Windows Phone 7 & XBox Live Gold Membership Giveaway From Wise Bread
Photo: Microsoft
Editor's note: Contest has ended! Congratulations to Annette D for this winning comment!
To celebrate the launch of the new Windows Phone 7, Microsoft is giving away a fabulous prize to one lucky Wise Bread reader!
Prize
One Wise Bread reader will receive
- A brand new Windows Phone 7 (approximate retail value $500).
- A 1 year Xbox Live Gold membership
- A 3 month unlimited Zune Pass -- which lets you download and stream unlimited music for 3 months and keep 30 songs forever after 3 months.
How to Enter
Simply leave a comment below telling us how you can "do more with less" in your life. The comment should be around 25-250 characters long (basically 2-3 short sentences will be perfect). Don't forget to fill out the email address box or else we won't be able to contact you if you win!
You can enter one comment per day until contest ends on 11/29/2010, 11:59 pm Pacific.
We will randomly select one winner at the end of the contest period and post the results here in December, 2010. No purchase necessary. Must be legal US resident and at least 18 years-old at time of entry. See here for detailed official rules.
"Do more with less" is a very broad topic! You can write about budgeting, decluttering your life, bargain hunting, frugal philosophies, green/simple living, lifehacking, and more.
How We Do More With Less
To help get your creative juices flowing, here's a story of how we "do more with less" when our family moved into a smaller house.
When we found out that we were moving from a 2-story farmhouse with four spacious bedrooms to a one-level ranch home with just three modest bedrooms, we were a bit concerned as to how we would make it work. Add in the news that we were expecting a 5th child, and it might seem like we were doomed to be forever frustrated with our living arrangements. Thanks to some innovative products on the market, the well-documented paths of a few who’ve gone before us, and a “can do” attitude, however, we’ve managed to feel secure with our new arrangement – as limited as it may seem, at times. Here is a list of proven strategies for taking a smallish home and making it larger than life.
Use That Outdoor Space
As more mega-mansions go into foreclosure, we are seeing the average home size come down considerable. There is nothing shameful about living in a house that’s less than 2,000 (or even 1,300) square feet – even with a big family. Perhaps the best way to conquer the issue of going insane with all the bodies around you is to take some time to step outside. If done correctly, your outdoor living space (which isn’t included in the original square footage of your home), can offer just as much usable space as your inside space. Great examples of this include the common patio, a gazebo, or even a play house. (If you have small kids, a basic metal garden shed can provide hours of sheltered outside play.)
Turn a Closet Into a Home Office
This idea for converting a closet into a home office is brilliant (and keeps your office clutter out of guest’s view.) If you really need that closet for your wardrobe, consider “adding” a closet as a recess into a wall that can accommodate it. More space can be gained by either removing the closet doors and replacing them with a curtain or getting those accordion doors that won’t stick out into the room too much. (See a great example of how to upgrade your existing office-in-a-closet at LifeHacker.)
Skip the Nursery
Yes, you really can store more than clothes and shoes in even the smallest storage closets. While I wouldn’t recommend putting a baby’s sleeping quarters into a closet (unless it’s a jumbo walk-in), the idea of using a closet for the changing table, dresser drawers, clothing and diapers is not a new one. If baby is a co-sleeper, or you opt for a small bassinet or a modern space-saving crib, you can most definitely skip a separate room for baby and use the first two years of life to come up with options for where he or she will sleep once older.
Stack Sleeping Space
Remember how you got away with sleeping in the same room with another almost-adult during college? The all-wonderful loft is still applicable! Whether you’re trying to cram 3 boys into a small bedroom (like us) or just want to give your tween more floor space for all their junk, a loft can literally bring the organization of a bedroom to new heights. (Check out this wonderful set of directions for a DIY version.) I would also suggest bringing back the bunk bed (or even a trundle) for kids that have friends sleep over often.
Work Where You Live
Since home offices are very common – regardless of whether you actually work from home – they have placed extra organizational pressure on small family homes. We took a different approach with our home office, and actually placed it in our living room! By using very nice wood furniture that matched our living room décor, we were able to integrate it into the end of the room that foot traffic did not occur. Why would we do this? For one, it helps us to keep an eye on the happenings in our home. Secondly, it really does save space (have you ever calculated the room that an additional 3 walls takes up in an already small home?)
