BillShrink Giving Away $2,500 to Wise Bread Readers
Editor's Note: Contest has ended. Click here to see list of winners.
BillShrink, a free website that gives personalized money-saving recommendations on everyday bills, is giving away $2,500 to Wise Bread readers!
In addition to the contest, BillShrink CEO Peter Pham also shared some great savings tips later in this post. But first, the contest!
Blog Comment Contest: $2,000
Prize: 1 winner of $2,000. BillShrink representatives will pick their favorite response.
How to Enter
BillShrink wants to give you $2,000 to start your New Year with a money make over.
Simply leave a comment below and tell us in 2-3 sentences about what you’d do with $2,000? The best response takes the grand prize.
Would the responsible you pay down your credit card debt? Put the money in savings? Buy low in the stock market? Or start a college fund for your toddler? Or … would rowdy you blow it on a ticket to Antigua? Or buy 14 bottles of Dom Perignon? Or get a flat screen TV or a new computer? BillShrink CEO Peter Pham also talks about how he would spend $2,000. You might want to check out Peter's response get some inspiration.
Don't forget to enter your email address while leaving a comment. We can't contact you if you don't leave an email address!
Twitter Contest: $250
Prize: 1 winner of $250. Randomly selected.
How to Enter
Simply tweet one of these messages:
- RT this for chance to win $250 @WiseBread http://bit.ly/4t0sDu
- Win $2500 at @WiseBread courtesy of @BillShrink http://bit.ly/4t0sDu
Don't forget to follow us on Twitter. It makes it easier for us to message you when you win.
BillShrink Facebook Contest: $250
Prize: 1 winner of $250. BillShrink will randomly select one of their new fans following them on Facebook.
How to Enter
Visit BillShrink's Facebook fan page and add yourself as a fan. That's it!
(While you're in Facebook, don't forget to check out Wise Bread's fan page as well.)
Rules For All Three Contests
The Blog Comment, Twitter, and Facebook contests all end at midnight EST 1/08/10. Winners will be announced on this post on 1/13/10. You can enter all 3 contests, but you can only win once. US residents only, must be 18 or over, void where prohibited (see official contest rules).
Interview With Peter Pham
According to your website, BillShrink has identified more than $1 billion in savings for more than 1 million people this year. Why are so many people overpaying on their bills?
Wireless plan and credit cards are inherently complex. You have in- and out-network calling, overage fees, variable interest rates, annual fees – it’s really too much for a person to track. Each wireless plan, each credit card, markets their plans with different language, gives you options over different periods of time, and has different offerings, so it’s nearly impossible to make an apples-to-apples comparison. BillShrink will do all that homework for you using technology that analyzes all of the fine print and tracks the best options on the market so you don’t have to.
Another reason people are overpaying is that options are constantly changing. Credit cards, banks and wireless companies are competing for your business and continue to make new offers. That’s why we’ve also built into BillShrink the ability to get alerts when a better deal comes along. We’ll take into account all things like wireless termination fees, so you can see if you will really save more money in the long run.
What was the best piece of budgeting advice you got or gave in 2009?
The best piece of advice I gave was to ignore those seeming appealing in-store credit card offers. Salespeople entice you at the register with an additional 10-30% off your purchase and 0% APR promises. But that impulse decision could cost you in the long run because after introductory rates, store credit cards are have interest rates that are generally higher than standard credit cards. Not to mention that they are notoriously strict about late fees, which increase the rate dramatically. All this and that’s not all, when you apply for a new card, an inquiry is made to the credit bureau, which may slightly lower your credit score.
How do you think people can save money on the necessities like gas and cell phones? Is there a way to cut back without making sacrifices?
Absolutely! Most people don’t alter their plan to better fit their usage, but like most, you may have selected a wireless package a year ago that isn’t the right plan for you now. Most people are so afraid of overage charges so they buy tons of minutes or get the unlimited plans that they may not really need.
