This is the super fancy Windows Phone 7. Behold!
Ooo. Shiny.
The idea behind the phone is that you can do all kinds of stuff with it, so you don’t have to carry so many gadgets around to stay on top of your life. As you know from the Packing Light series, I’m all about doing more with less, specifically only what you can fit in a carry-on and a backpack
Lots of you have asked me what I pack in my backpack while I’m on the road. All of my electronics go in there, so here’s my list of what’s in my “personal item” bag when I’m boarding a plane.
Digital SLR with 50mm 1:1:4 lens
Camera battery charger
Phone charger
Earbuds
Laptop charger
Laptop
Magazine
Moleskine journal
Pens that won’t explode in flight
A hard case for my glasses
A small purse that contains:
-my wallet
-keys
-phone
-and a mesh zip bag with:
+Waleda hand cream
+Burt’s Bees lip balm
+Lipstick
+Eye drops
Comfort kit with
-snacks
-teabags
-a sleeping mask
-earplugs
-an inflatable neck pillow with knit cover
How about you? What’s your bare minimum of what you need to be comfortable when you’re traveling, or working, or just getting ready in the morning? What are your tricks for doing more with less in your life?
I’m giving away one Windows Phone 7, which is worth about $500, plus all this good stuff:
-A one year XBOX Live Gold membership
-A three month unlimited Zune Pass — which lets you download and stream unlimited music and keep 30 songs forever and ever.
– A T-Mobile SIM, active until November 30. (If you’re already a T-Mobile subscriber, you can also use your existing SIM.)
To enter, all you have to do is leave a tip in comments about how you’re doing more with less. You can enter once a day, but you’ll need to cough up a new and improved tip every time you comment. I assume this helps ensure that you are not a robot. Not that I have anything against robots.
Now for the fine print. The contest is open until November 29, and as usual I’ll pick a winner using random.org. I’ll email the winner, and once he or she emails me back, I’ll announce who it was on Mighty Girl. Sound good? Great. The crazy detailed details are here, as are the bazillion (or so) other sites where you can go to enter for another chance to win the phone. I encourage you to do so.
This giveaway was brought to you by the new Windows Phone 7. Less MIA. More PTA: Learn about Windows Phone online and see it in person at local T-Mobile stores today.
http://thirdparty.fmpub.net/placement/370528?fleur_de_sel=%5Btimestamp%5D
Mighty Girl 
Packing light with kids in tow is more than a challenge, but I invested in a stylish diaper bag and a mini Kate Spade to put my purse items in. I just grab the mini bag when alone, but the diaper bag is ready for any adventure: )
LikeLike
I used to carry tons of lipsticks, lip balm, small mirror and such in the bottomless dark of my purse, thinking that the world may drown if I did not carry it around. Then I was given a cute, little bag as a present and started using it for all the makeup leftovers and now, I often leave it at home, realizing how heavy all that stuff really is. And – behold – I don’t miss a thing!
LikeLike
After constantly getting stuck in airports and overspending at the concourse stores, we have a folder of crossword puzzles (saved from the newspapers), crayons and coloring books that travels with us whenever we head out of town.
LikeLike
I’m doing more with a lot less by swapping out my car for a moped whenever possible. In addition to looking badass, do you know about miles per gallon those things get?!?
LikeLike
I love the little travel sizes and won’t travel without my lip balm! Also, I have tried to cut down on early morning trips to get a nice hot cup of tea, now I make mine at home and use a travel mug.
LikeLike
i think i am usually pretty good at doing more with less. it helps that i hate shopping and so often i have to get pretty creative and use what i already have in the house.
LikeLike
We had to go into hardcore budget belt cinching mode last year and I learned a ton! Food and booze…the better your plan your meals (and shopping lists), the more $ you save. If you stick to your plans you can save a lot! And I learned if we have lots of booze around we tend to entertain and drink more (which on one hand is awesome), but again.. if you plan ahead you can save money here as well. I also realized that if I don’t go to target, or estate sales, or the outlets, I won’t spend any money. The first step for me is to not be places where my money likes to go. We also started to use real napkins, real plates, no plastic water bottles, and I know we are saving more, and being better about our carbon foot print all at the same time.
LikeLike
I recently took a trip to FL and used some of your packing light tips. I enjoyed being resourceful and realized I have a lot of great outfit options I had never thought of.
: )
LikeLike
Eating at home = losing weight = fit into old winter clothes = less money on stupid stuff.
LikeLike
I’m currently learning to do more with less when it comes to my maternity wardrobe. Since I was mostly pregnant during the warm months of the year, I had a lot of tank tops and short sleeve shirts. I didn’t want to buy a whole new set of shirts for only about 6 weeks, so I went out and bought a few cardigans, and voila: my wardrobe is extended to last through these last few weeks of my pregnancy. Plus the cardigans are non-maternity so I will be able to wear them all winter long.
