What is the biggest prize you have ever won

The biggest prize I have ever won was a million Wyndham Rewards Points, That was the equivalent of about $10,000 Cash. I was able to cash the points in for Visa Gift Cards. I used them to buy a new furnace and they did pay for a few weeks of hotel stays for me and my friends.

I also won an all expense paid trip for four to St. Pete's Beach Florida from Redbook Magazine. It was an awesome trip.

What is the biggest prize you have ever won? Please let us know in th ecomments below.

What Would You Do With The Money If You Won A Million Dollars?

Here is what I would do:

Build my dream house.

Payoff my car.

Payoff my Church's Mortgage.

I want to hear what you would do!
Let me know by sharing in the comments below.

5 Reasons to celebrate even small wins

A Win is a Win: Boost Your Motivation by Celebrating Small Wins Why Small Wins Are (Nearly) as Awesome as Big Ones

It's all too easy to get frustrated when you're entering sweepstakes every day but not scoring the prizes you've been dreaming of. And for would-be winners, that's dangerous, because frustration often leads to giving up. And as we all know, you can't win if you don't enter.

There are tactics you can use to stay motivated instead of giving up, and one of them is to use a very simple motto. The motto 'A Win Is a Win' is a reminder to be grateful for every prize we earn with our sweepstakes entries, even if the prize isn't that impressive.

Nobody starts entering sweepstakes with the goal of scoring a gift card for a free cup of coffee, a decorative pin, or some free movie tickets. Those kinds of prizes are easy to discount when you're hoping to win a new car or enough cash for a downpayment on a home.

So when you get a congratulations email and see that it's not a high-value prize, you might think "Oh, it's just another candy bar." or "This prize doesn't really count."

And that's when you tell yourself, no, a win is a win, and it's a reason to celebrate. Here are five reasons why you should celebrate even small wins.

1. Small Wins Show that You Really CAN Win

   It's really hard to motivate yourself to enter sweepstakes when you're not winning anything. And if you don't count small prizes as "real" wins, it's going to be that much harder to avoid getting frustrated.

   If you enter only sweepstakes with huge prizes, it can take much longer to win, giving you ample time to become discouraged.

   By entering for, and being excited about small prizes, it's much easier to stay motivated to win.

   Small wins show you that yes, you CAN be successful entering sweepstakes, and a big prize could be just around the corner.

2. Small Wins Can Be Useful
   We could all use a big sweepstakes prize like a home makeover or a dream vacation, it's true, but small wins can also be incredibly handy, especially when you're trying to save money.
   A pair of movie tickets isn't going to change your life, but they can give you a fun evening out, guilt-free.
   A DVD set that you win could turn you on to a new favorite show. A grocery store gift card could give you the opportunity to try something new and delicious.
   There are tons of small prizes that can help you save money, which you can then use to pay off credit cards or buy something you really need.

3. Small Wins Make Great Presents

   Not only can small prizes be useful for ourselves, but they can also make great gifts. iPods, autographed books, perfumes and jewelry, and game consoles are just a few of the smaller prizes that make fantastic presents, or you can gather up even smaller prizes to make thoughtful gift baskets.

   I'm not saying that your friends and family wouldn't love to win a new car -- but a PlayStation 4 makes a pretty great present, too.

4. Small Wins are Exciting

   I really love surprises: sweepstakes prizes that show up on my doorstep without notice. It's something nice and exciting that can happen all year long, large prizes won't show up without notice since sponsors are required to get affidavits for prizes worth more than $600.

   Similarly, it's fantastic to see a "Congratulations!" message pop up while entering instant win sweepstakes. Many of those prizes aren't huge, but they sure get the heart pounding!

5. Small Wins Prepare You for Big Wins

   Wouldn't it be awful to win a big prize, and not receive it because you didn't know what a win notification looks like, or where to find a notary for your affidavit?

   Small prizes help prepare you for big wins by teaching you what to expect when you win a prize. They keep you combing your email for winning notices and help you to know what to do when the word comes in that you've won.

So don't feel bad if the prizes you've received so far are small. Love your small prizes, because a win is a win -- and so long as you are winning, a big prize is sure to follow eventually!

So Let Every Prize Delight You!
A win is a win, and it's an accomplishment to receive any prizes at all. Let yourself enjoy them, and be grateful for every prize that arrives. You'll have more fun with sweepstakes, and increase your odds of winning more often.

Sweeping Locally _ Detroit

Sweeping locally is a really good way to increase your chances to win. Generally, local prizes are going to be smaller but perhaps more useful. If you are already planning a trip somewhere you can check that location for local sweepstakes as well and perhaps cash in on some free tickets to attractions or tours at your destination.

Best Of Detroit Now Website

Some good places to check for sweepstakes and promotions are local radio stations, News channels, visitors bureaus etc.

In Detroit one of the best resources I have found is https://www.bestofdetroitnow.com/ .
Subscribe to their newsletter and they will send you a daily email featuring Detroit's best restaurants, Bars and nightlife, Shopping, Spas, Health and Wellness, Fitness, Home Improvement, Professionals, and events.

