€25k invested in prize bonds

FoolsGold1

Winnings from today's draw - Nil
Last win 9th May, 2014 - €50.

Thargor

Anyone besides Pbwinner want to post up the amount they've invested vs the amount they've won plus how long they've been invested?

Tempted to put 15k in here, there is literally nothing attractive savings or investment-wise out there for me atm.

FoolsGold1

Hello Thargor, No problem - laziness takes over I guess.

2013: For this whole year on approx. 40K I won €1,200.

(Prior to that, over a few years during the build-up to the 40K, I won about another thousand.)

2014: I went for broke at the beginning of the year and stepped up to 60K:mad::eek: for the same reason which you outlined. So far since 1/1/14 I have won €350, which is more or less in keeping with my nom de plume! A bit of luck would help no end.

Thargor

Thanks Foolsgold, Ive heard similar anecdotal evidence about prizes being way down lately, wonder if its just a case of loads of people flocking to PBs due to the crappy interest without any increase in prizes, actually a decrease in prizes.

FoolsGold1

Yes, I think that "loads of people have come flocking" but I believe that a pro rata increase is always made in the number of Prizes awarded each week in line with the uptake. However, I have a (silly?) notion that prizes are drawn, somehow, on an "area" basis, "County", say, irrespective of the number of Bonds held in any particular county. Is that crazy/fair/or plain daft?

nhg

I buy €200 every month on DD, cashed in everything I had up to December 2012 in October 2013.

In 2013 I won €600 on both a 30K investment for 11 mths & about 2 years of €200 monthly purchases.

Currently have €3600 in monthly purchases since Jan 2013. I have won €150 so far in 2014 (€50 win today on a bond bought in March this yr.)

Frogdog

Interesting thread. Thanks for starting it and keeping it going OP.

I bought €100 worth of prize bonds for my new goddaughter yesterday, and while in the Post Office decided to set up a direct debit of just €25 a month for myself also. The girlfriend will do the same next week.

I'm under no illusions of winning a big prize, but a prize of €50 every now and again would be nice!

Taylor365

Frogdog wrote: »

Interesting thread. Thanks for starting it and keeping it going OP.

I bought €100 worth of prize bonds for my new goddaughter yesterday, and while in the Post Office decided to set up a direct debit of just €25 a month for myself also. The girlfriend will do the same next week.

I'm under no illusions of winning a big prize, but a prize of €50 every now and again would be nice!

Just to crush your spirits further, I've been doing a DD of 200 a month for the past while.

Up to 1k and nout.

Frogdog

Ah ya, but sure it's all luck. I won't miss €25 a month, and this will help me save a little bit of money for a rainy day. And if I do win a prize, even better. I've requested any prize to be reinvested anyway.

pbwinner

Winnings from today's draw: €0
Last win 20th June 2014: €50
Total winnings since Feb 2011 on €25k: €1600

Seve OB

do people think it's better to have a "block of bonds" rather than picking them up here and there?

ive had a few given to me down through the years and never won a cent. invested 5k in Dec and won €50 in April on the "Block".

I think the Block gives you a better chance, so wouldn't be a fan of topping up every month by DD

Thargor

Shouldn't make any difference as long as the draw is fair, same as having the same odds of winning the lotto with the numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 as any other combination.

FoolsGold1

Winnings from today's draw - €50
Last win 9th May, 2014 - €50

ei9go

Thargor wrote: »

Shouldn't make any difference as long as the draw is fair, same as having the same odds of winning the lotto with the numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 as any other combination.

I agree, if the draw is actually fair.

My suspicion based on observing the winnings with a couple of family members is that their is some kind of weighting towards newly purchased bonds

On a number of occasions a win has resulted very soon after buying a large value bond (1,000 Euro values) and no subsequent wins.

I also believe that you should if buying small amounts say by DD regularly, return them every year or so and combine them all, it's on the form to do this.

A Post Office clerk told me that he has done this for people many times and they return and tell him that they have won a prize very soon afterwards.
The question is however, is this because of the previously mentioned weighting towards new bonds or because they were combined.

Thargor

That was my experience aswell, practically an envelope waiting at home for me every time I went home from college for the first couple of months when I had 20k worth, then it just went off a cliff and I didnt hear anything after that, cashed them in a year later.

pbwinner

Winnings from today's draw: €0
Last win 20th June 2014: €50
Total winnings since Feb 2011 on €25k: €1600

FoolsGold1

Winnings from today's draw - Nil
Last win 11th July 2014 - €50

pbwinner

Winnings from today's draw: €50
Last win 20th June 2014: €50
Total winnings since Feb 2011 on €25k: €1650

FoolsGold1

Winnings from today's draw - Nil
Last win €50 - 11th July, 2014.

FoolsGold1

Winnings from today's draw - €100 (2 x €50)
Last win €50 - 11th July, 2014.

Frogdog

Nice one Fool's Gold! How much have you won in total since you initially invested? Do you still hold 60k's worth?

XrayMike235

Used to be about one prize every 6 weeks but now nothing since last November!

Total winnings since Feb 2008 on €18k: €1550

Date of last win: 15th of November (€50)

FoolsGold1

Frogdog wrote: »

Nice one Fool's Gold! How much have you won in total since you initially invested? Do you still hold 60k's worth?

Hi Frogdog!

Very poor. Yes, I still have that.

2014 ... ... €500

2013 (on c. €35K) ... ... €1,200

Before that on a small couple of K. ... ... a few €75s, as it was then.


Still....you never know (or maybe you can guess too damn well!).

pbwinner

Winnings from today's draw: €0
Last win 27th July 2014: €50
Total winnings since Feb 2011 on €25k: €1650

FoolsGold1

Winnings from today's draw - Nil
Last win 1st August, 2014 - 2 x €50 (€100)

Cute Hoor

€50 win on Friday last, PB bought July 1999, first win since October 2013.
€50 win today, PB bought June 2007.
Next Friday - the big one!!!

Winnings to date (no winning records kept pre 2005) €975 on €7,500 worth of PB's bought monthly over a 16 year period.

Winnings 2011 €75
Winnings 2012 €150
Winnings 2013 €200
Winnings 2014 €100 (so far)

TigerTim

TigerTim wrote: »

I had 1000 pounds (pre Euro) to spare about 15 years ago & put it in Prize Bonds & forgot about it. Still waiting for the 1st envelope to drop thru' the door. No luck for me. But hoping I get the big one someday.

T.

First cheque for 100 Euro dropped thru' the door yesterday. Happy days.

T.

topper_harley2

TigerTim wrote: »

First cheque for 100 Euro dropped thru' the door yesterday. Happy days.

T.

Long time to wait to make 100 quid interest! !

TigerTim

It sure was. Was only thinking of cashing them in lately.

T.

Frogdog

Taking out bank charges, fees, DIRT and other taxes, it's probably worth more!