The Lauren Currie Twilight Foundation: Vasculitus Awareness

This year marks an important year for my year group - we are all turning 21. Sadly one member of our group won't be celebrating this with us, and that is Lauren Currie.

Lauren was easily the bubbliest girl I knew. Anyone who met her can vouch for the fact that she would light up any room that she entered with a big grin on her face, an infectious laugh and some comment about the Twilight Saga. She even had a full-sized cardboard cut-out of Edward himself.

I was lucky enough to know this amazing girl. We spent many lunchtimes sitting on 'the bridge' - our groups spot for lunch and I got to see her amazing acting talents when we worked together in the school show. Although she wasn't my best friend, she was certainly a friend that influenced my life. And when Rachel called me up to tell me the awful news that she had passed away at just 15, I was heartbroken. When I first saw the floods of messages on her Facebook wall, I thought it was some kind of sick joke. Unfortunately, it was not.

However, something has come out of this tragedy, and that is the Lauren Currie Twilight Foundation. This charity, set up by her parents, has given friends and family a way to cope with the loss. I first got involved to support my good friend Rachel, who I have known since nursery, as she was incredibly close to Lauren. I saw how it helped her through the difficult time, and wanted to support her in any way I could. Most importantly, the charity keeps Lauren's memory alive to this day.

It is also a way to prevent another death like Lauren's. Vasculitus is not a terminal illness, but as it is not well known, the symptoms can often be missed. By raising awareness and doing research about this illness, we can help future patients and families. In September this year, Lauren would have been 21, and so to celebrate the charity is aiming to have raised £500k by this time. Therefore, to help with this final push, I have decided to do a few fundraising events this summer. I started off by running the annual 5k event with Rachel, and the next stop is walking the West Highland Way over 7 days. It will be tough, but if it raises the money I hope it does, it will be worth every step.

To donate please follow this link to the just giving page, any donations big or small are greatly appreciated. Thank you.

For more information on Lauren, the charity and the work it does, visit the website here.

Making a Wish List

A good 6 months ago now, I read a post on Di Coke's blog superlucky.me all about making a wishlist and vowed to myself it would be the next thing I did.

A couple of months later, still no list. And then I saw that Di was running a competition where you had to design a wish list, take a photo and tweet it to her. As always, a competition spurred me into action and I created the above list. Although I didn't win Di's comp, I am so glad I made this list. It's so motivating and helps me time manage my hobby.

So, 5 months and 3 days later, how successful have I been?

Well I can tick off the following:

1) iPad - Snapchat competition with 'The Maze Runner'

2) Concert Tickets - Went to X-Factor Live with my Dad thanks to the Metro

3) SuperLucky Secrets - I ran a comp on my blog after reviewing this so kinda a win :P

4) Fitness Tracker - Apple iWatch Sport from KISS Fm

I didn't realise quite how motivating it would be to have something as simple as a wish list! It can be on your phone, on an app or pure and simple written down. I loved making mine colourful and having a physical copy of it, as it meant I could put it on my noticeboard above my desk to keep me motivated during a dry spell! Try putting it on the fridge or somewhere you will see every day! 

Another thing I have realised is that a wish list changes. I certainly would still love a trip away and a bike, but a camera and festival tickets are currently top of my list. By knowing what your top prizes would be, you can focus more time on these and be more likely to win, but also use your time more wisely. Sometimes, comping can seem a long process, so saving time by having a niche search is a much more productive way of doing things and can make it all so much more rewarding. Don't be disheartened if you don't win straight away, or don't win that item at all! I am planning on buying a camera soon, as it seems to be the prize that escapes me. I am hoping it will be a good investment for future competitions that require a photograph!

The other day I was telling my mum about how I had set out to win bike related prizes for my cycling obsessed dad for Father's Day. I managed to win these amazing Biscuiteers biscuits after plenty of searching. My mum was so impressed about searching for a specific win that she started to request new kitchen pots and pyrex dishes for the kitchen! Looks like I've got another item to add to my list!

What are your current top 3 on your wish list? Let me know in the comments below and I will let you know if I see any comps for them!

