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.
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I would spend it on new appliances. We have an old washer and refrigerater that I am waiting on to go out. The new front load washers would be more enery efficient. The rest I would put away in our IRA's.
I would love to pay down our credit card debt, but $2K would be a tiny drop in the bucket :(
I think it would be much better spent on my 1998 mini-van that has a transmission that is starting to give me trouble. Also need 2 new tires. The van is paid off and I want to keep it running as long as I can. Could never afford a car note again.
on Dec. 7,2009 after working for three years with the company and taking a 10% pay cut just to keep his job, for the past year, my husband got laid off due to lack of business.
I am 100% disabled and only receive $874 per month. and have monthly prescriptions and doctor bills that need to be paid.my husband has filed for unemployment but it takes up to 6weeks to get the first check.
since we were unable to pay last months rent just to keep the other bills paid and buy food i guess we would use the money to pay last months and this months rent and our auto and renters insurance
I would buy company trucks and cars with low miles, under market value, from my friend's construction company. I would then turn and sell them for their true value. I would use the money to pay of my school debt, buy gold and silver bullions to over time to preserve value of my investment, and help fund 2 inner city homeless ministries: "World Impact Dallas" and "Our Hands His Love"
The wisest choice in spending $2,000 would be to pay down my highest rate credit card, freeing up more cash to allow me to contribute to my daughter's mutual fund and pay on my lower-rate student loan balance. By the way, thank you for your wonderful website!
I would catch up on my bills due to christmas and stock my fridge with food. And whatever I had left I would use to make up my kids awful christmas with something they want which is nintendo ds's.
with a very limited income due to disability and no insurance, I would use the money to get my teeth fixed.
If I would win the $2000 I would put in my savings account. I have forever been dreaming of owning a home and I would put this in my savings account to help for a future purchase of a home.
I would pay off a few bills and buy bee hives to go with the ones I have to make more money off of them in the future. That way I will always have a little extra money to come in.
Do I ever need this $$:) I'm struggling with some medical bills from surgeries in 2008. This would help clean the collection accounts up and get us ready to think about home ownership. Could do so much for us!
If I came into any extra cash, I would put it towards my credit cards. My goal is to have them all paid off this year. Then pay off my parents who helped me after an unexpected divorce last year (which is why I have credit card debit, trying to start over on my own).
I would use the $2000 to get Capital One out of my life! I have valiantly been working at this goal all of 2009 and the $2000 would finally make them go away.
A portion of it would go to my grandmother who has a giant hole in her ceiling due to a water leak and doesn't have enough money to pay for it (even after insurance). I would pay off some credit card debt and put money into savings. I would also take about $100 and buy myself some new clothes as a "congratulations for winning $2000" gift.
Yeah, spend is the right word! We're doing all the things you advise to reduce our debt and monthly costs, and sure, we SHOULD use the $2,000 to further that cause. But hey, it's my dream, so here goes... I'd spend every last penny on everything I need to plan, plant and enjoy the most beautiful garden in the neighborhood! I'd buy top-rated garden tools, go to the best local nursery and get wonderful plants; then I'd spend all my free time enjoying the process of making a beautiful space, that I can continue to enjoy for years to come. Ooh, can't you just see the lovely flowers and smell their sensuous fragrence??
what would i do with $2000...i think i would use it to put down on a pick up truck for my hubby...he has never had one and wants one bad...
I would use some of the money to buy some clothes to go job hunting in. I have been out of work for a year now and really need to get bak to work. I would use some to pay for much needed tires and repairs to my vehicle. I need it to run well to get the kids to school and hopefully get to my new job. If there was any left I would probably spend it on my kids like I always do... new shoes, jeans. We aren't destitute or homeless just pretty darn broke. :-)
I guess I would try to pay down our debt. Our credit cards are up there, especially when we were charging gas all the time when it was close to $5 a gallon in NY State. I would try to pay it forward a little too, maybe help out a friend who is having a hard time making ends meet. She is a single mom and has to scrape by to survive.
ooops forgot to fill in my email 1st time :-)
I would use some of the money to buy some clothes to go job hunting in. I have been out of work for a year now and really need to get bak to work. I would use some to pay for much needed tires and repairs to my vehicle. I need it to run well to get the kids to school and hopefully get to my new job. If there was any left I would probably spend it on my kids like I always do... new shoes, jeans. We aren't destitute or homeless just pretty darn broke. :-)
With $2,000 I'd pay off one of two credit cards we owe on. It would bring us closer to being debt free.
