How to use the *TOOLS* to get the most out of SA Features

[amyshulk]

There are {6} SA & PLUS FEATURES;

1] Over 4000 Free to Enter Sweepstakes, Over 200 New added Daily
2] Advanced My Sweepstakes by Category
3] Expired My Sweepstakes
4] Private Sweepstakes Notes
5] SweepsPop Advanced, Enter Your Sweepstakes Faster!
6] SweepsCheck, Keep Track of the Sweepstakes you Enter

There are an additional {12} PLUS ONLY FEATURES;

1] Separate My Sweepstakes Categories for Twitter, Facebook & Blog Sweepstakes.
2] Custom My Sweepstakes Categories, Create your Own Categories for My Sweepstakes.
3] *new* Personal Sweepstakes, add your OWN Sweepstakes and Manage Them in Custom Categories.
4] Many Sweepstakes Categories. By Prize, Popular Destination, Country, etc.
5] Sweepstakes Plus Member Only Forum
6] Private Sweepstakes for Plus Members Only
7] Dedicated Sweepstakes Plus Member Support
8] Sweepstakes Entry Codes, Tricks Tips and Tactics
9] Power Sweepstakes Search. Search by Date, Prize, Category, Restrictions & More
10] No Banner Ads or Pop Up Ads
11] Access to Expiring Sweepstakes, Sorted by Day and Category
12] Access to Expired Sweepstakes, Sorted by Day and Category

Want to know what tools SA has that makes it the BEST sweeps site on the net??? :scratch:

If you are an old hand at entering sweepstakes online, you will find the transition easier than you imagined, and if you are brand new to entering sweepstakes online, you will find that this thread will help you to quickly and easily understand the tools and how to utilize them to aid you in entering and tracking your sweepstakes entries.


SweepsCheck: Mark those sweeps you've entered/decided AGAINST entering. Makes doing end of the month sweeps a snap! Also allows you to quickly see the newest added, as you check back throughout the day, without having to look at the ones you already decided on!!! Remember - click Save my Sweepstakes or refresh the page if you have pop ups allowed at SA, to save.

Some people have been asking how to use our SweepsCheck feature so I'll answer that question in this posting.

1. First, Register for free on our site.

2. Second, Login and navigate into any sweepstakes category.

3. Third, Find a Sweepstakes that you want to submit your entry for
and enter that contest.

4. Fourth, Place a check in the check box next to the listing that you've just entered.

* Now any time you login that sweepstakes will be checked off and the date you entered the sweepstakes will automaticly display next to that sweepstakes. This SweepsCheck feature allows you to enter every single sweepstakes on our site without missing any and keeping track of when so you don't disqualify yourself.

Kind of a very simple solution to keep track of your sweepstakes and its is FREE!

SweepsCheck remembers so you don't have to!

Have Fun!

Ken
Sweepstakes Advantage

{

end of month sweeping is going back and seeing if any of the sweeps that are fixing to end that month were not entered or need entering that had not previously been entered. the end of month sweeps usually have hundreds to 1000's that end at the end of that month and if you have checked sweeps you have entered you only have to skim over those that were not checked to see if any are worth entering.

}

Neither SweepsCheck nor MySweeps actually enters you in a sweepstakes.

SweepsCheck date stamps the listing. It is handy for marking off sweeps you have already entered so you don't enter again and disqualify yourself. It is also helpful for a 24 hour sweep so that you can see what time you entered and only enter again when your 24 hours are up.

MySweeps creates a list of sweeps for you. I use it mostly for Daily sweeps that I want to visit each day, and Weekly sweeps that I go through once a week. It lets me quickly find the sweeps I want to keep entering so that I can get in as many entries as they allow.

My Sweepstakes: A place to keep sweeps you've selected to enter. Just log in, then click | Add to My Sweepstakes | to change it to | Remove from My Sweepstakes | and click Save my Sweepstakes or refresh the page if you have pop ups allowed at SA.

Once in My Sweepstakes you can access/utilize the following tools:

Broken Link: if you find a mistake [wrong url, etc] or the sweeps ended early, report and it will be quickly updated.

Personal Sweepstakes Notes: A place to put notes to a sweeps that only YOU can see!!! PERFECT for anything that is only of importance to YOU!!!

Post/View Comment: notes EVERONE can see - we share tips/UPC's/trivia/etc. And let each other know if there is a problem with a sweeps - no more searching to see if it's only you/your comp!!!

