The great thing about the Ridge Wallet is that it allows you to cut back on the extra weight, stick to the basics, and live a more minimalistic lifestyle—carrying only what you need, and not what you don’t. However, once you have the Ridge Wallet in your pocket, and you’ve tossed aside the unnecessary bulky leather wallets of the past, the philosophy of ditching the clutter doesn’t have to end there.
One of the ways in which our lives are most cluttered is evident in the technology we carry with us on a daily basis. Gone are the days where bulky desktop computers were the name of the game: these days, smartphones are with us everywhere we go, constantly plugging us in to the digital world.
But when we go to work, a night on the town, or to a business meeting, how many tech devices do we really need? Just as we want to help you streamline your wallet, let’s try to streamline your accessories.
Should you carry your smartphone with you, everywhere you go? Well, probably. The upside to having a smartphone in your pocket is that it minimizes the need to carry other types of technology with you, since the smartphone will do it all. Emails? Check. Calculator? Check. Apps? Check. Calls? Check. It’s all covered, and it barely fills your pocket, sliding in nicely beside your Ridge.
However, there are those who prefer some level of disconnect from the digital world, or maybe just prefer flip phones. If you are ditching your smartphone, it’s advisable to have a tablet or smartwatch packed away, just in case you do need to check your inbox. However, if you’re sticking with the smartphone, you really don’t need much else. Remember, the less you’re carrying, the less cluttered your life will feel.
Whether you need to carry a tablet or not really varies according to the individual. For some, a tablet is vastly preferable to a smart phone: they might prefer the bigger screen, whether for watching movies, making Skype calls, or what have you. On the other hand, if you’re someone who is comfortable using a smartphone for all of these activities, it’s probably better to keep your tablet at home.
Basically, look at it from this angle: is there anything you prefer doing on your tablet, compared to your phone? And if so, will you be doing that? If not, leave the tablet behind.
Sure, it’s small. Light. Barely takes up any space in your pocket. But why do you need it?
Bluetooth earpieces are great for people who need to talk on the phone, but also need to keep their hands free for activities like driving. However, there’s not too much that a Bluetooth does that the “speaker” function on your phone can’t already do. If you feel like bringing it around with you, make sure that the benefits are worth the extra load (small as it might seem).
Once again, the reasons you might want (or not want) to carry a laptop with you are conditional, depending on what your situation is. If you’re a telecommuter, and you want to get some work done while sitting in the local coffee shop, then having your laptop on you is probably a good idea. If you’re flying out somewhere for the weekend, then the laptop would be good for that, too.
On the other hand, if you’re going to get drinks with a coworker, why carry that heavy laptop with you, and risk losing it? When deciding whether to bring your laptop somewhere or not, always remember to ask yourself if you’re actually going to use it.
Oddly enough, smartwatches have become something of a “love it or hate it” item. Some find them totally expendable and useless, while others swear by them. The decision to carry them on your wrist will vary depending on your feelings about the matter.
For some, they prefer using a smartwatch to a smartphone: it doesn’t take up pocket space, stays on your wrist, and can do everything from sending texts to taking your pulse. If you’re a smartwatch fan, then by all means, wear it to your heart’s content. However, do yourself a favor, and don’t carry your phone in your pocket at the same time: pick one, and leave the other, because there’s no real reason to carry both everywhere.
On the other hand, if you don’t like smartwatches, don’t bother carrying it: stick with the technology you do prefer, whether that’s your tablet, your phone, or what have you.
