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Mission Competition

Top Money Saving and Comping Tips from a 21 year-old Student keen to make my limited budget stretch the semester!

Follow me on Twitter:@LaurieBeat and Instagram: @lornab22 or email any queries to lauriebeat@gmail.com

Join the Facebook group for more tips and a comping community!

Luck and love!

Wednesday 28 December 2016

Life After Advents



We have spent the last few weeks devotedly visiting the same websites, playing ridiculously difficult games (Xigen's Ninja Santa Game anyone?) all in the hope of winning a little Christmas present for ourselves. Now that the advents are over, its coming up to a time of year where competitions seem few and far between, only exaggerated by the extreme amount that were available in December. So how do we prevent a loss of motivation during this time?

My first tip would be to use the time to organise your comping. Did you come up with new techniques to handle the sheer volume of advent competitions (if so please comment them below!) - I started using bookmarks and saving links on Facebook a lot more than I used to.  The first thing to do is not to delete all of these, as they may be useful next year, but instead to file them away somewhere (and then not forget where). Bookmark pages you visit every day such as an instant win list, free daily lotteries and any gleam competitions that you are particularly wanting to win, so that you can complete the daily entries. Other good sites to bookmark are Prizefinder, Loquax and Compers News (if you are a member). 

It's also the perfect time of year to go through photos from Christmas and pick out the funniest ones or ones that may fit a future competition such as Christmas jumper theme, family fun or Christmas crafts/baking. Put these away in a folder on your computer and you'll be thankful for it next year.

Another thing to do is to go through some of your advent wins and decide what to do with them. I had been comping for Christmas presents so my 'prize bookcase' isn't too full, but every so often I will go through and sort wins into boxes - presents, things to sell and spares for me (such as make up and toiletries for when mine run out). That way I can see what prizes I have won (cue motivation boost), and know what prizes to focus my time on! It is also a great opportunity to go through your wish list and tick anything off (a great feeling) and to make a new one. Wish lists are such a good way to keep motivated and to make the hobby more manageable. For more tips of wish lists, check out <this post>.



Another thing that I like to do when the quantity of competitions is not there, is to focus on 
quality - particularly effort competitions. I use competition forums to find creative competitions and spend the days between Christmas and New Year, when you don't even really know what day it is,  thinking up slogans, baking photogenic cakes and coming up with winning video ideas. With less daily competitions to enter now that advent is over, you can spend more time working on your entry. These competitions also tend to have bigger prizes, while often being low entry too, so really worth putting the time in. Also, it's nice to get a break from all the quick social media competitions and form filling that occupied my life during December.

What are your plans now that advents are done? Did you have a successful month? This was only my second year of really committing to advent and I really enjoyed it! Only 11 months and 3 days until next advent!

Friday 16 December 2016

Day in the Life of a Comper....ME!



I have been asking so many of you guys questions about how you got into comping and what you like about it that I realised I had never answered these questions myself! So here you go, a day in the life of this comper, questions asked by my lovely Mission Competitions Facebook Group:

What was your first prize and how old were you? What sort of competition was it?

My first ever prize I distinctly remember winning. It was from the Dorset Cereals 'Spin to Win' Competition around 6 years ago, so I would have been 15. I remember sitting on my bed upstairs at my parents mindlessly clicking the spin button I had pressed so many times before. I wasn't in the best of moods was really tired. However, as soon as that 'WINNER' notification came up, I had a burst of energy and sprinted downstairs to tell my dad (who also entered most days). We were so happy and after that I was hooked on comping!


When did you start and how long do you tend to spend a day on comping?

Although this incident was when I first won, I didn't start comping to the serious extent that I do now until about 2 years ago. I was taking a year out of uni to get my life back together, and needed something to focus on. Comping gave me that buzz and time-killer that I needed. 5 months later I started this blog and haven't looked back since.

I spend 2-4 hours per day on comping, spread throughout the day. I tend to spend 10 minutes here and there on my phone entering competitions too, so it may add up to more than that. I try to work it into my daily routine to make it more manageable.


Check my daily routine post <here>


How do you keep motivated?

For me, having this blog, filming prize unboxing and chatting to my lovely followers over on my Facebook group really inspires me to keep going. If you aren't wanting to start up a blog (I don't blame you, it takes time) then try and think of another way to keep track of wins - a spreadsheet, a notebook or try to display your favourite wins somewhere (I have a bookcase dedicated to this in my tiny room). That way, if ever you are lacking motivation, you can have a look at what you have won and know that it is possible to win again!


