Enter Now: Contest Winnings Could Set You Up for Life
Most of us are in need of a little extra cash, right? Who among us would turn down the chance to win thousands of dollars with no catch? Well, if you invest the time and apply to any of these cash sweepstakes, you may be in for a financially sweet surprise. Sure, your chances aren’t sky high, but what’s the worst that can happen — you try again next year? At least you’ll know how it’s done.
The Time to Enter Cash Contests Is Now
Don’t delay in entering contests to win cash — the more you enter, the greater your chances of walking away with a check.
1. Fingerhut Sweepstakes
If you’re struggling to buy big-ticket items, Fingerhut is the site for you. They’ll help you get credit for things like televisions, kitchen tools, furniture and even jewelry. More importantly, you may also be able to win some big funds if you create an account with them through their annual sweepstakes.
- Enter by Oct. 31, 2024 to win $10,000
To get started, go to www.fingerhut.com and enter your email address. If you don’t have a Fingerhut account, you will be asked to provide some basic information, such as your name, address and birthday. There are several ways to enter the sweepstakes.
Place an order with Fingerhut.
Use your Fingerhut account to set up scheduled recurring payments through your WebBank/Fingerhut Fetti Credit Account.
Use your WebBank/Fingerhut Fetti Credit Account to make on-time payments.
Enter by mail with no purchase necessary.
To enter by mail, send your name, address, date of birth, phone number and email address to Fingerhut 2024 $10,000 Sweepstakes, P.O. Box 7817, Melville, NY 11775-7817. The email address must be associated with a Fingerhut account for the entry to be valid. The Fingerhut Sweepstakes is open to U.S. residents aged 18 and up.
2. Publishers Clearing House
Even if you’re not big into sweepstakes, chances are you’ve heard of Publishers Clearing House. Rather than just mailing you a check, the Publishers Clearing House team shows up with a giant check and makes a big spectacle of awarding it.
You might wonder if this is legitimate, and although there are plenty of copycat scammers around, PCH really does give out giant checks to real people just like you.
It frequently runs various sweepstakes, including one that was $5,000 a week for life, so check its website here to see which ones you can enter. Two contests are listed right now — one that allows you to win $10,000 for school and another that could help you win $75,000 to eliminate debt.
3. Hershey’s Baking Sweepstakes
If you enter the Hershey’s Baking Sweepstakes, you’re entering yourself in for a chance to win $10,000, all thanks to Hershey’s, which is sponsoring The Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship.
All you have to do is enter your name, your date of birth, your email, your street address, your phone number and agree to The Hershey Company storing your information. The contest period goes from Sept. 12 to Dec. 30, 2024. It’s open to anyone 18 and up who is a legal resident of the United States. Here’s the best part: there’s no purchase necessary.
4. Chase and Marriott Bonvoy Bold Chat Court Contest
This is a contest where your creativity — and your real life story — will determine whether you might be able to go home a winner. Do you have a group vacation idea that’s been, as Marriott Bonvoy and Chase put it, sitting in the group chat? Now’s the chance to win $5,000, to be used for airfare, meals, etc., and 500,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, which will surely get you all the way to booking your vacation.
To enter, all you have to do is either type out a story or put together an Instagram reel explaining your dream trip, why you haven’t booked it and how winning these sweepstakes will make your group chat fantasy a reality. If you decide to post on Instagram, make sure to tag your entry with #contest. The entry period is from Sept. 26 to 5 p.m. ET on Oct. 30.
In order to legally enter, you’ll have to be a legal U.S. resident and over the age of 18. You’ll also have to follow certain requirements as to the content of your story — for example, any submission that misuses brand names will be excluded. You also cannot promote a political agenda or include violence or nudity, per the contest rules, among other restrictions.
5. Price.com $100,000 Cash Giveaway
Price.com is giving away $100,000 to one lucky winner — really. From Sept. 20 to Dec. 9, any legal U.S. resident 13 and over can enter this online contest. There is no purchase or payment necessary.
The only requirement is entrants must make or already have an active Price.com account. But once this is done, you’re free to enter. Each entrant is limited to one contest entry.