LikeLike
I’ve been saving containers at the store and reusing them like crazy. I found somewhere where I can refill on things like body wash, olive oil, hand soap, honey etc. so I don’t have to keep using the store’s packaging!
LikeLike
I’m trying to live with fewer clothes. I haven’t shopped for clothes in at least 6 months, and I’m giving away everything that I haven’t worn in over a year. Going to try my best to look somewhat classy and put together with fewer clothes!
LikeLike
I also bought an adorable little black, over the shoulder purse at H&M which is just big enough for my wallet, my point and shoot, my keys, phone and envirosac. It’s made life SO MUCH EASIER. No more rooting through a giant bag, or shoulder pain!
LikeLike
I am using credit card points to buy Xmas presents. I rack up enough points for, say, a $100 Amazon gift card, and then I try to buy all of my presents on Amazon for under $100. No hijacking the budget come holiday time, though it does make it harder to buy local. I wish my cc rewards program included a gift card to Etsy!
LikeLike
Since we live in Brooklyn and don’t own a car, my husband and I bought bikes so that we can get where we are going and also work out at the same time (those brooklyn hills are no joke on a bike– you feel the burn). We stick our two-year-old in bike seat and away we go!
LikeLike
I always have to have a ziploc baggie with a travel toothbrush, travel toothpaste, and tiny little box of floss. If I get stranded somewhere, I can sleep in my clothes no problem but I MUST be able to brush my teeth.
LikeLike
I’m using the internet for as much as possible. I use Google spreadsheets instead of excel because it means I can log on anywhere and update a list of spreadsheet and then I don’t have to carry notebooks or even a laptop. I can log on at any cafe computer or via my iPod touch (with music, games, etc also on it) and update my notes and lists!
LikeLike
Now that my boys are bigger (no diapers! or booster seat! or port-a-crib!) I always feel like I’m packing light. One duffle for all our clothes and their toys, movies, etc. can get up through a weekend with family!
LikeLike
I hated having to carry a diaper bag around. So I’ve narrowed it down to a package of antibacterial wet wipes. They are prefect for surfaces, hands, face, etc. At least until I can get home.
LikeLike
Doing more with less for me has most recently involved a reversion back to college days. When I go out, maybe for dinner with friends or a quick drink with my husband, I quick carrying everything. I don’t even carry a purse, just an ID and cash or a card. That’s more than enough, and most days the ID is even overkill.
LikeLike
When my husband and I relocated to San Francisco, we moved from a 2 bedroom house (granted it was a tiny 2 bedroom but still. . . ) to a studio! We are definitely learning to do more with less. . . we downsized our CD and DVD collections, donated books, clothes and kitchen items to the Goodwill, and poor Matthew had to downsize his beloved record collection! Now that we’re actually in “The City”, we eat at home more often and take epic urban walks on the weekends for fun and exercise. We’ve become healthier, happier and more connected with less!
LikeLike
It all started with the Great Purge of 2009….drastically paring down all the “stuff” in my house that didn’t serve a purpose or have a special place in my heart. It was like losing 50 pounds! Recently, my husband & are making do with what we have to spruce up our family room. Sure, do we want a big screen TV & a $2,500 sectional?! You bet…but right now we’re making do with an old TV & a futon. 🙂
LikeLike
Minimum that will fit in my gold clutch for a party: debit card, drivers license, key, lip gloss, cell phone, and camera.
LikeLike
I like to carry huge purses, which tends to lead to huge amounts of stuff, but I’ve been trying to cut back. The bare minimum to leave the house is a book, lip gloss, cell phone, sunglasses, and a pen. I like to be a person who has a pen.
LikeLike
More with less: Now TWO people, two cats and a dog living in 600 sq feet. Half the utilities, help on the mortgage.
Though, the improvements my “tenant” (he’s family) demands are *absurd.* Heat above 66F? ::scoff::
LikeLike
We got rid of our iphones to save money and do more with less, now we just use our old phones on the wireless and use pay as you go phones for calls, but this would be a much nicer way to save on our phone bill!
LikeLike
For day to day commuting I carry a book, wallet, sunglasses, cell phone and keys. Nothing more to weigh me down!
LikeLike
Good luggage is key! I have a carry-on size rolling suitcase with a built in garment bag. I can usually fit up to a weeks worth of clothes in the garment bag (carefully curated, obviously, haha) and then rest of the suitcase is free for shoes, electronics, books, souvenirs, whatever! After traveling with this bag for about 7 years, I just recently bought a matching small carry-on toe, where I stash my makeup and such so I can pull it out at security as needed. Both are by Briggs and Riley and both are ridiculously functional. And they last forever, which is what really makes it doing more with less: I’ve had the suitcase for over 10 years and it’s got decades left in it.
LikeLike
I find that I typically over pack when going on trips. So lately I have been trying to be really realistic about the amount of clothes that I will actually wear while I am gone. I may not have as many options to suit my ever changing mood about what to wear each day, but I find that that is much more convenient than lugging around a gigantor suitcase every time I leave my apartment to go on a trip of any kind.
