Support the reader economy: Giveaway #9.

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How’s your household budget doing? Yeah, mine too. Inflation is allegedly easing, but I haven’t noticed this much. In fact, gasoline is going back up and milk is now $4.29 a gallon.

The reason I started the “support the reader economy” giveaway series is to bring a (small!) boost to someone’s budget. Sad to say that $25 isn’t much these days – unless, of course, you’re $25 short on groceries or you need to get to work for two more days until payday.

Thus I am offering a $25 e-gift card of the winner’s choice, whether that’s a supermarket, gas station, big-box retailer or, yes, Starbucks. It’s hot out there, and if you’ve cut back on cold drinks (or drinks away from home, period) then a caramel macchiato whatchamacallit might be exactly the small boost you need to keep on keeping on.

Or maybe you’re thinking bigger-picture thoughts. For example, Hannukah is just 125 days from now, Christmas is 143 days away and Kwanzaa starts in 144 days. If you’re planning to give gifts, it’s a good idea to at least make a list. Bonus frugal points for starting (or having started) to look for affordable presents via clearance sections (virtual or IRL), yard sales and your Buy Nothing Facebook group. A $25 card to Target or Amazon or wherever might not make much difference, but it’s a start.

Another big-picture question: How’s your emergency fund doing? If you were to win this giveaway, you could put the $25 gift card toward an essential purchase and then put the $25 cash you would have spent into your EF. 

Or, heck, just buy yourself somethin’ pretty. It’s winner’s choice, after all, and sometimes it’s fun to get something you want (or need) that lasts a bit longer than a Starbucks drink.

 

How to enter the giveaway

In other words, you can do whatever you like with your prize. But you can’t win if you don’t enter. 

Here’s how to throw your virtual hat into the virtual ring:

Please leave a separate comment for each entry (e.g., “Follow you on Twitter” or “Subscribed by e-mail”).

The deadline to enter is 6 p.m. PDT Saturday, Aug. 12. I notify winners via e-mail, so be sure to check yours. If I don’t hear back by 6 p.m. PDT Sunday, Aug. 15, I’ll have the random number generator choose a new name.

Note: I’m specifically excluding cards to a cash service such as PayPal, and also prepaid Visa or Mastercard. This is retail only. On the bright side, people in countries other than the United States are welcome to enter this giveaway as long as there’s a way for me to purchase a card for your shop of choice.

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86 thoughts on “Support the reader economy: Giveaway #9.”

  7. I subscribe by email! Nothing around here ever seems to stop going up. I used to buy a few snacks, now I even had to stop that to add to the healthier grocery budget. On my way home from a doctor’s appt. just today, I said to my hubby, look at the price of gas again-went up 15 cents a gallon. Never ending! We are more careful than ever before to watch our gas trips! When I started to drive gas was .39 a gallon. Bet you can guess my age!

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  8. An escape from the heat down here would be a nice trip to the air conditioned movie theatre!! Thank you for doing this!

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  14. I went through hell last year, 2022 was awful because in June things went bad and I still am homeless. In July 2022 my rent went up $300/mo. Yes, totally impossible. So I got evicted, lost my apartment, my car (which I regret selling) and literally sold anything i could such as my couch, my plants, my Dutch oven, pans, etc. I’m still homeless in Aug 2023. So yeah inflation? I know ALL about it. I hope I can have a key again. It’s a bad feeling having no keys, no car to drive, no car keys or house keys. I’m living with my bff bc my family doesn’t care or help at all. If not for my bff I’d be homeless. Literally. And no I’m not on welfare or SNAP. And yes I’m working but I’m very underpaid. I’m working a crappy restaurant job that will never be a living wage. I only get 25-28 hours a week so I can’t make enough money to get a place on my own. At 53 this is very depressing.

    Sorry to vent. I’m just crestfallen.

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    • I am so sorry to hear all of this. What is happening now is heartbreaking. Best of luck to you and don’t give up. At one time in my life I had to feed 3 people on $5.00/wk. It got better for me and it will for you too. Keep trying!
      Sue

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    • That sounds so disheartening. I’m so sorry to hear about this.

      I urge you to check the qualifications for SNAP, if you haven’t already. You might be working enough hours to qualify? Every dollar you don’t have to spend on food would be a dollar you can set aside for a someday car/apartment. The car issue is particularly tough, since you can’t look for a second job or a better job (if these options exist in your area) unless you have transportation.

      Is there an employment office in the region? Sometimes they can offer “career counseling,” which may include info on how to train for a new gig. If that training includes community college courses, you will likely qualify for a Pell grant or some other kind of monies to keep from accruing student debt.

      If you haven’t already done so, call 2-1-1 and ask all these questions. Tell them specifically what your situation is and ask what resources are available. There might be few — but there might be options.

