40+ comping tips
Find and win competitions with insider tips
From £23,800 in cash to five-star holidays, MoneySavers have won the lot. It's all about 'comping', a potentially profitable hobby. This guide covers sourcing the right free competitions, using web gadgets to form-fill at speed and much more.
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Thanks to the Competitions Time board's users, especially comping queen VelvetGlove (see her comping guide for more on lots of the tips below). The aim of this guide is to complement the forum board. Hopefully it will mean more competitions posted, and more prizes for MoneySavers.
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The art of comping
It's possible, though not easy, to walk away with swanky gadgets, lavish holidays or thousands of pounds in cash – all without spending a penny.
The reason's simple. Competitions are a cheap chance for companies to promote their wares. Giving away a £4,000 Maldives getaway is cheaper than buying a big national newspaper ad. Add to that the chance to collect valuable info on potential customers, and it's easy to see why these contests abound.
What's comping? It's about putting in the hours – systematically entering hundreds of free competitions, rather than doing the odd contest. This way, you're statistically more likely to win big. Depending on your work ethic and luck, you could furnish your house, travel the world and boost your bank balance.
Often all entering involves is filling in an online form or sending a postcard, sometimes answering a question or tie-breaker.
Collectively, MoneySavers have scooped £100,000s' worth of prizes, from laptops to luxury breaks, iPods to film premiere tickets. Plus your gains are tax-free, so unlike other ways to boost your income, the taxman won't get any of it.
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Success isn't guaranteed
It's crucial to realise you won't immediately be frolicking on a bed of £50 notes. Unlike other money-makers, such as Survey Sites, eBay Selling, Facebook Selling, Earning Cash Online and other ways to Boost Your Income, the rewards aren't guaranteed.
Think of comping as a potentially rewarding hobby, rather than a potentially underpaid job.
The spirit of comping is it's a bit of fun, rather than a dead cert money-spinner. Hours can be long, payouts poor and your eyes won't thank you for staring at the screen all day.
That said, for those who catch the bug, these become minor details as they enjoy the spirit of community on the board, and hopefully wins flooding in. It's also fun to drool over all those lavish prizes.
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'I won a £2,600 holiday to the Canary Islands'
While we don't want to give the impression that comping is a sure-fire way to make cash, it is possible to win big.
Examples of what forumites have already won include tickets to the Brit Awards, a holiday to Dubai, £200 cash, a woodburning stove and... 19 cans of Pringles.
Won a holiday for me and my partner, incl accommodation, flights and experiences - seven nights, worth £2,600. I can't believe it, we are still in shock.
Forumite Stacy2kidsI received a call from Absolute Radio telling me I'd won the 'Summer Payday' £12,500.
Forumite Comping_RichI won a 13 night transatlantic cruise to America, visiting Boston, New York, Orlando and Miami with return flights back to London. I also won tickets to Austrian grand prix with private jet flights to and from Austria, pit lane access and food and drink.Thank you to everyone who works hard to make these amazing dreams possible!
Forumite Baby_ScottLady Luck's gazed down on many more MoneySavers. Here are a few more big wins we've heard of.
A £10,000 wedding. Forumite LaurainLondon and husband Nick (pictured right) tied the knot after winning a wedding package worth £10,000. See the 'I won my £10,000 wedding on the MSE Forum' MSE News story for all the details.
£40,000 of goodies, including a holiday. Forumite pieboyjr netted the biggest single prize haul we've seen in the MSE Forum.
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100s of competitions in one place
The Competitions Time forum board is where this site's most dedicated compers post hundreds of contests.
There's a real community there, with hundreds of enthusiasts who love to share the competitions they find. They know it diminishes their chances of winning that contest, but sharing their research increases opportunities for everyone. -
You gotta have a system
Don't just pick at random – systematically work through the competitions on the board, so you don't miss any beauties. You can do just that and keep track using the Competitions Time forum board.
At the top of the forum board click the sort drop-down and choose 'Closing Date'. This will sort the competitions into chronological order to reduce the chances of missing the deadline on each.Work through the posts starting from the oldest (still open) competitions. To complete them all would take several days, as there are so many comps posted.
At the end of a session, write down the last competition you entered. This way you have a record of where you got up to for next time.
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Keep track of what you've entered
Some promoters exclude people who enter multiple times. To keep track of completed contests, press the Comp-liment button at the bottom of the post. Next time you visit the board, it will show a green tick next to that comp. Alternatively, press X to skip one. You must register and log on to the forum to do this.
Always read terms and conditions to check if it's one per household – rules vary for every competition.
