competitions

Pick My Postcode review

Win Free Cash Prizes With Pick My Postcode!

Today I’m highlighting a fun and free way you may be able to boost your income in 2021. And all you have to do is check the website in question once a day to see if your postcode is a winner!

The website in question is called Pick My Postcode. They offer multiple chances to win every day – and back when they were called Free Postcode Lottery, I was lucky enough to win the main draw prize!

All you have to do to get started is visit the Pick My Postcode site and register with your email address and postcode.

The PMP Draws

Pick My Postcode have five draw categories, as follows:

  1. Main Draw  Each day one postcode is picked at random for this draw, which has the biggest prizes. The main daily prize – which I was lucky enough to win – can be over £1,000. When I had my own win, the prize was £1,200, though as one other person in my postcode area also claimed, the prize was split between us. So I got £600 plus a small bonus (explained below) – not a life-changing amount, but certainly a day-changing one 😀
  2. Video Draw – To see the winning postcode in this draw, you first have to watch a short video. Though to be honest I find that you just have to watch the ad that plays first and the winning postcode is then displayed – you don’t have to watch the whole of the video unless you want to. This draw pays a minimum of £50, with the prize rolling over to the next day if not claimed. I have seen up to £400 on offer in this draw.
  3. Survey Draw – To see if you have won this draw, you first have to complete a very short survey (generally just one question). As with the Video Draw there is a minimum prize of £50 and it rolls over to the next day if unclaimed. When I checked today there was a £300 prize, so it must have rolled over for a few days previously.
  4. Stackpot – The Stackpot lists a variable number of postcodes with £10 prizes for those claiming them. When I checked this morning there were 14 prizes up for grabs and one that had already been claimed (it is first come, first served with the Stackpot).
  5. Bonus Draw – With the Bonus Draw there is a daily £5 prize, £10 prize and £20 prize. To be eligible you need to have built up a Bonus (see below) equal in value to the prize in question by visiting the site regularly. So to qualify for the £20 Bonus Draw, you need to have accumulated a Bonus worth at least £20 yourself.

All lottery prizes are tax-free, of course, in accordance with UK gambling laws.

Flash Draw and Bonus

Pick My Postcode also offers two additional ways to win prizes.

One is £5 Flash Draws. These appear at random on advertising spaces around the PMP website. They look like the sample image below. They appear to individual visitors at random. I have never seen one myself, but obviously it’s worth keeping an eye out for them. If you spot one, you just have to click to claim (it doesn’t matter about your postcode). The £5 prize is paid by PayPal as usual.

PMP Flash draw

As for the Bonus, this is a sum of money that is added to your prize any time you win (with the exception of the £5 Flash prizes). It accrues over time as you visit the site. It increases by 1p for every new Main Draw, Survey Draw or Video Draw that you check. That may not sound much, but if you return to the site every day it soon adds up. My Bonus is up to £41.90 now!

  • If you wish, you can boost your Bonus even more by referring friends and neighbours and taking up some of the offers that appear on the site.

It’s important to note that you can’t withdraw your Bonus until you win a prize. But even £10 in the Stackpot or £5 in the Bonus Draw will qualify. So if I were to win a £10 Stackpot or Bonus Draw  prize today, I would actually receive £10 plus £41.90 = £51.90. Another good feature is that your Bonus is added to your winnings every time you win a prize – it doesn’t reset to zero after a win.

I am not normally a great one for lotteries, but I make an exception for Pick My Postcode. As I said above, it’s free to enter, there are loads of prizes on offer, and the longer you go on playing, the bigger those prizes can become. And obviously, having previously won over £600 on the Main Draw myself, I know that it’s genuine and would love to win again!

Finally, if you still need further reassurances about the site, check out the reviews on the independent Trust Pilot website (average 4.8/5 stars, with 94% of people rating it ‘Excellent’).

As always, if you have any comments or questions about Pick My Postcode, please do leave them below.

Disclosure: This post includes my referral link. If you click through and sign up for free, I will receive a small commission for introducing you. This will not affect your potential earnings in any way.

If you enjoyed this post, please link to it on your own blog or social media:
UK Bloggers Christmas Giveaway 2020

Win a Samsung 50-Inch Smart UHD TV in This UK Bloggers Christmas Giveaway!

2020 has been a stressful and difficult year, but here’s a chance to end it on a positive note. I’ve joined forces with some of my fellow UK bloggers to put together a giveaway with a Samsung 50-Inch Smart UHD TV for the lucky winner.

Read on to find out how you could win this amazing prize in time for Christmas. And please do check out the other talented bloggers who have collaborated on this giveaway.

Bloggers Taking Part

Reinventing Neesha | The Parent Game | Kayleigh Zara | Mind Over Meds | Lottie Lately | Jodetopia | Lindy Loves | Melanie’s Fab Finds | The Little Landeg | Lipgloss and Curves | Boring Mother | The Rare Welsh Bit | Wanderlust Weddings | Travel Bugs | Discover Kent | Miss L J Beauty | Pounds and Sense | Real Girls Wobble | Pretty Core | Testing Time Blog | Chilling with Lucas | Our Transitional Life | Pretty Big Butterflies | Probably Busy | Monethalia | Emily May | Skinny Spending | Lisa’s Notebook | Nishi V | The Life of Dee | Funding Her Freedom | Reality in Reverie | Afshanesque | Wotawoman Diary | The Secret Life of Me | Stapo’s Thrifty Life Hacks | Bulk Cook on a Budget | Codiekinz

The Prize

One lucky winner will win themselves a Samsung 50 Inch UE50TU7100 Smart Ultra HD TV worth a whopping £400! This smart TV is compatible with the following smart apps: Now TV, Disney+, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime and YouTube. It also has its own built-in Internet browser. To quote from the sales page:

Experience crystal clear colour HDR powered by HDR10+ as the film-makers intended. Crystal Processor adapts to provide the very best 4K picture and targeted sound based on what you are watching. Works with Alexa and Google Assistant. Slim design with very narrow bezel.

