Competition win

Now we're rocking. The prizes are starting to roll in.

Just had a call to tell me that I've won a pair of tickets to RedFest http://www.redfest.co.uk/
which looks pretty good - there's a really interesting line-up.

Unfortunately I'm in Vilnius (Llithuania) that weekend playing cricket so will have to pass on the tickets.

Must admit I was feeling a tad miserable about the veritable prize drought........a little more encouraged now.


good luck

compingking


Prizes entered 1451
Prizes won 3
Approx value £95
Period 7 weeks

Competition win

Hurray, hurray, hurray, hurray

I've just received a Long White Envelope (LWE) - my second prize in the 6 weeks since I started this blog. The "hurrays" are tempered somewhat by the prize...............

I've won a runner up prize in a competition run by Wagg Foods - there is a clue in the name.

I'm a runner up in a competition and have won a box of dog treats - not having a dog or any intention of getting one, this is a little perplexing as I don't normally enter competitions that others might appreciate more.

Having looked at their website www.waggfoods.co.uk I've established that the first prize was for a 10 mega pixel camera - which makes a little more sense.

Anyway, there are about 10 different treats to choose from - I think I'll choose "Chunky Bars" (yummy) which I'll give to a dog owning friend.


good luck

Compingking

Prizes entered 1240
Prizes won 2
Approx value £25
Period 6 weeks

351 brand new competitions

Gadzooks - the July edition of Simply Prizes has just thudded on to my doormat - its got 351 brand new competitions inside which include 34 summer holidays, 7 cars and a £100,000 jackpot prize.

To be honest I'm getting behind a bit again and haven't finished all the entries from the June edition. I'll focus on all the biggies and postcard entries first and not worry so much about the smaller ones - maybe catching up with them if I can find some time somewhere. I'll do the postcard entries as there tends to be fewer entries for them and hence more chance of wnning.

Today is also publication day of Mycomps and there are normally about 150 new internet based competitions each week............sooh I've probably got a list of about 600 comps to be entered.

Interestingly the Editor of Simply Prizes says in her editorial that she is also having a bit of a lean time at the moment - so I'm in auspicious company.

Today is one of those difficult days where comping unfortunately falls down the pecking order (maybe I'll manage between 10 and midnight). This evening I've got the Governor's Meeting to chair at my local primary school - a really great thing to do. This clashed with my midweek cricket which has been cancelled as well as the Germany vs Spain World Cup Semi which I will tape and watch later when I'm comping.............phew

good luck


compingking

No prizes yet

I've been doing this blog for just over a month now and amazingly have entered just over 1200 competitions - pretty typical number of entries. I haven't done anything special this month - maybe entering fewer than normal being busy at work and gallavanting up Scottish mountains for charity.

What is a little unusual is the lack of prizes............1200 entries vs 2 Rubiks Cubes, if this was the norm I would pack up, stop, quit, desist, cease or never enter another competition again - fortunately this isn't the case........................I hope.

I popped round to Morrisons earlier - they do have a constant supply of new comps to enter including some great holidays, most of which are "no purchase necessary" - managed to pick up a couple of entry forms.

Roll on the thud of Long White Envelopes landing on the mat!!

good luck

Compingking


Prizes entered 1240
Prizes won 1
Approx value £15

Big Cash Prizes

I've just logged on quickly to do my daily coffeebreak comps and have entered £52,500 worth of cash prizes, as follows:

Loose Women £15k
This Morning £25k plus £3k Matalan couchers
The Chase £7.5k
Real Deal £2k

There is a so called "big 3" in the comping world, namely Cars, Cash, Holidays. I've ticked one of them off having won a couple of big holidays - the plushest having a potential value of £9,400.

I've won lots of vouchers and small cash prizes over the years but nothing significant yet. Friends often ask me if it would be possible to give up work and become a full time comper - to be honest given the lack of cash winnings and randomness I don't think it would be possible to be a comper without any other source of income.

However, having said that it is an interesting and rewarding hobby.........not a job!

good luck!

compingking

Prizes entered 976
Prizes won 1
Approx value £15

Lunchtime update

I'm working at home today - really busy, which is great, I do a job that I love and work with some wonderful people, and, given the current economic climate it's a big bonus not only to have a job but to have a great one too.

