Time Saving Secret to Win More Competitions

Question: Prizetastic, how do you keep track of all the log ins and passwords for the sites that require membership to enter their competitions? Also is there an easy way of filling in all my information instead of having to type it over and over again?

Thanks,
Pam.

Hi Pam,

Thanks so much for your question, it’s a really valid one and one that many seasoned compers have solved you’ll be glad to know.

There’s a secret time saver you may not have heard about…. Not only will it remember all your logins and passwords for as many sites as you like, it will also fill in ALL your information with just one click of a button.

Picture this……. you are entering hundreds of competitions per month, and have acquired a huge list of login names and passwords and it can sometimes become really difficult to remember each one. Not only that, you’re surely developing “compers” RSI from typing in your name, address, phone, date of birth and other details OVER AND OVER again!!!

Well, here’s the secret….

There’s actually a software program that will do ALL these things for you and it will save you a stack of typing AND a stack of time, meaning you can enter MORE competitions in less time and get more prizes

I use roboform and so do most of my comping friends to save a load of time and aching fingers when end of month hits and there’s so many competitions to enter you never think you’ll finish them all!!

It’s used worldwide by millions of people mainly to keep passwords secure, but for our hobby it turns out to be the perfect companion.

There are 2 choices for download, the free option which works fully and will store the same information as the pro option although has some limits to the number of users and passwords, or the pro option without limitation.

If you’ve never used roboform you HAVE to try it now, I guarantee it will save you time, and you’ll wonder how you lived without it

Winning a Holiday - The Real Costs.

Most people would love to win a holiday. Especially when money is tight, it seems like a great option for taking that much wanted break without having to spend a fortune. Unfortunately, there are some considerations that people fail to think about before they jump in and enter holiday competitions.

is not always as carefree as it may seem. There are several costs involved that may not always be included in holiday wins. These could include, car hire, taxes, accomodation, spending money, flights, transfers, passports… and the list goes on.

So what steps should you take before entering a holiday competition?

SIMPLE ——-> Read the terms and conditions before you enter!!!! and ONLY enter if you can fulfill all requirements for entry, allowable holiday dates, and extra expenses!!

Here is a quick reference check list of most things you need to consider before submitting your holiday competition entry:

• Date of travel - Are you available to travel on the dates specified within the terms and conditions? These dates are often not flexible so if you can’t, you will need to forfeit the prize, so it’s best to leave this one to someone who can use the prize if they win.
• Flights - Another major consideration, and believe it or not, many holiday prizes don’t include flights to the destination. This is fine of course as long as you live close, but if the destination is some way away, make sure you can afford flights before you enter. Again, this will mostly be non negotiable and the prize will need to be forfeited if you can’t get there!
• Taxes - Even if flights are included in a prize, there are often other fees and taxes which will not be. This especially comes into play if the holiday you win includes an overseas destination. If an entire family is travelling, fees and taxes could be over a thousand dollars, so it pays to consider this and do a bit of research before you enter.
• Hotel transfers - Ok, so flights are included, so is accommodation but how do you get to your hotel once you land? Some competitions include transfers as part of the prize, in fact I’m sure most international ones do, but it always pays to read the terms and conditions.

I know in one prize I won to Melbourne, although transfers were included, it was such short notice they couldn’t get the tickets to us in time, so we had to pay to get to the hotel. That was a $50 taxi fare!! They did offer to reimburse us, but we never bothered as we had such an amazing time it was worth it!

• Passports - Simple - Some terms and conditions will state that you must have a passport to ENTER a competition. If you’re entering a competition that includes international destinations be sure you have your passport ready to go or can get one in time. Make a note regarding any terms stating you need one to enter, because even if you could get your passport before the flights, if the promotions company realises you entered without a passport when they state you need one, you could lose your prize!
• Car Hire - SO you’ve arrived at your amazing holiday destination, but how will you get around while you are there? If you’ve flown in, then chances are the prize may not include car hire. It pays to know this up front and organise transport options well in advance. If there isn’t much public transport available car hire may be the only way to go, so be sure you can afford it!
• Accomodation - So most holiday competitions will include accomodation, but it may be limited in some way. As we have a family of 5 this always has to be a consideration before entering holiday competitons. Also you need to consider the cost if accommodation isn’t included or the cost of upgrading for extra people. Make sure you can afford this BEFORE you enter.
• General Spending Money - This one is self explanatory, but you want to be sure you can cover the general costs of food, entertainment and anything else that isn’t covered in your holiday win.

