Thrifty mum-of-two set to have a FREE Christmas by winning competitions – and she enters up to 100 a day
Hollie Gregersen, 32, from Hull, has already won a six foot real Christmas tree, worth £60, as well as lights and decorations. Last year, she managed to win £500 worth of festive treats.
FROM mince pies to pigs in blankets and Prosecco, the month leading up to the big day are filled with sweet and savoury treats alike - and there is a way you can enjoy them for FREE.
Hollie Gregersen, a thrifty mum of two, is planning to have a no-spend Christmas - by entering up to 100 competitions a day.
Since December 1, the 32-year-old financial blogger from Hull, has secured a six foot real Christmas tree, which is worth £60 as well as lights and decorations worth about £30.
She has also picked up a bottle of Prosecco, a full body massage as well a month of free gym membership and fat burners - perfect for after Christmas indulgence.
Last year, the savvy mum managed to win £500 worth of festive treats and this time she wants to increase her savings.
Ms Gregersen, who is the founder of , told the Sun Online: "You don’t necessarily want to compromise on the lifestyle you had before becoming a parent and I don’t think you should.
"So I am trying to find ways to work around it."
Of course, there is no guarantee that Ms Gregersen will be able to get her whole Christmas dinner for free through comping but she is aiming to save as much as possible.
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Comping can be used to save money but also to get presents for your loved ones, according to Ms Gregersen.
She already decided that she will be re-gifting the bottle of fizz as well as the massage. Her next big prize targets are now toys for her children and Christmas food.
"I usually go for wooden toys because they retain their value better, so you can sell them on eBay once your children grow out of them," she said.
December is a really busy month for comping as many more companies are involved.
Of course, there's no guarantee that you'll win but the more competitions you enter the more likely that you'll end up nabbing a prize.
Wannabe winners have to treat it at "like a business to get the most out of it," Ms Gregersen said.
She advised shoppers to look for local competitions, where there will be fewer entries and to get into a consistent routine of entering a certain number of them each day.
Hollie Gregersen's top five comping tips
Here are Ms Gregersen tips to get the most out of comping:
- Find a worthy prize: Look for competitions where the prize is something you actually want, so you don't waste your time.
- Look for local competitions or those that require a bit of effort: They will have fewer entries and this will increase your chances of winning.
- Check the small print: Sometimes there can be a free way of entering a paid-for competition, for example instead of calling an expensive phone number you might be able to register online for no extra fee.
- Get into a routine: Set yourself a target and get into a consistent routine of entering a certain number of competitions each day
- Look on special forum: If you want to save time use forums like Loquax and the Prizefinder, which are dedicated purely to comping.
She said: "Many competitions I enter are just a case of filling in details or mentioning the company in a tweet. It’s a laborious task but it does pay off."
"Others take a bit more time and effort - like sending a picture or crafting something - but yield the greater reward."
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To save time, she recommends shoppers use forums like Loquax and Prizefinder, which are dedicated purely to comping.
And if you think the effort is not worth it, you might be wrong.
Ms Gregersen's biggest wins include a private barbecue with celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal, a £2,000 paid-for holiday and a £220 watch from Kate Spade.
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She said: "There will always be an element of luck to comping but you can increase your chance by standing out."
"My dad got me into competition entry when I was little. Obviously we didn’t have the Internet back then and he would give me tricks to make my entries stand out.
"For example, he would recommend cutting up cereal boxes to brighten my cards to make sure my letter stand out in the mail box - now I try to apply his advice online."
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