How to save money by entering competitions by guest blogger Vikki

Vikki from Victoria's Vintage has kindly agreed to do a guest blog about how you can save money and win loads of goodies by entering various amounts of competitions. As a self confessed money saver myself, I am always looking for ways to get discount codes, win goodies and save money. I often browse on websites like Money Saving Expert and in the process have found that competition entering is a legitimate working way to save money. Competitions don't always consist of 1 in a million chances of winning an exotic holiday aka something you think you have no chance of winning like most people do. As Vikki explains, by entering smaller low key competitions you are more likely to win. Many companies constantly post about these competitions on Facebook or their websites and often offer freebies whether you win or not. Lots of websites are also dedicated to listing competitions that you are very likely to win and as always everyone knows that you don't even have a chance unless you enter!

So I asked Vikki a few questions about how she wins so much, as anyone who follows her blog knows she is constantly winning freebies!

Do you have a method behind entering competitions?

I do generally only enter competitions that I want to win, or that I know my close family or friends would love. However sometimes I do end up winning the 'runner up' prize which isn’t so wanted! I enter competitions as often as I can. I used to do them everyday but they are very time consuming, finding them and entering all your details. I still do as many as possible.

           

What websites do you use to enter competitions?

I tend to use Facebook to enter a lot of competitions. You can often win prizes by 'liking' a status or photo on a company’s fan page. I also enter competitions from magazine websites etc. There are also websites that list competitions available but there are so many! If I’m after something in particular, I Google it. E.g. 'Clothes show tickets competition'.

            
            


Do you enter any comps any other ways such as offline?

I rarely do. But sometimes in stores they have leaflets, which I often pick up. I don’t bother doing any by post or raffles or anything though.

           

Some people complain that it's not fair entering competitions unless you REALLY want a prize, saying that if you're not going to use the prize you should instead not enter and give other people a chance. What would you say to that?

Yeah I agree. I don’t like to see people winning prizes, which are useless to them when someone else would adore it. For example, people entering competitions for children’s toys or baby items when they don’t even have a child. These prizes are often sold on for profit rather than being appreciated. That is why I only enter competitions that I would love to win. It’s also a waste of time entering for something you don’t even want! And it’s nice to be able to say that I LOVE all of the prizes I've won.

            
            


What's the best and worst prize you've ever won?

The best prize I have won is probably my trip to London. The prize was worth almost £1000 as it included transport, accommodation in Hyde Park for 2 nights, and 5* meals for 2 people. I had such a wonderful time! The most useful prize is my phone which I still use everyday. And one of my favourite prizes is my Cath Kidston Tea Set or Roberts Vintage Radio. The worst prizes are probably a 'emotional eating kit' whatever that is, and some coffee as I hate coffee! The weirdest was this creepy child’s dress up outfit. I have no idea how I even won that!

           

What advice would you give to people wanting to do this?

It takes a lot of time and effort, so don’t expect miracles to happen overnight. But don’t give up. Always look out for spam sites. And have a 'junk mail' email address separate from your normal account. Also I never provide my telephone number unless is it is a VERY reputable company. Also, always thank the promoter who offers you your prize

           

And finally would you say this saves you money? Even if you enter comps just for yourself, would you say that somebody like a student could finance their Christmas by basically winning all the presents they'll be giving away to their family?

Lol if a lot of time was put in, I’m sure some people do try and win their Christmas. But yes it has saved me a lot of money over the years, and it has allowed me to have treats that I would never be able to afford myself usually.

Thanks Vikki!

If you'd like to find out more about this money saving method then this forum here posts competitions and has guides on how to regularly enter and win! I would suggest checking it out and also following Vikki's advice. Create a separate email address for all your competition entries, even if you are only entering a few (you wouldn't believe the amount of junk mail you can get!) and remember you are more likely to win a small companies prize then a heavily advertised competition which has a lavish prize up for grabs. This method, much like using cashback websites or using survey websites can be time consuming and you are more likely to win the more effort and time you put into it. It's definitely worth putting one day aside a week to do this, or, if you prefer, an hour each evening. Good luck!