To get email notifications when a member posts a comment, just Click Watch to change it to UnWatch - no need to search!!!

Remind Me: perfect for odd running sweeps like weekly/monthly/qtrly/etc. Used in conjunction with Notes and SweepsCheck it makes keeping track so much easier!!!

Expired My Sweepstakes: access those expired listings that you entered.

Expired Sweepstakes: access all expired listings.

Expiring Soon Sweepstakes: Link is on the Home Page. Lists by date and category all of the listings that will expire in the next 2 weeks.

SWEEPS COUNT:

There is no limit to the number of sweepstakes you can have in your My Sweepstakes - whether SA or SP.

***HOWEVER - If you have any sweeps saved that run longer than one year, they will automatically be removed. ALL sweeps will only stay saved for one year from your save date, so if you have any saved that run longer, resave them at a later date to ensure they don't drop off.

Your individual My Sweepstakes will tell you the total of active and expired sweepstakes you have saved.

Example: if you go to a specific category, and it says you have 33, but you only see 13, the other 20 are in your expired.

While in any category, look up top, and you will see: Alert! You Have Expired Sweepstakes: Show My Expired Sweepstakes

If you wish to have an accurate account of just active sweeps, remove your expired, your count will then show active sweepstakes only.

Please periodically remove your expired sweepstakes when they have served their purpose, thank you.

SA has more tools/info to help you sweep:

# Free Web Mail
# Sweepstakes News
# SA Flash Chat
# Live help



And best of all - SA Forums:


Announcements Forum - Where admin reports Breaking news or information.

Newbies Forum - tips to get you started and a place to introduce yourself

Questions & Answers Forum - where to ask questions to receive timely answers and more tips on sweeping/using programs.

Forum & Directory Sweepstakes Comments - The latest comments for ALL sweeps.

Sweepstakes Codes Forum - Another resource to ask for codes/trivia and find listed codes/trivia answers

Reported Scams Forum - SA admin will post reported sweepstakes scams here.


And many more Forums to post wins, discuss sweeps, etc.
http://www.sweepsadvantage.com/smf/


Come join us and experience a growing community of sweepers that help each other out and treat each other with respect.


NO fees, an admin that quickly responds to site problems and takes seriously your ideas to improve the site and implements those ideas in a timely fashion - what more could you ask for?


So what are you waiting for? Sign up for your FREE account and come enjoy this hobby with us!!! :sunny:

 

[amyshulk]

NEW TOOL for Expired Sweepstakes:

Just do a Power Sweepstakes Search for Expired Sweepstakes - click on Power Sweepstakes Search and you'll see the link uppper left:

http://www.sweepsadvantage.com/power_search_archive.php

The rules link is now part of the listing when sweeps expire thanks to admin!!! :headbang:

 

[amyshulk]

2 Expanding categories now have their own search.

Shopping:

Example Search Result for "Books" : http://www.sweepsadvantage.com/search_shop.php?keyword=books

&

Freebies:

Example Search Result for "Sample" : http://www.sweepsadvantage.com/search_free.php?keyword=sample

This should make it easier to search these categories alone.

 

[amyshulk]

While many of us found SA based on similar circumstances, I think it is best if we focus on the good here.

Yes, it took some adjustment here as the sites are set up very different. But, here is what I think SA's strengths are:

1. The people! They are kind and friendly 99.9% of the time. Yep there is always a resident problem, but I won't tell anyone ll1, so don't worry! :lol: Yes, some days people are cranky, but usually, they know manners and respond appropriately.

2. The features here are far ahead of those elsewhere and are improving daily. Just check the announcement forum.

3. You do not need to pay to belong. That being said, please click on the banner ads on the top of the page and enter the SA sweepstakes. This is where the funds to keep this site free are generated, so it is in our best interests to spend a few minutes to help out Admin.

4. Admin is always here and always receptive to suggestions and quickly corrects problems. They are friendly, supportive and fellow New England Patriots' fans! What more could we ask for.

5. Knowing the trouble many of us have had at another site, the members here welcomed us all without judgement and helped us navigate the site and encouraged us to participate in the SA family.

6. I race through months end sweeps thanks to the sweeps check system. Now, I can actually do my dailies almost everyday because of the added time I save.