      Feel free to vent in the comments section any time you want. The readers of this site tend to be practical and, in many cases, well-versed in tough times. Sympathetic ears and practical advice abound.

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      • Thanks! You always have excellent, actionable steps to consider. Thanks for not judging me. Ight that enough from my narcissistic mother. Yes, your readers are definitely my kind of people, smart, good, folks. I enjoy being frugal and not cheap. I tip well, and pinch pennies but I’m not cheap. I can’t abide that. Frugal is a good thing.

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      • Thank you. How kind of you. I appreciate kindness more than ever. I’m way better with customers at my restaurant job bc i remind myself that there’s always someone who has it worse. I’m keeping a gratitude journal. It’s helping. 👍🕊️ Thanks for your support.

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  15. Inflation has hit us and we have not been able to donate to the Food Bank since about March. If I won, I would donate it to them.

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      • We’ve had two spells of warm (high 60s), sunny weather in the past couple of weeks. That means we’ve been eating tomatoes, cukes, lettuces, strawberries and, of course, tons of rhubarb. I have canned/frozen/dehydrated jam, rhubarb compote, cucumber/jalapeno relish and am starting on the raspberries (which are relatively few this year, but we have hope).

        Peas are slow but finally starting to show pods. Potatoes are flourishing, and we look forward to eating them fresh and also dehydrating them into jars. For the first time this year we are doing
        “green powder”: dried leaves of plants like quinoa, cucumber, dandelion, fireweed and Asian greens. The pumpkins are pretty dismal this year but we will be adding those leaves as well, since they have a fairly high iron content.

        Not only do we eat really well, we are able to set aside a fair amount of nutritious food. No need to buy any of this stuff if we can preserve it. On a dark January morning, a bowl of red and golden raspberries is a bright reminder that summer will, eventually, come again.

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  18. We’ve been cutting way back on the fun stuff. Just went grocery shopping today, the dairy products are jaw droppingly expensive! Actually everything is sky-high it seems like. Thanks for the giveaway.

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  20. I subscribe via email. Donna you are the kindest and most generous woman I know. Thank you for caring so much about your readers. Have a great weekend!

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  21. Funny you posted this today when I was just thinking about you. I started following you waaay back in 2009 when I lost my job and was forced into retirement. I am now in a somewhat better place financially after reading (and re-reading) Your Playbook for Tough Times. Your books and your erudite humor have helped me over the years more than you will ever know!
    I follow thru email and Facebook.

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  23. Thank you for another generous giveaway! Anyone who wins will have a happy smile and feel so very grateful! I would share your generosity with my two children! It may not pay the bills, but makes life just that little bit easier! Thank you!

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  24. I follow you via email. Here in NY things are going up as well. $4 for a pound of butter for over 18 months. Gas up over 17 cents just this week. I feel like I had more money at 20 making $7 per hour than I do now in my 50’s. Thank goodness we don’t eat a lot of meat..average steak is $21 and up. last weekend I scored some brand new packaged items for Christmas at a fabulous yard sale 😁
    Sorry to read you have been feeling poorly and I hope you don’t have to much pain.
    If the random generator picks me, I’ll be using at my local animal shelter. They are getting an increased amount of animals surrendered and they are stretching every penny.
    Feel well

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  31. Thank you, Donna, for another generous giveaway. Depending on circumstances, $25 could make a world of difference. I follow you by email.

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  33. This is so kind of you. I have followed you since you had a column on MSN (that is where I saw it anyway). I will certainly donate if I get the money, but it is okay if I do not. It is just nice to say hi to a long time frugal friend.

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    • Yes, it can easily buy enough food at a Dollar store to take someone to payday or put gas in the car. If you need it, I do hope you get it.

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      • I see there are people here who perhaps need it more than I do. I sincerely hope one of them wins. Thanks for your kind words though, Sue.

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  40. Been following you for years – and times they are always a’changing. What do you do with the green powder? Thanks for posting.

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    • We plan to mix it with meatloaf and meatball mixes, for the extra nutrition. First read about this on a blog/Facebook page called Purposeful Pantry. She dehydrates EVERYTHING, and will even make powders out of things like strawberries and tomatoes.

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  42. I follow you on fb and I get your emails. Like some others, I’ve been a follower since your msn days so long ago. I’m also sharing your posts to my daughters & friends.

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  60. It’s fun and frugal to enter a giveaway. Glad to see you’re posting again. Hope Alaska is cooler than it is down here in Texas!

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  61. I have been following you since you returned to college and published your article about your budget and eating beans.
    Thanks for all of your helpful hints.

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  62. Love your articles! Have been following you since the MSN money days and follow you on Pinterest!! Always look forward to reading your posts and helpful tips!

    Reply

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