As a long time poor person myself, please don't give this sort advice. It doesn't help. When your poor, getting something like OPs competition win can make life feel not so glum. What you're saying is to sell happiness for slightly more security that will only last so long. Once the extra runs out, you're back where you were with zero ability to buy that 'luxury' back. Having something nice when your poor can make a big difference to mental health.

Also please don't assume that poor people don't know how to budget and that they need unsolicited financial advice from strangers who don't have any idea what their day to day circumstances and finances are.

I don't get the downvotes. It's sound advice. The phone is a depreciating asset and while I get the "status symbol" of an iPhone for kids, it's just a phone. My first iPhone coincidentally which I also won in a company contest was an iPhone 4, before that I just used a Chinese knock off Nokia 6300. Priorities man.

I didn't reach the age of consent for work yet, but thx for your advice