And don't forget to thank the MoneySaver who posted the comp by clicking the button below their post.
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Dodge the inevitable spam
Let's be frank – companies usually set up competitions to get your email, number and other personal details. So take steps to avoid being deluged with marketing bumf.
Set up a dedicated email address
Never use your normal email address. It'll be immediately flooded with spam. Instead, set up a dedicated email account. As a powerful free option, Gmail is among the best.
There's usually a way to choose not to get 'further communications' to avoid most of the marketing. Be careful with the wording though. Sometimes adjacent check-boxes mean different things – the first an 'opt in', the second an 'opt out'. If there's no way to opt out, consider whether you really want to enter.
Get a comping batphone
If you don't want to give out your mobile number, consider getting a cheap pay-as-you-go Sim just for comping communications.
A Sim is the small (roughly 2cm by 1cm) microchip card you insert into a phone when it's first set up. It provides the identity of a phone for the mobile network, so it can recognise, bill and send calls to individual customers.
When you temporarily change the Sim card in your phone, you'll have a different number. The Sim card is usually located behind the battery on the back of the phone. See the Cheap Mobile Tips guide for more info.
Junk the junk. All members of the Direct Marketing Association agree to a code of practice pledging not to send advertising mail to anyone who has indicated they don't want it. To stop the junk, sign up online to the Mail Preference Service and Telephone Preference Service. Full info plus more ways to stop unwanted mail, texts and calls in the Stop Spam guide.
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Be picky about the competitions you enter
It may sound obvious, but focus your time on entering contests with prizes you actually want to win.
Many prizes are non-transferable, so if the prize is a tour of Anfield with Jurgen Klopp and you can't stand footie, give it a miss. As well as freeing up your time, it could make another MoneySaver's dream come true.
Of course, with some contests there is the option to try to sell the prize on eBay. But you're entering the contest based on someone else's efforts to find it, and by doing so diminish their chances. So consider the ethics before entering just to flog.
Check for exclusions and travel requirements in the small print. If a comp means taking a midweek mini-break when you've no holiday allowance left, move on.
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Extra-effort comps may boost your chances
Lots of people are lazy, so anything involving a smidgeon of extra effort attracts fewer contestants.
Need to pen a poem, complete a tie-breaker or snap a photo? Try your luck – you might be the only entrant. You'll also stand a better chance with highly localised competitions, such as a local paper offering tickets to a nearby theatre.
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Pen witty tie-breakers – or use a tool to help
A host of competitions require tie-breaker slogans. If you're a wordsmith, this can be an easy way to boost your chances.
Keep 'em short and punchy. Always read through the company's own marketing literature. It has often spent time developing the brand, and will want something that fits it, so that's your clue.
To help spark ideas, The Writers' Guide lists some examples of past winning slogans as well as offering tips on writing your own. Also use Rhymezone to generate rhymes at the click of a button.
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Hunt for answers
The OneAcross site lets you search for answers to crosswords. It also has an anagram solver – plug in a word and it instantly generates hundreds of possibilities. For example, did you know that Martin Lewis is 'Mr Waistline'? Us neither. Of course, there's also good old Google and Wikipedia for quiz questions.
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Enter answers at speed
There's a free add-on for web browser Google Chrome called Split Screen, which lets you look at separate browser windows side by side, so you can see two web pages at once. This way, you can copy and paste answers at speed.
Installing it is simple. If you don't already have Chrome, follow the instructions to install it. Then go to Split Screen and press 'Add to Chrome' then 'Add extension'.
There's a similar free add-on for the web browser Mozilla Firefox, Side View, which splits browser windows in half. If you don't have Firefox, head to mozilla.org and follow the prompts to install it. Then go to Side View, hit the 'Add to Firefox', then 'Add', then 'OK'.
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Clever auto-fill tools for speedy entries
Next, take a technological grip so you can enter more contests, but spend far less time doing it. Many top compers enter 100 online competitions a day by exploiting tools and tricks to turbo-charge their competition-entering.
One way is to set up a Word document with your particulars on – your name, phone number and address. Then when you want to fill in a form, just highlight the info and copy and paste it into the boxes.
To take it up a notch, most web browsers, such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, feature an option to remember your details and fill them in automatically. So next time you start to enter the same thing, type the first few letters and suggestions should appear. This can be a security risk, so avoid on shared computers.
Google Chrome. Click the three dots and go to 'Settings'. Go to 'Addresses and more' and fill out your details. For full info, see the Google Chrome guide to filling out forms automatically.
Safari. Open Safari. Click Settings, then 'AutoFill'. To turn AutoFill off or on, select the information you want to include in AutoFill and deselect the rest.
