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 do more with less by entering contests and hope to win some free swag to give away to my nephews for Christmas.
donate clothes that don't fit or ones you haven't worn in ages. It takes up space, and others can put it to good use
I love to use coupons because it helps me save money. I dislike having to cut and organize them. It helps to do it while watching my favorite TV show so I'm doing two things at once!
I hosted a clothing swap with a half-dozen, similarly-sized friends. We divided offerings into categories & took turns picking an item each 'til we'd claimed all we wanted. The remainder went to charity!
I hosted a clothing swap with a half-dozen, similarly-sized friends. We divided offerings into categories & took turns picking an item each 'til we'd claimed all we wanted. The remainder went to charity!
I think that sentimental gifts are the most memorable way to do more with less. My favorite gifts are photo calendars, filled with memories. These are easy and affordable, and can be tailored for families and friends.
Lastly, don't forget to spend a little something for those who can't spend - whether it is adopting a family for a holiday or buying something small for a toy drive. When I was little, I was the recipient of a secret toys-for-tots gift (I had no idea where it came from, it was left at my doorstep), and it helped me continue believing in Santa although my family was not able to afford gifts that year!
We try to do more with less in the playroom. Every year at this time I purge the toys, books and other playthings to make room for the inevitable parade of new things the Christmas season will bring. Too many toys = overwhelmed kids.
I've changed how we do laundry at our house. I previously did laundry every weekend - 7-8 loads at a time. After missing the regular schedule due to an illness, I realized htat we had enough basic clothing to go 10-14 days between laundry days!
Now I do laundry every 10 to 12 days. I still have 7-8 loads, but now those loads are FULL. I do at least 176 fewer loads, which saves us tons on water, detergent, power, and most importantly my time!!
Doing less with more to me right now involves using the fall vegetables in the garden to the best possible advantage! The last of the cauliflower was harvested yesterday - gardening is a great way to save money and add fresh produce to your diet!
I would save a lot of time if I didn't have so many clothes. There's too much to pick from and I end up doing too much laundry!
I do more with less by subbing beans for protein in recipes.
I recently sold me car and went car free. I don't have to worry about any premium insurance payments and fluctuating gas prices. I ride a bike to work now and I have been feeling more energetic since.
I live in a single room in a shared house, so I've "done more with less" by turning every piece of furniture into something functional. I'm blessed to have a built-in bookshelf in the room; I have a storage ottoman for my stationery; my desk houses lots of little things; and the boxes I moved in with (large plastic tubs) help compartmentalize things inside my closet, or get stored on the top shelf that I can't use regularly anyway because I'm too short. I think it works because it doesn't look cluttered, due to doors/lids, and since everything has a place, I know generally where things are when I need them. This was so not true at my last full apartment!
We do more with less simply by focusing on a few core things we want as part of our lives (dog, child, exercise) and we make those things happen. Because we are focused on what is most important, even though we have less STUFF than most people, we feel like we have more valuables.
I re-purpose and re-use household items and turn them into new things, like re-upholstering a chair or turn simple fabric into curtains. Thanks! Awesome phone!
I love reusing things. I make old t shirts into new tops or bags.
For all the small trash cans in our house we use those plastic bags you get from the grocer. They fit reasonably well in the can and the handles make it convenient to tie up before going in the outdoor garbage can.
I brought my sewing machine out of hibernation and have joined the clothes "upcycling" revolution. It's working, and it's fun!
I have a meal swap with two ladies that I work with. Monday we each bring in two containers of food we've prepared and we swap! We discussed allergies, etc. beforehand. Works great!
Each day I do work from home, I always seem to get more done. it's like knocking two birds with one stone. More family time, more work done.
Do more with less by making a food gift for your nearest and dearest - something that they'll actually use and/or consume. Choose proven recipes that you know and love and include an idea or two on how to use the item if it's an ingredient.
Do more with less by re-evaluating just one recurring expense; almost all of us have one that we could do without and barely notice the difference!
Everyone should do themselves a favor and watch an episode of Hoarders! Nothing motivates me to declutter like that show, and we all know less clutter is more free time, because you don't have to dust as much ;)
I've recently started to sell thing that I've had lying around or in storage. This is a great method because the majority of the stuff I don't even use any more. I come to this site and check out the daily freebies, which takes away from my urge to want to purchase things spur of the moment, because I get it free!!