BillShrink assesses what you need and on average, we save people $300 on their phone bill, without them having to sacrifice any minutes or plan options. For gas, many people by habit go to the same gas station. But, if you can drive the same distance to a station that costs $0.50 less per gallon of gas, that could be a savings of $130 a year.
Do you think frugality will end when the economy starts to pick up?
I think frugality is here to stay, at least I hope so. While this economically turbulent year forced many to change their spending behaviors, I think people will choose to remain frugal as it feels good to be wise about your dollars. In particular, if people feel they are getting the same services for less money, the question simply is ‘why would I pay more than I need to?’ So maybe ‘Frugal is the new black!’
My weakness is food; I’m a culinary snob. I’d consider blowing it on a trip to NY and have dinner with my wife at Masa, where the pre-fix menu is $500/person.
Never mind all the bill shrinking -- what do you think is worth paying top dollar for?
Vacations. When I get the rare chance to go on holiday with my family, I love a fine hotel with great service, excellent restaurants, and a gorgeous pool. That comes with a price tag, but the rest and luxury is worth it!
Can the consumers be sure that your recommendations are objective?
BillShrink is independent and unbiased. This means that we present the best options to users and have no preferential display of any wireless, credit card, savings or gas recommendations. Our rankings are calculated by complex algorithms that match your unique spending habits with all the available plans in the marketplace, so in essence, we’re your personal financial matchmaker. We think our best value comes in continuing to alert you when a better deal comes along that could save you even more money.
So far your focus is on cell phones, credit cards, and gas prices. But couldn't you expand this to a lot more goods and services? What are your plans for the future?
We intend to keep saving people throughout 2010 and beyond. We’ll add services like TV and Internet services, as well as a host of other bills so that we’ll save Americans another $1 billion next year.
Update: Announcing the Winners!
Blog Comment $2,000 Winner
Winner: Joe Wilson
I would use the money to help pay off my wife's battle with breast cancer. I am on a fixed income (disabled) 64 years old. my wife has to work for health ins due to my sickness 20 years ago. she is a 62 year old pharmacy tech and works 40 hrs a week. we are staying even due to our good credit rating (796) but I have a wad of debt. paying off the hospital and certain other tests she has undergone will allow us to continue with her prescribed medical needs this coming year using Canada to buy certain drugs due to pricing . thank you for your consideration joe and kathy Wilson
Jenny from BillShrink explains why this was her favorite:
Whew! Wonderful to see 1053 respondents for the contest. We read some funny and some very heartbreaking stories about people who really could use the $2000 cash. We liked the below entry from Joe & Kathy Wilson. We appreciated that Kathy keeps a full-time job and that these are hard-working people who have tried to maintain good credit, but have medical expenses that are beyond their means. Again, this was a hard choice and... well, we had a few runner-ups that we really liked as well.
Twitter Contest $250 Winner:
Winner: MMC67. Thank you Michelle Carter for tweeting about our contest!
Facebook Winner:
Anna Labbe who wrote:
Just discovered billshrink! hope to put it to good use for a financially better 2010! Winning that $2000.00 would be great too! How about an article on how to get your spouse on the same "page"with savings and finance!! Thanks!
Thank you everyone for participating in the contest! We'll be contacting each winner directly via email, Twitter, and Facebook. If you don't respond within 3 business days we reserve the right to give the prizes to an alternate winner.
Tagged: Giveaways
Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.
Wise Bread is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
_0.png)
If I won the $2,000 dollars I would put it in a 5 year CD. By the time the 5 year CD has matured, the $2,000 dollars would be a lot more because of the interest, and I will have had 5 years to decide what the best way to spend the money is.
I would use the $2000 to shore up a scholarship that my husband and I funded for our alma mater, a small public university. The scholarship is named in honor of my late grandfather and the principle took a big hit in the past year. Since we both were fortunate to receive scholarships to help us through school it has been important to us to help future students in turn, but with the recent arrival of our third child it is becoming financially difficult to do so.