7. Sweeps are organized by categories. This is so useful when you are short on time and just want to enter a certain ones like instants.

8. Ken is an actual programmer and can make the changes we all want. He is not a self taught computer geek, he is an actual professional who creates change. He does not have to wait for the software company to issue updates. This is by far the best part of SA.

I am sure other sites have great reasons to be members there as well. I like it here and I am grateful for the kindness and friendship shown to me here. I think there is integrity here and true respect. For me, it is worth all I endured to have come back and found how wonderful this site has become.

I think we should all focus on the positive at SA and forget the negativity that brought us here. Anything else would be preaching to the choir and, since none of us like to have SA trashed, let's not spend time focusing on the negative energy from anywhere else. It will just take away from our sweeping time!

Now, go win big! :mrgreen:

 

[amyshulk]

Hello fellow Sweepers, both old and new!

Thank You to everyone who asks questions in the Forum; and Thank You to everyone who answers. We all sweep because we want to win, and it's great to know that other sweepers can help out when we run into trouble.

I had a member PM me recently asking about what information to put on the entry forms. During our discussion, I realized that the member had assumed that by adding a sweep to their My Sweeps list, they thought they had entered that contest. On the plus side, the member has started compiling a great My Sweeps list. On the disappointing side, it means that the member has not actually entered the contests yet. To enter, you need to click on each contest link and fill out that sponsor's form.

I don't want to embaress this individual, because I know this has happened before. If you felt your stomach drop when you read this, please don't be discouraged. It only takes one entry to be a winner, and today is always a good day to start sweeping.

If you have any questions about how to use the SA website, please post them in the Forum, or PM the Admin or me it you'd rather not go public. SA is a wonderful resource for new contests, tracking ongoing contests, and talking sweeps with other enthusiasts. SA is committed to providing the best sweeps environment for it's members and we rely on your input.

Please continue to ask questions and share your suggestions and tips and we'll all be winners. Thanks!

 

[amyshulk]

http://contests.about.com/od/improveyourodds/tp/sweepmistakes.htm

 

[amyshulk]

Sweepstakes Etiquette - How to Be a Courteous Sweeper

http://contests.about.com/od/sweepstakes101/tp/thanksponsors.htm

Tips to Encourage Sponsors to Hold More Sweeptakes

The person who came up with the phrase, "There's no such thing as a free lunch" was definitely not a sweeper. Those of us who enter sweepstakes know that free lunches are just the tip of the prize iceberg.

However, sweepstakes are not guaranteed to continue. Sweepstakes come out of a company's advertising budget, and a single bad experience can convince the sponsors that their marketing dollars could be better spent elsewhere. For that reason, it's very important to be a considerate sweeper.

1. Thank Sponsors for Your Sweepstakes Wins

You might be surprised by how few winners take the simple step of thanking the sponsors for their wins. Remember that sweepstakes are organized by real people, who are usually excited to hear how their giveaway is received by the general public. They've put a lot of time, money, thought, and effort into creating the competition that you won. Simply sending them an email (or better yet, a letter in the mail) to tell them how much you appreciate your prize can make their entire day, while improving the chances that they will hold more sweepstakes in the future.

2. Be Polite and Patient to Sponsors When Something Goes Wrong

Sometimes you might encounter a problem with sweepstakes sponsors; for example, their website is down, you would like a clarification of their rules, or you haven't received a prize you won in a timely manner. While you should definitely stand up for your rights when it comes to receiving prizes, you should also remember to be polite and friendly to the sponsors in every communication you have with them. You're more likely to get help if you are polite about your problem, plus you won't run the risk of turning them off sweepstakes.

3. Remember - You're Not Entitled to Sweepstakes

Sometimes, we sweepers get so caught up in the excitement of entering and winning great prizes that we lose perspective. Sweepers have gotten angry enough to rant and rave about sponsors because the prizes weren't big enough for their liking, because airfare wasn't included in a win, or because a survey was required to enter. Remember that there are thousands of sweepstakes available to enter at any given time. If you are frustrated by one, just put it out of your mind and move on to the next.

4. Spend Some Time on Sponsors' Websites

When you're trying to get as many sweepstakes entered as possible, it's natural to rush through each site as quickly as you can. Remember, however, that the reason why sponsors are offering these wonderful prizes is to entice you to learn more about their products. Taking a few moments to look around the sponsors' websites and read what they have to say not only encourages the sponsors, but it could lead to your discovering something new and nifty.

