I recently came across a cool website, Everyday Carry. Everyday carry is all the things you have either in your pockets, briefcase or bag. I decided to submit my everyday carry as what my vision of a Lifestyle Accountant would have (see my submission here). The whole concept of Lifestyle Accountant is that as an accountant, you don't need to be tied down to any one location or an office. Gone are the days of accountants sitting in a backroom office crunching numbers all day. No, accountants can provide way more value than that with their knowledge and skills while actually enjoying their lifestyle.
In less than a month, I will be embarking on the next leg of my journey as an accountant. I will be ditching my 9 to 5 corporate accounting job to become a globetrotting CPA running an online business. With beautiful accounting software such as Xero, it is possible to work from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.
Here are the essential items in my everyday carry as a Lifestyle Accountant:
- This water bottle is great at keeping liquid cold for 24 hours and hot for 12. It's BPA-free and doesn't condensate but does have a wider mouth for ice cubes and drip-free sipping. Another great feature: it can hold a full bottle of wine. This can come in handy for a picnic or busy season at work. Not that "I" would be drinking and working because that would be wrong.
Apple® - MacBook Air® - 11.6" Display
- I've had my laptop for just over 2 years now and have previously had 2 more Apple laptops and I'm extremely pleased with the performance and the fact that it's super lightweight. I'm an Apple convert from PC, and I don't see any chance I'll be going back. I am also able to run Windows on my laptop using VMWare Fusion.
Ray-Ban® New Wayfarer® Sunglasses
- They are my favorite sunglasses and offer timeless style and function. It was hard to find sunglasses to fit my face and look weird so these are one of the few pairs that I think look good on me. Let's say if I want to work outside near a beach, these will work just fine.
- Need I say much about the iPhone? You are either an Apple fan or not. I love the Apple ecosystem and along with my MacBook Air, my iPhone is fully integrated. It's hard to imagine life without a smartphone as it just makes everything so much easier.
Xero Field Notepad
- As much as I like being paperless, I still find it helpful to have a physical notepad to write down ideas and quick bursts of inspirations. I got this handy dandy field notepad courtesy of Xero since I am a Xero Partner. If you don't know about Xero by now, you may soon as they are the up an coming cloud accounting software company. I only recommend small businesses to use Xero and their over 300 add-on partner software products.
Lounge Club Airport Lounge Access
- This was one of the perks of signing up for the Chase Ink Bold Credit Card, but that feature is going away soon. It allows me and a guest free airport lounge access to over 350 airport VIP lounges around the world for the first time and then $27 per guest after that. I've only ever been in an airport lounge once, (Alaska Airlines Lounge in Seattle, WA) and it was the perfect way to spend a few hours with free food, drinks, wi-fi, and comfy chairs.
- Why own a car when you can rent one only when you need it? It's not just any rental either. After you sign up you can get access to any Zipcar in their network throughout the US and in select international locations. I've used Zipcar a couple times before when I didn't have a car. I'm a huge fan of Uber but sometimes, you may need a car for several hours or even a full day.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
- This is hands down my favorite credit card on the market. I've referred this card to friends, family and colleagues as this is THE card to get if you want a sweet credit card sign up bonus and use for international travel since there are no foreign transaction fees. Here's the feature rundown on this card:
- Earn 40,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over a $500 value.
- Earn 5,000 bonus points after you add the first authorized user and make a purchase in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Earn 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants. 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Pay no foreign transaction fees when you use your card on purchases made outside the United States.
- Always get 20% off travel when you redeem for airfare, hotel stays, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, a $500 flight requires just 40,000 points. That's a $100 savings.
- $0 Intro Annual Fee for the first year, after that $95.
- If you want to travel internationally, then you're going to need a passport. One of my favorite activities is traveling internationally and it's fun to collect stamps from new countries. This year, after sell my house and quit my job, I plan on hitting many international destinations.
- I like having fresh breath and especially if I'm meeting with a friend or prospective client. As an accountant, I go through periods where I'm sitting in front of a computer for long periods of time without drinking water or even talking. All that time with your mouth closed can equal not so fresh breath. Pop one of these bad boys in and you are minty fresh!
Pinch Provisions® Men's Minimergency Kit
- This little kit includes all those small things you wouldn't ordinarily be carrying around but can be helpful a in a pinch: a safety pin, nail clipper, breath freshener, pain reliever, mending kit, adhesive bandage, stain remover, hand-cleansing towelette, extra buttons, dental floss, shoe-shine towelette, deodorant towelette, lip balm.
Sani-Pen Instant Hand Sanitizer
- I'm no germaphobe but I do like to treat my hands to a nice spray of hand sanitizer every once in a while. When working on a computer all day or touching bathroom doorkno, your keyboard can hold a lot of crap.
Kenneth Cole Reaction Mens Richmond Flip Wilson Wallet
- Simple wallet that holds 7+ cards, ID, and some cash. The flip up Driver's License window to easy show someone upon request.
Staples® OptiFlow™ Rollerball Pen
- How frustrating is it when you are writing with a pen that you can't see the ink level and you end up shaking it trying to get every last drop of ink out? This pen has easy-flowing ink and offers extra-smooth writing. You can easily see where the ink level is and toss when done.
Paper Mate® Sharpwriter Mechanical Pencils .7mm, Yellow Barrel
- I don't often write in pencil but when I do I like to use this type. I don't have time to fidget with a wood pencil and a sharpener. With this mechanical pencil all you need to do is twist the tip to get more lead.
- Ok, this was kind of a fun one to add in here. There's not a day that goes by that I don't use Q-tips in my ears. It feels good (I don't care how bad people say it is) and is great for cleaning as well. I can't say how many times I've been in the office at work and wish I had one because I had an ear itch that I couldn't scratch. There are of course many more uses for Q-tips and their website has some "tips" here.
The Bottom Line
The key with this everyday carry is to have a minimal amount of things to have to carry around with me all made possible with the ability to have an "office" anywhere. Notice, there's no typical office items like tape dispenser, stapler, printer, paperweights, etc. My plan is to run an online, paperless business so I have flexibility where I work since it will all be in the cloud. Since I don't want to be tied down with many things, it makes it easier to have a mobile office so I can go about my work and travel with a bag full of all things I need and nothing I don't.
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