| A simple shopping expedition to buy new clothes | | | | I could hardly believe it when, laden with jeans, |
| can become a daunting experience when you've | | | | trousers, T-shirts, fashionable shirts and trainers, |
| lost your income through redundancy. | | | | the manager accompanied us to a check out. It |
| Suddenly, "luxuries" like family holidays or a new | | | | was like meeting Santa Claus in a suit. He totted |
| car seem things of the past. | | | | up the bill to the amount of our prize win, thanked |
| I understand that feeling only too well. It | | | | us for entering their competition and smilingly |
| happened to me some years ago. As if that | | | | escorted us to the door before waving us a |
| wasn't enough, my husband was also made | | | | cheery good-buy! |
| redundant at the same time. | | | | Although unsuccessful at finding new employment, |
| Then a newspaper article changed my life... | | | | despite scouring job advertisements and |
| The article featured ordinary people, like me and | | | | completing application forms, my new pastime of |
| you. I read how they enjoyed holidays to exotic | | | | "comping" was keeping my brain active as well as |
| locations, drove gleaming new cars and showered | | | | changing our shopping and eating habits. |
| their family and friends with exciting goodies - all | | | | Instead of window shopping, knowing we couldn't |
| for free. | | | | afford to buy expensive goodies and luxuries, |
| Intrigued, I read on. Thinking there must be a | | | | shopping became fun. Often the only thing I'd |
| catch somewhere! | | | | come back with from an afternoon of shopping, |
| All these "compers" had one thing in common - | | | | was a pile of entry forms! |
| they won prizes. Cars. Holidays. Landscaped | | | | The competition tasks were varied, challenging |
| gardens. Entertainment systems. Computers, toys | | | | and fun as family general knowledge improved by |
| and games for their kids. Luxury kitchens. Even a | | | | leaps and bounds. The reference library became a |
| house. You name it. They won it. | | | | second home. |
| Normally, I'd read an article and forget it. But with | | | | Our diet changed according to qualifying till |
| teenage daughter needing new trainers and time | | | | receipts. |
| on my hands, apart from seemingly endless job | | | | "Tonight," I'd tell my family, "we're having pizza - |
| hunting, what had I to lose? | | | | to try and win an Italian holiday. Served with |
| A prize crossword in a high street chain store | | | | tomato salad - to win a holiday in the Canaries. |
| caught my eye. Completed, I sent it on its way | | | | Followed by apples - to win a healthy break in |
| and forgot all about it. Three weeks later the | | | | France. Oh, and as a treat, you can have a |
| postman brought me a long white envelope. | | | | chocolate - to win a Valentine's cruise!" |
| "Congratulations...," I read, "you've won a small gift | | | | "Just remember I need the wrapper!" |
| voucher." | | | | Within six months of discovering this new |
| At that moment I realized there wasn't a catch. | | | | pastime, I won a family holiday in Devon, a TV, |
| Ordinary people like you and me could, and did, | | | | video recorder and lots of welcome runners-up |
| win competition prizes. | | | | prizes like bottles of wine, spirits, leather handbag, |
| It was fun spending the gift voucher, after writing | | | | a watch, camera and shopping vouchers. Then |
| a thank you note to the competition promoter, I | | | | came a worrying time followed by an exciting ten |
| wondered if my win was a fluke! I decided to find | | | | days. |
| out... | | | | On Christmas eve my daughter was rushed to |
| Wandering round the high street stores I | | | | hospital with suspected appendicitis. Whilst in the |
| discovered a competition in a free magazine in a | | | | hospital, we watched Del Boy and Rodney from |
| bank to win one of 25 pair of trainers and an | | | | "Only Fools and Horses" in The Everglades and |
| entry form in a men's clothing store. | | | | wished we too, could take an airboat ride just like |
| Having never noticed competitions before it was | | | | Del and Rodney. |
| like going on a treasure hunt. Sherlock Holmes | | | | The lady in the next bed passed her magazine to |
| would have been proud of me! An entry form | | | | my daughter. Inside was a tiebreaker slogan |
| collar on a bottle of wine. A prize draw on a | | | | competition to win a healthy weekend break. |
| bookmark in the local bookshop. Instead of bags | | | | A few weeks later, returning late at night from |
| of shopping I came back laden with entry forms, | | | | an interview, I opened an interesting looking letter. |
| all shapes and sizes. | | | | Tiredness disappeared as I read: |
| Sitting in the library, wading through an | | | | "Congratulations, you've won a health and country |
| encyclopedia to answer some of the competition | | | | club weekend in the Lake District." |
| questions, I realized what a challenging and fun | | | | This was followed, a few days later, by a |
| pastime I'd discovered. And one that was only as | | | | fantastic sur-prize - a family holiday for four to |
| expensive as I wanted it to be. | | | | Miami, Florida, including hotel, flights, car hire AND |
| Quickly discovering that prize draws were free to | | | | tickets for an air boat ride in The Everglades. |
| enter, all it cost was a postcard and stamp and | | | | Wow! |
| not even that when you were allowed to drop | | | | Still on cloud nine, the next morning I answered |
| your entry form into the free prize in-store | | | | the phone to a man who quizzed: |
| posting box. | | | | "Do you remember entering a competition in your |
| Those competitions where you were asked to | | | | local supermarket recently?" |
| complete a tiebreaker sentence, such as: | | | | "Mmm, yes," I answered, trying to recall which |
| "I want to win a car with store because..." usually | | | | competition he meant. |
| asked you to attach a qualifying till receipt, I | | | | "Well", he continued, "you've won a brand new |
| noted. | | | | car!" |
| Avoiding expensive "qualifiers", it was easy to | | | | I was speechless! He said a confirmation letter |
| switch buying habits. For instance, instead of your | | | | was in the post. An agonizing "have I dreamed it |
| normal brand of soap powder, you simply bought | | | | or not" weekend followed until a long white |
| the brand which was running a competition. You | | | | envelope arrived on Monday. It was true - I'd won |
| kept your till receipt and enclosed it with your | | | | a car! And all for identifying eight products and |
| entry as proof of purchase or "qualifier" as it was | | | | writing a slogan "In 10 words or less". |
| known. | | | | And a new job? Well I gave up job hunting! You |
| Thrilled was an understatement, when a store | | | | see, I remembered a childhood ambition to write |
| manager phoned to say I'd won first prize in their | | | | a book - when I had the time - and now I had |
| free to enter contest. A new wardrobe of | | | | the time and the subject - how to Win Your |
| clothes. My kids were delighted. Hubby and I took | | | | Fortune in Prizes. And the rest, as they say, is |
| them to the store. | | | | history! |