How to Enter

To enter simply complete all or any of the Rafflecopter entry options below. The more you complete the more chances you have of winning.

The competition ends at midnight on Sunday 13th December and a winner will be drawn on Monday 14th December. If for any reason the chosen prize is out of stock at the time of the draw, the winner will be able to select an alternative prize up to the same value.

For full entry terms and conditions please see the Rafflecopter widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One final small point is that if a winning entry comes from following someone on social media, the organizers will check before awarding the prize that the winner is still following the account in question. If they aren’t, they will be disqualified and a new winner drawn. So, please, don’t follow and immediately unfollow, as your entry won’t then count.

Good luck, and here’s hoping we can all look forward to a happier Christmas!

If you enjoyed this post, please link to it on your own blog or social media:
Bloggers August Giveaway

Win a £100 M&S Hamper in the Bloggers August Giveaway!

Autumn is on the way, but before it arrives here’s a chance to make the summer of 2020 even more memorable 😉

Along with a number of my fellow UK bloggers, I am offering one lucky winner the chance to win a £100 hamper of their choice from Marks and Spencer – for example, this Windsor Hamper with Prosecco and red wine (pictured above)..

The competition is being promoted by my blogging colleague Emma Drew and is (of course) free to enter. Full details provided by Emma can be found below. Basically you just have to open the Rafflecopter widget and complete the simple tasks described. Each completed task will then earn you one entry in the giveaway.

The Bloggers

The following bloggers have all teamed together to contribute towards this competition, offering you a fantastic prize.

Please show your support by visiting some of the bloggers taking part just by clicking on the name of the blog below.

What To Watch | Unique Young Mum | Charlotte Musha | Tweet Your Trip | Side Hustle Directory | Koody | Socially Rach | Adventures Of a Riot Grrl | Nishi V | Hawkes At Home | Digital Frogs | Becca Blogs It Out | Jass V | Craft Hustle Directory | Thrifty Chap | Our House Our Home | Money Saving Superhero | The Financial Wilderness | Photographyish | Peggy May | Girls Just Wanna Have Funds | Pounds and Sense | Mum on a Budget | Her Home Biz | Simple Happy Home | The Money Whisperer | Love Panda | Love Dogs | Easy Peasy Gardens | Money Money Money | 360 Mum | A Little Luxury For Me | Mind Over Money Matters | Enjoy England For Less | Alice in Sheffield | Funding Her Freedom | Mama In Progress | A Rose Tinted World | So Nostalgic | Lindy Loves | Francesca’s Growing Patch | WotAWoman Diary | Deborah Stansil | Reinventing Neesha | That Copper Life | Patty Finds Deals | Pink Steel | My Debt Diary | Drewmies | Thrifty Husband

The Prize

Up for giveaway is a £100 M&S hamper of your choice.

With plenty to choose from, you can pick yourself a lovely treat!

Rules and How to Enter

1. There is one top prize of a £100 M&S hamper of the winner’s choosing.
2. There are no runner up prizes
3. Open to UK residents aged 18 and over, excluding all bloggers involved with running the giveaway
4. Closing date for entries is midnight on 31.08.20
5. The same Rafflecopter widget appears on all the blogs involved, but you only need to enter on one blog
6. Entrants must log in to the Rafflecopter widget, and complete one or more of the tasks – each completed task earns one entry in the prize draw
7. Tweeting about the giveaway via the Rafflecopter widget will earn five bonus entries into the prize draw.
8. 1 winner will be chosen at random.
9. The winner will be informed by email within 7 days of the closing date and will need to respond within 28 days with their delivery address, or a replacement winner will be chosen.
10. The winners’ names will be published in the Rafflecopter widget (unless the winner objects to this).
11. The prizes will be dispatched within 14 days of the winner confirming their address.
12. The promoter is www.EmmaDrew.info
13. By participating in this prize draw, entrants confirm they have read, understood and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions

To enter simply complete any or all of the Rafflecopter entry widgets below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One last small point is that if a winning entry comes from following someone on social media, Emma will check before awarding the prize that the winner is still following the account in question. If they aren’t, they will be disqualified and a new winner drawn. So, please, don’t follow and immediately unfollow, as your entry won’t then count.

Good luck, and I really do hope you win this fabulous prize. But even if you don’t, I hope you enjoy entering and discovering some other amazing UK bloggers!

As always, if you have any comments or questions about this post, please do leave them below.

If you enjoyed this post, please link to it on your own blog or social media:
UK Bloggers Summer Giveaway 2020

Win a Garden Furniture Set in the UK Bloggers Summer Giveaway 2020!

I’ve joined forces today with some of my fellow UK bloggers to put together a giveaway of a Maevea Rattan-Effect 4-Seater Coffee Set from B&Q. You can see a photo of it above.

This set is currently on sale for £541 on the B&Q website. Details – copied from the site – are as follows:

Create your own space in your garden with this modular rattan design Maevea coffee set.