With $2000, I would take a much needed vacation to celebrate my 10th wedding anniversary... after lay-offs.. pay cuts and worrying if my company will survive and whether or not I'll still be employed.. I'd fly to Jamaica to renew my vows on the beach where we got married in 2000.
I just got engaged and we would like to move cities for more job opportunities and to start a family. I would use the money to pay for a small wedding with our friends and family, leaving our own money to pay for the move.
I would buy a plane ticket to South Carolina so I could fly home for Christmas and surprise my mom with a big bouquet of her favorite flowers. Then, I would take her out for a wonderful dinner while her house was cleaned top to bottom, inside and out!
I would use half the money to pay down my credit card bills. $1000 would take a huge chunk out of the debt and get me real close to paying it off. This would allow me to almost start off the new year w/o any credit card debt. The other $1000 would go straight into my son's 529. There's very little in the fund currently and he's 16 months so it would be a big jump start on his college savings. My wife and I currently save through our employer's 401k plans at about 6% each (that's our Co's match) and neither of us were able to go to college. Because of that we really want our son to be able to go so that's why we'd put the other half toward the 529 instead of bills or our own retirement. I know that a child's college is usually down the list of priorities but it's something that is a big deal for us.
I would put it towards paying down my student loans.
I would put half into my emergency fund and donate the other half to the R.I.C.H. house in Tampa Fl. It is run by the Tampa Police department to keep the kids off the streets, out of gangs and off drugs. The house provides a place for the kids to go after school for fun activities, tutoring, a clothes closet and a food pantry. Thanks,
With $2k, I would fulfill my craze for financial savvy-ness... I have huge student debts and currently have a goal to pay them down in less than 10 years.
I would give half to my mother and pass on the wealth.I would give some of my money to the animal shelter for the dogs. The rest I would pay bills as I am on L&I. Thank you
I would take my husband out to a very posh restaurant for a much deserved fancy dinner with the remaining money going to a purchase a much-needed new car.
Thanks for the chance!
Teresa
I would take $200 and give it to a local rescue that takes in pets when the military deploys. $800 would go towards rebuilding my savings account and the other $1000 would pay off a portion of my credit card bill.
As a Wise Bread reader, I've already got a handle on how to pay down my bills and get out of debt. If I won $2,500 dollars, I would use it to have the dream vacation my husband and I want but keep putting off until we can afford it. He's going away for four months for work and a vacation before he leaves would give both of us something to smile about before we fall asleep alone.
I would give $100 to a local charity that I volunteered for once back in the spring. The rest would go toward credit cards. Back in June I was all set to start snowballing payments on credit card debt when my job got cut to part-time. My credit card debt has since gone up as a result of my halved income. I need to get it paid off!
My wife and I are hoping to buy our first house in the next few months so I would save the money and then use it for part of a down payment, closing costs, or other house related costs.
I'm a recent corporate America drop out - I decided raising my children myself, instead of hiring others to care for them while I addressed one stressful project deadline after another, was more important than any of the material comforts that my salary was providing. I'd use a little of the money to purchase something nice for my husband who has been oh so supportive of my choices. I'd put the rest aside to help us get by when the budget just can't stretch any further.
Whoo!
Hmm . . .I would probably put it in the bank in my travel fund. The hit to the economy has not allowed me to take a MUCH loved trip to Montreal . . .
So, a chunck of it, say $2000 would go to that, for a trip next May . . . and maybe $500 would go towards catching up on bills. All are paid right now, and this would be a nice pad to my checking account to make sure that I dont fall behind again!
I would pay my out of work son's electrical bill.
His electricity has been off for over three months.
This would be a very nice Christmas present to his
family.
I am unemployed, so I would use the money to get ready for my new job. Right now I need a makeover! Most of the money would go towards a new wardrobe. This is how I would spend the money :O)
Wardrobe: $1,500
Bills: $500
I would put half in the college funds I've started for my nieces and the other half would be used to travel to Europe. I've always wanted to go there.
