Are you a beginner to the sweepstakes world? Do you have no idea where to start? Well, I am a devoted sweeper and I am here to give you valuable tips on how to be successful and win big. Here you will find everything you need to get started and start raking in those wins.

• Well, the first thing you must realize is just how easy it is to enter sweepstakes and win. The key to winning is to enter often and keep track of what sweeps you have entered. You can either do this through your outlook program or to use something called Sweep. It is a download that is basically a database that keep track of what you have entered and what you need to enter (daily, weekly monthly,etc.). Yes, you do have to enter things manually but what is nice is that it keeps track of all your daily contests and gives you a reminder to enter them daily. There is even a way to enter the sweepstakes url so that it makes it easier for you to click on.

• Another great tool that every sweeper must have is Roboform http://www.roboform.com/. It is tool that you can use to store not only passwords for various sites, but it is a wonderful way to fill sweepstakes forms with a touch of the button. It says on the site that it is free for 3 months but as long as you maintain 10 or less passcode sites, it continues to be free.

• Trivia contests are a wonderful way to win some great prizes. They are fairly easy trivia questions and because you have to answer a question, most people dont enter them. Case in point, I never knew how easy it was to win prizes such as cds and dvds until I started entering trivia sweepstakes. Now you might be asking yourself, how can I find those answers to the trivia sweepstakes? Well, at my website http://www.ourwinningcircle.net , we have a special section that is dedicated to trivia sweepstakes. I am personally in charge of that section and I scour the internet finding trivia sweepstakes and answers. I give you everything you need to enter the sweepstakes and I update it daily.

• Read all of the sweepstakes rules and follow them to the letter. This is so important because if you do not, then you might disqualify yourself.

• Enter all local sweepstakes in your area. This is a must as the odds are very much in your favor. I have won many times at local department stores, banks and boutique shops. I try to fold the entry form in a different way so that it is easier to grab.

• Get some business cards printed with you name, address and phone number on it. You can do this yourself at home or even get them free online (you just have to pay for shipping and handling). Keep them with you always so that when you are in a store and they have a draw for prizes, you can just drop your business card in the bowl.

• Whenever you can, enter in second chance drawings. I did this and recently won a $50 gift card to my local drug store/pharmacy. It was such a surprise and so easy.

• No matter what, enter in as many sweepstakes as you can. I know this sounds simple, but believe me, this is such an essential aspect to winning. The more sweepstakes you enter, the better your chances are of winning something at the end of the month. On a whim, I entered on the last day at this craft site just for kicks. Well, I got an email that I won the very next day. You cant win if your name isnt in the draw.

• Enter daily contests often but you dont need to enter every single day. This leads to rapid burn-out and disappointment. I try to enter daily sweepstakes five times a month. That way, I am in the draw more than once and I also try to spread it out over the course of the month (1, 6, 10, 15, 20, 30).

• Lastly, the most important thing to keep in mind while entering sweepstakes is to have a winning spirit and to have fun. This is supposed to be a fun hobby and a great way to nab some free stuff. When you have a positive winning spirit, the fun will be finding new sweepstakes and entering. Sure, it is wonderful to win and be able to boast to everyone how you won this and that. But I truly find it fun to crank up the radio, relax in front of my computer with a full glass of pop and see how many cool contests I can find.

Now you have the tools to be a expert sweeper. So, go out there, enter as many sweepstakes as you can and above all, have fun. Cheers!