I have peace of mind not fretting over what to buy during the holidays etc. I count my blessings over the sunrise and sunset and rejoice over all the simple things that occur in between the two. I throw catalogs away as soon as they are sent to me and throughly enjoy simple nutritious meals. I cherish the warmth and love of close friends. I have been unemployed for nearly a year with limited prospects of changing that at age 61. I am free to be free. I give away everything I can. I no longer have the tyranny of possessions.
I reuse and repurpose everything. I don't have the money to spend on a new everything!
I do more with less by cleaning out my closet every year and keeping a few basicsand cleaning out the pantry once every 6 months or so and donate anything we can to the local shelter
I can do more with less by getting this phone.It would allow me to ditch my tin cans with the string between them and that would save me extra room in my pocketbook.
Shop your closets and your friends' closets. While going through my closet and cabinets trying to declutter, I unearthed tons of great things I never used. Some of them I just forgot I had, others just didn't work for me anymore. I realized that my friends probably had the same situation. I emailed everyone and arranged swap parties where we could exchange the items we didn't want with items we did. Whatever was left, could go to charity. Because we had so much stuff, and from so many different areas of the house, we had several get-togethers over the next few months, each based on a theme or room. There was a kitchen/dining swap, a bathroom/linen swap, a clothing swap, a personal care/makeup swap, kids' stuff swap, and entertainment swap. We had a great time getting together and ended up with a lot of great stuff. Next stop-bartering.
How we do more with less is a question we ask ourselves all the time. The economic hardship my family has faced since the downturn in the economy has us asking that exact question. Now that it is the holidays we ask that question again...How we do more with less...We count on each other and the kindness of others.
Scott Martin
My family and I are on a budget, but we find ways to get the most out of life. Of course our kids would love every gadget out there, but they also realize that they have to limit thier choices to what we can afford and sometimes, they have to agree on sharing a more expensive item, like a game console. I think that we all appreciate what we have much more. Especially when we do splurge & get something new, that we had saved for, everyone seems to get more out of it.
Thanks so much for this wonderful giveaway.
rickpeggysmith(at)aol(dot)com
I watch all the shows and movies from free website (only internet), so you can cut the cable. I have Voip Phone and cut regular phone line. I use the restaurant gift certificates all the time.
I do more with less by staying organized for free. I constantly collect boxes of varying sizes from work give them a quick re-vamp with contact paper and viola! I have a new storage solution for any odd or ends.
Our house is tiny, but we set it up traditionally, including a dining room. However, we quickly found that we never ventured in there and decided to convert it into our office. It may not be typical, but it works for us!
I like the idea about the closet office, but my home has little closet space. I do hope to move with in a year or so and plan to downsize the amount of clutter we don't use.
I made dandelion wine this year out of weeds and it's set for 6 months on Thanksgiving Day! Now we don't have to buy wine!
always looking for products which will make my life simpler but more productive
Less with more--staying on focus and setting priorities, getting rid of the unnecessary stuff in life that seems to clutter up everything into chaos!!! thank you for this awesome opp
I "do more with less" when I gave my car away to charity and moved to a co-housing community where I can do car sharing. I save on gas, insurance, car payments and maintenance.
I can eat leftovers.
Place Christmas presents that you can't use or need in a box and use them as regifts. Just make sure not to give them to a person that just gave them. :)
It's unavoidable and, honestly, very difficult to completely avoid eating out or spending on some niceties. Set an eating out budget (within reason!) and stick to it. Also, make that budget roll over so any sacrifices you do this month actually manifest itself on the next month's budget.
It's unavoidable and, honestly, very difficult to completely avoid eating out or spending on some niceties. Set an eating out budget (within reason!) and stick to it. Also, make that budget roll over so any sacrifices you do this month actually manifest itself on the next month's budget.
We plan on keeping out boys sharing a room for as long as possible. They get the biggest room and bunk beds for now. I really don't want to have to upgrade to a bigger house.
I'm always trying to do more with less money! When it comes to my wardrobe I try and buy basic pieces (jeans, black pants) for cheap at discount stores. And when I need a nice dress for a special occasion or if it's something I wear everyday like a purse or winter coat I splurge a little bit. That way I stretch my money and look great and do so much more with less!
