I can work while traveling because my entire office fits into my backpack. (At Taichung Train Station)
Right now, my entire home office fits in my backpack. Here’s my set-up broken down by category:
Furniture
I don’t own any. When I stay in a furnished apartment, I’ll use chairs and tables. Otherwise, I just sit on the floor, lean against the wall, and prop my laptop on an old cardboard box. I use ambient lighting when practical.
Electronics
My electronics are not cutting edge. My Kodak Easy-Share camera is almost a decade old, and I’m using a pre-owned 2006 Macbook. I also carry a headset, a mouse, and an ethernet cable. As for cell-phones/smartphones, I’m currently not using any. In total, my electronics are worth around $500.
Phone System
I don’t have a single landline or cell phone subscription: my telephone is completely online. I signed up with Skype for an online number, which includes unlimited calls in the USA, for $60/year. My laptop has a built-in web-cam that I use for videoconferencing, and with my headset, calls are fairly clear. An alternative, Ekiga, works well with open-source.
Fax
I personally haven’t had the need yet, but I may use Fax1 or MyFax. I haven’t tested FaxZero yet, but it claims to offer free faxes with ads.
Sending mail online is extremely simple. snailmailr, snailmailme, and 1hrmail will print your letter–including color photos–on recycled paper and mail it for a $1-$3. I haven’t tested any yet, but I’m quite impressed.
Receiving mail digitally is much more expensive. Earthclassmail seems to be the most popular service. Besides scanning your letters for online viewing, they also send letters, deposit checks, and forward mail. I probably need to get this soon; my mail is currently just piling up at my old PO Box.
Books
I’m a web developer, so I read a lot of tech books. O’Reilly, Informit, Apress, PragProg, and PeachPit sell DRM-free PDF e-books. By searching around, I can often find free tech e-books licensed under Creative Commons or the GNU FDL. I hate DRM, so I avoid Amazon Kindle/Adobe Digital Editions. If I can’t find a DRM-free e-book, I search the local library.
Documents
I try to minimize the documents I receive. I don’t have auto insurance, magazine subscriptions, or cable, and I receive my bank and loan statements in digital format. Besides saving paper, it save space and headache.
I recycle as much as possible to avoid wasting storage space. I rarely scan documents. So far, I’ve been able to cram everything inside a thin folder.
Printing/Scanning/Photocopying
For those rare moments when I need a scanner, printer, or photocopier, I just borrow one. I usually print at the library ($0.10/page) to avoid the high prices at FedEx Kinko’s. I also try not to scan anything I’m sure I’ll never use again. After all, minimalism is also about removing digital clutter.
Productivity Supplies
I digitized my to-do list, memos, calendar, and address book. For my online whiteboard, I use Twiddla and Dabbleboard. Twiddla is more intuitive, but Dabbleboard includes videoconferencing. I’m using Google Docs for document collaboration, and Google Calendar for my to-do list. Basecamp is a popular alternative for simple project management. I experimented with Zoho last year, but the experience felt unpolished.
My home office is tailored to my needs, not yours. Go and discover the type of Greenimalist office that fits your lifestyle. Maybe your office won’t fit inside a backpack, but I hope I’ve inspired you to get more done with less.
Do you have a method that works better?
Awesome post once again. If you want to save money on a phone line I would suggest google voice. Sign up for a google account, if you don’t already have one, and get your free number. You can talk, text directly from your computer.
$60 bucks a year isn’t bad, but free is better :)
I checked out Google Voice last year, but at the time, I thought Google Voice worked in conjunction with existing phones, but couldn’t totally replace landlines/cell phones. I don’t own any phones now, besides my laptop. The problem was that I couldn’t receive phone calls with my own unique online phone number. Has that changed?
Right now, I don’t want a cell phone or a landline phone. I move about once a year, which makes landline phone service a hassle to change and maintain. On the other hand, cell phones are extremely mobile but their plans are very expensive. A family mobile plan can cost $60/mo., or $720/yr. Even with a pre-paid phone plan, I was spending $300+/yr on mobile calls between Hsinya and I.
If I could get a free online phone number, plus keep my existing number with Skype, I’m definitely making the switch.
Hi,
first of all let me compliment your practicality and ‘greenimalism’ as a skill we all should develop these better in order to protect what’s scarce in our Solar system. Meaning life. You truly are an inspiration. I do understand with each single category why you do what you do and what’s your aim. It’s just a small thing I’d like to ask you out of pure curiosity. Hope you won’t mind. Why do you have that cloth around your face?
Regards Juraj