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