Anyway, I'm just taking a few minutes at lunchtime to do an update - I'm always a bit paranoid about working at home and feel that I always have to show that I'm working, so I'm doubly active - going so far as to take my work mobile to the loo with me so that I'm always contactable.

I'm going through a bit of a prizewinning drought at the moment as the stats at the bottom of the page show. Funny old thing this comping lark - sometimes it seems that you're winning all the time and at times like this you're tempted to knock it on the head and pack it all in.

I remember one particular month not so long ago when I won; a luxury New York holiday, a week in a log cabin in the Lake District, a years supply of wine (72 bottles) and numerous smaller prizes.

I've entered a further 201 competitions since my last update and notably the world cup entries have dried up now! As hard as I try not to be I am thoroughly miserable............my fantasy prize win to South Africa watching England win the world cup is in tatters. The recent glut of Sex and the City competitions are continuing - fingers crossed I would love to go back to New York.

good luck!

compingking

Prizes entered 972
Prizes won 1
Approx value £15

Another comping session

I've just looked back to my last post, gadzooks - it's been a week since I've done an update.

Quite a lot has happened since my last post, I was pretty whacked after the mountaineering extravaganza last week but still managed to play an evening cricket match, do some long days at work (including a 14 hour day!).

At the weekend my wife was away on a girlie weekend so I spent the whole weekend as taxi driver for the children - as well as managing to be persuaded to have a fathers day lunch in Pizza Hut - not my favourite I admit but the endless ice cream fountain is a real winner for my 10 and 6 year old daughters.

So it came as a bit of a surprise when I added up the number of competitions I've managed to enter - a huge 312 in just over a week. This includes all of the puzzle magazines (Take a Break, That's Life and Chat) - must admit I've been entering them for years and haven't won anything from them - but I'll persevere as there are some great prizes every week, lots of cars and holidays for example.

Oh, thought I might mention that my big parcel contained a Rubiks Cube and a Rubiks Cube Keyring - a prize from Girltalk magazine. Hey, not much but my first prize since I started this blog.

good luck!

Compingking

Prizes entered 771
Prizes won 1
Approx value £15

Hurray

Just back from the Scottish Highlands - took part in the Wateraid Munro Challenge, I love doing things for Wateraid, it's a great charity. There were 26 of us in our group and we climbed the Aonachs (Aonach Mor and Aonach Beag) which are the 7th and 8th highest mountains in Britain.

I must admit to being pretty shattered, but I reckon we will have raised more than £3,000 - enough to save the lives of some 200 children who don't have access to clean water and sanitation.

Anyway, while I was away I got an excited phone call from home that a big brown package arrived - my first win since starting this blog.............. I'll update again on Wednesday, really really shattered and need my beauty sleep.

good luck

Compingking

Day 8 - another prize free day

Really busy day at work today - early start and 100 mile round trip commute from Swindon to Bristol - I try to work at home a couple of days per week to save on the commute - and to be honest I can get far more work done.

Anyway, I've just whizzed off about 25 entries including holidays to the Cook Islands, Malta, Butlins, Pontins and Zanzibar (where Freddie Mercury was born). There was also a rather tasty BMW convertible - cor!

Another prize free day today - but to be frank it's only day 8, which is no time at all...........

good luck!

Compingking

Prizes entered 459
Prizes won 0
Approx value 0

Phew - major competition marathon completed

I've just completed a marathon session, c. 90 minutes.

About 165 entries (c. 150 from this weeks Mycomps and 15 from today's Coffeebreak Winner). As usual there are some lovely prizes e.g. cars, holidays and wheelbarrows full of cash - deuced difficult to win though.

No prizes in June yet or indeed since I started this blog - fingers crossed that I get something from the huge number that finished on 31st May.

I introduced my childminder Jane to the joys of comping about 2 months ago - she has yet to win anything, it will happen - just need to persevere!

I need to get a wiggle on this week, I'll get my Simply Prizes magazine with, usually, about 150 competitions to enter. I'm off to Scotland to do a charity walk for Wateraid (the Munro Challenge) - so I expect I'll have withdrawl symptoms from Thursday to Sunday.