I have won hundreds of dollars in gift cards for carpeting, jewelry, Pet supplies, and free meals at great restaurants. They have frequent trivia games that you can win prizes or you can win by making referrals to their newsletter. In fact if you sign up for their newsletter be sure to put in my name (Anne Bussell) as the referrer and we will both have a chance to win free gift cards!. You can sign up for the newsletter here.

Michigan Attorney General's - Top 10 List of THINGS TO REMEMBER IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING Entering Sweepstakes

Michigan Attorney General

1. Buying will not help you win and don't be fooled by differences in the handling of buyer/contributor and non-buyer/non-contributor entries.

Your chances of winning without a purchase or donation are the same as the chances of someone who buys or donates. It is illegal to give any advantage to a buyer or a donor in a sweepstakes.

2. You have NOT already won.

Sweepstakes are games of chance. The winner has not been identified. If you enter, your entry will have the same chance to win as every other entry. No one knows who the winner is until after the sweepstakes ends.

3. Responding to sweepstakes promotions - and especially buying anything - will cause you to get more promotions.

There is an entire industry in buying and selling leads on people known to participate in sweepstakes and other direct mail marketing and telemarketing. These leads appear on "sucker" or "mooch" lists. The best way to protect yourself from sweepstakes fraud is to keep your name off the lists. To do this, you will need to limit or stop participating in sweepstakes and contests, and you should not do business over the phone with unknown callers.

4. Never give a credit card number, bank account information, Social Security number, or any other personal information to someone who calls you. 

One popular way to use the "sucker" lists is to call someone on the list and pretend to be a sweepstakes official. This person then says that the company needs your social security number or your credit card number or bank account number to award the prize. No legitimate contest ever asks for personal information like this.

5. If you have to pay anything to collect a prize, you didn't win.

A popular tactic that some disreputable operations use is to contact you and tell you about a great prize that you've won - but then say that you have to pay a small "handling fee," or "shipping fee" before your prize is delivered. Remember, in a legitimate sweepstakes, a free prize means you pay absolutely nothing, and there are no strings or fees attached.

6. Never pay "taxes" to a sweepstakes promoter.

Another popular tactic the con artists use is to require a pre-payment of taxes. No legitimate company will ever ask you to pay taxes to them to release your prize.

7. Don't be fooled by deceptive envelopes.

Deceptive marketers often use misleading envelopes that include statements such as "REGISTERED DOCUMENT ENCLOSED," or refer to fines and imprisonment for a person who tampers with the envelope. Some use fictitious senders' names like "The Offices of records of Sweepstakes/Disbursements Division," or suggest that the recipient has won a prize, such as "Confidential CASH AWARD Documents Enclosed" and "OPEN AND RESPOND IMMEDIATELY!  $3,000.00 cash award is ready to be sent!"

8. What a telemarketer must tell you.

If you get a call from a telemarketer that involves a sweepstakes or prize promotion, the caller is required to tell you:

• The odds of winning a prize.
• That no purchase or payment is required to enter or win a prize.
• How to participate without buying or paying anything.
• The costs or conditions you will have to meet to get a prize.

9. Read the sweepstakes rules carefully, including any fine print.

Before you enter any sweepstakes, read the rules that the promoter is required to include. Pay attention to the dates when entries are accepted, the odds of winning, and any restrictions on entries. Take note of anything that suggests that you have to buy to enter, or that doing so will increase your odds of winning. Report any sweepstakes offers that have this kind of language in them to the Attorney General.

10. You have the right to stop the mailings. 

By law, all sweepstakes offers must include an address or toll-free phone number where anyone, including a caregiver, may direct that their name and address be taken off the sweepstakes firm's mailing list. If the mailings do not stop after you request to have your name removed, file a complaint with the Attorney General.

Contact the Attorney General with Questions or Complaints

While there are legitimate, reputable firms that use sweepstakes promotions fairly and honestly, it is important to be able to tell them apart from the disreputable firms who prey on "sucker" lists. If you have any questions about sweepstakes promotions mailings or calls that you receive, you may contact the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division:

Consumer Protection Division
P.O. Box 30213
Lansing, MI 48909
517-335-7599
Fax: 517-241-3771
Toll free: 877-765-8388
Online complaint form

How to win sweepstakes

By following a few simple steps, you can dramatically increase your chances of winning:

1. The harder a contest is to enter, the easier it is to win. i.e. Contests that require a photo, video or essay get far fewer entries.
2. Stay local. Restaurants, bars, and movie theaters regularly do giveaways where only local people can enter. There will be fewer entrants so you will have a better chance.
3. Always read the terms and conditions. You never know when they might sneak in some secret clause that will disqualify you and waste your time.
4. Set up a dedicated email address for contests you enter. Basically you are trading your personal information and their right to spam you for an entry. You will get spammed and you don't want to accidently throw away that winning notice so use your spam filters carefully.
5. Use sweepstakes aggregate websites and newsletters to find opportunities. They’re a one stop shop, and they filter out the bad ones.
6. Stay organized. Spreedsheets, bookmark managers, and curating boards can all be your friends.
7. At the end of the day, it’s not gambling or Candy Crush; if you work hard enough at it, you can actually win fantastic prizes without spending any money. It’s thrilling — you never know what the next submission is going to bring.