$1000 would go to shoring up my emergency fund after an expensive car fix, the other $1000 would go towards college funds for my 2 nieces- Kate (5) and Anna (8 mo).
Even though I am $60,000 in debt from undergraduate and grad school loans, I would use the $2,000 to help my sister add to the down payment on the new home she seeks to purchase. I've been very frugal with my teaching salary, allocating the majority of the funds to paying back my own loans within the next 5 years. She, however, deserves to be the first daughter to move out from our parents' nest since she cared for my mother (while I was in school) until her untimely death due to cancer.
I could sit here and tell you my whole sob story about my father's death, losing everything and being a total failure who didn't finish school because I had to take care of my father's mother. This money would help me to reach my goal of moving out of my sister's house and repairing my credit from identity theft. I would use the money to regain my self-respect and rejoin society as a useful member again.
I know it's nice and expected to say that I'd invest the prize money, or use it to pay off bills, but even though I'm a poor college student with a crappy part-time job who is bleeding money for bills like there's no tomorrow, assuming that I'd handle a free $2000 responsibly is pretty unrealistic. If I won, I'd probably get some cheap couches (a roomie moved out and took them with him), a freaking PS3 (roomie's again), some junk food (because Chick-Fil-A is amazing), a bunch of music that I really don't want to spend money on but refuse to pirate, and an improvement on my truck. I probably should spend some of it on books for grad school, tuition, gas, rent, REAL food, and a few business casual shirts, but hey, free money!
If I won this money I would most definitely pay off debt. It would be wonderful to see my husband not stress so much for a change. Thanks so much for the opportunity to win. :)
I would use the $2,000 to pay for the required fees by the IRS for my charity to become tax exempt, and put the rest in the charity's bank account to help more people in need.
I would actually pay off one of my visa bills. It would help me on my way to being debt free. It would be one card down, and only 3 more to go. I just LONG for the day of being debt free. Then more money to be able to save in the 401K.
If I won $2,000 I would apply it to the new roof I am going to have to put on my house very quickly. Seems like everything is falling apart at the same time! Thanks for this opportunity.
Not very creative but my answer would be pay off my credit card debt. I hate using them but it has been a hard couple of months for my family and I had to use them a few times. To win the grand prize would be a blessing so that I would be credit card debt free again
If I won $2,000 I would have to buy a new car and if I had any money left over I would put it in a savings account
I would use $500 for much needed dental work. The remaining $1,500 I would put into a savings plan to help pay unexpected bills during the year.
Well how to start how to evaporate $2000
1. 200$ i give to charity ie to GOD.
2. I participate in psdtuts competition If i dont win :(, i purchase a 3months plus account cost 22$
3. I buy a MAC 999$
4. I bought dress to my parents for $100
5. WordPress Theme Design: A complete guide to creating professional WordPress themes $29
6. windows 7 Ultimate edition $220
7. Lynda PHP and MYSQL - $150
8. Buying some pleasurs[giving parties to friends]- $100
9. Get paid for my college fees and get my certificates :( - $300
10. buy a secondary harddisk - $100
11. what i do with the remaining $222, just thinking, and i sure buy some tshirts, buy some photos in istock for my desktop wallpaper, buying some nice wordpress themes for my upcoming site, and much more..
I hope i never, caz he asked us to enter 2-3 lines, but i thought 20-30 lines :D
sorry this is my wishlist ;)
Congrats to the winner... :D
I save some money too for future use, ;)
We need to pay our taxes for our home and they are approximately a little over $1,500.00. This would definitely come in handy. If we didn't have the taxes to pay, we would then try and pay off our credit card debt. Happy New Year to Wisebread and BillShrink!!!