So there you have it, there are probably many more considerations that need to be made before entering holiday competitions, but the truth is, as restrictive as it may sound to take all these things into account, it is worth taking the time to do this before you receive a call you’ve won a holiday that you can’t take. Or worse you attempt to take it and the financial strain ruins the entire experience.

Once you’ve entered a few holiday competitions, you tend to skim the terms and conditions and check these things by second nature anyway, so dream away, have fun and enjoy your holiday wins

 

Competitions & The Economic Downturn

There are many opinions being thrown around at the moment as to whether the worldwide economic downturn will affect competitions. I was asked if I think there will be more or less competitions due to the economic crisis worldwide?

It may seem crazy that to some, this would even BE a consideration, but like all keen hobbiests, compers are passionate about what they do!!

So will the economic downturn see a change in the competition, contests and sweepstakes market?

Well, who can be sure, but here are my predictions for the coming year…..

• More competitions!! - It has been said that perhaps companies won’t be able to afford to run competitions if their bottom line profits become tight. BUT, my background in marketing tells me that cutting back on competitions won’t be the case for most companies.

You see, when money is tight in the economy, companies of all sizes are trying to find ways to stand out amongst their competitors. Many will resort to trying competitions and sweepstakes, and some will try this as a promotional method for the first time. Of course, we all know that competitions can be a huge flop and end up costing companies money for little return, but those who are smart and switched on with what consumers want will find themselves in a very successful position by attracting new and old customers with competitions and the lure of prizes!!

• There will be more people entering! - OK this may sound like a bad thing, after all doesn’t more people entering mean it becomes harder to win? Well perhaps. But in reality everyone is going to feel a financial squeeze over the coming year or so, and many are feeling it already. SO what better way to give yourself a bit of hope then to start entering competitions.

Seasoned compers have some advantage when it comes to increased numbers of entrants. They tend to be more organised, realise the importance in keeping proof of purchase and know how to keep an eye out for competitions offering greater odds of winning. But overall people just entering the hobby have the chance to change their lives in the true sense by winning products and holidays that they may not otherwise be able to afford.

The benefit of having more people entering competitions is of course that companies and promoters see greater results for their effort meaning that they will continue to offer competitions and sweepstakes in order to boost sales and profits and we won’t be left scratching our heads trying to find a new hobby.

So REALLY, it is a win win for all and I am resting peacefully in the prediction that comping will stay as a positive and luctrative hobby for those who choose to get addicted to it in 2009

GOOD LUCK

Competitions, Prizes & New Year’s Resolutions

Well, I’m a few days late to be writing about New Year’s Resolutions, but now is as good time as any hey!!!

There are a few New Year’s Resolutions for Prizetastic and a Few REALLY handy resolutions that anyone who wants to win prizes and create a real hobby out of winning should focus on in 2009, so here goes -

Prizetastic Resolutions -

• 3 blog posts per week including at least one post of competitions to enter and one post being hints and tips to winning more
• Run a new competition each month including a variety of prizes and entry methods
• Increase involvement with fellow bloggers in helping highlight their blog contests
• Grow Prizetastic readership & ability to grow it’s offering to everyone.

Must do Resolutions for Anyone who Wants TO WIN PRIZES

• Enter at least one competition a day (There will be at LEAST 7 competitions posted on prizetastic each week so if you only enter those you’ll be sticking to that resolution…. EASY)
• Read terms and conditions thoroughly - It’s a horrible feeling to win and not be awarded the prize due to not being eligible so save the heartbreak and read t&c before entering
• Get Creative - Prizetastic will be bringing you more tips on how to increase your chances or think outside the box to win creative style competitions and sweepstakes, so take the time and just give creative competitions a go….. who know’s you might just win
• Track entries & Winnings - This isn’t “vital” but it can be handy to keep an eye on what you have and haven’t entered, and especially for 25 word or less answers to note down the competition they were for and the answer. If you strike a winner it’s great to be able to modify it a little and use it again… the same with answers that don’t win, you just never know what judges are looking for!!!

So there you go, it’s a neat little list to focus on for the new year…. I’m actually very excited about this year and what it has to offer… there’s lots happening in our house so it’s looking to be exciting all around..

Good Luck and here’s wishing you a lucky, winning year xxx

Pre-planning gone wrong! Scheduled Wordpress Posts Failure!

