www.canadadry.ca 

Open to BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, NL, NU YT only.

PRIZES: 2 grand prizes of trip for 2 to three cities with 2 nights accommodation each for a culinary experience in each city. Choices for city include: Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary or Halifax. Trip also includes 3 customized culinary experiences with a Food Network Chef & the opportunity to meet the chef,  & $1275 spending money, val $18525.

4400 Instant win prizes of a cookbook or coupon for a 10 pack of Canada Dry beverages, val $5.50 to $35.

TO ENTER: Entry requires a PIN number from labels of Specially marked packages of Canada Dry beverages.  Enter code online.

NO purchase entry: on a plain piece of paper no larger than 8.5″ X 11″, print your name, address, age, email & mail & you will be emailed a PIN to enter online.

CLOSE: Sept 30, draw: Oct 8/10.

Cadbury Key to the Secret Caramilk Contest, No purchase request, 431 King St West, 3rd  floor, Toronto ON M5V 1K4.

PRIZES: 10 prizes of a winning “key” that could unlock the Caramilk Secret. Each of the 10 finalists who find a golden key is given a trip for 2 to Toronto to attend a secret ceremony. Trip includes airfare, 2 nights accommodation, breakfasts, ground transportation & $200, val $2370 & choice between 365 Caramilk Bars or $9946.  Then each receives the chance to turn the key: the key that works receives $125,000 plus an envelope containing the Caramilk Secret to be held for six months.  If at the end of six months the contestant wishes to redeem the un-opened envelope, they are entitled to another $125,000.

TO ENTER: Purchase Specially Marked Packages of Caramilk bars for the Golden Key.  No purchase: Send original handwritten 50 word essay about “why you love Caramilk bars” along with a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope to receive a coupon for a free bar.

CLOSE: Aug 22/10.

 Just one of 100+ contests in the Canadian Contests Newsletter!

www.3m.com or www.scotchtape.ca/popup   

1 entry/person per draw period.

PRIZES: 3 grand prizes of $2500 Visa gift card.

CLOSE: Remaining close dates: June 30 – Sept 30, draw: Oct 8,  or  Sept 30 to Jan 7, 2011, draw: Jan 10, 2011.

www.melittacontest.ca www.liptonpyramids.ca 

1 entry/ person/ week.

PRIZES: 1 grand prize of trip for 2 to Sonoma California, val $7000 or $7000 cash.

6–2nd prizes of a Melitta gift basket, val $60.

CLOSE: Aug 31, draw: Sept 7, 2010.

Just some of 100+ contests in the Canadian Contests Newsletter!

Diamond Anniversary Contest–

WN Pharmaceuticals Ltd,

2000 Brigantine Drive

Coquitlam BC B3K 7B5.

Limit: 1 entry per person.

PRIZES: 1 grand prize of a 2 carat round Canadian Diamond plus $1000 towards the setting of winnerès choice, val $61,000.

TO ENTER: Find form where you buy Webber Naturals vitamins (I found forms in Safeway drug store area) or enter at www.webbernaturals.com.  You need to explain in a short paragraph “how Webber Naturals has improved your health or which vitamins and supplements you use”. Random draw.

CLOSE: Sept 30, draw: Nov 1/10.

 Just one of 100+ contests in the Canadian Contests Newsletter!

RBC Home Depot Giveaay Contest

15 Densley Ave

Toronto Postal Stn B

Toronto, ON M6M 2P5.

1 entry/ person

PRIZES:

1 prize of $10,000 Home Depot gift certificate.

1 prize of a $5000 Home Depot gift certificate,

2 prizes of $2500 Home Depot gift certificate.

TO ENTER:

Redeem your RBC Rewards Points for a Home Depot gift certificate  for automatic entry.

No purchase:

On Plain Piece of Paper print Name, Address,  Phone & email & include an original, handwritten essay “Describing  your experience with an RBC product” to address.

see full rules at: www.rbcrewards.coméHD10Kgiveaway

CLOSE: August 31/10, draw: Sept 15/10.

Be sure to ask for a contact number and even bring it along on any trip, in case reservations or confirmations are not properly honoured.  Be prepared to save yourself from any frustrations!

