Winning anything is usually followed by a boost of endorphins, leaving you smiling from ear to ear for a while. But some people are lucky enough to win a lifetime supply of something they like, making the smile last at least a little while longer.
Members of the ‘Ask Reddit’ community recently shared their experience of winning enough of something to last them a lifetime (however it is that the terms and conditions define ‘lifetime’ in their case). One user asked them what they won and how, and whether or not they were still receiving their prizes, and netizens were more than willing to share. Scroll down to find their stories on the list below.
#1
Donuts. I get 365 donuts a year from a local donut shop in my home town. I give them to a children’s home who in turn gives them to kids on their birthday. It was a smart move by the donut shop because to make sure everyone gets their fill I pay to double the order plus I get them juice and milk. I won this 16 years ago and they have always honored the prize.
Image credits: tavariusbukshank
#2
I won a trivia thing from a radio station in 2015–the prize was a lifetime supply of passes/movie candy from AMC theaters. They gave me a gift card looking thing to show at AMC that allows up to $40 in snacks for free plus admission.
It’s been almost ten years and this card still works. It’s saved my butt so many times when I was struggling financially—I could go get dinner or sit in air conditioning for a few hours. I’m honestly shocked that it’s still valid but it’s probably the best thing I’ve ever won in my life.
Image credits: Dry-Meeting-8763
#3
I won a coupon for a lifetime supply of kisses from my kid and so far still a happy recipient ??.
#4
I didn’t win as such, but I saved a pizzeria owner from a major problem with the tax authorities, due the failure of his computer, in 1999 or so, when I asked what I wanted for payment, I said “You can serve food and wine for my wife and daughter tomorrow”. He did, and said he would do for as long as he is in business. He still honours this 25 years later.
Image credits: Miserable-Win-6402
#5
Pentel pens in a writing contest. I won 30 years ago.
I got an engraved executive when I won, but I also get a 12 pack of energels a year, two alloy barrels, and one libretto. They usually send me a 3 pack of any new pens or colors coming out, too.
I've been to their headquarters and factory in Japan. I explained who I was and what I had won, which they verified with order and shipping history. I got to take an in-depth tour with a SrEVP and got sets of drafting pencils (GraphGear Sharps), unique Japanese pens, and an original 1962 Sign Pen.
I had won when I was younger, several years later I was there training judo. I literally walked into their building to the receptionist and explained. A man came out, took my info and story, then left.
He came back with some papers, which turned out to be a copy of every shipment they'd sent. He was surprised i was telling the truth!
He went and got the SrEVP, and with my friend translating, we had a great time. They were still making some of their best fountain and executive pens by hand and that was 1999.
Image credits: Dark_Energy_13
#6
My friend won a lifetime supply of toilet paper.)) It started as a joke, he entered the contest just for fun, never expecting to win.
But then the company called him up, and next thing we know, he’s got a garage full of toilet paper.
The funny part is, my friend is the last person who’d ever think about needing that much toilet paper.
He’s super organized, and he lives alone, so he’s always been the type to buy in bulk and have a stockpile of essentials. Winning this contest was like hitting the jackpot for him.
He got so much toilet paper that he ended up giving it away to friends and family. For months, everyone knew that if they were running low, they could just call him up. He even donated a bunch to local shelters, which was really cool.
The supply lasted longer than he expected, but eventually, it ran out. It was a good run, though.
He said it felt like a little bit of a burden had been lifted when he finally had to go out and buy toilet paper again.
Image credits: SweettLily
#7
I won a lifetime supply of Marmite.
One jar.
(British joke).
Image credits: RRC_driver
#8
When I was stationed in South Korea 2014, there was a defector from the North that went across the Demilitarized Zone. He was shot by the North Koreans a few times as he made his crossing. The guy woke up in the hospital in Seoul and asked for a "Choco-pie". Choco pies are a Korean version of a Moon Pie. The company that makes them, Lotte, stated that he would never have to worry about not getting a Choco-Pie again. As far as I know this defector has a lifetime supply of Korean Moon Pies.