Mozilla Firefox. Firefox comes with a basic form-filling function. Go to the menu in the top right corner, then 'Privacy & Security'. Under 'History' select 'Remember history' from the 'Firefox will' dropdown if it isn't already selected.
Microsoft Edge. Select the three-dot menu logo in the top right-hand corner, then 'Settings', then 'Profiles' and 'Addresses and more'. Turn on 'Save and fill addresses' if it isn't already on.
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Turbo-charge your form filling
While you can set browsers to remember basic information such as names and addresses, they aren't that intelligent and often put the wrong info in fields.
Free Chrome extension Roboform is a form-filling weapon that easily outguns typing alone. It stores info such as addresses, phone numbers and postcodes and uses them to automatically fill in online forms.
The details are stored on your computer. All you need to remember is the crucial master-password to access them.
One consideration is Roboform blindly fills out form details in the same way as spambots, which spammers use to send scores of entries. So some firms may mistake you for a spambot and block your entry. We've no stats on how many competitions will block you this way, but if you're worried, try AutoHotKey instead. -
Customise your keyboard
To get things done at top speed, there's a way to customise your keyboard shortcuts.
Let's imagine you've got certain words that you use over and over again – '29 Acacia Road'. You can automate that phrase using a bit of free software called AutoHotKey. Then all you have to do every time you want to enter, say, the first line of your address, is press 'Alt' and '4', and like magic the words '29 Acacia Road' appear in the form.
To do this, you need to write a 'script', a plain text file with personalised instructions for the program. This sounds uber-nerdy, but it's actually pretty simple.
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Speedily open multiple links
Often competition board threads involve opening lots of links to different contests. Google Chrome users can open several threads at once with the free Linkclump add-on. It lets you draw a box around a group of threads and open them all – just right-click and drag.
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Quick email contest entry
For email entries, draft and save a template email with your name, address, email and telephone number, so you can fire it off quickly. Remember to leave a space for the answer.
Got a top tip we haven't listed? Feed back in the 40+ Comping Tips discussion.
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Free £500+ daily postcode prize draw
Sounds too good to be true, but it's legit. Pick My Postcode (formerly called The Free Postcode Lottery) is a fun competition that's been running every day since April 2011, and the prize is now £500+ a day. Several forumites have got lucky:
On my sixth check I won! And it was a rollover! Wonderfully timed as I recently lost my job.
- sldellarSimply register your email address and postcode (over-18s only) online at Pick My Postcode, where a registered postcode is selected randomly each day for the £500+ jackpot.
The MSE Deals team are all big fans (they even have a winner in their midst!). For a full guide, read their Pick My Postcode guide.
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Boost postcard entries
Never pay for postcards. Cinemas and library tills always have plenty of freebies. Buy sticky labels and print them out with your details to speed up entries.
With stamps, the only difference between first-class and second-class is that with first, Royal Mail aims to deliver your letter or packet the next working day. It aims to deliver second-class by the third working day. So unless the closing date's near, don't buy first.
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Win via Facebook and Twitter
Be aware of who you're giving your personal info to. Scammers use competitions on Facebook and Twitter to dupe people into giving them information – or even cash. Even competitions held by legitimate companies can be a front to collect your data.
See our blog posts on checking your Facebook settings and Twitter & Instagram settings as it's likely you're allowing third-party applications – like those used by some competitions – to access your data without realising it.
Twitter. Many MoneySavers have separate Twitter accounts – one for comping and one for everyday use. To enter contests, you usually need to 'retweet' a firm's tweet (ie, repost it on your feed). Always do this directly from the promoter's Twitter page to be in with a chance.
Scour for comps by searching for #Competition, though check they're based in the UK. Another cheeky way to scout out contests is to follow other compers to see what they're entering – you can find and follow these compers by again searching for #Competition and checking who's entering those you find.
Facebook. Facebook comps usually involve 'liking' a company's page, so this is for those who don't mind their mates seeing what they're up to.
The temptation's to set up two Facebook accounts, yet it's against Facebook's rules to have two, and a few MoneySavers have been banned for this.
It's hard to search for competitions on Facebook, so try searching for 'Facebook' on our Competitions Time board.
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Snap up prizes on Instagram and Pinterest
I entered a photo for a Very.co.uk Instagram comp and won a lovely Samsung camera. They messaged me and it arrived the next day!
Here's how to get involved:
Instagram. Entering on Instagram usually involves posting a photo entry and using a hashtag such as #MoneySaver.