Get a Mini-Bath
The most difficult part of having a small home is our ONE bathroom. With seven people sharing it, life can get pretty crazy! While we don’t have the room to get an additional bath (or even a traditional “half bath”) we have considered just having an extra toilet in the laundry room. While some additional plumbing will need to be done, and we’d want to hang a shower curtain in the corner to provide some privacy, many older farm houses have a similar arrangement, and it’s worked well for those “emergency situations” that are bound to happen with small kids in the home.
This giveaway is brought to you by the new Windows Phone 7. Less tech tired. More tech trendy: Learn about Windows Phone online and see it in person at local T-Mobile stores today.
I like to hear that young moms either kick down their baby stuff to someone they know thats having a baby or save the baby items for the nect baby.
Thank You!!
Instead of buying gifts for holidays i give services. for instance I will give a free housecleaning coupon or free date night baby sitting service to my loved ones.
Whenever I think I have to have something, I think will do I really need this or do I just want it. If I just want it, I have to challenge my intentions, my heart. I don't want to collect stuff, I rather be purposeful in my giving and living. When we die we leave a bunch of stuff anyhow and a casket can only carry so much. So I try to recycle and reuse, donate, give to needy families, join web sites that offer points and discounts and then I can be generous with others including giving then gift certificates and gift cards. This is what I do so I can sleep peaceful at night.
Our budget doesn't allow us to go out to eat as often as we used to, do now my daughter and I have "gourmet" night- we pick out a fancy recipe, make it together, and have a special evening. It's usually a lot better than restaurant food! There is also the added bonus that it's really fun to try new recipes and techniques.
I’ll be able to get more done with less by consolidating my devices when I get a Windows Phone.
I do more with less by growing my own kitchen garden in the back yard! We live in a suburban area but I still have room for a small garden and nothing beats fresh veggies!
I also compost my yard clippings and peelings for fertilizer.
Use the library- it's free (well, paid for by your property taxes so you SHOULD use it). I am so surprised by how many of my friends buy the new hardcover books and then throw them out/give them away. Start a book swapping club instead! You'll have less clutter on the shelves yet still have more to read.
We take virtual vacations by setting aside time to read good books, rather than spending hundreds we may not have to travel.
Instead of a throw away cup I reuse a plastic cup for my daily commute drink.
I do more with less items in my house by regularly purging and donating to homeless shelters.
I was single when my daughter was born so we started out in a studio apartment and when I got a promotion, we moved into a rental house. It was more of a cottage really. It had a stove and a sink without any counterspace inbetween and behind that the door to a bathroom where only one person could fit at a time. This "kitchen" and bathroom were sandwhiched between two large rooms. One held the "living room" and "dining room" and the other was my "bedroom" and also held the refrigerator and hutch holding all my pots, pans and dishes. There was one closet about the size of the kitchen and bathroom. In the closet, I put up two clothes rods with plastic storage bins beneath. Between the two rods, my daughter's crib was nestled in. And instead of a door, I hung a thick, heavy curtain to close at night. More. With Less.
I buy clothes on clearance for my kids in larger sizes. Since I don't want to have 20 shirts in size 4T and only 3 pairs of pants, I keep an inventory list in excel. This list has my kids' names along with sizes and type of garment, that I update regularly. With the phone now, I can use excel, so I emailed myself that list. It is on my phone so I can simply look at the spreadsheet when i am at the store. I can easily update it too.
I do more with less when I go grocery shopping. I use coupons, take notice of store sales and shop around for the best deals. I also follow savings bloggers to keep updated on the newest and best deals.
I do more with less space by using a lot of closet space savers everywhere in the apartment! Now I have a lot more space to put everything in its place, and it stays organized!
I don't thow away anything that can be frozen. I freeze over ripe bananas and make smooties out of them. They make the most yummy smooties and because they are frozen, theres no need to add ice! A double whammy savings!
Thank You!!
I could do more things in the extra time I have saved by having the apps on this phone to keep me organized. right now I just have a bare basics no frill phone. I am ready to upgrade to a fancier one.
hand-made gifts are more personal and sentimental, whether you can knit, crochet, draw, etc it. A gift that couldn't be bought because it was created by you
For a few years now I have been slowly clearing things out of my house that I don't use. This has led to less clutter and I try to be smart about what I bring into the house.
I do more with less by conserving water.
I find as many recipes as humanly possible that include ground meat (I use ground turkey) and I cook ground turkey dishes like it's my job- that helps cut back on food costs. Tacos, Shepherds Pie, etc. etc. etc.
I do more with less by using coupons and trying to find shopping deals that will help me save money!
