WalletPop

Still suffering from a holiday spending binge? You've got a few more weeks to tell your story of profligate spending and win a chance to get your credit cards paid off -- or at least up to $5,000 -- by Mint.com. The contest runs through March 31, during which time participants can enter a text story or upload a video at Mint.com. Along with the credit payments, the winning video entrant and the winning writer will each receive financial counseling so they do not make the same money mistakes again. Membership at Mint is not a requirement to enter the contest.

Mint is a web-based company that allows its members to enter all of their credit card and banking information and then automatically tracks spending, finds savings and helps with budgeting. In the wake of the holiday season, there are many people suffering the pains that come from looking at the mounting credit card bills.

According to Aaron Patzer, founder and CEO of Mint, the contest's real purpose is to educate people about finances, the errors that can be made, and how to avoid those errors. "Personal finance is not something that people talk about often. People have financial blunders and the idea behind the contest is that you can learn from other people's mistakes," he said when I interviewed him for a story I did for TheStreet.com.

The contest will be judged in two phases. The first phase has visitors to Mint.com rate their favorite entries on the website and takes place while entries are being accepted. The second phase will take place from April 1 through April 15, during which a panel of judges will evaluate the top ten videos and top ten text stories from the first phase. The entries will be judged on originality and creativity, humor, and appropriateness.

Mint.com has gotten some cash of it's own lately: $12 million in venture capital from firms like Benchmark Capital.