We do more with less by buying in bulk, using coupons, and shopping for good deals!
I can do more cleaning with less products by simply using old towels and viegar and water as a cleaning solution.
reuse shopping bags as trash bags, washed out yogurt cups as great snack containers, etc
We moved from IN to WI in order to see more of family while doing less traveling! And it's been great. :)
I do more with less by thinking about what I own, only owning things I need, and trying to be as simple and effective with the things that I own.
my friends and i exchange clothes so we can all get something "new" to wear. works especially well with purses :)
I could start with cleansing out my diet to just the basics: pasta, homemade sauce from onions, tomatoes, sweet cream, some nice eggs, milk, bread then cheese with turkey for lunches, and some yogurts. Sharing would also be a handy tip, especially with my new darling gf, merging netflix accounts, borrowing board games from family friends, and gathering around to celebrate pre-christmases and thanksgivings. But that's for starters.
I do more with less at dinner time. I can cook for 5 people, with not many ingredients. Everyone is full. I also use alot of coupons. That saves me so much money every week. I can get $200 worth of groceries for about $125.
itsjustme62613 at gmail.com
I could use this phone to put my endless lists and notes on! Less is more in my handbag, right! I wonder if I could put receipts in there as well... Oh! And you can use them for coupons now at the store! Could there finally be an end to the paper clutter?
hmm well coupons work. You can also be creative and make your own things, which take a little bit more time, but will save you money in the long run. Thanks so much!
vanitizebaby at yahoo dot com
I moved into a one bedroom apt., rather than the 3 I had before.
We cut our home phone down to line only, no caller id, no voice mail, no call forward. This chopped our bill down to 21.95 from 65.00.
Use coupons, shop sales and buy in bulk that helps a bit
In todays economy, many families are stretching their dollar. With the holidays approaching, I will be tapping into my creative side and instead of making store bought purchases, I will be making many handmade things to give as gifts. Spending less money, but giving more of myself - in a way that will be remembered both by myself, and the recipient, for years to come.
Going paperless in my office would make productivity faster and reduce waste. It would be a win/win for everyone and not to mention keep chaos out of in my life and office!
Thanks!
My husband and I recently moved in (temporarily, I hope) with my parents. We are having to live out of boxes and suitcases so with little room I had to think very carefully with what we NEEDED. There are things in storage that I wish I could get to and use because I WANT them but we are getting by just fine without the extras. Makes me wonder what we are going to do when we do have all of our loot back.
We reuse plastic bags and ziplock bags, doing more with less!
After 2 surgeries,chemo & radiation for colon cancer,I have learned what was important, needs verses wants, frinds &family.
I can do more functions with less gadgets as companies combine gizmos into one. I would like to see Microsoft's answer to the iPhone.
no more room filling toys for the boys for Christmas anymore! My sons are at the age now where they like technology better than big bulky toys,..so why do I keep buying them? I have also basically stopped going to garage sales,...why keep bring things home just because its a good deal? We need less stuff not more!
I read multiple blogs everyday and when they have cool promotions like this I enter at every site. I also am finding cool new blogs in the process. How's that for doing more with less? Since the rules state that I can enter once a day, as long as my responses are not similar every day, I'll be back tomorrow with a new answer!
I do more with less by reusing and recycling.
Saving money and handmade gifts this Christmas equals holiday vacations. it's gonna be a fun holiday season with the family this year. Will be even better with the windows phone. ;)
It's time to pass along the family "heirlooms" and let someone else care take them
USE CRAIGSLIST FREE. I've moved a lot recently and have managed to furnish 2.5 apartments for free. A little craigslist diligence and patience pays off!
I forgot to fill in the form below on my comment, let me try that again!
I do more with less by focusing on spending time with the people I love during the holidays instead of on buying so much stuff. The people are what it's all about anyway.
we belong to a produce co-op. we end up getting things we've never tried before or would not buy (because of the expense), for less than half of what we would pay if we bought the produce at the store. it's fantastic!
I'm trying to do more work with less hours actually spent at work, by increasing productivity and working at home more. I find that I'm much more productive in my own home without the distractions of the office!
I do more with less by buying things when they are sale and using coupons.
