Your cart
There are no more items in your cart
If you’re guilty of carrying a overstuffed wallet, ready to explode then you should consider going through your wallet and stripping it down to its bare essentials. A giant wallet not only look kind of silly when you pull it out in public, but in the back pocket of your pants makes sitting down uncomfortable and your backside look like it’s growing an unsightly tumor. Carrying a heavy wallet in your coat pocket weighs you down on one side, making the jacket’s shoulders a little lopsided. So if you want to streamline your wallet, here are some suggested guidelines:
1) Get a smaller wallet
Our first and most important tip is simply get a smaller wallet. This forces you to ask what do you absolutely need and use everyday. Why are there so many receipts in my wallet? Should I really use my wallet as a photo album? Do I really need more than 10 credit and rewards cards?
2) Use a trash can
Even after you switch to a smaller wallet, throw out any type of trash that is bulking up your wallet, bits of paper that seem important but aren´t. These include: ATM receipts, movie stubs, restaurant receipts, past concert tickets, bus transfers, gum wrappers, etc.
3) Leave your photos at home
There are some things you don’t want to throw out. Like photos of your friends, relatives and pets. But is sitting on them in a warm wallet underneath your butt the best way to cherish them? Probably not. Instead, use your phone memory or even better use any of the millons of apps available to store them online.
4) Stop using your wallet as filling cabinet
Your wallet isn’t a photo album, and it shouldn’t be a filing cabinet either. Avoid using your wallet to permanently keep important notes like appointment reminders, revolutionary ideas, or the phone number of a hot date. Instead, enter this information in a smartphone. You can keep scanned copies of important cards and files on a secure cloud base service which you can access from anywhere. What about condoms ? Keeping condoms for long periods in your wallet only damages them. If you need to have some on hand, store them in your vehicle or put it in your secret trouser pocket
5) Review your wallet regularly
Don’t have a smartphone or notebook to capture vital notes? Store them in your wallet but only temporarily. When you get home, review your wallet and empty out everything except the most frequently used items. Process the rest into your trash can, calendar, address book, or filing cabinet. If you’re a GTD-addict, think of your wallet as an Inbox that must be reviewed everyday.
6) Stop using cash
You should also rid your wallet of paper bills. Cash clogs your wallet and if lost or stolen, is gone forever. Simply use your check or debit card all the time. It lets you track your purchases online and has the convenience of a credit card, but without the finance charges.
7) Use only 1 or 2 credit or debit cards
Without cash, the allure of collecting more credit cards is nearly irresistible. But no matter how many cards you spread it out on, debt is still debt. For a super slim wallet and a healthier budget, stick to one credit card or your debit card. For the other cards, cut them up and consolidate all the debt into your primary card or low interest loan. Cutting up many of your credit cards can be very liberating and your wallet and budget will thank you.
8) Consolidate your rewards cards
Reward cards proliferate in your wallet because it feels special to be a member of anything, from bookstores to supermarkets to unicycle shops. Many of them do offer useful savings, so I wouldn’t recommend throwing them all out. To ease your crowded wallet: Punch a hole in the corner of each of your rewards card and gather them together with a carabiner. Keep them at home near your front door and take only the ones you need when you leave.
9) Use only a few ID and business cards
A driver’s license/state identification card should be your default. You may need a second ID for your job or school, but try to stop there. No need to carry your international driver’s licenses or passport unless you’re in a foreign country. And even then I prefer to keep a photocopy and leave my original in a hotel safe or other secure area. Regarding to business cards, have them with you at all times even if you’re unemployed or at a social event. But you don’t usually need more than a few in your wallet, as the ones here are for random opportune moments. If you expect to be handing out more than 3, carry a business card case.
10) No coins
Unless you’re in a country where coin usage is a larger part of society for transportation, leave the coins at home or at your vehicle.