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 
Doing more with less means creating a tight budget and sticking to it, avoiding impulse buys, and saving for rainy days.
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Today I totally got my retail therapy fix at Goodwill. $10 for 2 pairs of great shoes (Merrell and Sofft!) – Done!
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Doing more with less means choosing which restaurant by what coupons we have.
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It’s nearing the end of my first quarter in grad school and … I’ve run out of ink. So while everyone makes their speech therapy supplies with their color printer, I’ve gone back to using crayons and markers. It’s a lot cheaper than buying a new cartridge, I guess.
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Naked Lady Clothing Swaps. Not only do I get to score some cool clothing, but I get the thrill of seeing my mistakes look great on someone else.
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I get more done by using the Microsoft Outlook junk filters to see less spam.
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I get my screen more organized with less hassle using Windows 7’s Snaps feature.
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I always pack too many books, so now my rule is “3 books max, each from a different genre.”
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We do more with less by periodically holding garage sales to help us de-clutter. We then use the proceeds to buy the whole family dinner at a nice restaurant!
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I’ve pared my wardrobe down to about 20 key pieces, and I’m slowly replacing them with nicer versions of themselves. Eventually, I’ll have an awesome (small) closet filled with nothing but things that I truly love!
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Doing more with less means keeping your cars as long as possible especially when they are paid off.
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I am going to go easier on myself and have lesser expectations. I don’t have to be so type-A, do everything to perfection. I can accept that sometimes done is good enough and use the extra time to really focus on the things that make me happy.
🙂
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It depends on where I am going to what I need. Phone/charger and computer are a must.
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One example of me doing more with less is carpooling with friends to school (when I don’t take the train). Being college students, we’ll save all the money we can and it’s so convenient that I have a group of friends that all live pretty close! It’s fun to see each other in the mornings, ha and eat breakfast on the go. It’d be so awesome to win!
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I just realize that I use my Chanel shadow duo for all the occasions. Day look, evening, and everything in between. How awesome is that? It truly is more for less. Plus every time I use it, I feel so fancy.
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Up until couple of months ago, I used to cut my own hair. Saved a TON of money and time. Although, it looked like crap. So as per the demands of my wife I am no longer doing that.
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When cooking, I try to use all parts of the ingredients. For instance I’ll roast beets for salad and then saute the beet greens for a side dish.
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Doing more for less means buying a gently used car that’s been cared for and maintaining it carefully for another ten years.
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This year my friends and I will be doing a tailgating party at Target starting at 9pm Thanksgiving night, so we can be one of the first in line for the Black Friday sales.
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id bring my instant comfort in a bag, my feetie pajamas i know ridiculous but they instantly calm and make me feel relaxed
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Happy Thanksgiving! During the holidays, when I’m camped out on so many deal sites, I make sure to keep an eye out for kid’s books and toys. This helps stretch my giving-to-charity budget so I can donate more to Toys for Tots, school libraries, etc. Amazon has a Flat Stanley boxed set for $7.50 now!
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Doing more with less means continuing to drive the awesome car from 1995, because it still runs quite well!
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We do more with less by making a list before we go out shopping and sticking to it.
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This might be a little too simple, but I do more with less by always having my laptop with me. Nowadays, since I’m in college, it seems like everything is being moved online, from turning essays in to math homework. It definitely helps me do more when I have free time and I have less stuff to carry around!
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More for less: Host a get together with your friends and have a clothes swap …exchange your don’t-likes and never-worns for things you can use. Everybody wins!
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We’ve just discovered the greatness of organic farming in our own backyard, I have to say potato soup is our favourite of the month. I found a website dedicated to just potato soup recipes, which is quite amazing when you think about it. There’s a website for anything and everything nowadays it appears!
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We do more with less (and spread the love) by extensively utilizing Freecycle – both giving and getting.
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We make homemade costumes whenever the occasion requires.
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I travel light in my daily life by going through a small area of my home on a regular basis and purging out what I no longer use or need. The longer you live the more stuff you accumulate. Being ruthless with yourself is the only way to keep from becoming a hoarder in the end. LOL
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I do more with less redundancy by syncing my files using Windows Live Mesh.
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doing more with less could mean budgeting and adhering to it. It allows us to save properly and spend wisely
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Having a sister in the airline industry, I’ve learned to pack everything I need in a carry-on. I love not checking luggage. It’s amazing what you can do with less. You just have to be smart!
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My husband will kill me for saying this, but he does more with less by owning only gray socks. Seriously. He bought 30 identical pairs of gray socks. Whenever one gets a hole in it, he still has umpteen zillion other matches for it, so he doesn’t have to chuck the whole pair. And yes, he is that cheap. (Which is why I’d like to win a new phone and not buy one!)
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Hey zi kqavg94a, very interesting post, it really got me thinking. Thank you. 4eyrv m5vls
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This year, instead of buying a new ornament or two, I’m making them out of felt. I’ve sewn a snowflake, a fox, a drum, an owl, a star, a lightning bolt, a mustache, and a robot so far!
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My grandmother taught me to “save steps”. During chore time around the house, always have something with you to be returned or replaced as you move from area to area and room to room.
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Haha, I guess somewhere along my journey in raising my 6 kids, my list of necessities got a lot shorter than it used to be! Let’s see….
Purse: cell, paper, pen/pencil, cherry chapstick, tampon (just in case lol)
Travel: all of the above+ camera, laptop
In my bag, house, life, I’m always looking for things to get RID of. Makes life so much easier and peaceful =D Plus it feels great to pass things on to others.
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i do more with less by planning ahead of time
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One example of me doing more with less is simply turning off and unplugging electronics and appliances. Sometimes people forget and it adds up to the costs. As time goes by, spending a few little seconds on turning appliances off can really make a difference and save more money, more money to spend on stuff I want! I only turn things on when I need to!
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Social networks have made my life a lot easier! Now I no longer have to call every one of my friends when I have a party, now I just post the event on Facebook and all my friends know about it!
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a nail file. i have used it to open doors, letters, file my nails obviously and many other things. extremely useful
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Doing more with less sometimes means reusing grocery bags, or buying the recyclable types and using those. Saves the environment and saves the grocery stores money, which in turn saves you money.
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Using the library! Talk about free! More with less!
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We do more with less by taking family vacations during the off-season.
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I recently chopped off 8 inches of hair, all the way up to my jawline. It’s SO much quicker and easier to do my hair now, which leaves more time and patience for all the other million things every morning. Plus, it means I can’t just toss my hair up in a ponytail every single day.
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It’s much easier being a guy. I bring my phone, keys, wallet, chapstick, and my zune. I just shaved my head so that saves me time and money. No more trips to the barber shop.
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One way we do more with less is with leftovers. Especially during Thanksgiving time. An example would be using ham for lunch sandwiches and using the leftover turkey for quesadillas or my favorite turkey and tortilla soup!
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i do more with less by trying to stay as organized as i possibly can
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Doing more for less means delegating more responsibilities to the kids so my time can be used more productively.
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How to do more with less? I have in my own house a soda vending machine, when I feel like drinking one, I buy one. At the end of certain period of time, I open the vending machine to recollect my profit!!!
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