A Few Sweeping Tips

• Some people like to create a separate email account just for sweeping, especially since you'll often sign up for newsletters as a condition of entry. That's fine, but be careful to monitor that email closely. You can't just look at that whole account as junk mail, because that is also where your winning emails will arrive. Some contests only give you 24-48 hours notice to respond to their winning notification, so check it frequently.

• On that same note, keep an eye on your spam. I use Gmail and two contest notifications (one for a $100 win and one from a major national company) were dumped in spam. It just takes a few seconds to skim the headers and make sure that there isn't anything important as long as you keep up with it once or twice a day.

• Check with your friends on social media to see who is cool with being tagged in contests. Most Facebook, Instagram and Twitter contests will ask that you tag a friend as a method of entry. A lot of people are happy to get that notice about a contest, so just ask and then keep a tag list near you to refer to while you're entering.

• Check your state's tax laws regarding sweepstakes winnings. Each state is different, but most likely there is a set dollar amount and you must claim a win on your taxes if it has a value over that amount. I make sure that I don't enter any contests with prizes over my state's amount that I wouldn't be willing to pay taxes on. For example an electronics prize might say that this amazing home audio setup is worth over $1000 dollars. I could sell it or give it away, but I have to remember that I'm also responsible for claiming that even if I don't keep it. If you enter for large prizes like trips and cars make sure you can cover taxes on what you win. Google is a good place to look around and see exactly how it all works, just try phrases like "Car win taxes Idaho", etc. Also if you enter Amazon Bouncy Boxes it's important to know that they tally up all your wins for the year. So while with most contests you only have to claim a win over a specific dollar amount for individual contests, even though Bouncy Box contests are all sponsored by someone different, they are all counted as an Amazon win. So if you hit your state's threshold you will get a tax form from Amazon. That catches a lot of people by surprise.

Good luck and have fun winning! 

Photo by Johnson Wang on Unsplash