Oh yes, I’m going there. I’m giving away an iPod shuffle. Why? Because I have a brand-new, never-been-used one in my possession, and I’d like to get it to someone who will use it. Or someone who wants to sell it. Frankly, I don’t care either way. I have it, you probably want it, so here’s what you have to do to enter the contest:

On August 1st, I will make a post announcing my “Know Where the Money Goes” challenge, though nary a word will be included in the post about a prize. But those of you reading this will be “in the know,” because you’ll be well aware that participants in the challenge will be entered to win the iPod Shuffle!

That’s all there is to it! Take part in the challenge, and you’re entered to win. What’s the challenge, you ask? More details will come on August 1st, but the basic premise is that you post a comment on the August 1st entry, pledging to track each and every purchase you make for the month of August. All comment pledges will be entered to win, and at the end of the month, one person will be picked at random from the commenters, and contacted for proof that they tracked their August expenses.

So, if you’re the person picked at random, and you email me back with an Excel spreadsheet, or a scan of a spiral notebook, or a picture of entries in a Moleskin — you win! And I send you a cute green iPod Shuffle!

Frequently Anticipated Questions

But Stephanie, couldn’t someone cheat? Like, they take the pledge, and then you email them, and they quickly make up a spreadsheet with fake info?
Sure, someone could do that. But making up fake purchases would take about as much time and effort as tracking real info. Here’s the thing: if you actually take the challenge and track your expenses, you get a little prize whether you win or not. You get a good habit and a month of data about your spending habits! So while I anticipate a few bad apples who only pretend to take the pledge, I hope that most people will see that they can get the most personal benefit by actually taking the challenge.

Oh man, this is great, but I’ll never remember to check back here after August 1st to take the pledge!
Subscribe to the Poorer Than You RSS feed! Or subscribe by email and get PTY articles, including the August 1st challenge announcement, sent to your email!

How long after the challenge is posted will we have to enter?
One week. After August 7th, it would be hard to go back and write down purchases from the 1st, so you have until August 7th to comment on the challenge post and take the pledge.

Can I get an extra entry into the contest by blogging about this?
Yes, but there are some caveats. I ask that you blog about the challenge, but not the contest, if that makes any sense. That is, tell your readers about the pledge, but don’t mention the iPod thing. So blog about the challenge, or take the pledge yourself in a blog post, and then email me the URL of your post, and it will get you another entry!

Why so hush-hush about the fact that you’re giving out a prize?
Because I want people to really take the challenge. Because I want to cut down on people who come by the site just to enter the giveaway and then run off, never to be seen again. Because I want to reward regular readers and subscribers by letting you guys know about the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. And because I’m weird.

Disclaimer: The iPod I’m giving away was obtained through Wowio’s now-discontinued free iPod Shuffle deal last year, so it has a small engraving on the back that says “www.wowio.com”

Do you use a credit card, debit card, or grocery rebate card? Good! Now go sign up for Upromise.

Upromise is free and easy to set up. You enter in your card numbers for debit cards, credit cards, and grocery club cards (don’t worry, nothing will be charged), and then when you buy things from Upromise sponsors, you get a small rebate deposited in your Upromise account. Really, there’s no reason not to be signed up for it! Retailers include McDonalds, Bed Bath & Beyond, GNC, Mobil and Exxon, and many more.

I’ve talked about Upromise before, because it’s a no-brainer. You just set it up and then there’s nothing else to do! But I’m writing about it again because any time you make an eligible purchase from a Upromise partner, you’re entered to win $10,000 as part of their $100,000 College Dream Sweepstakes! If you’re a new Upromise user, you also get one entry for signing up. (The Sweepstakes ends September 30th)

You don’t have to be heading to college, or have a child heading to college, or even like children to be a Upromise member. But if you do have a friend or relative whose education you care about, you can easily set up Upromise to contribute to multiple people. For example, my mother has a portion of her Upromise earning directed toward me, and a portion directed toward my 4-year-old niece (her granddaughter).

And you don’t have to put your earning in a 529 plan or toward student loans, as the site suggests. Hidden in the Upromise FAQ are the instructions for getting your earning sent to you as a check.

Mmm… free money. Excuse me, I have to go dream about how nice it would be to win the $10,000 sweepstakes!