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It's always close to Christmas in my planner! I keep a countdown so the holidays don't catch me off guard and I will be prepared for , both with online selling, and just plain out preparing for Christmas with gifts, goodies, and decorations.
For many years I WON my Christmas -- sometimes down to the turkey in the oven. How did I do that? Well, I will tell you. There are no guarantees that you will win, but it's something fun to do, and normally every year for the past twenty I have won a few items I was able to use as gifts. Last year I won a nice set of watercolor pencils I was able to give my husband who likes to do art. I also won him a wood chisel set which he thought was really cool. His grandfather was into woodworking, and while he hadn't done any before Christmas, he was excited to try his hand at it.
Prizes can range from a small stocking stuffer to something worth hundreds of dollars. It's not uncommon for twitter parties to have prizes of Amazon Gift Cards, so if you would win one of those you could use it towards Christmas shopping. I have found for Christmas gifts that twitter parties, blog giveaways and sweepstakes with lots of prizes are the best to focus on because odds are often better in those.
Sometimes you can even win things that people will love that you can't buy. My brother in law LOVES alcohol. He isn't an alcoholic, but he enjoys it. So I keep an eye open for anything that is given away with a whiskey, beer, or other drink logo on it. He absolutely loved his grill tools last year that had a vodka logo on the case.
Many people who enter contests and sweepstakes even occasionally have what they call a prize closet. If you win something you don't immediately have a need for, put it in the prize closet (or a storage tote.) It might make a perfect gift a year or two down the road for someone. I call my tote a prize closet, but truth is, anything I get free will be put in there. If I get something that would work as a stocking stuffer from a shopping-- some grocery stores have a free item the first Friday of each month and sometimes it's a candy bar and if the best by date is after Christmas, that often gets tucked away. I talk about how to create a gift closet on a budget in this post.
A prize closet won't solve all your Christmas shopping, but it certainly can stretch your gift budget.
Here are posts I have written that may interest you:
Also be sure and check out my other similar blog posts:
How to Win Sweepstakes and Contests
How to Win a Skill Contest
How to Win a Voting Contest
How to Win in Twitter Parties
How to Win Blog Giveaways
Where to Find Sweepstakes to Enter
What to do when you win a prize.
Should You Keep the News of Winning a Contest Prize a Secret or Tell Everyone?
Are People who Win Prizes Just Lucky Ducks?
Entering Sweepstakes and Public Assistance Like SSI and and Disability
The Best Books about Entering and Winning Sweepstakes
Are you Pressing the Lever on McDonalds Monopoly?
I have won some interesting and amazing things I would not have been able to buy. My son enjoyed the motorcycle gift certificate. I can no longer spend lots of money on his seasonal presents, so it is good when I can give him something nice. I just won a certificate for a golf trip. Will be interesting to figure out who in the family will want this one!
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