I would 1st take 10% and give back..whether it be to a shelter, to the church, to a local family...just give back. Then I would split the rest in half. One half would go to paying my most past due bills current, the other half would go to planning a special surprise trip or night out for my family. The combo of goodwill, responsibility to my debt and memory making with my family would make my soul so much happier.
If I had $2500 right now, I'd invest it in a college choice plan for my son before 12-31 so I could get the state tax deduction.
I would take my family to meet our newest member born in OCT that lives 1200 miles away! See my new grandbaby
I would use 2000 to pay for school. Education is an investment in yourself and unfortunately the costs are so much now it's hard to pursue.
My home needs new windows...especially the three in my kiddos rooms. They have severe condensation build-up, which causes mold to grow on the wood frames. I would use the money to replace as many windows as possible, which would also end up saving us on our energy bills for years to come!
I would use it to pay off a loan we had to make to get hubby some dental work done. He couldnt afford to miss work and he had to get it done since it got so bad his face was swollen so bad and he was in such pain. So we had to get a loan on our car to get it done and it would be GREAT to pay it off and not have to worry about something happening and losing our car.
I would use the money to start a new business that I have been trying to get off the gound. It would be a great help in getting someone to help build my webpage or I could use the money to go to school to learn more about webpages and other computer issues I should know. I know $2000 is a drop in the bucket to some people but right now that amount is like a million dollars to me. Thanks!!
I would spend $2000 at the best five restaurants in the country. And then invest the rest for my retirement.
I'd buy a few hours of help from a software developer, a few hours with a graphic designer, and one hour with a copyright lawyer to help me build the community for administrative professionals I've started at multitaskd.blogspot.com. With help from Wisebread.com and the community of readers I found here, I paid off all my credit cards last year. Now I'm ready to pay it forward and create another kind of support community.
My daughter was born two weeks ago.
My wife broke her leg a week ago.
My wife and I have over $400,000 in student loans.
If I were to win $2,000, I would consider it a blessing and a ray of hope. I would use it to start an Educational Savings Account for my daughter, because I want her to be secure and get a good education... no matter what.
- Sam
I have a higher education theme going on. I would use some of the money to buy my son a new computer for his high school graduation present, as he needs a new one for college. I would use the rest of the money to help pay off my own student loan.
I would divide the money three ways.
$400 would go to my favorite charity, a social service agency that helps rehabilitate agressive/troubled kids who have been in and out of the criminal justice system.
$600 would be donated to a nonprofit to help women who have lost their jobs and are in need of emergency funds. (While there is help available for women with children or married women, single women without children are often not eligible for emergency assistance.)
And $1,000 would go into my checking account and be used to pay off credit card and medical debt.
We would add to our emergency fund and use some of the blessing for some plumbing work. happy new year!
With $2,000 I would go on a Safari trip to Africa. I'm a huge traveler; in the past 5 years, I have traveled to multiple countries including Ghana, Czech Republic, Poland, England, Belgium, The Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, and Malaysia. Traveling is a rewarding, enlightening experience, that allows you to experience cultures that no words or pictures can describe.
I would do one of two things with an extra $2000; I'd either put it aside for visiting my long-term boyfriend in Canada next Christmas, or I would spend a part of it on 3D software/training and add the rest to my savings.
Not very exciting, but it'd make a difference ;) (3D software can cost upwards of 3k)
I would use that money to buy a roto-tiller to increase the size of our home garden. I would buy seeds, lime and another water barrel. Then I would look into other ways we can become more self-sufficient.
With $2000.00 I would buy a new bedroom suit. I need one so bad and a new mattress.
I would definitely spend down our debt. In working hard to spend down our debt this past year, we have found how really little we need to spend on ourselves. We are very close to financial freedom and this would help us reach our goal.