I would love to win this phone.
coupons, coupons, coupons = save $!!!
doing more with less is the trend now days, the one thing that i think that allows people to do more with less is a computer. it allows people to learn about something in an instant where as before people have to go to the library, it allows people to write without a pen or pencil, it allows people to watch tv, movies and just videos in general at a touch of a button, allows people to store memories of a lifetime in one simple device. but with technology advancing as it is a brand new phone that does exactly that would be handy :]
doing more with less...winning this phone instead of buying it.
I've started doing more with less by using my nook. After having 6 bookshelves, we've decided to start donating them and moving to all ebooks when possible. Plus with baby 2 on the way, I need the space.
We have a single car, and instead of driving everywhere we walk or bike. This has the added benefit of slowing life down a little and allowing us to appreciate nature, our neighbors, and each other.
well we keep makimg ajustments less dinners out no frivolous things and think before you spend
I look for the best price and always do price comparisons at different stores for everything I buy and also try to find coupons. I also love to watch movies and go to Costco or use the Entertainment book which has coupons for movies. As my job is basically finding bargains all day, it makes it a little easier for me to find the cheapest deals for all kinds of stuff also =)
By the way, I saw this phone at the Microsoft Store at the mall the other. It is very nice, hope I can get one.
i use kaffir limes to clean the stove, deep clean my hair and make curries.
Every day we all dump our change into a huge wine jug. Less weight in my purse, and you’d be surprised to see how fast it turns into more $$!
More "simple" toys! Wii games are unbelievably expensive, but I can whip up a few make-believe outfits in no time out of old clothes. And guess which one they have more fun with?
When it appeared that books were taking over my house, I re-discovered the public library. Now, I save by not ordering books and since I return my books no more stacks stashed everywhere. And, in the process, I found other great services my library offers - DVD rentals, magazines, etc.
I do more with less by recycling and rather than throwing things away, I try to find an alternate use for them. Also, I make sure to donate gently used items, especially outgrown clothes.
Doing more with less sometimes means working on the go. Which is where my laptop and a good smartphone comes in handy. Go windows phone
I really search around to get the best deal or coupon codes before buying anything online...price comparisons and coupons only take a few minutes and it is amazing the difference it can make.
We don't buy new books, we utilize the library!
I do more with less visits to the middle aisles of the grocery store where the processes food is and with the strategic use of coupons to meet my needs, bravo executive function!
I do more with less by donating clothes that no longer fit, donating furniture that no longer is useful or just hides clutter, checking out books at the library instead of buying them, watching shows online instead of buying DVD's, saving documents as PDF's instead of printing and when my lease is up next year downsizing to a smaller apartment.
I do more with less by cooking/baking at home. It saves money and is healthier/tastier!
We are doing more with less by focusing on family activities. It turns out that you can do a lot for little to no money with the right people. Also we are going through our "clutter" and getting rid of things that aren't used anymore giving us more space and freedom to play.
I could look at the objects in my home to find new way to use them. I'm educating my children at home, so using my household items like wash clothes to teach practical skills and develop fine motor skills would be a good way to give multiple purposes to items instead of buying item solely as educational products.
I do more with less in the kitchen. Once my husband and I got rid of a bunch of pots and pans we never use, appliances that just took up space, spices we needed for one recipe 5 years ago and expired food (!), we found that cooking was far more enjoyable and easy. Starting with a few basic skills anyone can pick up (how to scramble eggs or fry potatoes, for example), we have built some really tasty meals from very little.
A few years ago my mother moved out of our childhood home, and she found a lot of toys of mine that she's saved. So this year, in addition to a few new toys, my oldest son is getting a lot of my old toys. Not only do we not need to spend as much on toys, but I get to relieve a lot of great childhood memories.
Our decision to do more with less was simple. We were going to give 10% of what we earned back. In our case we chose to give it to our church, but any "worthy cause" would work as well. Within eighteen month we managed to fulfill our goal of becoming debt free. It wasn't karma, it was attention. That commitment caused us to spend intentionally rather than frivolously and made less actually become more.
Combined coupons with weekly sales. I have found some sights that list the weekly sales items that have printable coupons with them. It has saved me tons and barely changed what I buy.
I do more with less by using the 48 hour rule for (potential) impulse buys. I wait exactly 48 hours before I buy. If I forget about it or lose interest- I don't buy it! Obviously I was not committed! If I'm watching the clock for the 48 hours to be up, I know it is probably something I really want and will use.