For answering a Skill Testing Questions over the phone, make sure you have a paper and writing instrument handy at each phone in your home.  If you are nervous, ask the caller to give you the equation and write down the whole equation before answering.  Ask if there are brackets or if the question is to be answered in the order it is given.  Ask if it is to be followed with BEDMAS, a Mathematical order of solving equations:  which means first Brackets, then Exponents, followed by Division, followed by Multiplication, Addition and lastly, Subtraction.  (I have never seen a Skill Testing Question that contained Exponents!) Get the information you need and then ask if you can set the phone down for a few seconds to calculate the answer.  When you think you have solved it, go through it one more time to be sure.

If you find you have any questions about the skill testing question, ASK! Companies want you to win–they will clarify the question if necessary… Remember to be calm and take your time…. Good Luck!

Some stores that offer frequent In-Store contests include grocery store chains, liquor stores, Co-op / The Marketplace stores and many stores offering promotions for holidays or Grand Openings. Don’t “plan” to go back to enter, rather take a moment and fill out a form right there. Many times people think they will find the time to get back but don’t.  Follow all the rules, ie) if the rules state you need 3 UPCs or hand drawn facsimiles, bring them with you and a roll of tape. Get in the habit of ‘just do it” and the odds will work in your favour!

Another hint? Keep a roll of  tape & pair of scissors  in your car’s glove compartment. If you see a ballot and need to purchase the item for the UPC code to affix, then you can quickly buy the item, take it to the car and fill out the ballot, all before leaving the parking lot.  Be prepared and the wins will come to you!

 The best way to find out about instore contests is to look through the weekly flyers for the stores in your area and to occasionally visit the stores.  Or watch here for more store draws I may see!  Subscribe to our newsletter for additional hints and winning stories! Liquor outlets and grocery/ drug stores are the best places to find ballot contests.

eg) Crate & Barrel Canada, In Store Contest.

PRIZES: monthy prizes of $500 g.c.

TO ENTER: Visit the Crate & Barrel store in Yorkdale Shopping Centre, at 3401 Dufferin St Toronto or at Southcentre Mall 100 Anderson Road SE Calgary, fill form & deposit in ballot box.

CLOSE: Dec 31/10, draws: Monthy.

For Internet contests be sure to note whether the contest states in the rules: “1 entry per person per day” or “1 entry per household per day” as this can be enough for the sponsors to disqualify you. The rules are there to keep it fair for everyone.  So if the rules say” “1 entry per person” don’t make up a name or use your middle name to win. The sponsors may check up on you and you can be disqualified.  Besides, doesn’t dishonesty ruin it for everyone? Be honest and win fairly so that sponsors don’t have to ramp up their ‘proof of identity’ rules and make entering more difficult for everyone.  You can win if you are persistant!

Similarly, there are some entrants who decorate their envelope or include a return address label on the outside of the envelope. If you feel it aids in your contest aspirations, go ahead! For smaller or regional contests decorating your entry or folding it in an unusual way can be the difference between having your entry chosen or not.

It seems you may not need to enter more, that may be the optimal number of entries for having a good chance to win, according to some of our winners. Enter more frequently if you have the time or inclination.

 I try to send away for no purchase entries when it is reasonable, such as for a high cost item that I can’t afford to add to my weekly shopping list. In cases like chocolate bar promotions or small restaurant items, like drinks with a special tab or code to enter, it’s probably more cost effective to just purchase the item rather than send postage there and back which costs in excess of one dollar not including the envelopes and time spent waiting.

I also try to enter a brand new online/ instant win contest I might find as soon as possible. If not as many people have heard about the promotion, you may have a better chance at winning one of the instant win prizes before everyone else starts entering.  Also, consider entering instant win contests at off hours, eg, in the middle of the night. If the prizes are “time-seeded” you face less competition when the rest of the country is sleeping.

Always follow the rules! However, if you can get more entries into an instore ballot box and the rules allow it, pick up a few extra forms and deposit for your husband or children, with their permission.  if the form calls to have a UPC attached, follow all rules and watch that you have the correct product and size of product according to the rules.

I try to enter Internet contests I like daily if the rules allow. Make a “favourite” list and go back daily, or weekly to enter for the prizes you like the most.  Like anything, contests are a “numbers game’. The more entries, the more chance you have to be selected to win!

One subscriber from AB wrote to tell me that being retired making time for Contests has helped her benefit her whole family. She keeps a tally since 1994 and has won an astounding $233,000 of cash and prizes! Oh my goodness, what a lucky person!Keeping a tally or spreadsheet is a great way to keep track of what a Winner you are and to keep you motivated when the wins are less than abundant, which happens to us all.

