Karen's Big Three

Simply Prizes reader Karen de Ronde really believes in the power of positive thinking.

You see Karen has been comping for just two years, and has won some pretty amazing prizes.  Including this car with the Daily Mirror!

KAREN’S BIG THREE.
 
Simply Prizes reader Karen de Ronde really believes in the power of positive thinking and chatting to her last week made me see why.   

You see Karen has been comping for just two years, and has won some pretty amazing prizes. 
 
For example - listen to this for positive thinking - during a shopping trip, Karen’s husband went to buy a DVD of the Rugby World Cup final.   Karen told him not to part with his money as she would win one instead!  
 
You see Karen had entered a competition to win this DVD and a week later the Rugby World Cup DVD landed on Karen’s doorstep, much to Karen’s husbands delight.
 
But let’s talk about the big ones.
 

Big Win 1. Karen wins a trip to Memphis

 
In September 2005 – Karen scooped a holiday to Memphis – She won this holiday thanks to a competition in The Sun’s TV magazine. 
 
When an envelope arrived - saying congratulations you have won a prize - Karen thought ‘great’, but did not get too excited, thinking it was probably just a small prize - That was until she spotted her name in the Sun’s Saturday Magazine as a winner of ‘a holiday to Memphis’! 
 
The holiday was for five nights in Memphis with car hire included from the airport.   Karen took her husband Nick.  As well as luxury accommodation, they were treated to a meal in the local rib restaurant.  They stayed in the famous Peabody hotel where The Hollywood blockbuster ‘The Firm’, starring Tom Cruise was shot.
 
Of course, no trip to Memphis would be complete without seeing Graceland.   Karen said, although not a huge Elvis fan herself, you could not fail to be moved by the beauty of Elvis’s home.
 
Big Win  2. Karen wins a luxury trip to Egypt.
 
Karen’s second big holiday win of the year took her to Egypt.   This competition was part of the Daily Mirror’s £60k Holiday giveaway in October 2005.  
 
It cost Karen just 50p to enter this competition by text.   A month later Karen received a letter from the Mirror to say she had won a week’s B&B at a five-star hotel.   Karen was contacted by the Mirror’s travel agent, there was more good news to come – they upgraded Karen and her husband to a weeks all-inclusive.   
 
Karen said both the promoters and hotel staff could not have done more.  All drinks were included plus meals.  When they arrived at the hotel they were greeted with cocktails! 
 
Karen and her husband visited The Valley of The Kings and took a trip to Luxor where they had the service of a personal guide and mini bus for the duration of the tour. 
 
Thanks to comping this holiday cost just Karen 50p!
 

Big Win 3.  Karen collects a Kia care of The Daily Mirror

 
In January Karen was at home surfing the net when she received a phone call to ask her if she remembered entering The Daily Mirror’s competition to win a brand-new Kia everyday during the month of January?
 
Karen said “yes” she did. To her pleasant surprise she was told “Congratulations” you have won yourself a brand new Kia!  
 

Karen was over the moon and called her husband immediately to tell him the good news.   Five weeks later they collected their brand-new Kia from the dealers!

 

However as with all good stories, - there was a twist in the tale, Karen’s husband is quite tall.  So as grateful as they were for the win, alas it was not the right car for them.  So they sold the Kia.  However, it did also enable Karen to buy another one of her dream prizes – a Plasma TV screen!

 
It goes without saying these are amazing prizes and in only two years of comping it’s pretty impressive stuff.  But if you are going through a lean prize period don’t lose heart – Karen does not have any secret formula for winning – she simply enters at least 30 competitions a week mainly by post or internet and most importantly of all she believes she will win!
 
As Karen says, she has as good a chance as anyone of winning, so why not keep on entering?  
 
How’s that for positive thinking!