Easily change the configuration when you have guests over, or want to try something a little different.

The space saving design is easy to store and keep tucked away in a corner when not being used.

The armchairs store behind the sofa for easy storage.

Easy to clean glass top table.

Features

  • removable cushion covers
  • exclusive to B&Q with a 2 year guarantee
  • this coffee set is modular – it has 4 different orientations
  • Armchair: 565 x 62 x 770mm
  • Table: 520 x 360 x 925mm
  • Sofa: 1550 x 700 x 795mm

You can see more information about the set (and more photos) on the B&Q website. If the chosen prize is no longer available when the draw is complete, another suitable garden set will be substituted.

Here then are all the details you need to enter, provided by my colleague Emma Drew (who is co-ordinating this event). Good luck! It would be great if a Pounds and Sense reader wins this great prize 🙂

UK Bloggers Summer Giveaway 1

Some UK bloggers have teamed up to offer you a fantastic giveaway for this summer, organised by Emma Drew. Keep reading to see who is involved and how to enter.

UK Bloggers Summer Giveaway 2

Tummy2Mummy | Peggy May | Chilling With Lucas | Stapos Thrifty Life Hacks | Two Plus Dogs | Moneysaving Superhero | Photographyish | You Have to Laugh | Thrifty Chap

UK Bloggers Summer Giveaway 3

The Diary of a Jewellery Lover | A Rose Tinted World | MTBLM | Craft Hustle Directory | Paternal Damnation | Missing Sleep | Real Home and Living | Stressed Mum | Bronni

UK Bloggers Summer Giveaway 4

So Nostalgic | Hawkes at Home | The Coffee Shop Nomad | Mummy Vs Work | Home in the Pastures | Hollie Plus | Girl On a Pension | Wotawoman Diary | Spilling Life Tea | Becca Blogs It Out

UK Bloggers Summer Giveaway 5

Savvy Squirrel | Me, Them and the Others | My Three and Me | Miss LJ Beauty | Life After Blood Cancer | My Balancing Act | Our House, Our Home | The Mini Millionaire | A Money Minded Mum | Vegan etc | Lindy Loves | Looking After Your Pennies

UK Bloggers Summer Giveaway 6

The Life of Dee | Francesca’s Growing Patch | Youth n Trends | Wander and Luxe | DeborahStansil | Sunshine and Rain | Pounds and Sense | Nishi V | Side Hustle Directory

UK Bloggers Summer Giveaway 7

Free Budgeting Tools | My Blog My Business | Mrs Pinch | Our Adventurehood | SueFoster.Info | My Savings Journal | Birds and Lilies | Mum on a Budget | Nine to Three Thirty | Love Petals | Lisa’s Notebook

UK Bloggers Summer Giveaway 8

Prize Warriors | Mum’s the Nerd | Petals And Planes | Doing My Best | Travel Bugs | Mum’s Money Corner | My Tunbridge Wells | Charlotte Musha | That Copper Life | Renovation Bay-Bee | Money Saving Nat | Extreme Frugal Living | Frugal Living UK | The Free From Mummy | Binancially Inclined | Best Things To Do In York

UK Bloggers Summer Giveaway 9

Adventures of a Yorkshire Mum | Melanie’s Fab Finds | Helen Craddock | At Home With Kayla | Brunch or Breakfast | Futures | The Somerset Foodie | Dungarees and Donuts | Just Average Jen | Mums The Wurd | Budgeting for Students | Gin and Cocktail Bars

UK Bloggers Summer Giveaway 10

Skinny Spending | Chatting Food | Frugal Blogger Eats | Money’s on the Mind | Accidental Hipster Mum | CharleySaves | Coffee and Cwtches | Mummy Saver Money Maker | Brit on a Budget | The Money Builders | Thrifty Husband | My Beautiful Mess

UK Bloggers Summer Giveaway 11

Building Online Sales | Drewmies | Make Money Without a Job | A Thrifty Gamer | This Money Works | Maternity Money | Amy Pigott | Scottish Outlander | Parent Blogging Secrets | Create Joy Everyday | A Life of Lovely

The Prize

UK Bloggers Summer Giveaway 12

We are giving away a rattan effect 4 seater set from B&Q (depending on stock availability).

Should the chosen prize no longer be available when the draw is complete then we will choose another suitable garden set.

Enter Now

The competition will run from 15th June until 30th June 2020 (midnight).

A winner will be drawn from the Rafflecopter entries and checked before being contacted.

Once contacted and the prize has been arranged, the Rafflecopter widget will display the first name and first initial of the winner’s surname.

Simply complete any or all of the entry options in the widget.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One final small point is that if a winning entry comes from following someone on social media, Emma will check before awarding the prize that the winner is still following the account in question. If they aren’t, they will be disqualified and a new winner drawn. So, please, don’t follow and immediately unfollow, as your entry won’t then count.

Good luck, and I really do hope you win this fabulous prize. But even if you don’t, I hope you enjoy entering and discovering some other amazing money bloggers!

As always, if you have any comments or questions about this post, please do leave them below.

If you enjoyed this post, please link to it on your own blog or social media:
Bloggers Together Giveaway

Win Supermarket Shopping Vouchers in the Bloggers Together Giveaway!

As so many of us are struggling financially right now, I’ve teamed up with some fellow UK bloggers for a great giveaway. We have over £100 worth of supermarket vouchers to help two lucky winners with their grocery shopping 🙂

The first prize is a whopping £75 voucher. The runner-up will receive a £30 voucher. Both vouchers will be for supermarkets of the winners’ choice. The prizes will be e-vouchers for supermarkets that offer home delivery, including Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Iceland (subject to availability).