Where are you most lucky?

I'm not sure if I am most lucky on Instagram or if I just spend so much time on it, that it is where most of my wins come from. I love photography, and so entering creative competitions by posting photos on my Instagram is easy! I also love the like, tag, comment competitions (feel free to tag me @lornab22) and always try to add in a personal comment or emoji to the promoter.


Do you use comp list sites or Google more?

Here's a confession, I can be a lazy comper. I find it so much easier to just go onto Prize Finder or Loquax and hit 'Closing Soon' to find some competitions than search them out. If I am looking for something in particular (currently a bike) I will search for it on Prize Finder or, on a rare occasion on Google (setting filters to 'UK only' and 'within the last month'). I know that I should probably use Google more to seek out low entry comps, but we ain't all perfect. Maybe I'll make that my New Years Resolution.


What's the most effort you've made for a comp?

This is a hard one to pin-point, but probably one of my creative photo comps. There is currently a competition on to take a photo in a Windfarm just outside Glasgow, and so, when I saw that the sky was pretty, I strongly encouraged my Dad to drive the pair of us out there (about 40 minutes) and then walk round in the -3°C Scottish heat to take pictures of wind turbines....

There is also a photo of me dressed as a Christmas tree kicking around that is amazing for Christmas comps each year, but man it took ages to get that green out. 




How many friends have you converted?

Well, this is a tricky one. Not for want of trying, but not very many. I think people underestimate how much effort goes into comping. They hear about wins and think they can click a few buttons and have prizes arriving at their door by the end of the week. As many compers know, it takes a lot more than that. And so a couple of friend who have tried have then stopped as they didn't want to put in the effort.

Also, outside the comping world, I'm not very vocal about this hobby. It's not that I'm ashamed, quite the opposite, I am just afraid that it will seem like I'm bragging if I go on about the Apple Watch and iPad that I won. If people ask, I am more than willing to tell them about it, but I don't shove it in their faces. Therefore, I convert less people than I possibly could.

Recently, I have managed to get my flatmate into comping, after I won us tickets to the Good Food Show and the Girls Day Out Show. It always makes me smile when I see that she has tagged me in a competition, as I know she would never have done that before. I'm still working on converting my dad, although he does enter the odd Instagram competition. However, after I won a competition last week that he had also entered and tagged me in he is beginning to lose faith. One win and I'm hoping he is fully converted.

What has been your most unwieldy or weirdest  prize? (I love the wording of this question)

These days, I always stick to the rule that if I don't want a prize, I won't enter. However, due to random runner up prizes I have had a few odd ones. One of the weirdest was an automatic toothpaste dispenser. It sat in its box for months, until one day I decided to use it....I now use it every day. So random, and seems so lazy, but keeps my bathroom shelf nice and tidy!

Another one that my sister likes to take the mick out of me for was a runner up prize in the Frubes competition. I won a single bed Angry Birds duvet cover - I have a double bed and don't like Angry Birds. Still, it made someone happy when I gave it away. (see her oh so subtle point <here>)


What has been your favourite prize?

I think it has to be my Apple Watch for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it was my first big win and first radio win. It was with Kiss FM and I won a technology bundle - Apple Watch, iPod Touch, Beats Headphones and iTunes Vouchers, I was on holiday in France when I got the call and couldn't believe it! Shows you're a comper when you still answer the phone even though you'll pay extra for being abroad! The other reason that it's my favourite is that I use it everyday! I love my Apple Watch, and don't know what I'm going to do when it breaks, because I cannot afford a replacement! Because I wear it everyday, it's a great reminder about what comping can achieve.


What's your favourite group on Facebook for competitions?

Well I mean, apart from my own Facebook Group <join here> I love Lucky Learners. Sometimes I find it's a bit busy and so enjoy smaller offshoots of it such as the Instagram Competitions group (a fabulous source of my fav comps). Facebook Groups are such a good source of inspiration and I learn so much from hearing other peoples stories. They really do show that Compers are Lovely People


Obviously you're very organised & methodical about comping, but do you have any secret superstitions as well?

Although I do follow a comping routine, I do not stick to it so seriously that I'll be stressed if I veer from it. Life is too short to worry about missing the free lottery one day or entering competitions in a different order than normal. This is a fun hobby, and so I don't want to taint it by superstition and stress. Every so often I like to take a couple of days off comping (shock, horror) and appreciate life on the outside.