Whhat would I do with $2000? 3 Things:
1) A cartwheel - and I mean a big one!
2) A booyah! - with an accompanying fist pump.
3) I'd make a $2,000 investment in my two girls' college fund which, through careful investing, I hope to get back on its feet before they need it in 2014.
Happy Holidays, everyone.
Nice interview! I'm heading over to BillShrink right after I finish typing this.
I'm a recent college graduate (twice over, actually) who just entered the working world. The elation of my first paycheck was quickly squelched when I realized just how much debt I have to shoulder now: Between the student loan, credit card, and medical debt, plus all of my regular bills, my bi-weekly paychecks seem to vanish into thin air.
With $2,000, I could pay off all of my credit card debt. I'd cut up those vile pieces of plastic and use the $200-300/month that I normally shell out in minimum payments to start tackling my real challenge: the six-figure loan debt I've accumulated over my last 7 years as a student.
$2,000 is a drop in the bucket compared to my net wealth (which is going to be in the red for the next 40 years), but I think it would really enable me to focus on paying down those debts, which I know would end up saving WELL over $2,000 forth of finance charges in the end.
I am about to graduate from college and would add the money to my "First Car Fund." I have no debt to speak of but that was at the expense of gas, insurance and the car itself.
I would use the money for medical expenses. Right now I need an MRI and don't have the money to pay for it. An MRI cost over $1,000!. Since I a pre-existing condition I can't get health insurance. I can't wait for the health reform act to pass!!!!
After years of struggling to learn a foreign language, in 2010 I'm going to teach it to others.
10% of profits will be going to charity. Every little bit helps.
I would get my eyes examined (it's been five years), buy new glasses (with my new prescription), get all the dental work done that I've been putting off and put the rest toward something special for my nine-year old daughter. I know it sounds crazy but it's amazing the things we put off during tough economic times.
I would buy a plane ticket to Guam. To see my daughter who is have a baby.
I deserve the money, because when I'm not teaching 5th graders I'm working on the shell of my house. It is a shell, because it 113 years old and needed to be gutted in order to save it. I could really use the money to put it back together again and have a first house that I can live in.
$2,000...wow, quite the chunk of change. But I have a pretty good idea of what I would do with it.
My father-in-law quit a well-paid position about a year ago to chase after a dream--to once again own a company. He's living that dream now, but the road has not been easy. $2,000 would be the difference for him between struggling with day-to-day business finances and being able to get "one step ahead."
Sometimes, that's all it takes to launch a business onto the next level. I'd love to gift him with that opportunity. That would be my $2K win.
If I were to win the $2000 I would probably put half of it to my emergency fund, and the other half into my house down payment fund.
I'm not sure how to say this but here goes.... Our son Scott just turned 30 and found out he has testicular cancer, no insurance. Everyone we know is trying too help but with the economy we are falling short. We can cover the first surgery but after that what can anyone do to cover chemo etc..........We are very concerned about him because we have all barely recovered from the death of his brother, our son Chris,(he died during his 5th open heart surgery) Soo I guess you can imagine what $2000.00 could do for him. Thank You for listening, Barbara
I would donate the money to a family I know who both lost their jobs this year.
Our son, Scott, was just diagnosed with testicular cancer, no insurance. His elder brother, Chris died 2 years ago during his 5th Open Heart surgery. Needless to say we are drained both finacially and spiritually. Soo far we think we can pay for part of his first surgery. However, we have no idea where the money for chemo etc. is going to come from. Oh, did I mention we are also losing our home of 26 years. Sorry if I sound somewhat negative but I guess you can see why we would like to win the money for our son.
I would use this to save toward buying a house.
I would love to take my husband on a fly fishing vacation in Montana. We'd stay in a rustic cabin, and hire a guide to help him catch cutthroat and bull trout while I ensconce myself in a chair in front of a fire or on a deck and read. Bliss for us both!
