How to organise a comping schedule effectively

Comping can quickly go from a casual pastime to a part-time job’s worth of activity if you’re entering numerous competitions regularly. Without organisation, you might find yourself missing deadlines, losing track of entries, or feeling swamped. The good news is that many experienced compers have developed methods to keep their hobby orderly and efficient. In this chapter, we’ll cover how to set up a comping schedule that fits your life, how to track your entries (and wins), and tips for staying on top of everything without stress. With a bit of planning and the right tools, you can turn comping into a well-oiled routine that maximises your chances of winning while minimising chaos.

Treat comping as a routine (and schedule it in)

One of the best ways to ensure you consistently enter competitions (and enjoy doing so) is to dedicate specific time slots for comping. Rather than entering randomly whenever you remember (which can lead to both spurts of frantic entering and long lulls), create a comping schedule that suits you:

• Daily sessions: If you’re serious about winning, consider having a daily comping session. It could be 30 minutes with your morning coffee or an hour in the evening after dinner. Some top compers do longer – Lyndsey Bruce, for example, “sets aside two hours each evening to enter competitions”​. That’s her regular slot, like clockwork. Others might do smaller chunks but more frequently (e.g., 15 minutes four times a day). The key is consistency. By having a set time, comping becomes a habit, and you’re less likely to procrastinate or forget.
• Use a calendar or planner: Mark your comping times on your calendar, at least initially while building the habit. Treat it like an appointment with yourself. If a digital calendar, you can even set reminders (“8 PM – Comping hour”). Some compers invest in a dedicated comping planner or diary. For example, there are comping planners available (like Di Coke’s “BootComp” planner) that help set weekly goals and track progress​. You don’t need a fancy planner though – a simple notebook or an online calendar can do the job as long as you consistently use it.
• Allocate tasks to certain days: Depending on how many competitions you enter, you might structure different tasks on different days. For instance, Mondays could be the day you go through and sort new competitions you found over the weekend, Tuesdays for entering all one-off forms, Wednesdays for creative entry comps (when you have more time to think), etc. Or you might do daily but theme part of each session (start with quickly entering all expiring that day, then do some creative ones on a slower day like Sunday).
• Plan around deadlines: Keep a note of big competition deadlines coming up. For example, if a huge prize’s entry closes Friday, ensure your Thursday session (or earlier) covers it. Some compers maintain a “closing soon” list visible on their desk or device as a constant reminder. The MSE forum tip of sorting by closing date was one way to handle this​; if you’re using your own tracking system, you might highlight comps in red that are near deadline.
• Don’t let comping eat all your free time: While scheduling comping, also schedule downtime or other activities. It’s easy, especially when you’re motivated, to let comping expand to fill hours. But remember to balance it with life – family, work, rest. If you find yourself comping late into the night or skipping social events, scale back and stick to a healthier schedule. Di Coke observed that some of her friends “can be up until 3am entering competitions. It’s endless – you’re never going to get to the point where it ends.”​ That’s a caution: there will always be more competitions to enter, so set reasonable boundaries. Comping should remain enjoyable, not exhausting.
• Use micro-moments: In addition to planned sessions, you can sprinkle micro-comping into idle moments (as discussed in maximising entries). This doesn’t replace your main schedule but augments it. For example, if your main comping time is evenings, you might still enter a quick social comp during a lunch break if you come across it. Consider those bonus entries – the bulk happens during your scheduled routine.

By having a routine, you also psychologically treat comping as a legitimate part of your day, which helps with staying disciplined. It also means those around you know “this is my comping time” which can help set expectations (for instance, your family knows you’re doing your hobby 9-10pm, and you’ll be free after that). Many compers liken their routine to reading the morning paper or doing a crossword daily – it becomes a beloved ritual.