This giveaway has been organised by my fellow blogger Kellie Steed at the comping website Prize Warriors. Do check out her excellent site if you are interested in winning more cash and prizes from consumer competitions!

To enter the Bloggers Together Giveaway, all you have to do is work down (or up) the Rafflecopter widget below. As you will see, for each action you take (e.g. following a blogger on Twitter or visiting their Facebook page) you will receive one entry. The winners will be drawn at random, so the more times you enter, the better your chances of success.

The closing date is 31st May 2020, so get clicking now!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Meet the Bloggers

All of the bloggers listed below have contributed towards this giveaway prize. Please check out their blogs via the links below. They are all well worth reading, and many run giveaways of their own too.

Pounds and Sense | Mum on a Budget | Life in a Breakdown|

Mummy & Me x 2 | Prize Warriors | Katie Saves

Monethalia | Whimsical Mumblings | Life with Lianne|

 

Soph Obsessed | Binancially Inclined

Two Plus Dogs | The Free From Mummy | The Financial Wilderness

Frugal Living UK | Savvy in Love | The Thrifty Freckles

 

Jera’s Jamboree | Mummy Vs Work | Welsh Mum

Savvy Squirrel | Create Joy Everyday | Marina Writes Life

Budgeting for Students | Savvy in Somerset | Earning by the Sea

Life with Jupiter and Dann | Mrs Mummy Penny | Joanna Victoria

Budget Life | Money’s on the Mind | Broke in Bristol

Reality in Reverie | Maternity Money | Drewmies

Brit on a Budget | Charlotte Musha|

The Bloglancer | Stapos Thrifty Life Hacks|

Your Best Life Advice | Looking After Your Pennies | Pet Dog World

Closing Thoughts

I do hope you enjoy taking part in this giveaway, and even if you don’t win a prize you discover some wonderful bloggers to follow in future.

One small point is that if a winning entry comes from following someone on social media, Kellie will check before awarding the prize that the winner is still following the account in question. If they aren’t, they will be disqualified and a new winner drawn. So, please, don’t follow and immediately unfollow (or claim to be following when you’re not), as your entry won’t then count.

Good luck if you enter the Bloggers Together Giveaway – it would be great if a Pounds and Sense reader won one (or both) of the prizes!

As always, if you have any comments or questions about this post, please do leave them below.

If you enjoyed this post, please link to it on your own blog or social media:
UKMB Easter Giveaway

Win an M&S Easter Hamper in the UKMB Spring Giveaway!

I’ve joined forces today with some of my fellow UK Money Bloggers to put together a giveaway of FIVE M&S Easter Family Hampers. That means five lucky winners will receive a hamper in time for Easter 2020 🙂

These hampers sell for £50 apiece on the M&S website. The full contents are as follows:

  • Gold label teabags (250g/ 80 bags)
  • Caramel eggs (120g)
  • Hide and seek egg hunt bag (135g)
  • Simnel cake bar (460g)
  • Chicky choccy speckled eggs (90g)
  • 8 Spiced Easter biscuits (200g)
  • Bubbly bunny (23g) x 4
  • British strawberry soft set jam (113g)
  • Easter fried eggs whips (180g)
  • 4 golden hot cross buns (260g/pack of 4)
  • Presented in a dark stained basket with brown faux leather strap

In the event of supply difficulties, or with discontinued products, M&S say they reserve the right to offer alternative goods or packaging of equal quality and value. Full information about the hamper and its contents can be found on the M&S website.

Here then are all the details you need to enter, provided by my colleague Emma Drew (who is co-ordinating this event). Good luck! It would be great if a Pounds and Sense reader wins one (or more) of the prizes 🙂

UKMB01

Meet the Bloggers Taking Part

The bloggers taking part in this fantastic giveaway are as follows…

UKMB02

EmmaDrew.InfoMrs MummyPenny | Financial Expert | Thrifty Londoner | Much More With Less | Thrifty Lesley | Pounds and Sense | Melanie’s Fab Finds | Inspiring Life Design | Budgeting is a Challenge

UKMB03

Katie Saves | Looking After Your Pennies | Monethalia | Lylia Rose | Earning By The Sea | The Money Saving Mum | The Reverend | This Money Works | Bang on Blanks | Charlotte Musha | Joleisa | SueFoster.Info | Mind Over Money Matters | Mum on a Budget

UKMB04

Emily Brookes | Alieshia | Glitz & Glamour Makeup | Money Saving Nat | Side Hustle Directory | TuppennysFIREplace | My Money Cottage | Mrs Pinch | Brit On A Budget | SavvyMumUK | I Beat Debt | Broke Girl in the City | Debt Free Family | Reinventing Neesha

UKMB05

Skinny Spending | Bargain Bunny | Papawire | The Savvy Sloth | Savvy Dad | Thrifty Chap | Frugal Family | Savvy in Love | The Financial Wilderness | Young Fun and Thrifty | Great Deals Made Easy | Frugal Expert | Money Saving Central

The Prizes

UKMB06

There are five M&S Easter Hampers up for grabs, worth £50 each.

If the hamper is no longer available when the winners are drawn then the winners will be offered an alternative hamper from M&S worth £50 each.

Enter to Win

To enter simply complete any or all of the Rafflecopter entry widget options below.

