First Place Entry: Patricia A. Butcher

I would spend the $400.00 giving my best friend and love of my life the one thing he has been wanting since he has been old enough to look out a car window. A real honest to goodness train ride. My best friend is 5 years old and his name is Taevin. It has been my joy and pleasure to be a part of his life since he was born. In fact I was present at his birth and my arms were the first arms he felt when he was delivered. He is a child that was never wanted by his mother and who never really knew his father but always wanted by me. At three days old he came home from the hospital to live with me until his mother could get her self together to raise him. Nine months later she presented herself and took him to live with her. Unfortunately his home life was a mess from that day on. Christmas and Summers and every holiday he spends with me. He is more my child than any child I could ever carry. Despite his home life or maybe because of it Taevin is a very lovable and funny kid smart and has a very big heart in a pint size body. He loves Thomas the Train, Trucks, and cars. More than anything he loves trains. I have spent countless hours playing with his toy train sets and taking him to train shows when they come in the area. I am the sole provider for his needs. I make sure he has warm clothing in the winter and comfortable clothing in the summer. Providing for two homes is difficult but the most important thing is that he is never without. The one gift I have always wanted to give him is a train ride To take him as far east as the train will go and back again. To be able to give him that and watch him discover the world I know would mean the everything to him. It would be my way of thanking him being the best part of me and my life.

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First Place Entry: Myrianisa Lopez

I make pretty good money at work but sometimes unexpected bills come up. I recently moved and wanted to get my 5 year old daughter something new for her room. We were sharing a room as well as a bed at that time. I took out a loan to be able to buy her a new bed! She absolutely loved it. With the extra money I was able to buy her a comforter set, canopy, and a the allergy reducing mattress cover that she needs so badly. It was nice to see her smile when she saw the whole thing set up. Now she won't even let me sit on "her" bed. The loan helped me not only make my child smile, but also avoid any rude midnight beatings as she kicks and slaps in her sleep! Thank you, National Payday! Myrianisa Lopez

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First Place Entry: Tammy Johnson

Well, since the majority of us folks who need a payday loan, could probably also use the advice of people who actually know how to budget, then you could probably create some kind of online forum where either real people who used to be in a bind, but have learned simple budgeting skills and have gotten on track, can share their experiences, or you could even invite some kind of budgeting professional maybe once a month or so, who could hold a brief Q&A session with us "not so savvy with money" people :-). And hey, why stop there? MOost of us who need payday loans, PROBABLY couldn't save up enough to own a house, so maybe either post home buying tips for low incomers, or again, have a forum or a Q&A session with a lender who has good tips. And you could send out e'mail invitations to all your past customers, inviting them to this "Very important seminar/symposium/talk", or whatever you wanna call it. And hey, while you're at it, why not do something, like for every fifth time one particular person uses National PayDay's services, then you can promise to put say, $50 towards a scholarship fund....and when the scholarship fund builds to, say....$5,000, then hold a contest for some lucky parent to win the money and help put their child thru college. Or....well, I'm full of ideas, but I think I'll stop there :-)

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First Place Entry: Amie Barris

The WORST way to use a payday loan? That's easy - to pay off another payday loan! Let's say that you owe Company A $300, so you get a $400 loan from Company B to cover that and some "weekend expenses". Two weeks later, you're getting another loan from company A to cover what you owe to company B. Short-term means just what it says, my friends. Save your pennies and do not get tangled up in the mess of owing people. You might be there forever!

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First Place Entry: Chris Pool

It’s been a tough year, but a spectacular year. In August 2006 my soon to be wife and I found out we were having a new arrival, the wedding was planned, the dress was bought, the show had to go on! In October we were married, it was a spectacular event in both of our lives, and thanks to our family, we were able to share it with our friends, and our family. Then April came, and brought a beautiful baby girl with it. The most adorable little baby I’ve ever seen. She got her mother’s nose, my feet, and she stole my heart from the second I met her. With the wife not working, I struggled to make it, I put in long hours at the office, and finally took on a second job on the weekends working construction, but unfortunately the area we live and work in, everything is expensive. I’ve had to use National for a handful of loans, over this time to get through. In fact I have one right now, which brings me to my creative money saving gift idea. I took out a small payday loan, so my wife and I could buy picture frames, not just any picture frames, but unfinished ones. For Christmas, we’re going to paint them with different themes, and put pictures in them, and give them to all the grandparents and great grandparents. This frees up a lot of hard earned money so my wife and I can buy the thing for our baby, so she can have a fabulous first Christmas. The only thing that would make it a better Christmas is if we had $400 extra dollars!! Merry Christmas

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