#9
I didn't win it, I accidentally bought it. Some years ago I wanted to make the garden a bit prettier. I checked on some auction site and someone offered a leftover batch of chalk to improve the soil. We agreed I would pay 30 euros shipping included.
Three days later a delivery guy arrived completely pissed off banging the door and shouting why the hell I would let this be delivered by a standard parcel delivery service. I didn't have a clue what he was talking about until he showed me the packages. Apparently the seller sent me 8 30kg bags of chalk.
I require about 5kg of chalk a year for my garden. With the 240kg of chalk I got, I can last almost 50 years. By the time I'm out of chalk, I would be over 100 years old, which is an age not that many people will become , let alone while still gardening.
Bottom line, for 30 euros including shipping I now have a lifetime supply of chalk.
Image credits: Th3L0n3R4g3r
#10
A friend (back in the 70s) used to enter magazine contests all the time, one day he got a check in the mail for $25,000. No fanfare or anything, he just got a check in the mail. He bought a house in town, which would have never happened on his own. He died a long time ago but his kids still live there, so I guess he won a lifetime supply of housing.
#11
I won a lifetime supply of pasta! A supermarket in my town closed down its branch and gave away their products in a raffle. I bought a ticket for 2 bucks at a festival and ended up winning the entire pasta section.
Image credits: AngelSava21
#12
I won a lifetime'a supply of chocolate. But it was handed to me all at once.
I ended up setting up in the middle of town and offered every resident as much chocolate as they could eat.
It was probably the biggest congregation of people in that (admittedly small) town's history.
All the chocolate was gone by the end of the day.
#13
I had a coworker that won a years supply of Cinnabon - basically a free Cinnabon everyday for a year. She lasted about 3 months before she couldn't do it any more and gave me the coupon. I had the coupon for a couple of weeks before we just started sharing the coupon around the office. I think we just all stoped after six months. It was just too much for any one person to handle.
Image credits: Mm-mumbles
#14
My grandma had an awesome sense of humor. We were all with her the days leading up to her dying at 93 in her own home. It wasn’t particularly sad, we were celebrating her life. At one point she was lying in bed and held up a half full box of the candy “tic tacs” and said “lifetime supply”.
#15
Not a lifetime supply but I won a year’s supply of free meals from Qdoba when I was in college. They just give you a gift card with 52 free meals loaded on it. As a college student it was heaven, I heard of another student who won the same prize but they had a typo on their card and got 520 burritos instead of 52.
Image credits: Wingnut814
#16
I won a lifetime supply of depression after the army, it still delivers every day like clockwork.
Image credits: TacticalNaps
#17
Got lifetime oil changes from a car dealership promotion. They went out of business after 2 years.
Image credits: ResearchDisastrous38
#18
I won a lifetime supply of jellybeans from Jelly Belly when I was a teenager. I had the option of one delivery of a 3kg bag, or three deliveries over the course of a year of one 1kg bag. I was forced by my mother to choose the second option so I didn’t gorge myself ?.
Image credits: recyclemen
#19
One of my friends won a lifetime supply of dog food through a contest he entered on a whim. He was ecstatic at first—who wouldn’t be?—but then his dog developed an allergy to the specific brand after a year or so. Now he just donates the bags he still gets to the local animal shelter. So yeah, he’s still getting it, but it’s not exactly going to use as originally planned!
#20
During the Olympics closing ceremony, they mentioned that one country offered (among other prizes) a lifetime of free colonoscopies to the gold winner.
Image credits: woyteck
#21
I won a lifetime pass for a minigolf and go cart place that was popular in my area back in the 80s. It wasn't a random drawing, it was a prize for a contest to raise funds for a specific charity.
They made a whole big deal about it and my picture was in the local paper. I got the pass, which was a business card sized laminated paper with their branding, my name, a bar code, and "irrevocable lifetime pass".
The first time I went to use it, they refused to let me in. I called the next day to speak with the manager and he told me the whole thing was a publicity stunt and I should feel good for having raised money for charity. I tried again and was denied access to the park. Then the third time I was denied entry, the card was confiscated, and I was "lifetime banned".
