Have a Man Cave? Win $15K

Turn on the game, open a cold one surrounded by your favorite signed collectibles and channel your inner caveman.

Bill Me Later is holding its own "Win a Man Cave" Contest. From the comfort of a leather recliner in Timonium, Md., the payment and marketing solution company has kicked off a nationwide contest that offers people the chance to submit the most compelling and creative reasons for winning their own Man Cave. Bill Me Later is asking contestants to share with the world their stories of why they need a Man Cave.

The grand prize winner will fill their Man Cave with up to $15,000 of merchandise from 18 of the company's partner merchants, including Dick's Sporting Goods, Newegg, Fathead, Sports Authority, FogDog, Lenovo, Blendtec and TigerDirect.

"Men need to step up their game for the sake of their families, their friends and most importantly for their own fulfillment," says Chris Williams, vice president of marketing for Bill Me Later, Inc. "Watching sports and drinking beer while sitting on ratty old furniture with bad lighting is no longer acceptable. Men deserve a place where they can kick back surrounded by sports memorabilia, a foosball table, perhaps a humidor, and other important stuff that nobody appreciates in the same way they do."

The company asks would-be contestants to prove they're in need of a man cave makeover.

For those who haven't heard the term, a Man Cave is a room that includes male-centric decor and is used for watching sports, shooting pool, and being with the guys. It is frequently where the cave dweller displays items considered undesirable for display elsewhere in the home by their significant other (like old baseball cards and signed collectibles). In an extreme situation, Man Caves can be separate and distinct locations such as sheds, garages, cabins, etc. Psychologically, the space is associated with positive emotions emulating from the comfortable surroundings, entertainment and camaraderie that typically occur in the room.

Contestants can log onto IWantMyManCave.com for a complete list of sponsors, rules and deadlines for the "Win a Man Cave" Contest. Each cave dweller must submit a short essay detailing why they deserve a Man Cave. Essays can be augmented with a video or photos further detailing the need for a Man Cave. Contestants can also browse the Bill Me Later merchant prize pool and select the items they'd like to win to build their dream Man Cave.

Video and photo submissions can be posted, and will be viewed and shared online. Visitors to the site can comment and vote for the Cave they feel is most in need of a makeover or the contestant who they think needs a Cave the most. Caves for consideration can be posted until November 19, 2008, by the cave dwellers themselves or by friends and family members that feel that the time has come for a change.

In addition to the weekly winners, who will be chosen, the ultimate Man Cave winner will be announced on December 2.

Bill Me Later offers products for Man Caves through more than 1,000 online stores, catalogs and travel partners that offer the Bill Me Later payment system.