I would use half the money to go right to savings. With the other half, I would pay for our children's college textbooks. I can't get over how expensive their books are now.
I would use the $2000 to pay the taxes on converting my regular IRA account to a Roth IRA account. It would leverage the savings I hope to achieve, and turn this into the gift that keeps on giving.
I can afford a certain amount from my take home pay to put into a Roth IRA each pay period. I would put the $2,000 toward the maximum amount allowed for the year so that I can use the money from each pay period for other items. One thing I have learned from Wisebread is to plan for the future.
I would use the first $1000 to buy 2 plane tickets and hotel rooms for my youngest son and myself to go to San Diego for my oldest son's Marine Boot Camp Graduation in February. Haven't been able to speak with him since November! I would use the rest to pay down my car loan, and give some to my church.
I'd put it with the $2,500 we've saved up already and tell my husband to go ahead and start shopping for a (new) used car. Poor guy has been driving a wreck for years and needs something more reliable. We're out of debt except for the mortgage and trying to avoid a car payment.
I would spend $500 to fly to Texas to visit and take care of my best friend whose mother is in the final stages of liver disease.
I would spend $1000 on a weekend getaway to celebrate my husband and my first wedding anniversary this year.
And lastly, I would spend a few hundred dollars to buy myself a ukulele.
(Any money left over would go to our emergency savings.)
I would donate it. Yes it's exciting to win something, but I am still in a position that I am not in dire straights, whereas many are.
I live in a small town and would donate it to our "Principal Fund" the school uses the money to provide essentials to those families in the community that truly need it.
I have put off any home repairs for about 5 years and with a 50 year old house they are numerous. I would get a new water heater, stove & if enough left paint house.
I would save most of it, but use some of it for charitable contributions.
Very simply, I would start an emergency fund. That is one of my finance goals for 2010.
First, I'd pay down my debt by allocating $1000 towards my credit card balance. With the remaining amount, I'd help pay down some or all of the debt accrued by entrepreneurs featured on Kiva.org, such as Elizabeth Wainaina who sells shoes in Kenya and Maria Reynoso Belen who sells fuel and firewood in Dominican Republic. Being able to help someone else with a sensible business loan and/or business-related debt would be a wish come true for me.
That's easy - the basics...
1) First I would give some to the church because although our faith is free there is joy in the service we do at our church. Talk about cheap activities - there's no better place than the church. Lots of fun, lots of learning, and lots of joy.
2) Tires - both cars have well over 100,000 miles and they need tires this winter - and a couple repairs.
3) Clothes for the kids
4) if anything is left I would divid it between making a credit card payment and taking the wife out to eat - which never seems to get done.
I will most likely invest this money into my new home. I have a 1700sf basement that needs to be finished to provide more living space for our growing family. The investment will offer a sizable return in equity once completed.
I would 100% put it toward debt. I am so sick of our debt. I want to be done.
I would 100% put it toward debt. I am so sick of our debt. I want to be done.
$1000.00 to emergency fund, $1250.00 to CC debt, $200.00 toward daughter's driving lessons (we pay half, she pays other half) & $50.00 for family to go out for dinner or movie (something we rarely do, maybe twice a year).
Oh, this is as much fun as window shopping!
I could do a lot with $2,000. My priorities, for now, are replacing my gas hot water heater with a tankless system, replacing my 9-year old desktop computer (it's very tired), and attending SxSW in March! (Will WiseBread be there?)
Last year I was in a homeless shelter. This year I am recovering. I have no health insurance so I would start a new account for money to have for visits to the clinic.
The simple answer is I'd put the entire amount towards paying off our debt. We don't have a staggering amount on our credit cards, about $3000 so this would make a significant dent and with the refund I know we'll be receiving in a few months from our tax return we should then be able to completely pull out of credit card debt and begin to work on our student loans. I'm sure we'd use $50 of it for going out to a nice restaurant as a treat too. Sometimes you need to have a little fun right?
I would pay off my credit card debt (accrued in college!) and use the money for graduate school, which I plan to start next year.
