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| My dream prize - a Holiday to New York (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
I have been lucky enough to win on a regular basis since I started entering competitions more often about two years ago. The prizes I love the most are the experiences that I wouldn't have bought myself such as a weekend in Bristol for the food festival with a stay in the Hotel Du Vin and deluxe 6 course meal with Michelin star chef. It was an amazing weekend.
My family find my comping funny on times, sometimes they feel its an anti climax when I get my wins. I always remember the time I won a toy snake and when it arrived it only had one eye! But when all is said and done they can't really complain. My son needed a computer for school and I was lucky to win him not one but two all the the space of 10 days. I was totally gobsmacked as I had never won one before let alone two in a matter of days.
I like to enter competitions where there is some effort involved as these often are lower entry. Last year Quidco was running a competition with a number of prizes. To enter you had to make a thirty second video about an award ceremony as it was a tie in to the Oscars. Myself and my son worked on the idea of the Quidco Globes, and we wrote and devised a video made with lego characters. We didn't win first prize but we were so pleased with second - a Smart TV! It felt all the more wonderful as we put so much time and effort into the competition.
When I asked some of my 'comping' friends why they enjoy their hobby these are some of the answers they came up with.
"I get shiny new things that I can't afford and things that aren't bills from the postman."
"The thrill of the win whether big or small and the fact that I win not just for me but for family and friends."
"The buzz of seeing my name announced, it doesn't matter if the win is big or small."
"Because of the little luxuries you just wouldn't go and buy."
"I started comping out of boredom but still remember that first win and the buzz it gave me. When I won my phone I was over the moon but still didn't expect it to turn up!"
"It gives me something that is relatively productive to do much better than an online game."
"I love comping because i've just come back from a lovely prize holiday to Rome. Comping has taken me to places that I'd never have been able to visit and the best hotels I couldn't possibly afford to pay for. Oh and I came back to a win of Oven Cleaner - the variety of comping!"
"I think I've always comped even as a child - I've never excelled at anything in school or work but I have had success in comping. I have been able to provide all sort of treats over the years that money can't buy."
As you can see entering competitions can be a worthwhile hobby. Do you enter competitions? What has been your best or most unusual win? Be lucky!
i started comping after life saving surgery while i was recovering i was looking on MSE for ways to save money as i had to leave my job and quite by chance i came across the comping forum, had a look at the pics of what people had won and thought do they really win this stuff, they must do they have pictures so i entered a few comps and when i was on the road to recovery i spent more and more time entering comps and i think i waited 3 weeks for my first prize a dvd to pop through the letterbox, and the more i entered the more post i recieved and when its not a bill but something you have won it makes all the hours sat at the pc worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you were ill hope you are better now. It's so nice getting letters saying Congratulations instead of a bill!
DeleteWhen my daughter was a baby and her dad had walked out I had lots of time and no money so I started comping as a way of winning things I needed or being able to sell my prizes to get money and it worked. I loved it. I treated it like a fulltime job. I kept a spreadsheet of every comp I entered with frequency, where I'd found it, the prize, closing date and if I'd won. My win rate was about 1:150 I think and I won a holiday to Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt from a comp on the back of a Sainsburys cereal box, 2 trips to Paris, lots of electronics, books, dvds and cds, and other miscellaneous things. I stopped doing it seriously several years ago but still enter the odd thing and win occasionally, although nothing significant. I have dabbled in entering larger numbers of comps over the years but find it so time consuming and also the days of NPN comps seem to have gone, so many seem to require purchases these days that I stopped bothering altogether with those.
ReplyDeleteYes comping has changed and with the advent of the Internet it's easier for people to enter now too. You have done well though Janine I will win a holiday one day!
Deletesorry to hear about the circumstances though
DeleteI've been comping about 10 years, online, I love the buzz. The last 18 months or so mostly used Twitter. My best win has been one from ITV - but I'm not saying what I won, just that it was amazing!! @msedollyp
ReplyDeleteOh my an ITV prize ! Well done lovely girl. That must be a dream win
DeleteI found the comping forum on MSE after joining for Debt Management advice!! Pleased to say well on track with my debt and won some fabulous stuff since joining - most recently we just come back from Chicago thanks to Heart FM
ReplyDeleteAddictive isn't it :D :D
That sounds fabulous what a great prize Rachael
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