I would spend it on a vacation. We are frugal with our money, so that we can take (not-so-ordinary) vacations. I am talking about places like Cambodia and Thailand- not Florida. It is our passion!
I hand in $800 to an older gentleman who is struggling with life. half of the rest will be paid for an smart phone and the remaining will be in the house down payment money account I opened recently.
I would use the money to pay off my student loan so I could stay at home with my 10 week old son. My husband said I can stay at home with him as soon as I pay off my student loan and that would be enough to do that!
With $2k, I would invest in photography equipment - a great fast lens and portrait lighting. With that stuff, I'd be able to start marketing myself for wedding and portrait photography. With $2k, I could probably start building a solid career, a little bit at a time. I'd take the revenues from my initial clients to build a brand - logo, website, etc. and market the hell out of myself. I've been told plenty I have "the eye" but there's a big initial investment. $2k would go a loooong way.
Thank you so much for hosting this prize!
I'd be a responsible adult and pay down my credit card...after going to Starbucks! I'd also put aside $500 for savings.
I've got a mountain of debt and an October 16th, 2010 wedding date. My entire goal from now until then is to put everything I have towards my debts to get on solid financial ground. I want to be able to provide for my future wife, not be a liability to her. I would take that $2,000 and pay a huge chunk of my immediate debts. That way, I'll have more money that I can put towards the wedding and towards our new life together.
My wife and I just recently found out that we're expecting our first child next July. Because of that our priorities are going to be changing. We'd use the money to help fund our child's college education through a 529 plan!
I've got a contact in nigeria that needs $2,000 to wire me $7,888,000 US because he's a secret prince and needs to get his money out of the country. I'd split the proceeds with everyone so obviously you should give the money to me.
Omigosh, I would be able to get the linkage to tranny fixed on my car! Wouldn't have to rely on daughter or son to take me where I need to go. Plus, that would be enough to give to my son, Will, to go with what he has saved and cover the cost of having all his teeth cut out! Cannot believe what the oral surgeon wants for that surgery.
What a blessing this would be,
DJ
I would hire a team to find LOST island and its survivors. I'm sure that would come with a hefty reward. Wait...Lost isn't real...OK, I'll use it to pay off debt!
I'm getting married in may 2009 and the $2000.00 would help me pay for part of the wedding and help us start a new life. Hope winning this would be a great start.
I would take half that money and pay down a credit card. The other half of the money would be divided into 12 equal payments and I would donate that $1K to a wide variety of charities, a different one each month. Perhaps one month I would pay $83.33 to help an animal rescue group, and another month I would give it to a microfinance project.
I am a recent grad and I would use the money to pay off my credit card debt I have accumulated while looking for a job the past year.
I've been unemployed for 6 months. This money would cover my COBRA health insurance for almost five months. That would be a great weight off of my back.
I am an immigrant (lawful permanent resident) who feel grateful for being part of the US society and making contribution. I would use the $2,000 to visit my home country where I haven't been back for over ten years since I came here as a graduate student. As US dollar keeps depreciating against the home country's currency now, $2,000 would be greatly helpful in planning my travel there.
We would give a substantial amount to either Project Hopeful or AHOPE for Children to help HIV+ Orphans find forever families. We'd use the remainder to pay off our last remaining adoption debt, so we can start saving to add another child into our family. (No more adoption loans though!)
I would send my oldest daughter back to college.
Her youngest sister is in her first year of college,
and now the oldest sees the value of education. I
want to help her.
First I would put the $2000 toward my main goal of paying off my credit card debt, especially since that is about just how much I owe. With the money I would then not be sending to Dear Credit Co., I would be able to build an "enrichment" savings. I could then afford to spend money in enjoyable and meaningful ways such as always sending birthday cards, treating a friend to lunch when they need it, buying the exotic ingredients to make a fun dinner with my boyfriend, spending some petty cash on a photo booth when me and my best friend are feeling silly. That would be awesome.