This subscriber recently won a  Jeep Liberty, fully loaded and her second vehicle win in 14 years. She also won $1000 gift certificates to two different hardware stores, a furniture store, shopping spree with a local hockey player, $500 Best Buy gift certificats, $100 WestJet gift certificate, $200 restaurant gift certificates & tickets to see productions and movies.  She mentions that she only enters for the prizes she can use, and “when I have dry spells I just continue to enter and wait for that special phone call”. She also mentions that she likes to enter mail-in contests, ballot contests and local contests. She makes an effort to enter some of the Internet contests that intrigue her. Over the years this lady has also won 26 trips to destinations in North America and Europe, shopping sprees etc, and the opportunity to share with her family.  Thank you for sharing your wins with all of us!

 My family had a good final few months of last year as well… I found out I won a contest from Off & SCJohnson Company with a trip to an Adventure destination in Canada.  Then on December 24th my husband received a call from a local mall where he had entered a ballot contest (1 entry/ person). He won a trip for 2 to Las Vegas and we took the trip at the start of February. It was a wonderful three day whirlwind trip that we both really enjoyed, although I gambled away any of the winnings I may have won on the slots! But it was fabulous to get away from our city in the winter and enjoy some sunny, warm weather for a few days and also enjoy the sights and events in Las Vegas!

In addition,2009 has started off well for my family. My son won a football jersey, football and cap from an In-store Family Foods draw, I won a cookware set from the Co-op/ Campbells contest that ended in December (one of 25 sets worth $699 I believe) and my son won a spot in the Manitoba Driver’s Ed challenge to possibly win a larger prize such as a scholarship.  So I believe that 2009 will again be good to those who put in a good effort.  Remember, each of us goes through slower spells, but if you enter consistently, enter locally, and enter in a variety of methods, ie) Mail in, ballots, text message, Internet, creative entries like photo contests or essays, you will be lucky too! BELIEVE!

Other winners:

J. from MB reports that they won a Hell’s Kitchen Prize pack, $50 g.c from a Post cereal contest, Montgomery Gentry tickets, theatre tickets & an Herbal Essenses prize pack. More recently J. won a Vespa worth $5000! Congratulations !

M. from SK reports winning a George Canyon Autographed CD, iPod Shuffle, camera, sports jersey & $50 Walmart certificate recently. Congratulations to both and thanks for sharing your wins with us!

Summer wins:

A winner from SK wrote with her recent wins:  Blu-Ray disc player and movie collection, val $1,000, and an instant win 1 year magazine subscription, CMT Country Heat CD, val $20. Keep it up!!

Another subscriber wrote to tell me she has had her best year yet, in the summer she won: A Vespa scooter, val $5000, Cuba trip, val $4000, BC winery tour for 4, val $8000, plus some smaller wins including an Arriba chips soundtrack prize and a Nascar hat, plus a Nestle Instant win Crayola package. Great wins! Keep it up and enjoy those trips! ** Update, this winner has now won a trip to the 2010 Olympics! Go Canada!

I have had a very good year also. Our family has won three trips. My husband and I just returned from Algonquin Park last week with a Great Canadian Adventures weekend from Off  that I won last fall. Our whole family also visited New Brunswick in Aug, courtesy of Nestle, a trip my husband won. This was a wonderful 3 night trip staying at the Fairmont Algonquin. Also in Feb this year  my husband and I went to Las Vegas with a 3 night trip won from a local mall (I mentioned this in a previous post). This summer, my daughter and I went to Elkhorn Spa in MB for a 2 night spa getaway which we thoroughly enjoyed, courtesy of a local CTV Watch and Win Contest.

My son won $1000 on the Crush/ Much Music daily Internet contest. He has put the money into his savings & I can tell you it was a pretty big thrill for a 15 year old! I was impressed when I saw him answer the phone, pick up a pen and correctly answer a STQ, all before telling me who it was! I have trained him right!  Other small wins include a prize pack from Sonora wines, val $100 and DVD from the Arriba contest, plus recently my husband got an email that he won a prize from an Internet Arm & Hammer contest, which we are also waiting for. So yes, it has been a good run. Persistence is the key!

We want to hear about all your wins!!