10 people reveal how long the 'lifetime supply' of things they won at a contest lasted

Lucky Break!

"Win a contest and get a lifetime supply of" is a very common marketing gimmick applied by corporations. Every person in the world is looking for a lucky break. Therefore, these shiny temptations of "lifetime supply" work like magic for the customer base. The other side of the coin though is that corporations always primarily care about themselves. Hence, whenever people take a chance in a contest like this, the odds are that the details in fine print will screw them. It is through the rules in the fine print that establishments turn the favor in such contests on their side. Even if such offers bring in huge promotions, it is highly unlikely that companies will give products free for years to anybody, especially if they are backed by the regulations. It becomes a battle of promises and greed. All of this increases the allure of terms like "lifetime supply," making individuals like u/15yoNotSoStraightKid ask, "People who won a lifetime supply' of something, what was it and how long did it last?" on Reddit. Here are 10 answers that clear the picture of this mystery.

1. Getting the worst of it all

I won a lifetime supply of calendars from Calendaria about five years ago. Since then, each December, they send me the worst calendar ever. It has become something quite funny. The most recent was a calendar focused on brooms/mops. Why such a thing would even exist is beyond me, but hell, if it isn't funny. u/JamesTheJerk. Got a calendar where each month is a picture of a cat taking a s**t. u/MacGillycuddy. I usually get a free calendar from a vendor at work each year. In 2020, I didn't, but one of my customers sent me a 2021 calendar where every picture was a different dump truck they'd worked on. I would post the picture to Facebook each month, describing it like it was a pinup and calling it the "S****y Dump Trucks Calendar." It's the most fun I've ever had with a calendar, to the point that I went out of my way to find a dump truck calendar for 2024. u/Blenderhead36

2. One and done

I won a lifetime supply of Malibu from winning a promotion they did at my local pub over a decade ago. I got precisely one shot of Malibu and they blew me off after collecting my information. To this day, I will use anything but Malibu for my coconut rum needs and I never miss an opportunity to diss them. u/deathconthree. Chipotle tried to do this with my husband (not for a lifetime supply but like a $1,000 prize). It was a several-month fight, but he had proof of the contest, him winning it, and his attempt at contacting them and sending it to some U.S. investigation bureau that handled this sort of stuff. Suddenly, Chipotle paid up. u/crackedchinacup

3. Unlimited access to the world of fiction

I won a free movie pass from Lowes Theaters that was good for one year. It came via a bonded messenger, and it was a little black credit card-looking thing. It was unlimited. So, I could go every day or multiple times a day. I could even bring a guest. Once in a while, they would say, "Oh, this is a new release/special engagement" and deny me, but most employees didn't give an F. u/HankBizzaro. I worked at a movie theater for 6 years. The theaters don’t make much money off tickets that all go to the movie companies and all that. The theater makes money off concessions. So most theaters don’t give a s**t at all about giving out passes. They just want you in the door to buy food. If customers complained about almost anything, it was standard to give out passes. Too loud, pass. Too quiet, pass. Loud family, pass. You sneeze during the climax and pass. u/PheeshBait

4. Interesting stories might also be in the package

I won a free McDonalds Big Mac meal for a year. It was one meal a week for a year. It was free to the first 50 people to get a drive-thru breakfast at a newly remodeled location starting at 6 am. I got there around 4:30 and I was about 15th in line. The line of cars started ahead of the drive-thru lane so cars could still go through it. The staff maintained the line and handed out official line tickets to people waiting. The line snaked across the Home Depot parking lot until there were more than 50 cars, but only 50 line tickets were handed out. As soon as the staff started waving cars into the drive-through, a woman drove in from a nearby parking lot and got in first. She ordered her food and then wanted the coupon and they told her that it didn't count because she didn't have the official line ticket. As I was going in to order, she was standing at her car demanding to see the manager and then wanting a refund on the breakfast. I got all 52 meals. Sometimes, they didn't stamp the card. So I would get as many as 3 in one week. And Covid happened and shut down the place except for the drive-thru, so for half the year, I had to go through the drive-thru. u/inkseep1

5. Mornings become happier

I won Starbucks for Life. It is 1 item/day for 30 years. I get a breakfast sandwich per day and my morning has been happy ever since. u/chiendat. I always play Starbucks for life but have never met anyone who actually won anything. However, about 10 years ago, Starbucks had a holiday tumbler that came with a month of unlimited premium coffee drinks. I believe it was $75. After Christmas, we found it on clearance for 50% off. So we paid $37.50. I think I got at least three or four premium drinks every single day. There's no way I can drink that much coffee, so I would give the tumbler to friends and family to go get free drinks. After that year, Starbucks never offered that again. u/phydeaux44

6. Opportunity to do good

Won a lifetime supply of ground coffee and they gave me a ton of coupons. Oddly, I don’t drink coffee usually, so I donated 95% of it to the local shelter. u/vagabond_nerd. I can promise you that coffee got used well. Coffee, Q-tips and bus passes were the things we burned through the fastest. Followed by socks, coats and camping supplies. You made the days of a lot of people a little brighter. u/Tricky-Gemstone. 

7. Lifetime supply of wholesome memories

Not me, but my roommate won a lifetime supply of Dilly bars from a Dairy Queen. Got a box a week ago and eventually got to know the owners well. After my roommate's family got into a hard time, they stopped giving them dilly bars and started giving them food even after the establishment had changed hands. Very wholesome. u/BlueCandyBars. 

8. Local establishments have the biggest hearts

I frequently went to this joint called Fat Daddy Burritos, which was the greatest burritory to ever exist. BIG fat burritos for only 4.50 and no upcharge for sour cream and only 25c upcharge for guac. One day, a commotion was occurring and I looked up to see one of the employees appeared to be choking. I hopped over the counter and Heimlich Maneuvered the ham right out of the kid and all was well. Didn't really think much of it. I don't even think I told my parents about it. Well, it turns out it was the owner's son and the next time I came in, the owner excitedly came over and showered with thanks before presenting me with a card that read "The Fattest Daddy," which was signed by him and said I never had to pay for a burrito again. Never had an employee doubted the authenticity of the card for 17 years. I paid for my burrito every once in a while, but would occasionally get caught by the owner, who would wack me with a rolled-up newspaper and tell me to stop trying to pay for burritos. Sadly, Fat Daddy Burritos did not survive the lockdown mandate and the place is now a Domino. u/Mead_and_You

9. The meaning of 'lifetime supply' isn't the same for everyone

My mom told me that she once won a 'lifetime supply' of Pringles at a school lottery. Turns out it was only a basket that contained 10 cans of the original Pringles flavor. She was thoroughly disappointed. u/Maleficent_Nobody_75. Reminds me of an old joke 'All you can eat for a dollar' {takes 2 bites} "OK, that's all you can eat for a dollar." u/Medical-Subject-4449

10. Being smart is the key

Back in 2005ish, when XM Radio and Sirius were competing for subscribers, I signed up for a lifetime subscription to Sirius for $200. I was told later that it was supposed to be only transferable 3 times and the company estimated a transfer every 3 years to upgrade the radio/car. I never upgraded my radio until purchasing a new car in 2018. I'm now in year 19 of my subscription, which only cost me $200. u/Consistent-Chicken-5.  And thanks to a lawsuit, you now have unlimited transfers. Just a $35 fee each time. u/NeuroDawg.