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In learning to lighten my pack, I've also learned to better manage my finances. That might sound like a strange statement to make - generally speaking, lowering your base pack weight is associated with buying lighter gear. What I've learned, though, is to do more with less, and to buy only those things that will make a real difference to my base weight, or in terms of practical use. I've learned to do more research before making purchases. I've learned that sometimes the best approach is to make something yourself - and yet, sometimes it makes more sense to pay someone else for their products. Sometimes it makes the most sense to make a sizable investment, and sometimes making that investment means saving up some money, and not having the immediate gratification we seem to enjoy so much.

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