If I was given the $2,000, I would do a few things. First, I'd jump for joy. Second, I'd use $1800 of it to pay down a credit card. Third, I'd use $100 to buy my daughter a toddler table and chair set from Ikea. Fourth, I'd probably spend $50 more on random stuff from Ikea (including a bag of those Swedish chocolate covered toffee pieces), because that's just what happens at Ikea. Fifth, I'd go to the local parking ramp, stay for an hour or two, give the sweet old guy $50 and tell him to keep the change.
I would go on a surfing trip to Costa Rica
2000 tacos!
I wish I could say that I'd be responsible or fun, but the truth is I'd sock it away to support a close family member/save our butts when she falters in her ability to finance herself.
If I had an "extra" $2,500 I would put it in the bank as a college fund for my son who is a junior in high school. We fall into that category where we don't really have enough income to pay for college outright but we're not eligible for low-interest or deferred loans or grants of any kind. This would be totally fabulous for us!
The good angel says roth IRA, the devil says...new computer!
I would get my son, who is going to college next year, a computer. I would update my computer, and I would pay some of my husband's debts.
It would be nice to get some of the extras that we have been putting off for years now because we can't afford them.
My job is in jeopardy, so until that is straightened out, the $2000 would go into an emergency fund. Once a new job is secured, $1967 would go toward a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu (dream car). The other $33 would go toward a manicure and pedicure, as I really miss those ladies at the nail shop.
I would add to our emergency fund. Boring, yes; but it is what we need to do right now.
I would put it toward paying off the last of our credit cards. (When we got married after college, we had 12 cards between us) It's taken years, but we're doing it . . . and with all I've learned from websites like Wise Bread, books, and magazines, we will never be on this road again! (Wish I would've learned it in college)
Oh, and I wouldn't tell my husband about the extra $2500, so that when it's paid off early, I can surprise him : )
Music keeps me going while the stress of school and debt drag me down. In trying to pay off school loans, personal credit card debt, and medical bills my stereo has suffered. Still rocking an old dvd player while my record player buzzes, I weep at the lack of sound quality. Therefore, I would use half of the money to purchase a new receiver and subwoofer in order to relax in style (the other half would half to go to pay down and exorbitant medical bill, eek).
I would use the money to take my girlfriend out for a well deserved meal once she completes her masters degree in the new year and use the rest to start funding my own return to school in the fall of 2010.
I would use money to needy people. Even though I can use money myself, there are others who need it more.
$1000 to animal care charity
$1000 to children's education charity
If I won $2,000 right now, I would first give $250 of it to a friend in need at my church. The rest would be allocated to a landscaping project that needs to get done in the spring ($1,000) and my emergency savings account ($750).
I would divide the $2000 in thirds - spending one third on a fun time with my husband, one third paying down a bill, and one third put into savings.
We have worked really hard this year getting our finacial house in order and preparing for our upcoming retirement. A windfall like this could really help put us ahead of our goal!
I would pay off both our cars (we owe a total of $1200), throw $750 into our future-house savings account, and use the last $50 to purchase the ingredients for making bolognese sauce, meatballs, and soup for the freezer.
I might be boring and thus disqualified. I would spend some on emergency preparedness, like building a good pantry. The rest would go into saving.
If I was given $2000.00, I would put $200.00 in my money market account (as I always do with any chunk of money I receive: put 10 percent in that account for a rainy day), and use the rest to pay towards my highest interest loan/credit card. As the loan is a 4 year loan, that would shave off at least a year or more off my cycle.
Looking forward to seeing neat ideas to save money and "shrink my bills".
Barbara
Our entire family and grandchildren are going to downtown Indianapolis and help the Pour House feed the homeless in Military Park. You give them food and then sit down and talk with them one on one. I would love to be able to give Andrea (who runs this) the money to help buy food, socks, gloves and hats for these people. Some of these people are children and are homeless with their family. Our grandchildren are baking cookies to take also. It is such a worthwhile project-done twice a week.
