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