5. Buy from Sponsors When Possible

Another great way to show your appreciation for sweepstakes is to spend your money on sponsors' products and services when possible. While you're certainly not obligated to buy anything as a condition of entering sweeps, it's really helpful to keep sponsors in mind when you go shopping. For example, if you browse through a sponsor's website and see a gift that would be great for a friend, bookmark it and return the next time you're getting ready to buy a present. This will raise their profits and show the success of their sweepstakes advertising. If possible, mention on contact forms or face-to-face that you heard about them through their sweepstakes.

6. Take the Time to Answer Survey Questions

Some sponsors use sweepstakes to gather information about their current or potential customers. This information can be very valuable to the sponsors, and can help to show the usefulness of their giveaways. Taking the time to fill out optional survey questions truthfully can help support sweepstakes sponsors.

 

[luckycluck]

Just trying to get an avatar to post :wave:

 

[amyshulk]

Moving?

When I moved, I had very good luck with using Return Path for a change of email address (http://ecoa.returnpath.net/index.php). Of course, I forwarded my mail to my new address with the post office also.

For everything else, I went through every site that I had a profile with and changed my address and telephone information. For those sponsors who use your profile information for mailings, it works very well.

Unfortunately, for those sponsors who go by the entry form information only, then you're out of luck for Fedex, UPS, and DHL if the information on the picked entry is your old address. On daily's, make sure you use your new address as soon as you know it.

 

[amyshulk]

New feature - SweepsPop :headbang: :headbang: :headbang:

Hello,

For the past few weeks we have been working on some new tools that will help
speed up sweepstakes entry. To address this you will see a new menu option
in category pages, search results, expiring sweepstakes, my sweepstakes, etc.

The menu option is called "Advanced Options" . If you click this link you will
get a drop down menu.

The first few menu options called SweepsPop will work together and enable
SA members to quickly launch all the sweepstakes on a page in a new window/tab
or allow you to select individual sweepstakes to "Pop" open.

This is how SweepsPop works.

1. Click the Advanced Options link.

2. Click "Enable SweepsPop Boxes" .
( This will add a check box on the current page for each sweepstakes listed on the page ) .

3. Click "Check all SweepsPop" .
( This will check off all the SweepsPop boxes on the page)

[glow=red,2,300]* This next step is only to be used if your computer is able to handle multiple windows open at the same time. This may slow older systems down or possible make your web browser unresponsive. Please use at your own risk. [/glow]

4. Click "Launch SweepsPop" .
( This will open every sweepstakes that you have checked off in a new window or in a new tab if you
use the Tabs feature in the latest version of Internet Explorer or Firefox ) .

Additional SweepsPop Options

1. Uncheck all SweepsPop - This will uncheck all the SweepsPop check boxes on the current page.
2. Disable SweepsPop - Will make the SweepsPop functionality disabled or disappear for the current page.


New SweepsCheck Features

On the Advanced Options menu you will find (2) new SweepsCheck features.

1. Check all SweepsCheck - This option will check off every SweepsCheck box on the current page.
2. Uncheck all SweepsCheck - This option will uncheck every SweepsCheck box on the current page.

* These options can become particularly useful for daily entry sweepstakes.

We hope you like the new features. By the Way... they are 100% Free as always!

 

[brendlinger]

Where do I find the advanced options sweepspop link?

 

[gosweepwin]

The "Advanced Options" link was in the upper right corner of most of the sweepstakes pages. However, it looks like it is now the "SweepsPop" link near the top of the sweeps pages. The link looks like this:

Top > Daily | Help | Show My Sweepstakes For This Category | SweepsPoP

Click on "SweepsPop" for more details or to launch SweepsPop.

 

[amyshulk]

TY GSW!!!

I also found this:

http://www.sweepsadvantage.com/sweepstakes-speed.htm

Here's how it works:

1. At the top of the page, look for "Advanced Options" in the upper right corner.

2. Mouse over "Advanced Options" and begin by picking "Enable SweepsPop Boxes".

3. When the boxes appear in front of each listing, check off the sweepstakes that you want to "pop" open. If you have a fast computer connection that can easily open lots of windows, you can opt to "Check All SweepsPop" which will open up to 20 sweeps at once. If your computer processes information more slowly, try opening only 5 or 10 at once instead.