Luck and Love, 

Laurie

Comping Bloopers

I love comping. In fact, I'm almost (read definitely) addicted to it. However, there are some moments when you wonder what on earth you are doing. The level of commitment we sometimes put into our brilliant hobby can give us some hilarious moments. Here are my comping bloopers, and I would love to hear yours in the comments - go on, let's have a laugh about this amazing and crazy game we play! If I get enough good ones, I'll feature them in the next update!

1) When you change your diet to consist mainly of crisps to find that winning code (one day I will get a K).

2) The ever changing shopping list, and therefore meals, depending on the current on pack promotions. And the difficulty in reading those tiny T&Cs on the back of the packet when you've forgotten your glasses.

3) The excitement of seeing that famous three letter word, even if it is followed by disappointment:

4) Doubling back on yourself to pick up some rubbish because you can't help but womble when you see the word win.

5) Listening to music you can't stand just to hear the radio presenter announce a competition.

6) Changing your daily routine to have lunch at crazy times in case it is your name announced on the radio.

7) That box that all compers have full of random things they are determined to use one day (yes, even the automatic toothpaste dispenser). 

8) When people ask how you have mutual friends with someone on Facebook and you have to admit you've never met each other in real life, but they did help you win tickets to that concert you went to!

9) Answering every phone call with a hopeful 'hello' only to be offered compensation from that accident you had when driving....even though you don't drive.

10) Answering the phone EVERYWHERE - from supermarkets to toilets. Who knows if its a win!

11) Shamelessly asking friends for their empty wrappers because you know there's a competition on it. Even better, offering to collect people's rubbish, only to be selective what rubbish you collect depending on if it's a potential win or not.

12) Uploading photos on Instagram from 3 years ago because it fits a competition brief. Just tell people you went blonde for a day and then dyed it back!

13) That bag full of empty promotional packs and receipts, just in case they ask for proof that you bought the item.

14) Every moment is a potential winning photo moment. Up a hill? Strike a pose. Dancing in the pub? Get it on camera. And then retaking the shot countless times to make sure it's perfect.

15) Being dressed like a lunatic in a public place to get a funny photo entry.

16) That all to familiar roll of the eyes when you start talking about comping to non-compers.

Embarrassing, funny and annoying, but all worth it for that win! What's your biggest comping blooper? Let me know in the comments below! Thanks for reading!

Luck and Love,

Laurie

Tengi: Chatting to Win & Giveaway

Read on to find out how to WIN a £10 Amazon Gift Card with Tengi

Like many 20 year old students, my phone is a constant presence in my life - sometimes I am comping on my phone, other times I'm earning some money, but most of the time I am chatting with my friends.

So why not combine all 3 of these? Now you can with Tengi: the chat app that gives back!

Tengi is a totally free app and the messages are free to send with your data allowance or Wi-Fi. For this to happen, there have to be ads. Although many people hate seeing adverts pop up, the ones on Tengi are really unobtrusive. They just look like another chat message waiting to be opened, or sometimes come up as a banner on the screen. A fair few times I have seen something that interests me and had a wee look - and my phone has not exploded. These ads are safe, and help pay for the amazing app.

So onto the bit you are all really here to read about. The prizes.

Every week, Tengi give away hundreds of prizes big and small to their users. Throughout the week, you can collect tickets depending on a number of things:

•  Every phone contact that joins = 16 tickets
• (this means that they don't need to have a specific referral code, they just need to be on your contacts!)
• A friend wins = 1 ticket
• Every day you use Tengi = 1 ticket
• Spend 5 minutes chatting on Tengi = 1 ticket
• Every week you keep the app = 1 ticket

There is no nonsense like buying extra tickets, which would give certain users an advantage, just pure and simply how much you use the app. This makes it fair and easy to earn entries and it really is quite easy to build up the tickets!