Still, if you’re really determined to win this one, there are ways to make bonus entries. You can refer a friend through a unique URL address, and for each friend who actually creates an account, you’ll get 10 bonus entries. Making a purchase through the website garners you 20 bonus entries. And if you upgrade to a pro monthly subscription, you’ll get 30 bonus entries, while a pro annual subscription will merit you 60 entries.
And if you’d rather enter by mail, you can handprint a 3×5” card in a #10 business-sized envelope mailed to Price.com Sweepstakes, PO Box 953, Macedon, NY, 14502-0953. All entries must be postmarked by Dec. 9, 2024, and received by Dec. 15, 2024. Each mail-in entry is worth 60 Sweepstakes entries.
6. HGTV $10K Your Way Giveaway
You could win $10,000 from HGTV — and better yet, you have plenty of opportunities to enter. You can enter twice a day, once on HGTV.com and once on FoodNetwork.com, until Oct. 30 at 8:59 a.m. EST to win the grand prize.
The rules are simple: You must live in the United States and you must be 21 or older. In order to enter, you must supply your first name, last name and email address as well as answer one trivia question, though a correct answer is not required to have your entry submitted in the sweepstakes.
7. Doritos Crash: The Super Bowl Ad Contest
These sweepstakes require a little more upfront work but could certainly yield a much bigger reward. Doritos are offering you a chance at $1 million if you can try your hand at creating a Super Bowl ad and actually create the best one possible. All that’s truly required is making a 30-second ad spot for Doritos.
OK, that’s not exactly right — you’ll have to input your personal information, like first and last name, email address, phone number, date of birth and your social media. Luckily, there’s no need to buy or pay anything to enter — other than the time invested in putting together your 30-second ad.
Like many of these contests, it is only open to U.S. residents 18 and older, or 19 in Alabama and Nebraska. You’ll also have to have a valid Google Youtube account for this contest. You have until Nov. 11 to enter the contest and a limit of 10 submissions per email. So if at first you don’t succeed, try again, as they say. Judges will look for three preliminary criteria: originality and creativity (40%), adherence to creative assignment (30%) and overall appeal to the general public as a Doritos ad (30%).
It’s worth reading through all of the rules before entering, as they are quite comprehensive and affect both how the video should be made and what can be in it. Perhaps the most important part is the entries must be confidential and not shared on social media before the contest holders can review them all. And even if you don’t take home the entire prize, up to three finalists and 25 semi-finalists will be chosen. These will win $20,000 and $2,000, respectively, so it’s worth aiming high, knowing you might still be able to win a cash prize.
8. Ring’s Great Ghost Search
Some sweepstakes are more whimsical — some may even say fantastical — than others. These sweepstakes, sponsored by Ring camera, do require you to have a Ring account, but it’s well worth your while if you do have one. You have until Nov. 1 to enter.
Here’s the rub: You have to be a legal resident of the United States and over 18, and you must own a Ring device or have shared user access. As part of the contest, you will have to provide certain personal information. The 30-second video must involve Ring camera footage and a “ghost,” including, according to the rules, “depicting ghosts in an unrealistic manner using artificial aids.” Judges are looking for four factors: the visibility or clarity of the “ghost,” the uniqueness of the entry, its entertainment value and its engagement. But the grand prize is worth it — $100,000, in check form.
9. Destination Do the Dew: Thrillist
This contest allows you to win both cash, $5,000, and a fun prize — a BOX’d kit with outdoor adventure essentials. You have until Oct. 31 to enter.
It works like this: You’ll have to be a legal U.S. resident and above the age of 18. But simply go to the above link and enter your first and last name and email to start the process. You can also directly submit entries to [email protected] with “Promotion 827” in the subject line and your full legal name in the body of the email, according to the rules. Entries are limited to one per person. While only one winner will get $5,000, 83 winners can earn a Mountain Dew road trip and the Great Outdoors & Dew Box, which includes a hammock, a fanny pack, a film camera, a duffel, a can of Mountain Dew Green and a can of Mountain Dew Baja Blast.
Writer Elizabeth Djinis is a contributor to The Penny Hoarder, often writing about selling goods online through social platforms. Her work has appeared in Teen Vogue, Smithsonian Magazine and the Tampa Bay Times. Catherine Hiles contributed to this story.