Nobody cared. The paper that ran the article, the contest organizers, nobody. I couldn't help but smirk when that place went out of business but, they went out of business maybe 10 years ago so I missed out on something like 30 years of using that pass. Of course I respected their lifetime ban, and was always open about my story and how I got banned for trying to use the lifetime pass they had given me. But nobody cared.
Update: This is a story about a kid getting screwed out of a prize through a loophole. Nobody was bodily harmed, nobody starved, there were no threats of violence. It's a case of poor business ethics, not a cause for moral outrage. Poor kid got screwed but, the world continued to spin, the tide continued to ebb and flow, and hurt feelings eventually were overcome. Please keep that in mind. Nothing I've mentioned here is worthy of anything more than a "wtf" as this pales in comparison to the real problems we face in this world.
#22
I won a “lifetime supply” of milk duds from a movie theatre contest in the 90s. But In fine print it said it was only for a year. I ate so much I am now disgusted by them,.
Image credits: rottenragu
#23
Unfortunately not a lifetime, but a year’s worth of donuts from a local restaurant. They specialize in audacious donuts during their brunch hours and held an ugly Christmas sweater contest during a brunch in December. They called to tell me I had won and to come and pick up my prize after the holidays. It was a punchcard for a getting a free donut each week of the year. We went ahead and took advantage of the freebie while we were there and I enjoyed what would surely be one of many free donuts that year. Yes, 2020 was lining up to be a real winner.
#24
Lifetime supply of pizza, pasta or salad from a chain place in Sydney. They have about 5 locations. Have used it about 200 times in the past 5 years. Wasn't won, but they only sold 200 of them and it is likely the best purchase I have made in terms of value. Still go there a few times a month. .
Image credits: zerotwoalpha
#25
I won a lifetime supply of Mountain Dew Live Wire while in college. Some random sponsored drawing on the drill field. What I received was 2 large pallets. During finals week. And it was nearly a lifetime supply.
My kidneys nearly failed. I spent a few days in the hospital, I gave the the rest of the dew to my apartment complex, and to this day, I can not even look at Mountain Dew without my stomach turning.
#26
Someone I know was pregnant one time and her water broke in a superstore. So the superstore gave her free baby nappies for several years simply because of it lol.
#27
When I bought my truck, it came with free oil changes for the life of the vehicle. Second oil change, mechanic comes to me with a bunch of additional "suggested" services. I declined. He says "Well, if you decline these services we have to charge you for the oil change"
Never went back.
#28
Not me, but, a relative of mine bought a closet full of extra large half gallon mugs from Dunkin Donuts in the mid 90s. The cups were sold at a premium with a contract stating that the user was entitled to a $0.99 fill-up of any beverage for life. His thinking was that he’d be able to save thousands over the next decades by getting iced coffee by the gallon and never paying more than a dollar. A few of the cups have worn out or been destroyed, but he still has many left.
He’s pretty well known by all the local Dunks now. Anytime he goes to a new location, he has to explain the situation to a barista, the manager, and then escalate to corporate. Some stores won’t honor it even with proof from corporate. Most of the baristas are younger than the cups themselves.
#29
Won a lifetime supply of bubble tea. I only go for one or two a month since I became pre diabetic.
Image credits: jayhy95
#30
Back in the mid 90's early days of the Internet I won the Yahoo! March madness bracket challenge and it included a 'lifetime supply' of Gillette Razors. So every year right after the 1st of the year , I receive whatever the latest and greatest razor they are promoting and 24 refills. I have even moved twice since then and never provided a change of address, but they still show up like clock work.
/I also won 5k cash, a Spalding basketball, 12 large Pizza Hut pizza's, and 4 Jiffy Lube Oil changes.
#31
I enter a lot of contests and have never won a “lifetime supply” of anything, but I did win a year supply of subway that came in the form of a massive gift card. I won the gift card while I was in college and pretty much had subway 2x a week for a year. I no longer eat subway ?.