The prizes themselves can vary from week to week, as more prizes are added when more members join. This week's prizes (at the time of writing) are:

• 1 x £10,000
• 2 x £100
• 1,300 x £5 Cash or Amazon Gift Cards

Although there is clearly a much higher chance of winning a £5 prize, I really like the way that they have done this. They could just have one big £15,000 prize each week, but instead they spread the cost and let everyone have a little taste of winning. When I won, I took my £5 in Amazon Gift Cards so that I could treat myself to something I may not have otherwise been able to buy. 

To download follow the links below:

Apple Store

Google Play

As an extra little bonus for finding Tengi through me, you can be entered into a prize draw to win a £10 Amazon voucher! Simply enter my code 'lauriebeat' into the voucher code box, as shown below. This screen will come up when you first download the app and after you have entered your number. Without the voucher code, you won't be entered into the prize draw, so be sure not to miss this step.

So sign up and get going! Let me know if you join and we can chat about all our comping wins and tips!

Luck and love,

Laurie

Terms and Conditions

- Tengi will give away one £10 Amazon.co.uk voucher code to a user who correctly uses lauriebeat as a voucher code to register for the Tengi app
- The promotion period is 10th June - 10th July- The winner will be chosen at random by Tengi- Any Tengi decision is final

Mission Competition: Getting the Best Mobile Phone Deal

I used comparison site Befuddled to get the best mobile phone deals on my contract. It saved me a lot of money and time when looking for my new phone.

These days, it's not uncommon to look round a room and see most of the people on their phones. We are addicted to social media, messaging and keeping in touch with our friends - even if another friend is sitting across the table from us. Although not necessary for basic survival, owning a mobile phone is considered an essential to many, myself included. Therefore, it's something we will spend money on, but there is no need to break the bank to keep in touch. Below are my top three tips for saving money when getting a new phone deal.

1) Everyone's Different

Take a look at your lifestyle when looking into phone contracts. For my dad, who is new to the whole smartphone thing, mainly uses his phone in the house where there is WiFi, and only really uses it to call me and my sister, there would be no point in taking out an expensive contract with loads of data he wouldn't use. Instead we found him a great deal with unlimited texts (this comes with most contracts these days), 500MB of data (of which he still only uses about 300MB) and 500 minutes, and he only pays £7.50 per month. I pay over double that, but get 4 times the data. You just need to sit down and work out what the priorities are for you and your phone usage.

Keep an eye on your current contract, and ask in the store to get a breakdown of your usage. When I did this, it turned out I was going way over on my data each month, but only using a fraction of my calls - the exact opposite to my dad. Everyone uses their phone in a different way, and a phone contract is not one size fits all. Be specific with the shop assistant to make sure they know exactly what you want, and don't be pressured into buying extras that you know you won't use. If you are like me and likely to go over on data, get it capped. This means that once the data has run out, you cannot use it, and so won't get a huge bill in at the end of the month.

2) Research

My dad always had a great wee saying growing up, and it's one I live by a lot these days:

'The more you research, the luckier you get'

He mainly told us this when we were away on holiday, staying in a really amazing place at a bargain price. He had put in the hours before the holiday to make sure that we would be there and get a great holiday for our money. The moral of the tale is to always research options. This applies to looking for a phone deal too. There are some great sites out there, such as Bufuddled Mobile Phone Deals, which lets you compare phone deals, from iPhones to sim only, and also lets you compare the actual handsets so that you can see what one is right for you and where you will be able to purchase them at well known retailers.

3) Consider Sim Only

The previously mentioned Befuddled have a specific section for sim-only. Many people avoid sim only as they think it is more effort and more complicated than getting everything bundled up in a nice contract tied together with a bow on top. But, it can save you money, and so in my opinion is totally worth it.

On many monthly contracts, you are gradually paying off the cost of the phone through your monthly bills - although it may feel like you are getting the phone for 'free' at the original time of purchase. A sim only contract means that you are just paying for the sim and your monthly allowance. It is more flexible and affordable in many ways. It's ideal for people who already have a phone that they don't need swapped or upgraded (note the word need, not want) or if you manage to get a hold of a second-hand handset from friends or family.