LikeLike
I make steel cut Irish oatmeal on Sunday night, and reheat all week in the mornings- it means that I only spend one minute fixing a healthy breakfast, and makes the times I do buy a danish and coffee out more special.
{I have also never had to check a bag; I always pack a bag that fits even smaller than the carryon-size check box, and since I roll my clothes, I can pack for a week with one carryon!}
LikeLike
I used to travel a lot for work. For three-four days all you need are 2 blazers, 2 black shirts and two black bottoms (pants/skirts) and one pair of shoes that can be worn with pants/a skirt. Then mix up the bottoms/tops combos so that things look different. Since you are wearing most of this to travel, the bag only contains pjs, underwear, one blazer, top and bottom. I’d fit it all in a backpack with my laptop. Now I travel with kids, the bags of stuff are ridiculous. Strollers for transporting stuff through airports and slings for carrying kids (up to age 4) are absolutely essential.
LikeLike
My husband and I are working really hard to pay off debt so that we can move to the tropics and start our next great adventure. We don’t want to become hermits and miss out on all the fun though, so one of the ways we do more with less is by inviting friends over to have a shared cooking night once a week. Instead of going out to a restaurant, we make meals together for a fraction of the price and get to enjoy the cooking and the eating (and the tequila!) with friends. Looking forward to Fajita night this week. 🙂
LikeLike
Financially speaking, we’ve cut back on going out to dinner opting to stay home. Or grabbing a $20 bottle of wine and staying in on the weekend. I buy furnishings at vintage or thrift shops.
LikeLike
I got all my maternity clothes at the Goodwill. I really couldn’t stand spending $30 on a pair of jeans I’d only wear for a while, at Goodwill I’ve found nearly new jeans for $4.99-6.99, and when I’m done I’ll sell the whole lot on ebay and probably recoup what I paid 🙂
LikeLike
My husband makes a big batch of healthy bean soup and freezes it for lunch. It costs less than $5 to make and can feed us both for a couple of weeks.
LikeLike
I’m knitting only from stash yarn throught the end of the year. Surprising benefits is that my new hats already match my socks.
LikeLike
I moved to a smallish (200,000) town in Washington 2 years ago, where shopping is…limited. Because I can’t drive the 5 hours to Seattle every time I catch a whim for a new shirt, I have instead begun buying cheap accessories from the local mall. They give my old outfits whole new looks!
LikeLike
I take wedding pics part-time, and we do more with less by taking our own family pics. Saves a lot of money.
LikeLike
I am doing more meal planning which results in less time trying to decide what to do for dinner when it is 6pm and everyone is hungry! It is also helping spend less money because I am not making that “I just need two things” stop-offs at the market on my way home from work that always ends up turning into 20+ things!
LikeLike
2 months before i travel, i save all of the magazines i subscribe to and bring them for the trip – half in my carry on, half in my checked suitcase. That way, i can enjoy them and pass them on guilt-free!
LikeLike
I’ve gotten rid of a couple of beauty routines that weren’t doing me any favors (toxic nail polish routine…and um…waxing). It’s been so freeing and allowing me to ditch a lot of bathroom stuffs.
LikeLike
We’ve been stockpiling friends’ old baby clothes so that when our little one comes in February, we’ll hopefully not have to buy anything new!
LikeLike
We live in Southern CA and travel to PA/NJ for Thanksgiving… and then do it all over again for Christmas 3 weeks later. I can now pack me and the three kids in one 26″ suitcase. And I leave it back east and bring it home after Christmas instead of lugging it back and forth. Every little bit helps!
LikeLike
My smartphone is great…all of these things in one (small) place: calendar, phone book, music player, scrabble game, camera, video camera, computer/internet.
LikeLike
One book, I just can’t commit to more than reading one book at a time, otherwise it would be like cheating. Also, any airplane travel requires gummy coke bottles.
LikeLike
With the new baby the hubby and I are trying to eat out less and cook at home more.
LikeLike
I just got a full size freezer and have been stocking it during sales. Less trips to the grocery store!!
LikeLike
It doesn’t take much to entertain me on an airplane. My “personal item” usually contains a camera, cell phone, book or magazine, wallet, iPod and lip balm.
LikeLike
I bought a suitcase that meets carry-on requirements, and I pack it well (I’m an Army Brat so I know a thing or two about packing!). I make the most of it by only loading it up with these things:
1) a toiletries case I keep stocked at all times with all my daily use items.
2) a universal diffuser that fits any hairdryer.
3) a set of pjs that can double as work-out wear, two pairs of pants & 3 t-shirts that can be dressed up or down/layered, and one pair of ballet flats.
I wear tennis shoes on the plane and always, always carry a pashmina that can be a blanket or used to dress up an outfit.
LikeLike
When I travel, I make my laptop bag (which isn’t a real laptop bag) my “purse” – and put a small mini purse inside that I can use once I reach my destination. That way, I walk on the plane with one carry on, and not one carry on and a “personal item”.
LikeLike