Prizes entered 434

Prizes won 0
Approx value 0

good luck!

compingking

Snuck a few competition entries in!

Just spent a swift 20 minutes getting some competition entries submitted!

Entered 24 Coffeebreak comps from Thursday and Friday as well as 4 cash and 12 holiday competitions from Mycomps.

I've got a big backlog of entries to do this week, might get up a bit early tomorrow.

The holiday competitions included 3 trips to New York (all Sex and the City promotions) as well as trips to Australia and the Cayman Islands........so big fingers crossed.

Prizes entered 269

Prizes won 0

Approx value 0

good luck!

compingking

How many competitions to enter

I've thought often about how many competitions I should be entering in order to balance my personal life as well as show a decent return for my endeavours - let's be honest none of us wouldn't be doing this if we didn't win any prizes!

For me, my routine allows me to enter about 250 competitions a week garnering an average monthly return of some £600 of prizes. This is skewed very much by some big prizes e.g. 2 holidays with a value in excess of £10,000. I could enter more if I had the time, perhaps something I may do when I no longer work.

The advice though seems to be that it is necessary to enter 30 competitions a week in order to get a decent return - I just don't see that. Even for me and 250 competitions a week I go through what seem to be long periods without winning anything.

The return is by and large a result of statistics i.e. the more you enter the more you will win - the days of tiebreakers or skill based competitions are just about over - most entries are internet based or require you to buy some product or other.

Anyway, time for me to complete todays entries - I've got about 150 links to click from Mycomps and about 70 from Simply Prizes internet comps as well as todays Coffee Break Comps.

Prizes entered 229

Prizes won 0

Approx value 0


good luck!


compingking

Today's comps

Just done a quick whiz through this mornings compos - including yesterday's and today's coffeebreakcomps as well as justcomps express (I get an email from them every Tuesday and Saturday).

Entered in total, 32 competitions - some lovely prizes including £2000 of Tesco Vouchers as well as a family break to Nottinghamshire.

What I did do was enter 18 competitions from a website called Sheer Luxe which is a great online shopping site. Fingers crossed x

http://www.sheerluxe.com/competition.htm

Prizes entered 229

Prizes won 0

Approx value 0


good luck!


compingking


WAZKYUT8A8BR

Competition Time

I sometimes wonder how long I spend entering competitions - it used to be 2 hours on a Thursday night, completing all the comps from the mycomps online magazine (about 150 comps a week) plus another couple of hours doing all the entries from the Simplyprizes Magazine (about 350 comps a month).

On top of these I get a daily email from Coffeebreakwinner with about 6 to 15 comps in every week day. I also spend time chasing down entry forms from supermarkets and buying qualifying products.

All in all I probably spend about 7 hours per week or 30 hours per month entering competitions - given that on average I've won about £600 per month on prizes that makes my return at about £20 per hour, not so bad.

It has to be said though that this represents prizes won - if I were to sell everything the cash value would be much much less probably only about half of that!

So the point I'm trying to make in a roundabout way is that this is an amazing wonderful interesting hobby where you get a payback for the time you spend, but it is not the road to riches!


Prizes entered 197

Prizes won 0

Approx value 0


good luck!


compingking

Weekend Break

I took a bit of a break over the weekend, Bank Holiday and family matters took priority, although I did keep "my eyes on the prize" and got some more codes for the Coke World Cup Competition as well as seeking out the Asda magazine which always contains some lovely compos.

I took my 6 year old daughter to Wembley on Saturday to watch her first football match. It was the play off final and unfortunately we (Swindon) were beaten by Millwall - deservedly so in truth, we got stage fright and didn't really perform. It was a lovely day though, we managed to get first class train tickets for an extra £3 which was a bit of a bargain!

Anyway, on to today's competitions - I've just entered 2 codes into the Cokezone site as well as entered 10 comps from yesterdays coffeebreakwinner - there were some lovely competitions c. £35,000 worth of cash prizes and 4 good holidays, including St Lucia and Tennessee.

