'll truly use. On social media giveaways, wanting something shows in your comment, and the sponsor can tell you're a good fit. And everywhere else, you spend your time on prizes that actually help your family. Not every prize is for me, and I believe I'll win exactly what I'm meant to.

How to spot a sweepstakes scam

A real sponsor will never ask for a fee, your bank information or your password to send you a prize. Watch for "winner" messages from accounts that copy a brand's name with an extra letter or number, and for links that rush you to "claim within the hour."

Real winner messages land in odd places, too. I almost missed a phone from Samsung because the message went to my spam folder. Check your spam and message requests every day.

Keep track of every win (and taxes)

Every time I'm notified of a win, I take a screenshot and write down the date. Then I log the prize, the sponsor and its value. That record is how I know my totals, and it's what I use for follow-ups and at tax time.

Prizes are taxable income in the US, whether it's cash, a gift card or a product. Sponsors may send you a tax form for bigger prizes, but even without one, the value counts. I'm not a tax professional, so if you win big, talk to one.

Sweepstakes FAQ

Are sweepstakes legit?

Most are. A real sweepstakes has official rules, a sponsor you can look up, and never asks you to pay to enter or to claim a prize. If something asks for a fee or your bank details, walk away.

How much time does it take?

Everyone has a different amount of time to give, and that's okay. What matters most in this hobby is consistency. However much time you have, be efficient and smart about how you enter. I have a system that works for me, and I spend about two hours a day in total, spread out across the day.

Will I get a lot of spam?

Some, which is why a separate email just for sweepstakes helps so much. It keeps your personal inbox clean.

How long until my first win?

It varies. Some people win in their first week, and others take a month or two. Enter consistently, and focus on sweepstakes with smaller crowds, like local, daily and mail-in entries.

Do I have to pay taxes on prizes?

In the US, yes. Prizes count as income, including gift cards and products. Keep a record of what you win, and talk to a tax professional if you win big.

Is it safe to give out my address?

To a real sponsor, yes. That's how prizes get shipped. Check that the winner message is real first, and share only what the rules require.

Start small, and believe you'll win

Pick one sweepstakes site, enter a few daily sweepstakes, and give it a few weeks. Your first win might be a $10 gift card or a box of snacks. Celebrate it anyway.

Positive thinking matters more than you'd expect in this hobby. I know I'm a winner, and I keep showing up. Believe in yourself, and know the wins are already yours, waiting to be claimed.

If you want to start with Instagram, where most of my wins come from, my How to Win Instagram Giveaways guide walks you through all of it, from setting up your profile to spotting fake winner messages.