The big part of this is that you sit down and talk with these people and pray for them, if they want. I think our grandchildren will really learn from this and the homeless will enjoy having teenagers to talk with their children and play games. This is all done outside and Andrea takes the program to the people where they are.
She raises her own funding and groceries from donations.
Boy, would this give the program a boost.This program is done twice a week with no publicity.
Sue Hall
Sue Hall
I would tithe the first $200, put aside money to go towards the taxes on the $2,000, and use the remainder to pay down some debt. I would take a hard look at my debt and really prioritize what needs to get paid.
I would spent $2,000 with the formula I want to eventually get all of my income to: 10% charity, 20% wants, 20% savings and 50% needs. In this case, needs would be paying down some loans.
I would use it to start a Roth IRA for both me and my husband. Wehad planned to open Roth IRAs this year and max them out, but then he got laid off in February. Since then we have started our own business, but money is still tight, so it is not looking like we are going to be able to contribute anything for this year. I would love to be able to and this would at least get us a start in the right direction. Maybe I could even find $2000 in our budget to match it and double the contribution.
My Mother has had both of her knees replaced, one of them twice. She also has terrible arthritis pain and she also recently had colon cancer surgery. She can no longer get in a bathtub but has to take a bath by sitting on a stool in the tub. If she could actually get down in a tub of hot water it would help her pain so much. I would use the money to help buy her a walk in tub.
First, I would give some to a needy family here in town. I have been so blessed! Then I would like save up for a future day when I can visit Paris! It may take a several years, but I want to see the Eiffel Tower someday.
It is not very original but I would use the $2000 to pay off one of my credit cards...
I have been working very diligently at paying off my debts this year & not using my credit cards anymore. So far I have paid off & cancelled 5 store credit cards. I am paying off one of my Visa cards this month & will be canceling it. The only balance I have left is on a different Visa for $4900. If I win the $2000, I will give $200 to my church. Among other things they offer finance classes which helped me to focus my spending & live within my means. I would then use the rest toward my last credit card balance.
I'd split it 2 ways:
I've recently lost 80 lbs (have 20 more to goal!) and I need clothes....bad. I would use $1000 of it to buy myself some new work and casual clothes that actually fit. The other $1000 would go to pay down our last debt.
If I were given an extra $2000 after Christmas, I would buy a laptop to replace the broken desktop we have. With the remainder I would put a chunk of it in savings and use the rest to pay down our last credit card.
I would buy a plane ticket to visit my girlfriend. I am German and she is American so we are always separated and depend on skype and regularly visits with expensive plane tickets. As I cant win, US residents only, I hope she could win, so she doesn't need to work in the summer and come instead visit me.
If I won this contest, I would use the money in a couple different ways. First, being that this is the holiday season and I have just recently lost my job, I would use some of the money to give my family a nice Christmas morning; the same kind of Christmas morning I was planning on giving them before I was let go from my job.
Second, I would use what's left to catch up on bills and make a couple overdue credit card payments. If there's any left, I would use it to start building savings accounts for our daughters, either through savings bonds or regular bank savings accounts.
Good luck to everyone!
I would get braces for my son who desperately needs it.
I would use it to start an emergency fund and pay off some debt (and order a pizza as a treat). Thanks!
I would replace my old 70's jalacy windows with hurricane windows. Then, with the tax deduction I would receive for the replacement, take my 11-yr old to her favorite theme park to ride coasters until she pukes for putting up with me and the house construction that has now been going on for almost 2 yrs.
With $2,000 I could pay of the remainder of my credit card debt, then see about either upgrading to a bigger apartment (so that my teenage son has a bedroom!), or putting it towards a downpayment on a small, cheap house. I may, however, have to blow it all on a new car, as my poor 1998 Saturn has 233,000 miles on it!! What a car...
I would use the $2000 to pay on medical bills.
Put the $2000 into a 401K (good time to buy low).
