Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Buy Duplicates, published by Simon Berens on February 15, 2023 on LessWrong.

Gum

Sometimes I need to ensure the quality of my breath, so I reach for a stick of gum. However, I don't always have my gum on me. Often, I forget it at home, or at work, or in a jacket.

So I bought 5 packs of gum that I distributed to my house, my work, my backpack, and my jacket.

Charger

I like to co-work outside my house, which entails bringing my computer there. Unfortunately, my computer's battery lasts at most 2 hours. Also, my home setup is somewhat intricate, so getting my charger into my backpack is a pain in the ass.

So I bought another charger, and put it in my backpack.

Conclusion

I had an ugh field around buying duplicate items, telling myself I should have the willpower or memory to make sure I have what I need when I need it. Giving myself permission to buy duplicate items has made life a little easier, and now I'm on the lookout for more places where I can apply this. Maybe I'll have multiple copies of a book in different places.

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