Although I truly try to be frugal in my spending and stretch each penny until it is unrecognizable, I do have one weakness---I enter contests. At least once a month, you can find me busily filling out 3 by 5 index cards and addressing envelopes to carry what I hope is my big win! I figure I spend a few dollars a month in this extravagance but justify it by telling myself that when my ship comes in, it will all be worth it. So far, I haven't even found the harbor yet.
And, before you begin to think I have been blindly throwing carefully addressed envelopes into the mail box without any return on my time, you should know that I have won prizes in a few contests. When you consider that these are national contests and my entry is probably one of more than a million, I think I'm doing well for a hobby.
My first big win happened about a year after I started entering. I won a food processor. I calculated my postage and envelope expenditure against the value of the prize and I pretty much came out even. Of course, it would have been easier to just go out and buy a food processor but where's the suspense and excitement in that? Over the years I have received various rewards for my efforts. I remember winning a Cabbage Patch Doll, a tee shirt, mixer, electric can opener, a case of bubble gum. twin baby dolls, a big Lego set, six passes to Universal Studios, a bicycle, an audio tape, a Game Gear and lots of coupons for just entering the contests.
Before I had children, these were relatively satisfying wins. As the family increased and the income seemed to get spent more quickly each month, I concentrated my efforts on the cash win contests. Every payday after paying the bills, I would treat myself to maybe ten stamps and envelopes for contest entries.
I have learned to pray for a lot of intentions over the years but I never pray to win contests. I am saving my heaven-bound pleas for items of great need or importance. One day, however, after working long and carefully on my bills and budget for the month, I tossed down my pencil and muttered, "God, we really could use a little extra money this month. It sure would be nice if I could win one of those cash contests." As if on cue, the door bell rang. It was the mailman, not Ed McMahan. I opened my mail and discovered a cash win from one of my contests---for five dollars! God has a sense of humor and He certainly gave me exactly what I requested.
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