Use the tax savings to purchase a decent computer and focus on my 2010 resolution: create diverse incomes.
I would pay off my bills.
I'd rent a large house boat for a weekend and take my dad, step-mom, siblings and step-siblings (and their spouses) for some fun on the Mississippi -- near LaCrosse WI. Beautiful area. We'd have a BLAST and would talk and laugh about it for years.
The possibilities seem endless really, and after expenses could be divided up or added to in a myriad of ways. We have several unemployed friends who could use help. We've also been considering going to a B&B for our 25th anniversary. Part of it could go towards that. Or the two of us could blow it all and fly to Italy off season on the cheap. (WOW, Florence. gelati, the Uffizzi, the Arno...) We could give the kids cell phones. And save towards future car repairs, or a future car. We could invest it all in a CD, or through Sharebuilder towards retirement. Or put it into the church's mission trip fund. Or paint our youngest son's bedroom and get him an area rug and bean bag chair (in ANY color he chooses). Or take on Manhattan as a family, stay in a boutique hotel, visit the Met, and hit this really great bagel place near 41st Street and 1st Avenue. Or hear "Messiah" in Carnegie Hall. Or chow down some lo mein at the Wo Hop restaurant. Or cheesecake at Junior's. Or travel cross country, visit the Shenandoah valley, eat boiled peanuts in North Carolina, take in the U.C.M. Museum in Abita Springs, LA, taste real grits and greens, laze up the Mississippi by paddleboat, listen to some St. Louis jazz, visit cousins in Denver, collect a pebble from the Grand Canyon, drive up along the California coast, spend a day in SF sampling sourdough, fresh albalone, and Ghiardelli chocolate, and finally stay at the "Treesort" in Talikima Washington, to learn the finer points of treehouse building. All before flying home.
Hey, that was fun. Thanks for the opportunity to dream.
I have a 1995 Nissan Maxima with over 200,000 miles. It runs and looks great but it does have an exhaust leak. I cannot run the heater or the smell comes in so I would get that fixed. Living in Colorado, it would be nice to run the heater in the car during the winter.
500$ to Bread for the City charity
400$ for a trip to the mountains with my dog to clear my head (Broke up with boyfriend of 3 years last week and he already posted pics of him and his new 22 year old girlfriend to facebook where my entire family can see it. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
1100$ towards my HELOC instead of my student loan since the interest rate is variable.
I would put part of the $2000 towards my Roth IRA (yes, I'm a college student with a Roth IRA), and then I would give some to my older sister and teach her how to manage it properly (help her start her own retirement account, etc.), and then with some of the leftover money, I'd buy a Kitchen Aid mixer and treat myself to some fun purchases from Victoria's Secret. Sex, food, and savings. The basics of life.
I would help others in need, and with being frugal, I can make the money go very, very far! There are many struggling people and by paying it forward, we can help each other make it through these tough economic times.
Having just discovered the joys of micro-lending, I would put the bulk of $2000 into micro-banks which lend small amounts of money to entrepreneurial individuals in the poorest areas of the world. I have never received or given a more satisfying gift. In a world where capital is increasingly hard to come by I feel like we all need to do our part to free up the frozen credit markets so hard-working people around the world can realize their dreams. And, it helps that with repayment rates of nearly 100% plus a point of interest, I get to re-lend over and over again.
I'd pay off our dentist. He's the best guy and a great dentist...we've been paying off the balance of $12,000 worth of dental work my husband had several years ago and he's never bugged us to pay more than we can every month. I'd love to give him (and us) the gift of a 0 balance for 2010.
If I had $2000, I would use it to buy plane tickets for my sister's family to come see me and my parents! She has not been "home" for 5 years, and my parents would love to see the grandkids.
If I recieved the $2,000, I would keep $500 for myself to cover my grad school fees. I would donate the remaining $1,500 to a local charity organization. Local charity organizations have been hit really hard in my area with the recession.