I also entered a competition in the Daily Express to win a motorhome - I was in 2 minds about entering this as it cost £2 to enter by text - but did anyway as I really really would like to win a motorhome. There are quite a few competitions which cost a bit to enterand I generally steer clear of them unless the prize is really exceptional.

Anyway, looking forward - I have a high degree of optimism this week, looking back over my entries there were an amazing number with closing dates of 31st May so I'm waiting for those Long White Envelopes to land on the doormat!

Also, I get my Simply Prizes magazine this week as well as all the internet comps. Anyway, off swimming with the children now.


Prizes entered 197

Prizes won 0

Approx value 0


good luck!


compingking

The end of a busy day

Well, I've entered all the competitions I plan to enter today - c.150 from Mycomps, 12 from Coffeebreakwinner, 3 more cokezone entries for world cup tickets, c. 20 from random emails received.

I'm going through a bit of a lean spell at the moment - in May I have only won 2 prizes - a package containing 12 different Jo-Lo perfumes and cosmetics products (value c.£200) which will come in handy to give away as presents and a nursing scarf (value £29.99) - not so great.

I reckon that I average about £600 per month worth of prize winnings, which is very much skewed by the biggies.

Anyway, I'm going to keep a tally of entries:prizes starting from today, so:

Prizes entered 185
Prizes won 0
Approx value 0


good luck!

compingking

Busy day

Sat down with coffee to do the competitions sent to me every Thursday by "My Comps".

I get about 150 competitions every week from them - all laid out with links to click. With a fair wind it will take me about 2 hours to get through them using autofill on my toolbar to complete all of the entry forms.

It's a bit of an industry for me - I don't spend anytime reading the details otherwise I'd never have time to enter them all.

Thought it would be useful to keep track of the numbers of competitions entered and the prizes won - I'll do that from my next entry.

I'm on holiday today, otherwise I'd be doing this in the evening with my netbook on my lap.

good luck!

compingking

Things you come across

Just finished catching up with the morning's entries - some great prizes from the television channels, lots of cash. Thing about them is that there are many entries and the chances of winning anything are decidedly slim. (I've never one a television competition despite entering many hundreds).

Sometime ago I entered a competition with Durex - heaven knows what the prize was! I do keep getting emails from them - keep meaning to unsubscribe, but always find them interesting!

Anyway, the last one had "The British Sex Survey" ......interesting reading methinks.

http://www.durex.com/en-GB/SexualWellbeingSurvey/Pages/British-Sex-Survey-2009-Results.aspx

good luck!


compingking

Obsession?

Sometimes I think I maybe obsessed about entering competitions - perhaps it's a bit of an addiction.

If I miss out, perhaps because I'm away, on entering competitions from any of the services I subscribe to, I get really irritable - not giving up smoking irritable but irritated irritable.

Anyway, this morning I've entered a couple more cokezone codes to win a world cup trip as well as about 20 other competitions that have landed in my mail box - I get an enormous amount of email as a result of previous entries.

Also, I've entered the Argos "win a truck full of prizes" competition worth £5,000. You can enter every week.

I've pasted the link here: http://www.worldtruck.co.uk/Content/index.htm?_%24ja=tsid%3A11674%7Cprd%3A1621863#/win

good luck!

compingking

Coffee Break Winner

I subscribe to a comping service "National Compers Alliance" (NCA) that gives me access to most of the current big comps available at any one time.

Coffee Break Winner is part of this service. Every day at 11 a.m. the site is updated with shortly closing comps, normally about 5 to 10 a day Mondays to Fridays.

I've just done todays entries including a fine chance to go to New York with Cosmo (fingers crossed) and other compos for concert tickets and sports tickets. I didn't enter them - they were too far away or I couldn't make the dates.

Life is too short to enter everything and I think it's a little unfair to deprive others of an opportunity when I know I can't use them myself. Athough I would enter if I could give the prizes away as prezzies.

good luck!

compingking

First Post!

I've set up this blog to record the daily trials and tribulations of being a "comper".

I've been comping for about 3 years now and have won some amazing prizes - but by the same token have spent many many hours entering competitions and tracking down entry forms.

I'll update this most days - giving details of all the competitions I've entered and more excitingly all the fantastic prizes I am going to win!


good luck!

compingking