A major benefit of a sim only deal is the freedom of not being locked into a 2 year contract - which can cost a lot of money to break if you need to get out early. I was on a 30 day rolling contract, which meant that I could leave with just a months notice. It can also be cheaper than Pay as You Go (especially for people like me who use loads of data) and you don't need to worry about running out of credit, as you know your monthly allowance.

So to sum up...

The main thing that I would consider when looking for a new mobile deal, is what do you need? Everyone uses their own phone differently, so get a plan tailored to you. Also, don't be afraid to shop around and look for better deals. If you particularly like one brand, you can tell them that the same thing is being offered elsewhere for a cheaper price, and they will often offer you a deal. Be brave. be bold and be clear on what you want.

For ways to make money on your new mobile, check out my blog post on Mobile Money here.

As always, I am keen to hear your opinions and money saving tips in the comments below. I feel we can always learn new ways to save!

Luck and Love,

Laurie

Comping at Shows and Events

I am lucky enough to live in walking distance from Glasgow's SECC, which often hosts brilliant events and shows which showcase companies big and small. Events like these are great for a comper, as so many companies run competitions in order to get you interested in their stall, or to get you to sign up to their newsletters. There are also loads of freebies kicking about (I didn't even need to buy lunch at the last one after all my free samples!) and you often get a goody bag on the way out just for turning up! Below are my top tips for making the most of these competition filled events!

Win Your Entry

The great things about these shows, is that there are often so many tickets up for grabs. I saw that the SCROPS (Scottish Cycling Running and Outdoor Pursuits Show) and the OM Yoga show were coming to Glasgow (shows each of my parents have interests in - perfect place to win some presents) and so set out to win the tickets. By searching on Twitter for the name of the show followed by '#win' and 'Glasgow' I found many competitions and entered them all (more Twitter comping tips here). By searching on Google, Facebook and Instagram in a similar way (although Instagram you can only search one word), I found a couple more.  Ask friends to tag you in posts that they see to do with the show, and keep an eye on the venues website, where they will announce new shows coming up. In the end I was lucky enough to win a pair to SCROPS, two pairs to the Yoga Show and a pair to the Girls Day Out Show which I found while searching.

If you aren't lucky enough to win your tickets, there are other ways to get involved. Last week, the Ideal Home Show was at the SECC in Glasgow, and I hadn't been able to find winning tickets. So I went to Gumtree, not to buy tickets, but to the volunteering section. I saw that the Erskine charity were looking for bucket collectors at the show and, as a thanks, you would get a free pass to the show. I signed up straight away for two of the four days. I had a great time chatting to people at the show, getting loads of freebies and entering every competition in sight. As a bonus, I helped Erskine collect loads of money, that goes to a really good cause. A win-win for everyone involved.

Get Comping!

Loads of stands will be advertising competitions at the event, but many others are running comps and only tell those who come up to them. If you aren't shy, it's worth asking if they are hosting a competition, and also where the winner will be announced. I knew someone who ran a stall at a show like this, and they would take the email addresses, but never actually pick a winner. Keep an eye on the Facebook pages and websites of the company, and don't be afraid to message them asking who won.

I would recommend using a 'comping' email address when signing up (see my beginners comping tips) and make sure that your handwriting is really clear so that they can get in touch with you if you are the lucky winner. If you have a business card, bring a few along to save you some time filling out forms, and bring your own pen so you don't need to queue behind other people! I found a great deal to get 100 business cards from vista print, where I only needed to pay postage. I quickly made some cards full of my comping details and now take them to all the shows and events I go to. Who needs a business when you're a comper, right?

As well as being a great comping opportunity, these shows are a lovely wee free day out. I took my mum and sister to the Yoga show, and we all enjoyed free massages and Yoga classes. I went to SCROPS with my flatmate where we raced bikes as part of a competition (see title picture) and both screwed up our faces trying some of the 'health drinks'. I met some really nice people volunteering with Erskine, and have signed up to do further events over the summer. So if you live near a venue like the SECC, or don't mind travelling, get searching for those competitions and win your way to a comping show!

Have you been to a show like this? Let me know in the comments what you thought and if you entered any competitions!

Luck and love,

Laurie

For more competitions and updates, follow me on Twitter @LaurieBeat