The competition closes at midnight on 29th March 2020. If the hamper selected is sold out then we will offer an alternative M&S hamper worth £50. You can see the widget for the full terms and conditions of this giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One final small point is that if a winning entry comes from following someone on social media, Emma will check before awarding the prize that the winner is still following the account in question. If they aren’t, they will be disqualified and a new winner drawn. So, please, don’t follow and immediately unfollow, as your entry won’t then count.

Good luck, and I really do hope you win a hamper!

As always, if you have any comments or questions about this post, please do leave them below.

If you enjoyed this post, please link to it on your own blog or social media:
The Rising Cost of Christmas - and how to lower it!

The Rising Cost of Christmas – And How to Lower It!

With Christmas almost upon us, I thought I’d take a look today at how the cost of Christmas has changed over the years. I’ll also be suggesting some things you can do to keep the cost of the festive season under control.

Of course, Christmas has always been relatively expensive, as it’s one time of year nearly all of us push the boat out, buying gifts for friends and family, and generally spending more on food and drink and entertainment.

But all the usual bills still have to be paid at this time, including gas and electricity. For those of us in the UK, our energy use rises during the cold winter months anyway. And that effect is magnified over Christmas, when we may have extra guests visiting (and perhaps staying) as well. This all adds to our bills, and hence the total cost of Christmas.

The Cost of Christmas Past

So how much is your energy actually costing you, and are you paying more than you did ten or twenty years ago?

Take a look at the interacfive house graphic below – kindly provided by my friends at Energyhelpline.com – to see how average energy bills (along with our tastes in home decor and TV viewing!) have changed between 1970 and today.

As you can see from the graphic, average energy bills have fluctuated over the years, with the 1980s in particular being surprisingly expensive. In recent years the trend has been broadly upwards again, though this has been countered to some extent by the arrival of more energy-efficient appliances, from LED bulbs to condensing boilers.

Nonetheless, Christmas today is a very expensive time for many people. One reason is – of course – inflation. The cost of everything has risen over the years, so it makes sense that Christmas is all the more pricey too. But inflation aside, for many people today Christmas is a much bigger (and costlier) affair than it used to be.

Christmas in the 1960s wasn’t the long drawn out holiday we know now. As many readers of this blog will remember, most people only celebrated on the day itself, with Christmas Eve used for buying any gifts or food needed (unheard of today) and Boxing Day spent visiting family. With only two TV channels to choose from – BBC and ITV – everyone watched the same things, so there was no squabbling between Doctor Who and Die Hard!

The 1970s wasn’t much better on the TV channel front (the Christmas movie was a big highlight in the days before streaming and rentals) – though it did see a big surge in how much we spend on presents, with toys like Action Man and Evel Knievel making their debut during this period.

The 1980s saw an even bigger increase in the amount the UK would spend over the season, though you were more likely to sip a Babycham or eggnog in the days before you could get decent wine inexpensively. Wham’s ‘Last Christmas’ was the biggest festive hit. And the whole family would probably sit down together to watch Noel Edmonds on Christmas morning (hard to imagine in today’s multichannel, multimedia world).

The commercialization of Christmas took a new leap in the ‘90s, with toys like the Tamagotchi, Furby and Game Boy being huge sellers across the decade. Christmas TV might include Mr Bean, The Muppets Christmas Carol or even The Simpsons. It was also probably the last decade where the Christmas Number One was truly important – the Spice Girls dominating with three in a row.

Since then, the cost of Christmas has gone on increasing, as we spend ever more on gifts, decorations and events. And Christmas itself has spread ever wider as well, with festivities beginning weeks before the big day and continuing on into early January.

How to Keep Costs Down at Christmas

With the cost of Christmas (for many at least) having climbed alarmingly, here are some tips and suggestions for keeping your costs – and especially energy bills – down at this time.

  • Have your boiler serviced regularly, to ensure it is operating at peak efficiency.
  • If you have an old boiler that keeps breaking down, the time may have come to replace it. The Energy Saving Trust say that you could save up to up to 40 percent on your gas bill by installing a new ‘A’ rated condensing boiler with a programmer, room thermostat and thermostatic radiator controls.
  • If your radiators aren’t heating up properly at the top, you may need to bleed them to release air in the pipes. Depending on the radiator, you may need a special key to do this or a flat-bladed screwdriver.
  • Turn down your thermostat by one degree ­- this can reduce your heating bill by 10%.
  • Replace old light-bulbs with new energy-saving bulbs. The latest LED bulbs are just as bright as old incandescent bulbs and use a tenth of the energy. They last longer too.
  • Exclude draughts with heavy curtains and draught excluders by doors.
  • Turn off heaters in rooms you aren’t using and close the doors.
  • Don’t leave electrical appliances on standby.
  • Wash clothes at 30 degrees (or lower) and avoid using tumble driers whenever possible.
  • Get a smart meter installed if you haven’t already. The energy companies are fitting these free. They can help you see when and where you are spending money on energy and identify ways you could save money as a result.
  • If you’re an older person and/or on a low income, you may be able to get a discount of £140 on your winter energy bills through the Warm Home Discount scheme. The scheme for 2019/20 is currently open for applications, and most larger energy suppliers are offering it. But be aware that they only have a limited quota of discounts to give out, so you need to apply asap before applications close. My blog post about the Warm Home Discount scheme has more information about this.
  • Most older people who receive the state pension should get a Winter Fuel Payment from £100 to £300 in cash, based on their age and circumstances. Those in receipt of Pension Credit and some others on low incomes may also be eligible for a Cold Weather Payment of £25 if the average temperature in their area is at or below zero for seven days consecutively during the winter months.
  • Last but not least, the energy market is more competitive than ever these days, meaning you should be able to find a better deal pretty easily by shopping around. Energy Helpline can help you save up to £461 on your annual bills. Simply enter details of your current supplier on their website and they will handle the entire switching process for you. It’s that easy!