4. After you have checked off your boxes, click "Launch SweepsPop". Kazaam! All the sweeps you have selected will open on your screen. Fill out the entry forms and sweep, sweep, sweep!

5. Go back up to "Advanced Options" to uncheck boxes if you want to uncheck your selections before selecting a new batch.

6. But wait, there's more! You can also go to "Advanced Options" to "Check all SweepsCheck" or "Uncheck all SweepsCheck". If you're not familiar with SweepsCheck, it's a quick way to mark off which sweeps you have already entered.

Additional Speed Tip - Autofill

SweepsPop is a great way to get through the sweepstakes quickly, but how can I fill the entry forms in even faster? The answer: use an autofill program.

An autofill program is a typing aid. It allows you to store information that can be used to quickly fill out entry forms. Put in your name, address, email, etc.. and when you run the autofill program, it will take the information you supplied and match it to the entry form fields. You still need to open each entry form, but an autofill program will speed up your time by cutting down on repetitive typing.

There are many autofill programs available. If you don't already use one, SweepsAdvantage suggests this one sponsored by PrizeWish: Follow the instructions to add the autofill program to your computer.

Some cautions when using an autofill program:
* Use the autofill program to fill the form, but do a quick read-over before submitting the entry form. Autofill programs are good, but they aren't perfect.
* Autofill programs don't work with Flash entry forms. You will still need to manually type out entry forms that are in Flash format.
* You will need to type in any security codes that are required.
* You will sometimes need to answer additional questions on the entry forms.

Hey! The Rules said I'd be disqualified for using a form filler. Won't I disqualify myself if I use an autofill program? NO. Autofill programs are typing aids. You are still visiting the site and seeing what the sponsor has to offer. You are still reading and filling out the form. What sponsor's don't like are 'bot programs that crawl around the web entering sweepstakes on your behalf. With a 'bot program, a human does not visit the contest site. Humans are allowed to use autofill programs to help with their typing.

 

[amyshulk]

So, you heard about the AWESOME new Sweepstakes Plus Beta Launch???

http://www.sweepsadvantage.com/foru...awesome-new-sweepstakes-plus-beta-launch.html

 

[amyshulk]

First, download Roboform if you haven't already done so. Try the free version first, and then, as you decide whether or not this hobby is for you, buy the pro version.

Next, get familiar with SA. There are threads all over the forums talking about all the tools SA offers.

That said, this is what I would recommend for you.

1. Enter today's new sweeps. I enter by category because there are some that I don't enter such as blogs. Use sweeps check to mark the sweeps you have looked at and acted on or chosen to ignore. That way, when you are going through your expiring sweeps, you can race right down the list, looking for unchecked boxes.

2. Enter the expiring sweeps for today and tomorrow.

3. Pick a category, be it daily, one time, instant... Enter those from oldest to newest. As you enter, check the sweepscheck box. This will let you know you have already looked at the sweep and done whatever you wanted with it or ignored it.

I say start from oldest to newest so that you don't miss any new ones that come as you are trying to catch up.

Make sure you are entering the new ones daily. That way, once caught up, sweeping will be a breeze.

Now, this is where SA comes into play.

The free version of the site has some great tools.

1. My sweepstakes. This is where you want to put your dailies, instants, weeklies... Then, each day... you go into your my sweepstakes and enter those from there. To put a sweep into the mysweepstakes, click on the add button at the bottom of the sweep listing in the directory.

2. Personal note section. Also located at the bottom of the sweep listing is a place you can put notes to just yourself. This includes entry time (for 24 hour sweeps) codes, answers...

3. Comments. This is where you will find comments from other members about the sweep. If there is a problem with a sweep members will post here to notify other members....

4. Sweeps Pop. In mysweeps, you will notice a button, at the top of the page, called sweepspop. This is amazing. You hit the button, and a drop down menu will open. Click on check all then launch. All sweeps on that page will open at once so that you don't have to individually open the pages. This really speeds up the process.

5. Once you are settled, consider upgrading to Sweepsplus. There you can create your own sweeps categories. This is an amazing feature. By organzing your sweeps in a way that makes sense to you, it really speeds up your entries.

I hope this makes sense. Sweepscheck is the most valuable feature to me as it tells me what I have already looked at and can now ignore because I have either acted on it, put it into my sweeps and/or chosen to ignore it.

