giveaway

Giveaway: FinCon24 swag + gift card.

by

FinCon24 is in the books, and I’ve decided to go back to a tradition that fell by the wayside: giving away conference tchotchkes. Because who doesn’t need more reusable shopping bags or a new T-shirt for when it’s time to paint the kitchen?

This giveaway is a little different, though, because it will also contain a gift card.

For the uninitiated, FinCon is a professional conference for those who write, podcast, advise or are otherwise affiliated with personal finance. There’s always an expo hall for sponsors and vendors to show attendees what they do.

Two things get our attention – and it isn’t signage or name recognition. No, it’s candy and swag.

The swag is what I’m giving away, because I’m still nibbling on the fun-size candy bars and soft peppermints. But it’s useful swag. Most of it has some kind of corporate branding, but heck, as a nation we’ve been conditioned to pay for the privilege of advertising someone else’s business. (Lookin’ at you, Nike swoosh.)

Here’s what the winner will get: 

Read more

Giveaway: $25 Amazon card.

by

A $25 Amazon card means different things to different people. Summer is winding down, so for some it’s time to buy crayons or school clothes. The child-free might be pricing new winter accessories, or restocking hobby supplies.

Gardeners could be on the lookout for canning supplies. Thrifty folks may be doing a little early holiday shopping (if they aren’t already done). And since summer’s not completely over, possibly you’re in the market for sunscreen or new flip-flops or a good beach read.

Whatever you want, my latest giveaway will fund the first $25 worth. 

Read more

Support the reader economy: Giveaway #10.

by

It makes me happy to do these “Support the reader economy” giveaways. Yet it also makes me a little bit sad because $25 just doesn’t have the impact it once did.

Back in the day, $25 covered my child care for the week. (Dang, I’m old.) But I try to remind myself that I keep reminding myself how excited finding a penny makes me – and more than a few of you readers.

Since finding 2,500 pennies would be even better, I keep going with the giveaway. As I once noted, $25 might not fix all your problems but it’s better than not having $25.

As always, the winner gets to choose the type of card they receive. One exception: I won’t give a Visa or Mastercard prepaid debit card because of the fees. Other than that, if I can obtain it electronically, then I will send it to the winner. 

Prefer a physical card? I’ll do that, too, if I can.

Read more

Giveaway: Artisanal chocolate from Alaska.

by

Not everyone gets a Valentine’s Day treat from a loved one. In fact, some of us don’t particularly want them. Still, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to feel a little bit special, so I’m having another Chugach Chocolates giveaway. If you didn’t get a Valentine, then treat yourself (or someone else) to this one.

Chugach Chocolates is a “bear-to-bar” that creates delicious (and sometimes scary-sounding) items here in Anchorage. Right down the street from us, in fact, which is particularly dangerous since they’ve opened a nice little coffee shop/retail space.

Since DF’s doctor wants him to eat an ounce of dark chocolate per day, we decided to support the local economy and buy solely from Chugach Chocolates. Happily, they offer a volume discount so we’ve taken to buying a dozen bars at a clip. It’s a health issue, you see.

About the “scary-sounding” chocolates: We’ve found that you don’t need to be afraid of confections such as Alaskan Kelp and Cayenne or Mat-Su Valley Potato Chip chocolate bars. They’re all good. Well, except for the Espresso Beans bars – I’ve never been a coffee fan. DF loves them, though.

The winner of this giveaway gets to choose from among: 

Read more

Giveaway: Alaskan art jewelry (Valentine’s Day, anyone?).

by

Welcome to the first giveaway of the year! This time around, it’s jewelry that I sure hope the U.S. mail can deliver in time for Valentine’s Day. Three winners will have a shot at three pendants made by my friend Linda B.

Her jewelry is always a hit, and for good reason: It has style, energy and personality. If I wore jewelry, I’d definitely be wearing hers.

This is also part of my ongoing “support the local economy” efforts. Sure, I give away a lot of gift cards, because they’re useful to readers. But I also like to focus on local artists and retailers. (Watch this space for an upcoming Chugach Chocolates giveaway.)

Valentine’s Day will be here in a month, and these pieces would make great gifts. Each one is unique, i.e., she has never made and will never make another one exactly like it. 

Or the winner might choose to keep the prize, in order to brighten up their winter doldrums. I chose fun, specific designs rather than abstract ones. Here’s what’s up for grabs:

Read more

Giveaway: $25 Amazon card.

by

We’re getting down to the wire, Christmas-wise. Would a $25 Amazon card help?

Even if you couldn’t get the gift shipped by Dec. 25, you could wrap up a “watch this space” card and promise to hand over the present as soon as it arrives.

Or maybe it’ll be a Christmas miracle and the gift will arrive on time. You won’t know unless you try. 

Maybe you’ve already finished your shopping, or perhaps you don’t do holiday gifts. That $25 card could still come in handy for:

Read more

Giveaway: $25 Regal gift card.

by

Wait…Didn’t I just have a movie gift card giveaway? Yes, I did. Now I’m having another one. This time around, it’s for the Regal theaters chain.

You might need to get away from it all after a little too much holiday family togetherness. And if times are tight right now, you could either sell the gift card (it’s a physical one) or give it as a holiday present.

Read more

Giveaway: $25 AMC gift card.

by

The winter holidays always represent a big Hollywood push. Whether the films are about any actual holidays doesn’t matter. Studios know that plenty of people are looking for a bit of escapism at this time of year. Some want to get away from the relatives who have descended. Others want to sneak away from the … Read more

Support the reader economy: Giveaway #9.

by

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.

Read more

Support the reader economy: Giveaway #8.

by

It’s been a minute since the last giveaway. As inflation shows no signs of disappearing, I will continue this series.

I know that $25 isn’t much. But it beats not having $25.

As always, the rules are simple: Winner gets to choose his or her scrip source. If it’s possible for me to get an e-gift card from your retailer of choice, then I will do so.

This includes cards from outside the United States, so international readers (and I know you’re out there because Google Analytics told me so) should feel free to enter.

I do need to qualify something: Mastercard or Visa prepaid cards are not an option for this giveaway. They add noticeably to the $25 price tag, and I prefer to stretch my prize budget as far as I can.

Okay, two ways: I will do only e-gift cards from now on.

Read more