Christmas Prize Quiz

Here’s one more way you may be able to save some money this Christmas. Energy Helpline are currently running a Christmas-themed prize quiz on their website. Just click through here and scroll down to the quiz, where you can put your Christmas knowledge to the test! One lucky person will win a £100 M&S voucher. But don’t delay, as the winner will be drawn on Monday 23rd December 2019.

As always, if you have any comments or questions about this article, please do post them below.

Disclosure: this post is sponsored by Energy Helpline, an independent price comparison website.

If you enjoyed this post, please link to it on your own blog or social media:
UKMB Festive Giveaway 2019

Win One of EIGHT Marks and Spencer Hampers in the Great UKMB Festive Giveaway!

Today I have another great giveaway to share with you.

I’ve joined forces with some of my fellow UK Money Bloggers to put together a giveaway of EIGHT Christmas Afternoon Treats with Flowers M&S hampers. That means eight lucky winners will receive a hamper in time for Christmas!

These hampers sell for £50 apiece on the M&S website. The full contents are as follows:

  • Christmas afternoon treats
  • Swiss chocolate extra smooth milk chocolate truffles (205g)
  • Pure origin Assam teabags (125g/50 bags)
  • Classic recipe top iced bar Christmas cake (450g)
  • The Collection Berry medley soft set jam (42g)
  • The Collection Bitter Seville orange marmalade (42g)
  • All butter shortbread fingers (28g) x 3
  • A beautiful bouquet of flowers

In the event of supply difficulties, or with discontinued products, M&S say they reserve the right to offer alternative goods or packaging of equal quality and value. Full information about the hamper and its contents can be found on the M&S website.

Here then are all the details you need to enter, provided by my colleague Emma Drew (who is co-ordinating this event). Good luck! It would be great if a Pounds and Sense reader wins one (or more) of the prizes 🙂

UMBB01

Meet the Bloggers Taking Part

The bloggers taking part in this festive giveaway are:

UKMB02

EmmaDrew.Info | Shoestring Cottage | Your Money Sorted | Thrifty Londoner | Much More With Less | Thrifty Lesley | Pounds and Sense | The Money Whisperer | Inspiring Life Design | Budgeting is a Challenge

UKMB03

Bee Money Savvy | Joleisa | Mind Over Money Matters | The Reverend | Charlotte Musha | Earning By The Sea | SueFoster.Info | Katie Saves | The Money Saving Mum | MamaFurFur | Daily Deals UK | Thrifty Husband

UKMB04

Everyday, Freebies and More | Melanie’s Fab Finds | Mrs MummyPenny | Bronni | Brit on a Budget | Miss Penny Money | Your Best Friend’s Guide to Cash | Money Blog Scotland | I Beat Debt | The Savvy Sisters

UKMB05

Looking After Your Pennies | Bang on Blanks | Miss Manypennies | Lylia Rose | SavvyMumUK | Monethalia | The Female Money Doctor | Broke Girl in the City | Mummy Saver Money Maker | Mum on a Budget | Bargain Bunny | Not Taught at School | Savings 4 Savvy Mums

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Glitz & Glamour Makeup | Debt Free Family | Side Hustle Directory | The Somerset Foodie | Financial Expert | Get Paid to F.A.R.T | Savvy in Somerset | A Thrifty Gamer | Mrs Pinch | TuppennysFIREplace | Reinventing Neesha | Alieshia | Sunshine and Rain | Thrifty Chap

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Skinny Spending | Money Making Mum | My Money Cottage | Money Tips Blog | Emily Brookes | Frugal Family | Beauty Markdown | Boost My Budget | Make Money Without a Job | Family Budgeting | The Mini Millionaire

UKMB08

This Money Works | Broke in Bristol | The Bloglancer | The Money Principle | Slimming Violet | Savvy Squirrel | Ruth Makes Money | A Balanced Belly | My Debt Diary

The Prizes

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As mentioned above, there are eight Christmas Afternoon Treats with Flowers M&S hampers up for grabs, worth £50 each.

If the hamper is no longer available when the winners are drawn then the winners will be offered an alternative hamper from M&S worth £50 each.

Enter to Win

To enter simply complete any or all of the Rafflecopter entry widget options below.

The competition closes at midnight on 14th December 2019. If the hamper selected is sold out then we will offer an alternative M&S hamper worth £50. You can see the widget for the full terms and conditions of this giveaway.

There are plenty of ways to enter this giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
One small point is that if a winning entry comes from following someone on social media, Emma will check before awarding the prize that the winner is still following the account in question. If they aren’t, they will be disqualified and a new winner drawn. So, please, don’t follow and immediately unfollow, as your entry won’t then count.

Once again, good luck, and I really do hope you win a hamper!

If you enjoyed this post, please link to it on your own blog or social media:
UK Bloggers 2019 Christmas Giveaway

Win a Virginia Hayward Hamper in the UK Bloggers 2019 Christmas Giveaway

Today I have a great festive giveaway to share with you.