Hunt for contests by searching #Competition on Instagram, though you'll need to wade through irrelevant results and check they're based in the UK. Also search for 'Instagram' on our Competitions Time board.
Before entering, search for other entries with the same hashtag to ensure yours stands out from the crowd. Finally, don't set your profile to private or promoters won't see your entry.
Pinterest. Many companies run competitions via the social scrapbook Pinterest, which lets users share favourite images and create virtual pinboards.
Find comps by doing a Pinterest search for 'competition', googling or, again, searching our Competitions Time board.
Competitions usually involve pinning or reposting an image or following the promoter's instructions to create a pin board representing their brand. If you're worried about other compers copying your board before you've officially entered, set it to "secret" until you're ready to make it live.
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Count your winnings
Depending on a contest's end date, you could be notified the next day or next year. The small print usually explains whether you will be contacted by email, phone or post. Often the postie just turns up with a parcel (every door knock is exciting).
For a tiny minority of competitions, promoters ask people to return to the site to see if they've won. This will be in the terms and conditions. You could also try Googling your name to see if wins appear.
Always read all emails carefully, as winning notifications often don't have obvious subject lines. And don't forget to post on the I won! I won! I won! board to share the good news.
Filter winning emails
To help sort 'you're a winner' messages from spam, set up rules to automatically filter winning emails into a special folder.
These emails often feature the words 'congratulations', 'won' or 'winner', so automatically move messages with these words in the body or subject line into a competition wins folder. This option's usually found under Edit, Options or Tools on your email account's menu bar.
Check your spam folder
Also, check spam folders in case a vital communication's slipped through. So many prize wins could be missed by not checking your spam folder on a regular basis. Your spam folder clears after a certain amount of time (depending on your email provider), so check frequently.
On Facebook, you'll need to check your spam folder for private messages, as companies sometimes use these to contact you about winning a prize. In your messages, go to the 'message requests' folder, then click 'filtered requests'.
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Bag a TV quiz windfall
There are thousands of pounds up for grabs on TV game shows and getting on is easier than you think – especially if you Play Your Cards Right (sorry).
As an example, scores of applicants fight to appear on the likes of Deal Or No Deal and Catchphrase, yet newer shows can struggle to find contestants. Former MSE Jordon's TV Game Shows blog lists the shows to apply for now and how to boost your chances of getting picked. -
Don't forget to reply
Some promoters say you must reply within a certain amount of time or they'll withdraw the prize. Reply on time to avoid the heartbreaking scenario of missing out on a big prize.
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Keep tabs on prizes
It's worth keeping a list of prizes you've won, in case they don't materialise. Usually promoters are not purposely withholding the goodies – they just need a little nudge now and again.
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Know how to complain
If a prize doesn't arrive or it does but it's faulty, first politely prompt the company (contact details should be in the terms and conditions).
If you get an unsatisfactory reply or hear nothing, get in touch with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
All advertising and marketing must follow a code of conduct called the CAP Code which sets out how competitions and promotions have to be run. If you think a competition has failed to meet these rules, check the ASA's website to see if your complaint falls under its powers and make a formal complaint.
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Post your own finds
The Competitions Time board is a community, and etiquette dictates you post your own finds, as well as looking at the ones already posted. It's unscientifically believed that posting your own comps increases your chances of winning.
Don't worry too much. The board is a friendly place, and you're allowed to walk before you can run. If you don't find any comps, you can still help by researching answers.
How to post in the free online competitions forum
First use the search function to check it's not duplicated, otherwise some people may accidentally enter twice. At the top of the forum, there's a search box. Use a few different terms to be doubly sure.
There's a specific format to post comps in, so people can search and track competitions. When writing the title, first put the end date, then a description of prize, like this:
E: 05/08 Win £100 Nandos gift voucher
If there's an age restriction, add this to the end of the title, eg, (U16). If a comp has an end time, as well as date, post this in the title too.
Then just post a link to it, explaining in your own words what the prize is. Be aware some firms complain about copyright infringement when details are copied and pasted wholesale.
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Where to hunt out comps
Comps are everywhere: magazines, newspapers, websites, shops, the telly. Scrutinise flyers in shops, supermarket shelves and websites. The more obscure the publication or product, the better chance of you being the first to post it on the forum.
It's worth browsing WHSmith's magazine shelves for publications with comps. If you're feeling brave, you could note down the details or snap a pic of them with your phone. Your local library's another good bet; they're chock full of mags and papers.
The competitions board's only for comps that are free to enter, though those requiring a stamp, a postcard or a text are fine.