Create an entry tracking system

Keeping track of what you’ve entered (and when) can sound tedious, but it can be very helpful. A good tracking system will prevent missed opportunities, avoid duplicate entries, and help you follow up on results. Here are ways to track:

• Spreadsheet or journal: Some compers maintain a spreadsheet with columns like Competition Name, Prize, Entry Method (web/email etc), Date Entered, Closing Date, Results Announced?, Outcome (here’s a simple example that you can download and use). You don’t have to log every single minor comp if that’s too much, but for bigger ones or ones with future judging, it’s useful. A spreadsheet can be filtered by closing date to see what’s coming up (or what’s already closed and awaiting winner announcement). It can also be satisfying to later annotate “Won” next to one! If spreadsheets aren’t your thing, a notebook can work too – perhaps with a page per month or per week’s comps, which you tick off after entering and note any win.
• Digital tools or apps: There are a few apps out there geared for compers (or generic contest tracker apps) – but even a task management app can do. For instance, you could create a Trello board or an Excel/Google Sheet. Or use reminders: when you enter a comp, set a reminder on your phone for a week after closing like “Check if [Competition] winner announced” – especially for comps where winners aren’t directly notified (some small comps just post on a Facebook page or website and require winners to claim). A reminder ensures you don’t miss your name if it pops up.
• Forum features: If you use a forum to find comps, use its built-in tracking. MSE forum, as mentioned, has the “Comp-liment” tick mark to indicate you’ve entered something​. Loquax’s site also allows marking entered comps. These can be quicker than making your own log for every comp. Essentially, the forum itself becomes part of your tracking – you scroll through, green ticks show what you’ve done, so you focus on the rest. Just remember to still note separately any important ones where you expect an email (so you can watch for it) or that you want to chase if you see no winner announced.
• Special cases: For creative or judged competitions, jot down what entry you submitted (e.g., a summary of your slogan or which photo you used). If months later you see a winner announcement, you’ll recall if that was your entry or not. This also helps if you want to reuse or adapt that entry for another contest in the future (ensuring you’re not duplicating exact wording if not allowed, but can inspire new ideas).
• Use checklists: A checklist can be a simple but powerful tool. You might have a daily checklist of tasks like:
  • Enter closing-today comps.
  • Check yesterday’s winners lists or emails.
  • Enter regular daily comps (some people have a set of bookmarked daily entry competitions such as daily prize draws or instant wins – they do those each day).
  • Then enter new finds.

Or, have a Competition Legitimacy Checklist (we’ll detail in the scams chapter) that you go through when deciding whether to enter a comp from a new source – to ensure it’s not a scam. That might include verifying if it has T&Cs, etc. Keeping such checklists handy ensures you don’t skip important steps.

Manage your competition communications

Organisation isn’t just about entering – it’s also about managing all the communications that come with comping:

