Save money by comping

One fun way to save money is by entering competitions. Spend as much time as you like – perfect while you’re commuting, if you’re stuck at home or if you want something productive to do while watching TV. It’s free and easy to get started and to save money by comping. There is absolutely no need to pay to enter competitions. Many brands and companies use competitions as a way to reach more customers and get the word out about their products, or simply to engage with their existing customers.

We’ve won some amazing prizes over the years – a safari holiday to India, £1000’s of vouchers, free flights, hotel stays, cash, vouchers, a yoga retreat, an iPad and iPhone, a hot air balloon ride, cocktail kits, Champagne, clothing – the list goes on!

Must haves – before you start

Before you start to save money by comping, set up a new email address to use solely for entering competitions. This is because you will start to get lots of emails which will clutter up your inbox. Use one of the many free providers available; Microsoft (Outlook/Live), Google (Gmail), or Yahoo! (Y-Mail) to name but a few. You may also like to set up a new phone number using a cheap pay-as you-go mobile, although in these days of better privacy laws, it’s less common to get spam phone calls. Look out for privacy tick boxes on online entry forms – and avoid signing up to mailing lists or sharing your info where it can be avoided.

Where to find competitions

There are several websites that list competitions: try Loquax, the forum on Money Saving Expert or Competition Database. Search the internet for the type of prize that you are interested in. Keep your eyes open in grocery stores too – as many brands will advertise competitions on special packaging. There are also Facebook Groups dedicated to comping, which are especially good for finding and sharing local competitions.

Quantity or Quality?

There are two schools of thought here. You can either enter as many competitions as you have time for – with the law of averages meaning that you will eventually win something. Alternatively, you can take a more targeted approach and look for competitions which are likely to have fewer entries, and so increasing your chances of winning. These may involve buying a specific product to enter, or where entering takes extra effort. You may need to write a slogan, upload a receipt, complete a task, take a photo or record a video. Try both methods and see which you prefer – or have more luck with! One final tip: don’t waste your time and effort entering competitions for prizes you don’t want. Target the competitions that you would actually like to win instead!

Whatever you choose to do, we hope you have good luck and win some great prizes!