3.06.2012

Flying First Class For Fifty Cents

The USPS unveiled their Five Year Business Plan entitled "Plan to Profitability".  Under this plan we can expect to shell out 50 cents for every sweepstakes entry we mail, if the proposal takes effect.  Of course, many of us sweepers are like squirrels, hoarding our collection of "forever stamps" like walnuts for the long winters of postage stamp increases.  But, does it makes sense to purchase all these forever stamps since sweepstakes with a mail-in entry option becoming fewer and farther between? Possibly.  Let's say that there is a sweepstakes with three methods of entry-online, text, and mail-in. Most people will probably enter via online or text, with a much smaller portion entering by mail, especially if postage costs half a buck for an entry to be mailed (unless you were one of the aforementioned fiscally savvy squirrels)!

Entry Pool Example:

Online: 45%

Text:    45%

Mail:    10%

At this point, it's all speculation on how entries are drawn.  It depends entirely on each judging agency.  Do they assign a specific number to all entries and then draw a winner, not so good for the snail mailer, or do they they choose a third of entries by each method of entry, hooray! for the snail mailer-smart move squirrel!  Be smart, read the official rules.  Weigh your options for entering sweepstakes by mail when there are other modes of entry.  Think smart and win often!

Be like a squirrel girl...