I have begun making my own things for my baby. It's often cheaper, fun, and so much more special. I am making toys, a wet bag for my cloth diapers, blankets, shirts. Get a plain onesie and embroider a picture of an animal on it or a letter, etc.
I can do more with less by buying clothes from thrift stores instead of brand new from the store. As fast as my daughter grows she doesn't last very long in her clothes before it's time for the next size up. By doing this for the majority of her clothes we have saved hundreds of dollars and I can afford to get much more which is fun!
I do more for much less by hitting the garage sales and thrift stores for much of the basics, and yep, using coupons and shopping online steals and deals.
We try to keep our possessions down to the "less" side to start with. We don't have the typical storage space that most houses our size do as we use our garage area as a family room. That opens a lot of opportunities to use that space for something other than junk. What we do keep gets used repeatedly. If we can't reuse it, we pass it on to someone else.
Instead of spending a ton of money going out , my families plays games and watches movies together at home. We have fun and save money for things that are needed.
I've done more with less money because of the marvelous tips and tricks that wisebread and their contributing writers have provided to me. Can't thank you enough....Thanks!
I do more with less by spending my time wisely with family, friends, and loved ones.
In terms of time, I definitely do more with less! Since I go to college and don't live on campus, I take the train to school. It actually isn' that bad because I do my schoolwork on the train and type my essays while riding. It's like an hour of dedicated study time. Instead of driving, I'm just typing away at my laptop for an essay!
I can spend less time and money driving to the bookstore to buy books I only read once and take advantage of the library instead.
My family has a small (really small) yard with 3 children. We did use the small garden shed that we can move (with help from friends) in the winter, along with the trampoline and other summer toys, to the wooded area away from the yard. We then use that space for snow toys and things. Just put the seasonal toys away and with less room and less things (instead of them all being out together) it makes it look better.
That is such an awesome phone! I love how much it can do for it's size.
We are a family of 4, who live on under 30k a year. We reused things in different ways, recycle, and buy 2nd had and still live happily, we love to do more with less!
I am able to squeeze some pretty awesome quality time in when I tuck my daughter in for the night. We lay in the dark, and it's her time to ask me anything she wants, or talk about something that's bothering her. It's turned into a special routine :)
I am doing less with more by shopping for Christmas gifts year round and only buying items that are on sale. I love nothing better than a bargain!
I get more with less by doing comparison shopping using Bing.
I love the concept of doing more with less. Since we got our Wii, we've been able to create birthday themes around games we've already had. We throw a Wacky Dress Dance party and have the kids compete on a dance game we own. It's great because it very entertaining and cost effective.
Doing more with less is my lifes mantra. I love the thought of recycling things and coming up with whole new fun ideas! I especially love when my kids can't tell I did it with little or no money!
another way of saving money is having tons of garage sales, or sell things on ebay!
Truthfully I would not be the one using this if I won it would go to my daughter.She would use it COMPLETELY for her work!!!! We are a very frugal family(me-hubby-daughter-son-in-law).Years ago 30 actually we bought a tiny cape cod house 1000 sq ft 2 bedrms and over the years we have redone little by little all by ourselves.Now my daughter and her husband are taking those same values and working on their house.Our house is paid for,we paid for college undergrad and grad,wedding all cash.We reuse-recycle-redo or go without! I have always had multiple jobs-now down to 2 jobs(day/evening) I use to do day/evening and wkend.
Do more with less by eating a vegetarian dinner at least once a week. It's easier on the planet, your long-term health, and your wallet. Win, win, win!
I do more with less by renting out my two bedroom condo in shifts! All tenants are my friends whom I enjoy spending time (and close quarters) with, so it's worked out well. Friends on the third shift at our manufacturing company rent out each bedroom and sleep in it during the day, while myself and another tenant rent out the rooms and sleep in them in the evenings! It's a pretty fun living situation at the moment, and the money aint bad either!!
I try to do more with less by wearing the same winter clothes every 2 years. I figured out that I didn't need new coats and boots every year. I simply got bored of the ones I had. So if I don't wear something for 2 years, and then I get it out of my wardrobe, it feels like a new outfit.
I do more with less by using hand me downs and giveaway items as much as possible.
I come from a big family and have often received clothes, shoes and small appliance that others weren't using or their kids had grown out of. I find if my soncan wear hand me downs at home and working out in the yard i am able to afford nicer clothes for special occasions. Also getting things like furniture, vacuum cleaners, toasters, curtsins etc. for free (if they are in acceptable condition ) I can afford nicer things when I do actuallly buy something. I also reciprocate by giving away things that I am not using so that others can get the same benifit and I don't have to store them pr throw away things that are still in usable condition.