Thanks for all your questions guys, it was fun to answer and hear what you wanted to know. Please comment any other questions below and I'll try to answer as many as possible :) 

Luck and Love, 

xx




Friday 9 December 2016

Pulled Pork Burgers - Student Heaven

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 - 20 minutes
Cooking Time: Around 8 hours


These days, you can't turn a corner of Glasgow's bustling city centre without being faced with a burger restaurant. They seem to be invading the world and, as a big burger fan, this is bittersweet. As a student, money is tight, and so I can't afford to be going out every second day to devour a burger the size of my face. Also, there's the whole health thing. A healthy body results in a healthy mind, and so I am trying to reduce the amount of salts and unhealthy fats that I am eating, especially on the run up to exam season.

Luckily enough, there is a solution to both these problems - make the burgers yourself. I know, big shock, but being a student does not mean you cannot cook. In fact, I love it! It will save you money and be good for your health, win-win! You don't need to miss out on the social side either, invite your friends round and recreate that burger restaurant in your own kitchen, and add yet another pop-up burger bar to your city.

Equipment:


- Slow Cooker (This recipe can be done in the oven, but a slow cooker is such a worth-while investment. I got mine for £15 from Amazon, and it means that I have my dinner cooking while I'm at the library studying. Nothing beats coming home and having your dinner ready for you!)




Ingredients:


  • 2 red onions
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • Extra veg: mushrooms, carrots, peas (optional)
    • Apple chunks are an amazing addition
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Lo-Salt (which has 66% less sodium than normal salt)
  • Spices (I like mine mild, but spices are a great way to add flavour without extra salt, so add more or less to personal taste)
    • 1 tablespoon each of cayenne pepper and paprika
    • 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and cinnamon
    • 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1 pork shoulder, fat trimmed off (one of the cheapest cuts of meat you can get)
  • 2 cups barbecue sauce (optional)
  • 1/2 cup tomato ketchup (optional)



Method:

  1. Thinly slice the onions and garlic and lay across the bottom of the slow cooker before pouring over the stock and extra veg (if using).
  2. Combine the spices, sugar and Lo-Salt in a bowl and rub the mixture over the pork.
  3. Lay the pork in the slow cooker
  4. Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low (basically until the pork can be pulled apart easily with a fork)
  5. Take off the heat and strain the contents of the slow cooker, being sure to keep the liquid that you pour out.
  6. Shred the pork using a fork, and discard any fat.
  7. Add the solids back into the slow cooker and mix in the BBQ sauce and ketchup (if using) and small amounts of the drained liquid (skim the fat from the top first) until the pork is just moist.
    • (You can just use the drained liquid if you are avoiding processed sauces)
  8. Mix well, and serve in your favourite burger buns (mine are the Mediterranean ones) or in wraps.
  9. Once cooled, put any spare (this is rare since it tastes so good) in a sealed container in the fridge. Tastes amazing the next day as a packed lunch, as the spices really infuse the meat.

Enjoy your tastier, healthier and cheaper burgers, and let me know how you got on in the comments below!




Thursday 1 December 2016

Prize Unboxing: November 2016



Prize: Angry Birds Pencil Case
From: Frubes
Entry: Purchase Necessary

Prize: Selection of Health Goodies
From: No Idea
Entry: No Idea

Prize: Coffee
From: Miles Tea & Coffee
Entry: Twitter

Prize: Blanket
Entry: Facebook

Prize: Personalised Notebook
Entry: Facebook

Prize: Selfie Stick
From: Iceland
Entry: Post a selfie on social media

Prize: McVities Bundle
From: McVities
Entry: facebook

Prize: £100 Notonthehighstreet Voucher
From: TopCashback
Entry: Twitter Party

Prize: Body Butter
From: Soaper Duper
Entry: Instagram

Prize: Rebok Shoes
From: Intersport
Entry: Twitter

Prize: Mini Speaker
Entry: Twitter Tag

Prize: Blending Sponge
From: Little Known Box
Entry: Instagram

Prize: Christmas Scarf
From: Boho Chic Life
Entry: Instagram

Prize: Notebook and Pencil Case
From: Pukka Pad
Entry: Instagram

Prize: Reeds and Incense
From: Amphora Aromatics
Entry: Instagram

This months favourite prize: has to be the massive McVities bundle. No doubt. half of it is gone.