‘Sure is,’ agreed my friend Chanel, 37, also enjoying a pummelling on her massage table.
Having left our bubs with our partners, the two of us were relaxing at a luxurious health retreat for three nights. And the best part?
It was a prize!
I’d started entering competitions after meeting Chanel at a mothers’ group.
We’d bonded over our babies and began meeting up regularly, sharing the joys and challenges of being new mums.
One day, Chanel told me about her hobby of entering competitions – ‘comping’.
‘I’ve won lots of prizes, including a Bali holiday and a trip to the snow where I met the Home and Away stars,’ she laughed.
‘Wow!’ I cried, impressed.
‘You should have a go too. It’s fun,’ she said.
‘I will,’ I replied, thinking it might fill the little void I’d felt since leaving work to become a full-time mum.
I started entering some competitions that companies put on Facebook, often at night when I was up with the baby.
Sometimes they were ‘instant wins’ and other times they asked why you wanted to win in 25 words or less. I’d often compose a little verse as my entry.
My efforts paid off when I won a $500 experience voucher, resulting in a wonderful family day out.
After that, I was hooked, and Chanel and I started sharing competitions we came across.
Entering a that’s life! comp, I won two book packs.
Our favourites were the product promotions. After all, the supermarket was somewhere we’d go regularly.
By swapping brands to the ones offering prizes, we gave ourselves more opportunities to win.
I entered about 10 promotions a week – about 500 a year – while Chanel entered about five a day – that’s almost 2000 a year!
Entering competitions between feeds and nappy changes, we won holidays, tickets to events and toys for the kids, such as trampolines and bikes.
Last year, Chanel even won a $10,000 trip to New York, staying at a five-star hotel in Times Square, just in time for her husband’s 40th birthday.
She’d scarcely got back when she won a big-screen plasma TV through an instant win on a packet of Oreos! I also bagged a family holiday to Sydney to go to a movie premiere.
‘Wouldn’t it be handy if there was an app which you could access at the shops detailing all the products which had competitions running?’ mused Chanel one day.
So we started discussing how we could create it, talking every night on the phone after the kids had gone to bed.
After two and a half years of development, we launched ‘Comp$hop’, an Australian app dedicated to product competitions.
Now, the two of us find prize promotions, summarise key information and categorise them by which store they’re in.
That means you can turn your everyday shopping into a stream of opportunities to win.
You might notice the odd competition when strolling the aisles at the supermarket, but our app tells you about a lot more that are happening.
It’s like a comping shopping list – you simply select a store, view the current product competitions, and then access the entry page via a link on the app. And we update it daily to cover chain stores across the country.
We’re thrilled with the end result. We hope Comp$hop makes it easier for people to share our comping hobby and enjoy the prizes and experiences entering competitions can bring.
It’s always exciting to win a prize – it feels like your birthday!
In my lifetime I estimate I’ve entered 2000 comps and Chanel has entered tens of thousands.
And in just four years, I’ve clocked up a combined $85,000 worth of prizes and Chanel has won $65,000 worth. That’s $150,000 of winnings!
We’ve had some wonderful experiences with our families which otherwise wouldn’t have been possible.
Have a go and you could end up cruising around in a new car or jetting off on a fab free holiday! ●
Comp$hop is available on app stores and Google Play for $9.99. Search ‘Compshop’ or ‘Comp$hop.’
WHAT WE'VE WON
- $10,000 trip to New York
-
A weekend at Golden Door Health Retreat
-
Family holiday to the Gold Coast
-
Private Gold Class screening
-
Sydney holiday (including flights and accommodation)
-
A cruise
-
Large screen plasma TV
-
Movie and show tickets
OUR WINNING TIPS
-
The more difficult a competition is to enter
(eg submit a photo and write a slogan), the better your chances. -
Think outside the square with your answers, eg rhyme, be funny, or just be different.
-
If a product you’d use anyway has a promotion, stock up on it so you can enter the competition several times.
-
Follow the terms of the competition – if they ask for 25 words, stick to it.
-
Keep receipts. You could be contacted months later if the winner doesn’t claim their prize.
-
Keep an eye on your junk email folder – you’d be surprised at how many emails telling you that you’ve won end up there.
-
Have fun! If it’s a photo entry competition get the kids or pets involved and don’t be afraid to be silly.
-
Instant win comps often have hundreds of prizes, increasing your chance
of winning. -
Work hard so the good luck can find you. Be persistent and put your name in the ring to have a chance of winning.
