Buy What You'll Use; Use What You Buy

I'm not one of those annoying one bag guys who believes that everything you own needs to fit in one bag. I'm worse. I think two bags and one box are the right thing. Two bags are ideal - one is a computer bag, backpack, day bag, whatever. The other is your carry-on, your actual carrier, the thing that holds all of your clothing. That way, you can actually have some variety, a range of outfits, and the option to not freeze in winter. Not freezing in the winter is highly underrated.

**There's also a huge bonus from not having only a bunch of stuff: you actually get to use the stuff you own. **

I have a thing for flip flops. That's what happens when you spend time in warm weather places. Or, if like me, mentally you're always in warm weather despite it snowing around you. But, flip flops are awful for running or walking around for a long time because they're often padded in just the wrong places. Or not at all. (Usually not at all.) It took me years to discover just how awful flip flops are as a regular daily go-to piece of footwear. That was because I always swapped out flip flops after I used them for their purpose. They were very specifically for the beach or very specifically for a disgusting shower that I definitely wasn't going to go barefoot in.

You've got to use your stuff to know if it's any good for its purpose. And yeah, flip flops are great for those limited purposes. But if I want something a little bit more comprehensive, I need something with a strap on the back.

(I don't have any product recommendations - that's not what this is about. This is more about me rambling and trying to discover the point I would like to make - that's often what good conversation is and all of my writings tend to be lightly edited versions of conversations or monologues.)

Buy what you'll use, use what you buy. If it doesn't work, get rid of it and figure out something else. That way, you don't accumulate stuff, and in doing so, your life is much lighter and happier. (Also you don't spend as much money.)