I’ve joined forces with some of my fellow UK Bloggers to put together a giveaway of FIVE Virginia Hayward ‘The Magic of Christmas’ Hampers

These hampers sell for £65 apiece on the Virginia Hayward website. The full contents are as follows:

  • Barfield Bakery Mince Pies x 4
  • Cambrook Christmas Nuts 80g
  • Farmhouse Biscuits Regency Salted Caramel Biscuits 150g
  • Gold Crown Decorative 4 inch Square Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel & Fudge Pieces
  • Gold Crown Christmas Pudding 350g
  • Grandma Wild’s Mini Bites for Sharing Mature Cheddar 100g
  • Great British Crisp Company Cornish Sea Salt & Luxury Peppers Crisps 150g
  • Joe & Seph’s Brandy Butter Popcorn 80g
  • Linden Lady Decorative Chocolate Covered Marshmallows 140g
  • Shaws Caramelised Red Onion Chutney with Balsamic 195g
  • Sugar n Spice Choc Chip Cookie Bites 140g
  • The Secret Truffletier White Chocolate Truffles 55g
  • Zonin Prosecco Brut DOC Italy 75cl 11% vol
  • Black Wire Basket

 

If you need to know about any possible allergens in the contents, full information can be found via the Virginia Hayward website (click on the PDF link on the site).

Here then are all the details you need to enter, provided by my colleague Laura Light who is co-ordinating this event – big thanks to Laura!.

Good luck! It would be great if a Pounds and Sense reader wins one (or more) of the prizes 🙂

This Christmas, some of the UK Bloggers have come together to offer you the chance to win five Virginia Hayward The Magic of Christmas Hampers. Five lucky winners will win a Christmas hamper delivered before Christmas. Keep reading to find out how you can enter.

Who are the Bloggers Behind the Giveaway?

The UK Bloggers are a group of bloggers, podcasters, and influencers in the UK who are passionate about helping you to improve your life. We are a mix of lifestyle, parenting, food and money bloggers. Whether you want to make more money, find recipes, read about parenting or other lifestyle topics, we are your people. Here’s who we are:

Savings 4 Savvy Mums | My Beautiful Mess | Rachel Bustin | Soph Obsessed | Charlotte Musha | The Somerset Foodie | Odd Hogg | Keiran Crying | Thrifty Chap | Bronni | Yorkshire Wonders

Earning By The Sea | Welsh Mum | Mind Over Money Matters | My Money Cottage | Bargain Bunny | Slimming Violet | The Life Of Dee | Tuppennys Fireplace | My Three and Me | Side Hustle Directory

Daily Deals Blog | Chilling With Lucas | Tammy Mum | Big Family Organised Chaos | Midlands Traveller | I Always Believed In Futures | Melanies Fab Finds | Really Missing Sleep | Life Loving | The Money Whisperer

Ruth Makes Money | Jupiter Hadley | At Home With Kayla | Our Adventurehood | Looking After Your Pennies | The Free From Mummy | You Have To Laugh | Attachment Mummy | A Rose Tinted World | Mighty Mama Bear | Parenting Phils

I Beat Debt | Run Jump Scrap | The Parent Game | Accidental Hipster Mum | Mummy Saver Money Maker | Miss Many Pennies | Savvy In Somerset | Dolly Dowsie | Yeah Lifestyle | Just Average Jen

Raising Moonbows | Lindy Loves | Boxnip | Me Be Geek | Mrs Pinch | Thrifty Husband | Pounds and Sense | Boring Mother | A Mum Reviews |

My Balancing Act | Emma Drew | Bump and Beyond | Life In A Break Down | Mummy Vs Work | Lisa’s Notebook | Christmas Magic And Markets | Make Money Without a Job

For The Family | The Money Saving Mum | Family Travel With Ellie | Two Plus Dogs  | At Home And Online | Adventures Of A Yorkshire Mum | The Willow Tree |

The Prizes

You can win one of five Virginia Hayward The Magic Of Christmas Hampers.

The Rules

The giveaway is open until midnight on 17th November 2019, when the five winners will be chosen.

The giveaway is open to UK residents only.

Winners will be contacted by email from laura@savings4savvymums.co.uk

Should the Christmas hampers be out of stock then a suitable replacement will be found.

How to Enter

Please note that this giveaway works differently from the otherwise similar UKMB giveaways I have featured on this blog.

You can get two entries by clicking on the links in the Rafflecopter widget below. One is to visit my Facebook page and the other is to follow Pounds and Sense blog on Twitter.

You can then get (many) more entries by clicking through the links above – or below – to my fellow UK bloggers, all of whom have their own posts about the Giveaway with their own Rafflecopter widgets.

After the closing date all entries will be put together and five winners will be chosen at random. I hope that’s all clear, but let me know if not!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Quick Links!

To save you a bit of time finding the other posts in this giveaway, I have listed below all the bloggers who have published a 2019 Christmas Giveaway post, with a ‘deep link’ straight to the post in question. You can work your way through the list below and enter via the widget in each post. All links should open in a separate tab.