We'd take the kids to Disney World! Actually, my husband and I would probably pack the car and take an inexpensive weekend road trip to Orlando to visit some friends who have a new baby and take our kids to the Magic Kingdom for a day. With the remainder of the money, we would give part of it to our church and put the other part in a high-yield CD.
If I won the $2,000 prize, I would use it to splurge on a graduation party and graduation gift for my husband.
He has been working full time and going to law school at night for the past 3 and a half years, and he graduates in May. He has worked incredibly hard, and I would love to be able to surprise him with a party and a well-deserved vacation away from all of the stress.
I would like to throw him a huge graduation party for all of our family and friends (I figure this would cost around $500), and I would spend the remaining $1,500 on his graduation present - a nice vacation (either a cruise or an all-inclusive vacation package somewhere tropical).
With a gift of $2,000, I would almost halve my credit card debt, which I have been aggressively tackling for a few years now. I only owe $4,500 now, which I don't think has happened since graduating college ten years ago. A few years ago I got gazelle intense and since then have paid off my school, car, and most of my cc's— this is the last of my really bad debt!
I would pay off my Discover credit card as it has a very high interest rate.
MY CUTIE PATOOTIE'S ENTERTAINMENT FUND. I CAN TAKE MY BABY GIRL 2000 TIMES TO THE SPLASH PAD ,OR BUY HER TREATS AT THE ZOO, WE WOULD SPEND IT ON ALL THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE HER BLISSFULLY HAPPY.
Although you would think this would be an easy question to answer ( no guilt over spending $4 for peppermint mochas whenever I wanted at Starbux) it actually is more difficult than I thought. IF I were to win $2000 I think I would do something "risky" and invest in stocks. My husband and I are amateur investors and bought stocks 2 years ago when we thought stocks were a great buy. Unfortunately for the economy many stocks have continued to decline but fortunately for many of us this could be a great time to buy. As educators it is very important that we have other means of making money and investing could be a way to make all of our financial dreams come true.
Happy New Year! and can't wait to read others' responses
Angela
I put $1000 in my emergency fund. I spend the other 1,000 paying down a credit card.
My Dad has Parkinson's Disease and is getting fairly bad off. My Mom has been a saint in caring for him while working her job. If I had $2000, I would take them on a vacation before Dad is not able to travel anymore.
With $2000, I would help my third college student realize her dream of attending a college with a great art major--we have modest provisions for each of our kids for college, but this college will be a reach, even with scholarships. Her brother has already offered some of his own college money from us for her benefit. OR we could put it in a fund to replace our 1998 or 1999 vehicle soon. OR we could take that D.C. vacation we've dreamed of for years, before our four children are grown and gone.
Thanks for the opportunity!
Since I had a 20% pay cut last year and probably won't see my salary back till 2011 or 2012, I really could use some of this for bills , and some to start a savings account and hopefully see it grow. Thanks!
Share half with a local food bank and spend the other have to eliminate some personal credit card debt.
This is a no brainer, I'd put every last penny of it toward my student loans. As a full-time working mother supporting a family of 4, I look forward to the day my student loans are paid in full.
Winning 2,000 dollars would be a lifesaver for me. As a poor college student, money isn't easy to come by, and my goal of graduating debt free is turning out much harder than I expected.
I'd use $1,250 towards tuition, with this I'd be able to graduate next year hopefully debt free. The remaining $500 I'd save (in a CD) to go towards my traveling dreams. I hope to travel to Russia and Mexico some day so that I can immerse myself in their language and culture. $500 would give me a great start towards that goal.
The last $250 I'd use towards my website. It would definitely help me get that all ready to go and would help me start earning money from that website.
Thank you for holding this contest, I appreciate the opportunity. =)
I would use the money to either help fund my IRA, or to go towards my house down payment.