I knew I wouldn’t be able to give much attention to my blog over the past week or so and I really didn’t want to leave a week long gap without writing anything. So, trying to be organised, I pre wrote some posts and scheduled them to launch onto the blog automatically……….

Not sure if anyone noticed, but that definitely didn’t happen!!! Here I come a few days later only to realise that nothing has in fact been posted on site So sorry folks, my apologies, but be sure I am here, in person ready to spend this week catching up on some really great stuff!!!

This week I’ll be launching our first competition,…… Writing some really great and inspiring tips for words or less slogan tie breaker competitions, and tracking down some really great competitions for everyone to enter.

Thanks for your patience and I look forward to an exciting week!!

Top 5 Mistakes When Entering Competitions & Sweepstakes

It’s easy to get carried away when you are excited about the possibility of winning a prize.

Not only that, but there’s generally a stack of rules, terms and conditions that you need to follow and keep in mind for every competition or sweepstake that you enter.

Here are my top 5 mistakes that people make when entering Competitions, Contests and Sweepstakes of all sorts.

1 - Being an ineligible Entrant - This can be because they live in the wrong state, are the wrong age, or may have won from a company previously for example. You always need to read eligibility requirements thoroughly.

2 - Forgetting to Enter - I have done this so many times, hoarded away an entry with good intentions of entering, only to remember the day after the close date. You can’t win if your entry is still sitting there with good intentions, so get those entries in as soon as you can.

3 - Lying - It can be tempting to stretch the truth about eligibility, address details, age or any other number of terms and conditions if you are really eager to win a prize. Those who have tried to do this and failed will surely tell you it’s not worth the risk. These days promoters are much more thorough when checking eligibility. Just stick to the truth and you’ll be fine.

4 - Not keeping Proof Of Purchase - This is quite a big mistake and a common one, many people don’t realise that they are required to keep proof of purchase for most competitions that require a product or service as a qualifier to enter. Find a filing system for all your receipts and other goodies that is easiest for you and stick to it. It would be horrible to lose a major prize for lack of receipts.

5 - Not following entry requirements - It can be as high as 50% of entries are disqualified for not following entry requirement instructions. Don’t let that be you! If a competition says to buy a certain product, keep or send in receipts, use a certain size envelope, then it’s important that you do it! The more determined you are to win, the closer attention you should pay to terms and conditions. Making a small mistake could cost you a big prize!!

5 MUST know tips for Entering Competitions and Sweepstakes.

I’m so glad that readers discovering my blog are getting interested in entering competitions, contests and sweepstakes for themselves. It’s really so amazing to get notified that you’ve won something, and somebody has to win all these prizes that companies give away, so it might as well be you!!!

There are some really important things you have to take note of when you enter some competitions, so I thought I would write this quick start guide for anyone new to “comping” so you can be sure that your first entries are not disqualified, or money isn’t wasted on products purchased for competitions.

Tip 1: Check eligibility - Before you take the time to enter a competition, the first thing you should do is check you are eligible to enter. Check clauses in the terms and conditions such as age requirements, geographical limitations (is the competition only open to certain states)

Tip 2: Purchase Requirements - If a competition requires you to make a product purchase (this is illegal in some countries and states but applies to most states of Australia). It is important to check that you are buying the correct product and product size.

I’ve been caught out buying the 200g for example when only the 500g version of a product was eligible for entry. There may also be specific varieties required for purchase, such as a diet yoghurt and not the full fat version of the same company. Read the terms and conditions closely and stick to them as much as you possibly can.

Tip 3: Proof of Purchase - In those states and countries that are legally able to request product purchase for entry, many will require proof of purchase is kept and produced by the winner before the prize will be awarded. Before I really got into “Comping” as a hobby, I entered several product competitions without keeping my register receipts.

It’s always best if you are in doubt to file your receipt. It’s a horrible feeling thinking you’ve lost a receipt and having to search the house top to bottom if you need to produce proof of purchase.

Tip 4: Write Clearly - It’s really important to write clearly on entry forms. If the company or promoters can’t read your writing, there’s no way for them to contact you to advise of your win. Always take the time to write your details clearly and consisely onto entry forms and coupons. It’s worth the extra effort.

Tip 5: Check Prize Details - If you are tempted to spend money on a product to enter a competition, it’s important to first be sure that you can take the prize if it’s something like a holiday. Many holiday prizes are non transferrable and only allowed to be redeemed between a certain time. Check the fine print before you enter, or enter in a partner’s name if they have a more flexible job for example and would be more likely to fit a hoiday win into their schedule if there’s a chance you may not.

