I’m a professional ‘comper’ and spend hours a day entering 50 competitions – the amount I’ve scooped makes it worth it

This savvy comper has entered over 50 competitions every day for 40 years and has won life-changing prizes worth around £200k.

Lyndsey Bruce, 58, entered her first competition in the 80s and her top prizes include a £20k new car, a year's supply of shoes and a weekend in Madrid for the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Lyndsey won an experience with Global thanks to her love of compingCredit: Lyndsey Bruce

Her friends benefit from her comping too and get to enjoy spas and moreCredit: Lyndsey Bruce

Lyndsey won an impressive one year supply of shoe from one competitionCredit: Lyndsey Bruce

She now spends up to four hours a day on her entries which has seen her scoop up luxurious spa stays at Champneys, hot air ballooning trips, holidays, vouchers, a Dyson Airwrap and home furnishings.

Lyndsey's first ever prize was a purple belt in a radio competition, and after realising what amazing prizes were on offer, she became hooked and now aims to enter a minimum of 50 competitions each now.

She says that since entering her first competition she has won around £200k worth of prizes.

She said: "I entered my first competition in the 80s and won a silver and purple belt, and I was over the moon with it. I then realised I could win some amazing things, and entered more and more.

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"The biggest prize I've ever won was a car. It was a Suzuki Vitara on a Wheel of Fortune. However, my favourite prizes are experiences that I can share with my friends.

Now she's retired, Lyndsey says she has even more time to spend entering competitions.

"Whenever I am sat with nothing to do, I will enter more," she said.

She recalls being over the mood when she won her first ever prize as she had a bomber jacket that matched the belt perfectly.

Since then, she began entering more and more competitions after realising the amazing things that she could win.

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In her early 'comping' days before the internet, Lyndsey says there would be competitions that involved making up slogans for products in supermarkets and she also discovered a comping magazine where she found competitions to enter.

She explains that the competitions used to involve skills, however, nowadays they are mainly just for marketing for companies.

Lyndsey now finds all of the competitions online, as there are websites that list competitions, and on social media as she has entered so many they now flood her feed.

She spends a minimum of two hours entering competitions, however, explains that whenever she finds herself with nothing to do she will look at which competitions to enter.

Lyndsey's method involves looking for the comps that are closing that day, or searches for competitions with specific prizes to help her decide which ones to enter.

My aim is day is to enter at least 50 competitions each day, but it is usually more if I have the time."

She is even still subscribed to a monthly magazine.

Over the years, Lyndsey has won a whole host of incredible prizes including a car, trips away and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

As well as her top prizes, she has also won vouchers to spend in clothes shops, supermarkets and food venues, a highly sought-after electrical items such as a smartwatch and television, £1000 towards new blinds and a year's supply of shoes.

Her favourite prizes are experiences that she would never have been able to do without comping.

Lyndsey said: "You don't always win big prizes. You get smaller ones along the way that help you out too, for example, £20 vouchers for Domino's or a supermarket to help with the weekly shop. It all adds up.

"Or if I win a runner-up prize that I can't find a use for, I usually find someone who really wants it.

"The experiences that I win are usually for two people too, so my friends have also benefitted from my comping. I love sharing the wins with my friends."

Usually, Lyndsey sets aside two hours each evening to enter competitions, or will put any other free time to use.

But entering competitions isn't what it used to be, she added.

"There isn't the same skill involved in competitions now though compared to when I first started out.

"It's mainly just filling in forms now.

"My aim is day is to enter at least 50 competitions each day, but it is usually more if I have the time. I whittle down the ones that I am interested in, and I don't just enter for the sake of it."

And it's not just the prizes that make it all worth it, she's also made some great friends in the comping community and they sometimes have larger meet-ups.

That said, scams can be an issue.

"You do have to be vigilant for scams, especially on social media as there are fake accounts made of companies and they tell you have won something when that isn't the case.

"As I have been doing this for over 40 years now, I have become good at spotting scams and fake pages but sometimes it can be difficult because a lot of competitions do sound too good to be true.