I would pay off some bills and give the rest to a homeless shelter. Thank You, Mr. Jesse C Johnson
I recently paid off my last credit card, so I am going into 2010 with a new outlook (and sleeping better!). I would add $1500 to my emergency fund and use the remaining money on Kiva.org to give "loans" to low-income entrepreneurs. Kiva is a great way to give to others!
Our finances are running close to the line and we don't have an emergency fund. An unexpected expense always seems to come along, causing us to overdraw on our account, and dinging us with an overdraft fee. We hate using credit cards because the trap they can become. If we had that extra money, we could put some into our checking account as a invisible cushion against overdrawing our account. The rest would be used as our emergency fund.
My teen daughter has played the harp for four years. To participate in the youth orchestra now that she's a freshman, she needs a pedal hard instead of the lever one she has currently (we'd need almost $5000 to upgrade). The music of the orchestra is fast paced and a lever harp means she has to change the levers for sharps and flats frequently - it would be impossible to keep up with her harp. So . . . no orchestra this year. We're now a one income family and with a new roof loan (cha ching), there isn't any way we would splurge for this non necessity without help - but I want to! If Jenna doesn't play in the orchestra in high school, she won't have the prerequisites for college. So, we'll toss our hat into the ring and hope, hope, hope! Thanks so much for this opportunity; it's fun to dream!
Just over 9 months ago I met the love of my life, my son. I would put the money in his savings account. My mother provided me with a wonderful savings account that put me through college,bought my first car and showed me how to be a saver. I want to provide the same thing for him.
Giving away $2000 is very generous and so if I won the generosity would continue... the first thing would be give $200 to the local food pantry and the domestic abuse shelter, I would shop the loss leaders and clearance items and get more bang for the bucks. $500 into the emergency fund. $500 would go to debt, we are on schedule to be debt free by December 2010 this would get us out one month sooner. $500 to start a Roth IRA, 40 ish and no retirement account yet :\
The rest I would use as a saving base for a trip (drive 2100 miles round trip) to Fort Benning in May when my son graduates from army boot camp.
Thanks for the chance to stretch my brain in that direction!
Ginny
I would pay off some of my horrible debt.
If I won the $2,000 prize, I would use it to splurge on a graduation party and graduation gift for my husband.
He has been working full time and going to law school at night for the past 3 and a half years, and he graduates in May. He has worked incredibly hard, and I would love to be able to surprise him with a party and a well-deserved vacation away from all of the stress.
I would like to throw him a huge graduation party for all of our family and friends (I figure this would cost around $500), and I would spend the remaining $1,500 on his graduation present - a nice vacation (either a cruise or an all-inclusive vacation package somewhere tropical).
I would pay off the few remaining credit card-related debts I have with half of the money and put the other half towards a new mattress. I wouldn't be saving it, but I'd like to think that I'd be using it as wisely as my life calls for.
I would spend $1800 to finish off paying my last credit card and the rest I would use to help pay some contractor taxes I have for next year. Simple I know, but as a student it would be awesome to be debt free finally!
My wife and I would like to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary next March 30, 2010, by going to Florence, Italy. We are 54 and may not have many more years to do it in. Certainly we cannot afford to do it now. So we would use the money for that, and perhaps take our kids if at all possible (ages 13 and 21), but they would have to contribute!
I would not be worried about the fact that I can't get my skylight to stop leaking. I would actually be able to get it just taken out and the flat roof its on redone and maybe even get the drywall in my bedroom fixed, ooh and maybe even replace the bedspread the leak damaged.
I'd pay for some medical expenses and then use the rest towards my 2010 Roth IRA contribution. Thanks!
If I had that money, I would,
$1000 -- pay my tuition
$1000 -- pay my brother's tuition
$200 -- take my family (mom, dad, brother, and I) out to a nice restaurant followed by desserts.
$100-- buy a pair of Five finger shoes (help stimulate the economy :p )
$200 -- savings/investments
If I win the money, I would use it to buy my husband a brand new bike for cyclocross. He is so excited about the sport but we do not have money to invest in it. It would be such a privilege to help him get a great bike that would make him more competitive in the sport. Thanks!