Image credits: lkb25
#32
My family received free pizza hut for life because they used our house for a commercial and some advertisements. It was awesome we had it for around 12 years, but then they changed some executives and decided to revoke it. So not for life, but still having it that long was awesome. We would just order like 10 pizzas for a party or something, and the delivery driver would always br so confused. They would look down at the receipt confused and say "it says you don't owe anything". We would always tip very well though since we didn't have to pay for pizza so they still loved us.
#33
I won a lifetime pass to Smugglers Cove mini golf when I was young by winning a monthly birthday drawing. It was in the shape of an embossed credit card. Raised numbers and name. They sold the location to Pirates Cove mini golf which did not honor my lifetime pass.
Years later, Smugglers Cove returned to the original location and when I tried to use the lifetime pass, they did not honor it.
It turns out it wasn’t valid for MY lifetime, rather the length of ownership of original Smugglers Cove mini golf course.
Image credits: Jedidax
#34
A coworker won a lifetime supply of quest bars because they were on the show the biggest loser.
Image credits: m0larMechanic
#35
I went to school with someone who won a 'life-time supply' of chocolate milkshake. He was about 8 at the time and his mum asked for it all in one go, and donated it to the school and local foodbanks.
Image credits: AdAggravating6730
#36
I had a (male) buddy in college whose legal name was a traditionally "female" name who got drunk one night and entered a contest to win a lifetime supply of feminine hygiene products.
He won and it was really awkward.
Image credits: billyhtchcoc
#37
In highschool when Sirius radio first came out my dad bought me a lifetime pass as a graduation gift. A few years later my car was totaled in Hurricane Sandy, when I went to go switch the radio sub to my new car they informed me the "lifetime" was the lifetime of the radio and not me. I made a big stink about it being a natural disaster and eventually they gave me a free transfer. About 8 years later a class action lawsuit made them give everyone with lifetime subs free transfers forever so now I'm good again.
#38
My buddy bought the $500 Amazon Prime for life membership back in the late 90’s.
He says they’re constantly hitting him up with offers to switch….
#39
Not a lifetime supply, but I did win a 53‘ trailer full of ramen noodles.
I found a cd that our college radio station was getting rid of and there was a contest on the sleeve to name the band and get free ramen. They picked my choice of „life of agony“ and soon a tractor trailer arrived with the goods.
They literally dropped off a full tractor trailer and I was on my own for emptying it. Most of it went to vagrants and thieves that walked by it.
#40
I found a box with a ton of rubios promo coupons in a storage locker I bought at auction, they didn’t have expiration dates…. I had hundreds if not thousands of “free entree” “free drink” “free chips and guacamole” cards. My friends and I ate rubios for a few years until we finally ran out, was a sad day when I had to pay for my fish tacos the first time. *I still find a coupon from time to time In my boxes of stuff in the garage every once in a while still.
#41
This is not technically something I won, but when I got braces my mom somehow managed to get them to write “free retainers for life” in my file. I have since had dental work done other places and moved to a different area, but if one of my retainers cracks or gets worn I still contact them for an appointment. I think the orthodontist who wrote it is long since retired. The receptionists are always confused when I call and say that’s not a thing they offer but I insist they pull my file and when they see it they end up honoring it. Even if one day I call and my file is not there anymore since I was a patient so long ago, it’s probably saved me thousands of dollars over the years.
#42
Didn't win a lifetime supply, but a while back I ordered some deodorant and the company sent me 3 cases of deodorant instead of 3 packs. I literally haven't bought deodorant in 6 years, even after giving some away. I am actually down to my last pack and I know I am going to have to buy more soon, which makes me pretty sad.
#43
Lifetime of free car washes with the purchase of my truck. They went out of business, but I also stopped using the service because the car washes consisted of running my truck through an old car wash that was doing more damage than good.
Image credits: notedrive
#44
I once won McDonald's happy meals for a year in one of their Monopoly games (Its really once a week for a year). I was a teenager, and thought it was hilarious, "I will never use this" --- My mom thought it was awesome. Every week for a year she went to McDonald's and ordered one happy meal. She said she got the funniest looks but that was her lunch!
