Re: My "First" Wins
My first win was back in 2010. I entered a local magazine contest to win a $100 gift certificate to a restaurant of the sponsor's choice in my area. All I had to do was submit a review on my fave restaurant to be entered.
A few months later I got a surprise envelope in the mail containing the $100 gift cert to an upscale restaurant I otherwise would not have been able to afford! I was so excited to see the words CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'RE A WINNER! when I opened the envelope. It almost seems surreal when you get your first significant win like that. I had to keep reading the words over and over, staring starry-eyed at the certificate in my hand.
Later on I read from other Sweepstakes forums that it's good to participate in local sweeps as the odds may not be as great. I was just entering contests at random and submitted this on a whim. So you never know what could happen if you don't give it a try!