Good luck to you. If you have any questions, please let us know. SA has a very helpful membership. Just watch out for Amyshulk. Her sweeping methods are out of control. :laughing:

 

[amyshulk]

You shouldn't need an upgrade to to see 50 sweepstakes. Unfortunately I think your Internet connection is too slow
and not allowing the whole list to load. This would be the only reason for this. You might consider trying FireFox if your
connection is slow as FireFox does a better job of loading the text before the images on the page.

Or you can change your paging to 20 here.

http://www.sweepsadvantage.com/cp/preference.php

Just an FYI, you'll never see 50 listings at a time in a search engine like Yahoo or Google because it
is too taxing on the servers and lengthy for the web browser to load the page. We allow it but in reality
not everyone will be able to accomplish this.

-Ken

 

[amyshulk]

...
You're not confusing SweepsCheck with the saving your sweeps feature are you? When you put a check in the SweepsCheck box you are only recording the date/time you entered and not actually saving the sweep.
When you see a sweep that you want to save to your personal My Sweepstakes page remember you must click "Add to My Sweepstakes" that's right under the listing. Go to any sweep listing you want to save, click the "Add to My Sweepstakes" link directly under the listing, now refresh your browser. If you do not see a little box pop up in the right hand corner of the page then you indeed have pop-ups blocked for SA. :wave:

 

[amyshulk]

FACEBOOK

Since SA editors have to link to the registration/landing page, for those FB sweeps that ask you to login for subsequent entries, you should bookmark the login page for FB sweeps that are other than 1x entry JIC it's difficult to find that page after your initial entry.

OR, this is where NOTES come in handy, you can post the login link there, and in Firefox, once you hilight the link with your cursor, you can open it in a new tab or window!

 

[amyshulk]

To find sweeps with prizes given out during instead of after:

I start out by opening the IW category, sorting them by Date Added, then I C&P Entry Date to Find on this page... {in IE} or FIND {in FF} to quickly go thru to see if there are any I haven't seen yet. As I go through them, I mark the unmarked SweepsCheck and save the ones I want into the category I choose.

When I'm done, I save, then I use the search box from the home page using daily prize, weekly prize, and/or monthly prize as keywords - this covers ALL categories, so I catch the 1x entry sweeps too!

I then repeat what I do in the IW category, but since I already sorted by Date Added, and Entry Date is already in FIND, it's just a matter of hitting PREVIOUS, or NEXT, depending on if I want to start at the top or at the bottom.

SweepsCheck is *perfect* for this! And PLUS is da bomb!!! :headbang:

 

[amyshulk]

http://www.sweepsadvantage.com/forum/questions-answers/61387-worth-paying-sa-membership.html

Can some SA+ members comment on why they feel the $30 (??) annual membership fee is worth it? I've only been sweeping since 1/13/13. I've won 3 tiny prizes... $6 Subway GC, Free Thomas' English Muffins and free Airborne. This is just from sweeping from those provided on the list. What are the benefits of being a member? It seems like it might be steep to spend $30 then not winning $30 in prizes. Thank you !!!!!!!! Marie

Hi Mcspats. I have been sweeping on SA for a very long time (check out my date on the left). I put off paying for a membership for WAY TOO LONG! I finally signed up for it just about a month ago and I am now kicking myself for waiting so long. If you like Facebook sweeps, that alone is worth the money. Being able to organize all my sweeps the way I want to ensures that my time is spent wisely. I can add my own personal notes so I never have to look up a membership number again. The more you sweep, the more you will realize there are certain entries that you REALLY want to enter everyday, and some you want to enter everyday when you have the extra time. You can create separate categories for these so you will never forget. I am NOT getting paid for this endorsement. I just really wish I would have paid for a subscription sooner. And, 30 dollars is not that much for an entire year. Welcome to sweeping!

Excellent points!

As a hobby, sweeping used to be pricey, with 3x5 cards, envelopes, stamps, and for the truly enterprising, stickers, and colored markers - things specific to the hobby, without much in the way of alternate use.

Now, if you can access the internet, have an email address, and have some free time, you can enter for next to nothing - especially if you use a public computer, like at a library!

If you have your own computer & access, most likely you/your family use it for much more than just sweeping, so it's not really a direct "fee" as the snail supplies are, so the $30 a year is a drop in the bucket.

Especially when the return *could* be tangible, unlike other hobbies, which can be *very* expensive!!!