#45
I won 'free donuts for a year" from being the first customer at the grand opening of a krispy kreme donut shop. Spent 16 hours waiting (along with a bunch of other people, who all got t-shirts).
What I got was a punch card for 52 dozen donuts, that expired one year from the date of opening.
#46
In 1980’s, my best friend won a radio contest for a lifetime access pass to all Kiss concerts. He was given a card with contact information anytime he wanted to attend. Two years later that phone number was disconnected and never became operational again.
#47
Not a lifetime but a 2 year supply of Krispy Kreme donuts. I was in college at the time and brought them to a lot of events.
Image credits: SpaceToaster
#48
When I was 11, I won a lifetime supply of Doritos and a few swag items on some kind of website promotion.
Turns out you had to be 13 or older to enter and I couldn't claim my prize.
I'm now 24, and not a week has gone by where I haven't thought about what my life could have been with that unlimited lifelong supply of doritos.
#49
My friend once had a birthday party at a bowling alley when we were kids and his dad preloaded one of those arcade cards with like $30. Well something must've gotten f****d up because we had like 5 kids sharing that card and it easily should have ran out by the end of the party. He proceeded to have his birthday at that same bowling alley the next several years, bringing the same arcade card with him, and it always worked for seemingly hours of gaming at the arcade. We got SO many prizes literally because of an infinite tickets hack that somehow came to us. It worked for maybe about 4 years til it finally said it was empty. To this day we have no idea how much was actually on the card.
#50
Finally I get to answer this question!
Last year my husband pulled one of the Topps TacoFractor cards. Now they put out like 300 of them with different players, so we had to wait till the play offs to find out if he won or not.
Well he did end up winning and got "Taco Bell for Life" which was actually a gift card for $15,000 which is an insanely large amount of taco bell so as you can imagine, we took to Ebay and sold it off for the money!
#51
I won a lifetime "happy hour" pass at my local bar. Closed down the next f*****g day because the owner was caught dealing cocaine that night.
#52
In college, my wife won a “lifetime” supply of Red Bull in one of those -tag things, the one where you build your own downhill snow sled.
She got thrown clear from her team’s sled, knocked the f**k out, and had a wicked injury (fully recovered though), all on video.
The “lifetime” supply was easily twelve years’ worth if you had one a day, but college kids gonna college and it was half gone within 4 years of winning it lol.
Image credits: YeahSeemsOk
#53
Met someone many years ago who'd got life threatening food poisoning on a plane.
The out of court settlement was free first class travel, worldwide, for life.
Unfortunately, it was with PanAm.
#54
Posted this before but - I didn't win a lifetime supply, in fact I didn't "win" anything. I got a free plain donut from Krispy Kreme for taking part in a 3 question customer survey submitting a code from my receipt. Thing is they sent me a barcode to my phone. The barcode didn't appear to have any expiry or state any rules such as one time use so a week later I went into the shop to try my luck and alas it worked again.. another free donut. I did this about 20 times with no issues. Then I screenshotted the pic and sent it to all my friends who also managed to claim a free donut. I did this for about 3 years each time I passed a Krispie kreme store as did all my friends. The best part was I never even bought the first one, I just found a random receipt with code on Google and used that. I don't even like them and just used to give them to the next homeless person I saw. Haven't done it for a while but as far as I'm aware it still works and my friends are still receiving their regular treats
EDIT - for those asking for the barcode im sorry but i wont be sharing.. there is literally no upside. thats a quick road to ending this free run and ive have been doing it so many years it would be stupid of me to do so. When it was just me i might have done, as i said i dont really like them but now i risk upseting my whole friend circle (and the local homeless community) by giving that out.
#55
I didn't technically win anything, but they didn't want me to return it so in a way it's a win. I ordered a tube of grease for my truck, the kind you use for wheel bearings, they sent me a case of these tubes. I used about half a tube to pack my bearings, bearings are good for around 100k miles, they sent me 20 tubes. I think that's fair to say I now have a lifetime supply of grease.
