Win an iPod Shuffle with PTY’s “Know Where the Money Goes” Contest

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”