My Marmot Pulsar 1P footprint is useful because when it's raining when I arrive on site it means I can erect the outer tent first and the inner second which then stays dry for me to get into. Mind you, my footprint is not essential, I can carry out the same procedure with two looped bit of string as well, strung between the pole ends. The poles just need tension on them to stay upright whilst I put the outer tent up.
There are some problems I can't solve unless I go on a spending spree, which I'm not about to. These are the weight of my rucksack, boots, tent items, the weight of my mattress, sleeping quilt, pillow and say 2L of water. They are a constant, its all the other stuff I carry which I can play around with, clothing, gadgetry, food, etc which can make the difference between carrying a heavy bag or a lighter one. My rule of thumb is to never carry more than two items of the same thing, baselayers, socks, underwear and so on. I don't cook en route so for me, that's a weight saving even before I walk out of the door.