• Email management: If you followed earlier advice, you have a dedicated comping email address. That inbox will receive confirmation emails, newsletters, and hopefully winner notifications. Keep it tidy:
  • Create folders or labels: e.g., “Entered comps”, “Wins”, “Pending”, “Spam suspects”. You might move confirmation emails into an “Entered” folder so your inbox stays clearer for actual win emails.
  • Use search and filters: You can set up filters to mark mails with “Congratulations” or “You’re a winner” as important or color-coded. But note not all win emails are obvious; some just say “RE: Competition” or something. Thus, checking your comp email daily is wise.
  • Check spam folder regularly: Many compers have horror stories of finding a win email in spam after it was too late. Make it a habit to look at your spam/junk folder, say, weekly. Loquax underscores this: “take a few moments each week to check your spam folders. Winning emails can get lost and you may not know of your success.”​ Also, add common senders to safe senders list when possible (e.g., if you entered a magazine contest, whitelist that magazine’s domain). If you’re overwhelmed by promotional emails (since many comps sign you up to newsletters), use email rules to automatically archive ones you don’t need to see immediately. Or unsubscribe from ones you consistently never read (just be careful not to unsubscribe from something that might remove you from a competition draw mailing list – but typically newsletters can be unsubscribed safely after the comp ended if you wish).
• Social media notifications: Many wins are announced via tagging or DMs on social media. Make sure your settings are such that you receive notifications if someone tags you or messages you on competition platforms. For instance, on Twitter, check “Message Requests” regularly in case a brand you don’t follow DMs you a winner notice. On Facebook, sometimes small pages tag winners in a comment. If you entered a Facebook comp, consider checking back on that post after it ends to see if winners are announced, or follow that page (temporarily at least) so their posts show up for you. On Instagram, check your message requests (tucked away in the DM section) frequently. It might help to keep a list of “comps I should check results for” and then actually checking those pages on the result date.
• Physical mail/phone: Though less common now, some wins might come via a letter or phone call. If you provided a phone number, be moderately prepared for calls. They usually email too, but not always. For letters, it’s mostly instant win or raffle competitions that might just send the prize or a notification letter. Just don’t ignore your postal mail – many compers have gotten surprise parcels or letters because they forgot a postal entry they did a while back and then it won.
• Record wins and required actions: When you do win, mark it in your tracking system and note if you’ve completed any required steps (such as confirming your address, choosing a prize option, etc.). Also note when you received the prize. Occasionally, you might have to chase up a prize that hasn’t arrived (give it reasonable time, as per T&Cs usually prizes are delivered within 28 days or so). Having a record prevents you forgetting a prize that was promised. The CAP Code mandates that “Prizes must be awarded as described, or a reasonable equivalent”​, and usually within a specified time, so you have ground to follow up if something is very late. Keeping correspondence (emails or screenshots) about win confirmations is part of being organised – hopefully you won’t need to use them, but better to have a paper trail.

Use the comping community for organisation tips and accountability

We talked about community for finding comps and motivation. It can also help you stay organised. Participating in comping forums or groups can introduce you to new tools (someone might share their spreadsheet template or a method of using OneNote for comp tracking, etc.). It also creates a sense of accountability – for example, some compers do monthly challenges together, like “enter 100 comps a week” and share progress. This can keep you on track and make it fun.

Additionally, comping magazines like Compers News (which Cora subscribes to​) effectively organise some info for you by listing a directory of competitions each month. That’s an old-school method but still valid: it provides a structured list you can work through and check off. If you enjoy physical formats, a magazine or printed list can complement your digital tracking.

Don’t overload yourself – find your sustainable pace

Organising a schedule also means knowing your limits. In the excitement of comping, you might add more and more to your plate – entering every comp under the sun. That can quickly become untenable if you also have a full-time job or other commitments.

It’s okay to scale back and focus if needed. Perhaps you decide to prioritise quality prizes or comps you enjoy, and skip others, to keep workload manageable. Remember, comping is a marathon, not a sprint. As Loquax wisely notes, “there’s no reason why you can’t just take a break. … If you feel you need time out then step away… There’ll still be plenty of chances to win when you return.”

An organised comping schedule includes break periods. For example, some compers deliberately take off December (because it’s busy with holiday stuff and ironically also tons of comps, but they choose family time), or they pause for a vacation without feeling they must enter things while on holiday.

By keeping your hobby organised, you’ll reduce stress and actually enjoy it more. It’s incredibly satisfying to have a system: to know exactly what you’ve entered today, what’s coming up tomorrow, and to see your progress. A neat spreadsheet of wins over the year, for instance, can be motivating to look back on – a tangible record of your success.

And if organisation isn’t your natural strength, start small. Even implementing one or two of these ideas (like a dedicated email and a basic log of big entries) can significantly improve your comping efficiency. You can refine your system as you go. The goal is to spend more time entering and winning, and less time scrambling or worrying you forgot something.

With a solid schedule and organisational strategy in place, you’re well on your way to mastering the art of comping. But one aspect remains that can make or break your long-term success: your mindset and motivation. In the next chapter, we’ll delve into psychology-based advice on staying motivated during losing streaks, ensuring that even when prizes aren’t coming your way, you keep your comping spirit high and keep at it (remember, persistence is key!). Let’s explore how to stay upbeat and resilient in the face of dry spells.

Main image credit: Perfect Planner Co