Make Money Without a Job

Savings 4 Savvy Mums

My Beautiful Mess

Rachel Bustin

Soph Obsessed

Charlotte Musha

The Somerset Foodie

OddHogg

Keiran Crying

Thrifty Chap

Bronni

Yorkshire Wonders

Earning by the Sea

Welsh Mum

Mind Over Money Matters

My Money Cottage

Bargain Bunny

Slimming Violet

The Life of Dee

Tuppennys FIREplace

My Three and Me

Side Hustle Directory

Daily Deals Blog

Chilling With Lucas

Tammymum

Big Family Organised Chaos

Midlands Traveller

I Always Believed in Futures

Melanie’s Fab Finds

Really Missing Sleep

Life Loving

The Money Whisperer

Ruth Makes Money

Jupiter Hadley

At Home With Kayla

Our Adventurehood

Looking After Your Pennies

The Free From Mummy

You Have to Laugh

Attachment Mummy

A Rose Tinted World

Mighty Mama Bear

Parenting Phils

I Beat Debt

Run Jump Scrap

The Parent Game

Accidental Hipster Mum

Mummy Saver Money Maker

Miss Manypennies

Savvy in Somerset

Dolly Dowsie

Yeah Lifestyle

Just Average Jen

Raising Moonbows

Lindy Loves

Boxnip

Me Be Geek

Mrs Pinch

Thrifty Husband

Pounds and Sense

Boring Mother

A Mum Reviews

My Balancing Act

Emma Drew

Bump and Beyond

Life in a Breakdown

Mummy vs Work

Lisa’s Notebook

Christmas Magic and Markets

For the Family

The Money Saving Mum

Family Travel With Ellie

Two Plus Dogs

At Home and Online

Adventures of a Yorkshire Mum

The Willow Tree

One final small point is that if a winning entry comes from following someone on social media, Laura will check before awarding the prize that the winner is still following the account in question. If they aren’t, they will be disqualified and a new winner drawn. So, please, don’t follow and immediately unfollow, as your entry won’t then count.

Good luck, and I really do hope you win a hamper!

As always, if you have any comments or questions about this post, please do leave them below.

If you enjoyed this post, please link to it on your own blog or social media:
Review: SuperLucky Secrets by Di Coke

Review: SuperLucky Secrets by Di Coke

Today I am reviewing a book (and Kindle e-book) called SuperLucky Secrets. It’s by my fellow UK blogger Di Coke, also known as SuperLucky Di.

SuperLucky Secrets is a guide to ‘comping’ – in other words, entering consumer competitions in the hope of winning cash and prizes.

Di is a highly successful comper, having won over £300,000 worth of prizes, including a Volkswagen Beetle, £7,500 cash and an all-expenses-paid trip to Brazil. She also regularly talks about comping on TV and radio, including BBC Breakfast, ITV Weekend and The Morning Show.

I am grateful to Di for offering me a review copy of the brand new (2019) edition of SuperLucky Secrets.

The book’s sub-title is 100 Tips for Winning Competitions, Contests and Sweepstakes. I must admit I was slightly concerned that it would be a book of 100 comping tips in more or less random order. Thankfully that isn’t the case, though. This is a well-organized and comprehensive guide to the art (or science) of comping.

The printed copy of SuperLucky Secrets that I received has 195 pages, plus some pages (e.g. the index at the back) that aren’t numbered. The book is organized in nine main chapters, as follows:.

  • The Basics
  • Get Organized
  • Tips for Finding Competitions
  • Tips for Entering Competitions
  • Tips for Winning Competitions
  • Tools of the Trade
  • Finding Your Wins
  • Tips for Staying Motivated
  • Don’t Even Think About It! [Mistakes to avoid, in other words]

There is also a glossary, a list of useful resources, and an alphabetical index.

I thought SuperLucky Secrets was very well written and edited (or self-edited). As a semi-retired professional writer and editor myself, things like typos and spelling or grammatical mistakes tend to leap out at me. I didn’t notice any in this book, so much respect to Di for that. In my experience it’s rare to read a self-published book that is written and produced to such a high standard. As my eyes aren’t what they once were, I was pleased to see a clear, sensible-sized typeface used as well!

Within each chapter there are a number of sections, each corresponding to one of the 100 tips referred to in the sub-title. In the chapter titled The Basics, for example, there are sections headed Get Online, Write a Wish List, Put in the Effort, Be Super Social, Always Read the Rules, and Believe You’ll Win.

The book takes you through everything you need to know to get started in a hobby that is enjoyable and intellectually stimulating, and that can generate a steady stream of cash and prizes as well.

Di doesn’t, however, pretend that all of this will just fall into your hands. You will need to be well organized and patient (especially at first), as you will be facing plenty of competition from other compers, and it also takes time for contests to be judged and winners notified.

As Di says in her Introduction, ‘Be patient. Some people think they can start comping on Monday and have prizes arriving by Friday!’ And she adds, ‘A brand new comper will take a while to get into the swing of things, but don’t give up if you’re not winning.’

As someone who used to enter competitions years ago, I thought there might be more emphasis on slogan contests, but Di says these have largely gone out of fashion among promoters now. There are still a few and Di highly recommends entering them, as this is one type of competition where you really can use skill to improve your chances of success. She shares some good tips on creating slogans, including some clever (and amusing) winning slogans of her own.

Di also recommends seeking out less well publicized competitions and ones where you have to buy some sort of qualifier, as this will greatly reduce the number of entries yours will have to compete against. And she sets out a range of online tools and resources (mostly free) that can help you find and enter more competitions and boost your chances of winning them.

Overall, if comping is a pastime that appeals to you and you would like to learn more, I highly recommend SuperLucky Secrets, especially in this brand new 2019 edition.

You might also like to check out Di’s blog at https://superlucky.me. You can sign up for her free email newsletter for compers via her blog.

As always, if you have any questions or comments about SuperLucky Secrets, please do post them below.

If you enjoyed this post, please link to it on your own blog or social media: