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Reality-Savings Contest Promises Lots of Free Money, Not Too Much Fame

Are your daydreams filled with images of flush bank accounts, resort vacations and winning American Idol? Well listen up, this online savings contest may be for you.

Personal finance author Liz Pulliam Weston has teamed up with FNBO Direct to launch the Pay Yourself First Challenge on YouTube. “Saving can be a lonely thing,”says Liz. “You’re swimming against the tide. Everything tells us to spend: advertising, friends, family.” She says that this contest aims to build community around the concept of saving while also encouraging some friendly competition.

The game has three rounds. The rules and judging criteria go something like this: First, contestants must upload a 10 – 60 second video about why they’re saving money. A few videos are already up on YouTube. The first 500 contestants to post a video will receive a $10 gift card to Amazon, so go to it. You have until July 31st.

Next, FNBO Direct judges select the top 20 videos based on the compelling nature of their stories, their originality, and their adherence to game rules. These contestants undergo a round of interviews, criminal checks and credit checks. (It’s a soft pull so it won’t ding your credit score.)

Five finalists move on to the last round. They’ll compete from October 2008 until April 2009 to see who can save the most money. These surviving contestants will blog about their strategies and participate in a video shoot and other promotional activities. Liz will offer guidance along the way. She says she’ll be nicer than Simon. A winner will be chosen based on how much money was saved, a financial expert’s evaluation of the strategies used, and a vote by the American public.

What do you win? FNBO Direct will give $500 to each of the top 20 contestants. The online bank will match every dollar saved, up to $5,000, by each of the five finalists. The grand prize winner will also receive a spa vacation equal to $7,500 (or the cash equivalent).

There is a catch. The five finalists must open an Online Savings Account and BillPay Account at FNBO Direct. Switching to these accounts will require some reorganization but it shouldn’t cost much. Neither of these accounts have minimum balance requirements nor charge monthly maintenance fees. (Read about the Online Savings Account fees here and BillPay Account fees here.) Plus, FNBO’s savings account is offering a 3.5% annual percentage rate right now. That sounds like a prize for all of us.

– Kristen Sullivan