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Work out your potential return
While blind luck is out of your control, you do have control over the number of comps you enter. After some highly sophisticated number crunching, we came up the following surprising statistic: the more you enter, the bigger the chance of winning. So get that mouse clicking.
The trick's setting a weekly target – auto form fillers can help. To give you an example of a typical return, MoneySaver JadeCripps says:
In one year I won £1,713 worth of prizes. For that I put in approximately 1,500 hours or four hours per day.
I enter on average 50 to 500 comps per day and have calculated my win rate at being 1/1,000 comps entered. Seeing as this worked out at £1.14 per hour, it's only worth doing if you enjoy entering comps.
- JadeCripps -
You don't have to pay tax
Just like betting on sport, your winnings in the UK are tax-free. The exception's if your employer runs an incentive competition for staff – for example, the salesperson who sells the most cars wins a trip to Ibiza.
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Don't pay for comps listings
When looking for comps, you may come across websites and magazines charging to view lists of contests. Never pay to register with a competitions site. Often they just focus on obvious contests, and can't compete with the army of kindred spirit compers using this site's forum.
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Check it's legit
If you have any suspicions about a competition, flag up your worries with seasoned compers on the Competition Time forum board.
All companies should be listed on the official Companies House site, the Government register of UK firms. Be wary if its records show a PO Box address or just an email.
You can also find out who registered the site, and when, on the Go Daddy Whois database.
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Be wary of 'free' holidays
A common timeshare company ruse is to say you've won a totally free, no-strings-attached holiday... but first you need to listen to a presentation. These are best avoided. For more on this, read former MSE Rose's Don't try to sell a timeshare to a MoneySaver blog.
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Look for the competitions kitemark
There's a voluntary stamp of approval for competitions provided by the Institute of Promotional Marketing.
To include the stamp logo on a competition's advertising, promoters must get it approved by the IPM's legal experts, who will check it conforms to Advertising Standards Authority codes.
The stamp doesn't feature on every legit competition, but if you do see it, it's an indication – though not a guarantee – of legitimacy.
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Get free antivirus software
Everyone needs protection software, especially compers, who may click on hundreds of new sites each day. Without up-to-date protection, if you're defrauded, banks could argue negligence, leaving you liable. A host of professional-level Free Antivirus Software is available, including crucial regular updates.
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Avoid pay-to-enter contests
Most contests are for promotional purposes. Spending to enter competitions is NOT MoneySaving. While the cost of a stamp's fine, beware this takes away from any winnings. We have a forum board for phone, post and text comps, but competitions must cost less than £2.10 to enter.
Be extremely wary of premium rate phone contests. You could be listening at £1 a minute for five or 10 minutes before you hear any details. If you've 'won' but the company demands a fee or deposit, walk away.
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Join local comping groups
There are groups around the country that meet regularly to discuss wins, trade entry forms and chat about comps. It's a great way to meet new friends and discuss your favourite hobby.
Comping blog Super Lucky lists a selection of groups around the country. But you can also try searching for one near you online via a search engine, asking on the MSE Forum board or even start your own.
I joined the South East Essex Compers group – and since joining, I've won more prizes by being told about low-entry promotions and met lots of new comping friends.
- MSE Jordon -
Have a comping wish list
It helps to have a comping wish list to keep you motivated and focused on what you want to win. If you have obscure prizes on your wish list, there are ways to win them – even if they're not the main prize.
For example, if you want to win a family holiday during the school holidays, and most holiday prizes exclude those dates, try looking for competitions that offer holiday vouchers without exclusions. If you want a day trip to London, try winning smaller prizes such as restaurant vouchers or theatre tickets.
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Guaranteed ways to boost your income
There are a host of new ways for canny MoneySavers to boost their income – without banking on Lady Luck. Small amounts quickly add up. Try selling old junk for cash with our eBay and Facebook selling guides. Plus see the Boost Your Income guide for over 60 money-makers.
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Freebies, freebies, freebies!
Comping isn't the only way to grab quality stuff for nothing. Whether it's song downloads, free tea, Harry Potter bookmarks, or gym passes, if you know where to look, it's all available on the web.
We've catalogued 100s in our Freebies section, which covers everything from food & drink to online storage and pushchairs.
Plus every day hundreds of top-quality used goods are available across the country for free via giveaway sites. Read the Freecycle & Freegle guide for a full how-to on bagging them.
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Earn cash from your sofa
If you've a computer, tablet or smartphone, there are a host of small ways to boost your coffers, as well as comping. The internet's opened up new forms of online work, as firms need folks to do tasks such as crowdsourcing info, data entry and content writing. Our Make Money Online guide lists the top sites and apps that pay.
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