Getting rid of (donating if possible) everything from clothes I no longer wear to old cups/plates and other household items! That way someone else can use it and it helps keep clutter out of my life :)
I'm all about doing more with less by using free tools such as the Google calendar to organize my day, week, month, year...need I go on!!!
I've been on a decluttering kick lately. Lots of clothes that I haven't used for years being donated to the local thrift store. Selling or donating books I don't plan on using. I'm getting awfully tempting to kill cable in favor of streaming netflix through my xbox, live sports is the only kickers. Black out dates ruin everything.
I live in a one bedroom with no storage so that helps keep the clutter at bay. There is no where to put it!
My more for less: Bake family goodies instead of buying storebought. Make extra and freeze for later. Do the same for meals: cook more, freeze extras.
Save gasoline and get a workout at the same time by riding your bike.
Today, productivity and efficiency are the theme of modern gadgets like the release of the new Windows 7 phones. The name of the game is getting as much bang for your buck as possible, and every phone manufacturer is looking squeeze as much power into their devices as possible to make OUR lives easier. Essentially everything we need to do to organize our life can be done on a smartphone now, essentially defining the ideas of productivity and efficiency -- doing more with less.
Using Windows 7 Media Player, I was able to cancel my cable as well as get rid of my DVR box saving me around $60 a month.
I use sale flyers along with coupons to shrink my grocery budget. Doing more with less. Thanks.
I do more with less by walking to work or biking 3 times a week instead of driving. Also watching free internet programming instead of cable tv.
Give me a pen and a notebook and I'll knock out several pages with a little inspiration. Give me a laptop, internet access, headphones, a mouse and I'll spend that time checking status updates, consulting a thesaurus, and altering my writing playlist, and adjusting the volume. Sometimes the tools I use can be too many to carry.
I would be able to do more with less when it comes to work. im always stalling with my phone trying to read what messages are being sent to me or when it stalls trying to load my music.
I use a lot of coupons and even get free things that I do not want or need. I contribute much of this to the church food pantry.
Share with your friends and family! Everyone doesn't need their own everything...we need to bring back our sense of community.
Since I'm in college I definitely can do more with the money I save from buying used books instead of new ones by searching online sites like eBay or the used book stores in town. It really helps cut costs and sometimes the books have notes in them! Sometimes the notes are really funny and crazy, but sometimes they are actually true and helpful!
I have six children, so doing more with less is essential. We check the store ads, use coupons, and stock up on what is on sale. we also use a lot of generic products.
In order for my Lil girl and I to have quality time together we eat supper at her table every night and use the dinning room as a reading room.
We do more with less by not waisting. I freeze everything can be be frozen. I freeze ripen bananas and use them for smoothies. No need to add ice since the bananas are already froozen. Very yummy!!
Thank You!
I've cut my own hair, and my husband's, for years! And no one new the difference between that and the barber/stylist.
I do more with less by recycling.
I do more with less by not keeping clothes, toys or other items that are not needed. Signing up for Electronic Billing helps eliminate lots of waste and less to file.
I'm learning to sew and it's so much fun refashioning old clothes into new items!
I could totally make my daughter's Christmas one to remember if I won her such an awesome phone and XBox membership. She has wanted a smart phone for so long. Here's to dreaming big.
I love to redecorate our home. Our budget isn't always big enough for my dreams. I "do more with less" by shopping at thrift stores and junk shops and repainting unique and cheap items that I find or repurposing old items. That way, I get "new to me" stuff with less money!
I'm down to one credit card and I'm paying off the rest.
when letting the faucet run for hot water, collect the cold water for watering plants
I do more with less by posting things we no longer need on our local Freecycle. This way they don't end up in a landfill and someone else can use them.
I need this for my grandson. It sounds great.
i do more with less by budgeting and using coupons whenever i can. Sometimes I can save $40 or more per shopping trip just by simply using coupons and hitting up the sales. I especially love going to CVS for SALES and matching them with my coupons. With todays economy you really cant help but trying to save. This is how I do more with less
I'm currently on a path to simplify my life. De-cluttering my living space, buying quality vs. quantity, considering where my dollar is being spent.
Same goes with my technology - narrowing down what I carry. Finding one system to do it all.
