| A simple shopping expedition to buy new
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| | manager accompanied us to a check out. It
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| clothes can become a daunting experience
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| | was like meeting Santa Claus in a suit.
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| when you've lost your income through
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| | He totted up the bill to the amount of
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| redundancy.Suddenly, "luxuries" like
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| | our prize win, thanked us for entering
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| family holidays or a new car seem things
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| | their competition and smilingly escorted
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| of the past.I understand that feeling
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| | us to the door before waving us a cheery
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| only too well. It happened to me some
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| | good-buy!Although unsuccessful at finding
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| years ago. As if that wasn't enough, my
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| | new employment, despite scouring job
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| husband was also made redundant at the
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| | advertisements and completing application
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| same time.Then a newspaper article
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| | forms, my new pastime of "comping" was
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| changed my life...The article featured
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| | keeping my brain active as well as
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| ordinary people, like me and you. I read
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| | changing our shopping and eating
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| how they enjoyed holidays to exotic
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| | habits.Instead of window shopping,
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| locations, drove gleaming new cars and
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| | knowing we couldn't afford to buy
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| showered their family and friends with
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| | expensive goodies and luxuries, shopping
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| exciting goodies - all for
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| | became fun. Often the only thing I'd
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| free.Intrigued, I read on. Thinking there
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| | come back with from an afternoon of
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| must be a catch somewhere!All these
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| | shopping, was a pile of entry forms!The
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| "compers" had one thing in common - they
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| | competition tasks were varied,
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| won prizes. Cars. Holidays. Landscaped
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| | challenging and fun as family general
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| gardens. Entertainment systems.
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| | knowledge improved by leaps and bounds.
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| Computers, toys and games for their kids.
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| | The reference library became a second
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| Luxury kitchens. Even a house. You name
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| | home.Our diet changed according to
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| it. They won it.Normally, I'd read an
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| | qualifying till receipts."Tonight," I'd
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| article and forget it. But with teenage
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| | tell my family, "we're having pizza - to
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| daughter needing new trainers and time on
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| | try and win an Italian holiday. Served
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| my hands, apart from seemingly endless
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| | with tomato salad - to win a holiday in
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| job hunting, what had I to lose?A prize
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| | the Canaries. Followed by apples - to win
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| crossword in a high street chain store
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| | a healthy break in France. Oh, and as a
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| caught my eye. Completed, I sent it on
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| | treat, you can have a chocolate - to win
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| its way and forgot all about it. Three
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| | a Valentine's cruise!""Just remember I
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| weeks later the postman brought me a long
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| | need the wrapper!"Within six months of
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| white envelope."Congratulations...," I
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| | discovering this new pastime, I won a
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| read, "you've won a small gift
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| | family holiday in Devon, a TV, video
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| voucher."At that moment I realized there
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| | recorder and lots of welcome runners-up
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| wasn't a catch. Ordinary people like you
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| | prizes like bottles of wine, spirits,
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| and me could, and did, win competition
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| | leather handbag, a watch, camera and
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| prizes.It was fun spending the gift
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| | shopping vouchers. Then came a worrying
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| voucher, after writing a thank you note
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| | time followed by an exciting ten days.On
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| to the competition promoter, I wondered
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| | Christmas eve my daughter was rushed to
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| if my win was a fluke! I decided to find
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| | hospital with suspected appendicitis.
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| out...Wandering round the high street
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| | Whilst in the hospital, we watched Del
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| stores I discovered a competition in a
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| | Boy and Rodney from "Only Fools and
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| free magazine in a bank to win one of 25
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| | Horses" in The Everglades and wished we
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| pair of trainers and an entry form in a
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| | too, could take an airboat ride just like
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| men's clothing store.Having never noticed
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| | Del and Rodney.The lady in the next bed
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| competitions before it was like going on
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| | passed her magazine to my daughter.
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| a treasure hunt. Sherlock Holmes would
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| | Inside was a tiebreaker slogan
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| have been proud of me! An entry form
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| | competition to win a healthy weekend
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| collar on a bottle of wine. A prize draw
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| | break.A few weeks later, returning late
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| on a bookmark in the local bookshop.
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| | at night from an interview, I opened an
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| Instead of bags of shopping I came back
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| | interesting looking letter. Tiredness
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| laden with entry forms, all shapes and
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| | disappeared as I read:"Congratulations,
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| sizes.Sitting in the library, wading
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| | you've won a health and country club
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| through an encyclopedia to answer some of
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| | weekend in the Lake District."This was
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| the competition questions, I realized
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| | followed, a few days later, by a
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| what a challenging and fun pastime I'd
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| | fantastic sur-prize - a family holiday
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| discovered. And one that was only as
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| | for four to Miami, Florida, including
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| expensive as I wanted it to be.Quickly
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| | hotel, flights, car hire AND tickets for
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| discovering that prize draws were free to
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| | an air boat ride in The Everglades.
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| enter, all it cost was a postcard and
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| | Wow!Still on cloud nine, the next morning
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| stamp and not even that when you were
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| | I answered the phone to a man who
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| allowed to drop your entry form into the
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| | quizzed:"Do you remember entering a
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| free prize in-store posting box.Those
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| | competition in your local supermarket
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| competitions where you were asked to
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| | recently?""Mmm, yes," I answered, trying
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| complete a tiebreaker sentence, such
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| | to recall which competition he
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| as:"I want to win a car with store
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| | meant."Well", he continued, "you've won a
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| because..." usually asked you to attach a
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| | brand new car!"I was speechless! He said
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| qualifying till receipt, I noted.Avoiding
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| | a confirmation letter was in the post.
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| expensive "qualifiers", it was easy to
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| | An agonizing "have I dreamed it or not"
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| switch buying habits. For instance,
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| | weekend followed until a long white
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| instead of your normal brand of soap
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| | envelope arrived on Monday. It was true
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| powder, you simply bought the brand which
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| | - I'd won a car! And all for identifying
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| was running a competition. You kept
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| | eight products and writing a slogan "In
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| your till receipt and enclosed it with
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| | 10 words or less".And a new job? Well I
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| your entry as proof of purchase or
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| | gave up job hunting! You see, I
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| "qualifier" as it was known.Thrilled was
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| | remembered a childhood ambition to write
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| an understatement, when a store manager
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| | a book - when I had the time - and now I
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| phoned to say I'd won first prize in
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| | had the time and the subject - how to Win
|
| their free to enter contest. A new
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| | Your Fortune in Prizes. And the rest, as
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| wardrobe of clothes. My kids were
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| | they say, is history!Lynne Suzanne is a
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| delighted. Hubby and I took them to the
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| | freelance writer and author of Win With
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| store.I could hardly believe it when,
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| | Lynne Intaslogans, Pun-ch Lines! and Win
|
| laden with jeans, trousers, T-shirts,
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| | Your Fortune in Prizes.
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| fashionable shirts and trainers, the
| |
| | FREE Win With Lynne - How to Win guide.
|