The same can be said for prizes that are awarded to home owners for renovations. Often these prizes will be in the form of cheque. Some are able to be transferred to another person, but some will be forfeited for those who are renting.

A quick skim of the terms and conditions will tell you everything you need to know.

So there you go, these are the basic things you need to keep in mind before you jump in head first and buy products in order to enter competitions. The most important thing I tell anyone interested in starting out in this hobby is to read the terms and conditions. This also goes for free online sweepstakes and competitions. There’s no point wasting time if you’re not eligible.

Now get out there, enter and win… GOOD LUCK

Ask Prizetastic: Where to Find Competitions to Enter?

I really want people to understand the basics of entering and winning competitions and sweepstakes, and would love people to ask questions. Leave a comment here if you have a question about how to win.

Louisa from http://bloggingaussie.blogspot.com asked a really great question in my Finding Motivation to Enter Competitions post.

Where to Find Competitions to enter on a daily basis?

This is a really great question, and the answer is always a broad one…… EVERYWHERE

Seriously, there are paid forums that provide you with lists of competitions, regardless of the country you live in, but if you don’t want to pay for a membership straight away, there are lots of great sites you can visit that always have competitions running. The best thing is that they all offer free entry.

There is also an amazing number of competitions that run regularly through supermarkets, and entering is generally as easy as switching to a new brand for the time the competitions are running.

For Australians, I have composed a list of websites that have great competitions running on a regular basis, so Louisa, head on over to these websites and get started entering…. I will be sure to post any really great competitions I find onto the blog too.

No matter where you live in the world, it’s easy to keep your eye out to spot contests, sweepstakes and competitions that are running. Major magazine publications, TV Channels, Major Brands, Supermarkets and grocery stores regularly run competitions, it’s just a matter of looking out for the entry forms or posters and then taking the time to enter.

Here’s a short list for Australian’s interested in getting started, I’ll update with more soon:

• http://www.ten.com.au - This is the Channel 10 Website that always has great competitions running. You will have to sign up for membership but it’s definately worth it. Keep in mind that these competitions may have a large number of entries, but definately worth sticking with, I’ve won a lego prize pack for my son here.
• http://www.take40.com.au - The same goes with this site. Always lots of great competitions, although can have a large number of entries. I have scored a few smaller music packs from here.
• http://www.mtv.com.au - Lots of great competitons based around movie and music promotions
• http://www.girl.com.au
  
• http://www.femail.com.au
• http://www.okmagazine.com.au
• http://www.homehints.com.au/competitions/
• http://www.fhm.com.au
• http://justkidding.com.au/jk2008_flashsite.html

I Want to Help YOU Win!!

I’m so glad to be making some new friends in the blogosphere, and excited that everyone seems excited about “comping” and learning more.

One thing I have to say straight up is that ANYONE can win, its all about strategy, timing, learning a few tips and tricks and plenty of luck thrown in…….

There’s so much to write about I can blab on about competitions forever, but firstly I’m wondering

What is it that YOU would like to know about my hobby? What would YOU like to know about entering competitions? It can be anything, from privacy and scams to understanding terms and conditions down to the basics of the difference between the way internet and mail in competitions work.

If you’re from the US of course, competitions are generally referred to as sweepstakes or contests but it’s all the same principal, I’d love to hear from anyone worldwide who might have a question related to the most fun, winning hobby of all

Post your question as a reply to this post and I’ll share anything I know

How do you win Prizes?

When people first start entering competitions as a hobby, or out of curiosity, one of the most common questions is “How to win”?

That’s a really question to answer, simply because there are hundreds of tips, tricks and techniques you can use to increase your chances of winning. Not only that, it depends on the competition in question, and the company running the competition, different companies prefer different entries when it comes to winning word or less competitions, some instant wins “go off” at certain times and sometimes that time can be figured out,

For the most part, winning competitions really is about luck, sure there are times when circumstances make it easier for you to win, but really the more you enter, the greater your odds of winning a prize, its really as simple as that.

When I remember, I will try and track on here how many competitions I have entered for a day, and report back on any wins, just for interest…. some weeks or months the prizes seem to roll in, and then there’s other months where you seem to enter, enter, enter and the wins just don’t happen

May the prizes roll your way xx