I would love to win a windows7 phone! It has all the features that i need all in one phone. I am a big technology girl and have been looking forward to owning one since i saw it advertised. I ordered my phone just before the windows7 phone came out and i am kicking myself constantly about it. Now i am stuck in my contract and no discounts for 2 yrs and i am currently unemployed, so pretty sad situation…
I would love to win a windows7 phone! It has all the features that i need all in one phone. I am a big technology girl and have been looking forward to owning one since i saw it advertised. I ordered my phone just before the windows7 phone came out and i am kicking myself constantly about it. Now i am stuck in my contract and no discounts for 2 yrs and i am currently unemployed, so pretty sad situation…
Shoshana Becker
i love clinique city block. its like using a very sheer foundation with spf protection and evens out my tone.
My family of 8 planted our first garden this year. It wasn't wildly successful, but did it feel amazing to serve and eat cucumbers and cantaloupe for free (well my back paid for it) out of our own TINY backyard!
Doing more with less can have a fantastic outcome when you're talking about crafting. I knit, so I have *tons* of leftover scraps from various projects. Michael's has a donation basket for Warm Up America squares, either knit or crochet, so every year I knit a bunch up. Then there is a 'joining party', where the accumulated squares are put together into blankets. I have made many new friends piecing together blankets.
We've recently started to purge items from our house because we want to do more with less. The reduced clutter has made our lives simpler and more enjoyable.
Do more with less by using compact fluorescent light bulbs. One 100 watt bulb uses about $19 less in energy costs annually, easily offsetting the initial cost of purchase. And of course, these bulbs last longer, providing further savings.
I do more by sleeping less. It is amazing what you can get done in the morning without distractions.
Spend less time at work. Spend more time at home.
I do more with less in the kitchen by using my crock pot. I plug it in the morning and dinner is ready when I get home. Less time in the kitchen = more time with family.
I do more with less by using awesome phone apps. There are many useful, fun, and creative apps out there that help make life a little bit easier to manage.
i developer reusable code to keep reducing the work i do to deliver more with less to do. i would love to get this phone to get going using this device for development and come out creative with nice applications for all the nice users of the platform
Removing the TV allows me to “do more with less”; the average person spends 4 hours per day watching TV and I would rather spend my leisure time with activities like participating in my community, exercising, reading, or socializing with friends. Recall your favorite TV show; name all the charters and think about how watching the show makes you feel. Your mind believes it interacted with the show and there is a sense of accomplishment, be it false. Why not feel the same type of involvement with family, friends, or a constructive project. I love TV just as much as anyone else but think about the time being wasted; 2 months of nonstop TV-watching per year.
Doing more with less means creating a tight budget and sticking to it, avoiding impulse buys, and saving for rainy days. Peace of mind generates productivity.
If you shop with the attitude that you can do without most of the things you see, cute, pretty or cleverly designed, you gain a feeling of freedom from these things clinging to your mind and your home. Simplicity and open space give a feeling of harmony and peace, and the ability to say no to yourself detaches you from being controlled by things.
My famoly goes cheap on entertainment. We rent movies from the library 3-4 times a week. We have local cable but it was on when we moved into our house so it is free. With two litle kids we walk to the park as much as we can and play outside while it is still warm.
I do more with less by cooking dinner and staying home to eat. The family gets to spend time together cooking, eating together and cleaning up. This cost less than going out, but our family gets a lot more out of it.
Lately, I've been doing a low carb diet. I have looked up some great recipes to do less with more, as in less carbs and more taste. I'm enjoying my diet, and that's a rarity.
I have six kids, so it is essential to do more with less. I watch the sale ads, use coupons, and also buy a lot of generic products.
I don't wear make-up, typically. Which gives me more time, more appreciation for myself, and more money. :)
I get more done by using the Microsoft Outlook junk filters to see less spam.
Doing more with less is easy…
Reallocate all of your "junk" to others; you'd be surprised by how giving things you never use away lifts the burdens of owning them off your mind.
grow your own veggies and fruits. It can be as simple as tomatoes, which you'll probably have more than you'd actually want (lol)
I do more with less by recycling.
I do more with less by baking from scratch and cooking meals instead of grabbing fast food or eating out. It not only saves money, but it's also healthier. I really need a new phone!
Beats my LG phone by a mile
During Thanksgiving, we eat more with less time! Haha, how do we do this? We always have a potluck for every Thanksgiving dinner. And we're all luck that everyone brings delicious food! It would be awesome to win!