#56
There was a place near me selling free tacos for life (once a week of two tacos meal) for $100.. They went out of business 3 months later. Not sure if it was because of the deal, or they knew and were trying to milk some extra cash before closing.
#57
My friend won a lifetime supply of free condoms by Completing a sex ed quiz.
#58
Not me but my sister; she got a lifetime supply of gasoline (actually, 1 fill-up per week) that lasted as long as the company stayed in business.
It failed after a couple of years.
#59
I won a lifetime supply of Corn Nuts during a promo for their Pepperoni Pizza flavor. I assumed that this would have been like a laminated card that I could take to a convenience store and say "Nah, the Corn Nuts are already taken care of."
No. I got 6 giant a*s boxes of packs of Corn Nuts in various flavors (Pepperoni Pizza being the absolute worst). After a couple of weeks I was giving Corn Nuts to anyone who would cross my path and would entertain a snack that resembles the consistency of human teeth.
I wondered how they came up with the appropriate number of boxes to be considered a "lifetime supply". I can say that after that experience I never want to see another Corn Nut again, so I would consider it to be a lifetime supply.
#60
Drove from Illinois to New England when my daughter was three at Christmas to see family. Coming home we stopped at a bigger Holiday Inn with a bar and restaurant. While I was checking in, the desk clerked noticed it was my birthday and said he was going give me a lifetime supply of free cocktail coupons. He hands me a huge mailing envelope overflowing with coupons. I was pretty pumped up and used the first coupon that night. Was bragging about it to our server and she looked at me and said: “you know that these coupons all expire on December 31st?”
Ended up using exactly two coupons. Neither my wife nor I really looked forward to getting up at 8 the next morning and driving 500 miles while hung over.
#61
Jerry’s Pizza owner in Burke, Virginia, challenged me to eat a Large pepperoni pizza, and a foot long “Fat Daddy” sub(1900 calories)…within 30 mins. I did it in half the time by folding the pizza into quarters like a thick calzone.
I got a free large pizza once a week. I stopped bragging about this feat bc I found out Mondays were $5 pizza night and I really didn’t *win* a substantial prize.
Image credits: XROOR
#62
Lifetime supply of dominoes after biting into a screw in the crust….
#63
I won a lifetime supply of lawn fertilizer from some random magazine I filled out when I was stoned as s**t and thought it said a lawn mower.
I didn't have a f*****g lawn anyway because I lived in an apartment in downtown Seattle and didn't know what to do with it, so I just gave it to my dad for 500 bucks who had a huge property out in the rain forest where he didn't need it anyway.
Image credits: BasicallyJustAnIdiot
#64
Got a “lifetime supply” of Utz chips. That worked out to about 6 boxes of chips I think. It wasn’t what I would consider a lifetime supply but it was enough to make a pie crust of chips about 1/4” thick throughout my entire house after the great chip war of 2005.
#65
[The story of the Casa Sanchez tattoo](https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/casa-sanchez-tattoos-free-meal-promo-san-francisco-16465800.php) is relevant here. Largely for how well they delivered.
Long story short, a local taqueria in San Francisco offered free tacos for life if you got a tattoo of their logo. First in 1998, then they revived it in 2010. The problem is that they closed the restaurant in 2012 and moved into just selling chips, salsa, and the like in grocery stores. However, they put a clause in the lease of the pupuseria that took over their old location that people with the tattoos still get free pupusas. So a little over 20 years later it appears to still be holding up, more or less.
#66
It turns out a lifetime supply of root beer is not an unlimited supply of root beer. Apparently it’s only two root beers a day. What do they think I’m gonna drink all the root beer? I mean I couldn’t if I tried, probably.
#67
My BFF won a lifetime supply of Virgin Cola. What this ended up equaling was the delivery of a few thousand cans (a Virgin estimate of how much cola he'd drink over his lifetime.
Pretty soon his p**s was coming out brown, on the other hand, he made art from the cans.
#68
"You know they say a lifetime supply, but they never really account for the dragon balls".
