Get Rid Of Your Overstuffed Wallet Once and For All

Reality check time.

How much stuff is in your wallet, right now?

Is it bulging at the seams? Do you even know what is in there?

Make today the day you empty out that overstuffed wallet once and for all.

What’s in Your Wallet (Or Purse)?

Recently, I got back from business trip and noticed that my wallet was a little heavier than it should be.

In fact, I was having trouble fitting it in my pocket.

When we are on the go, we tend to cram all kinds of things into our wallets and purses.

Don’t let yours become a mobile pile of disorganization.

I was guilty of stuffing all kind of things in there from hotel keys, to receipts, to business cards.

I even had a small power cord adapter that I put in there to keep it from getting lost. (Really?)

What’s in your wallet that shouldn’t be?

Time to Clean Out That Wallet

Take a look at your own wallet right now.

Is it lean and mean?

Or do you need to take a couple of minutes to whip it back into shape?

Here Are 7 Ways to Clean Up Your Overstuffed Wallet Once and For All:

  1. Carry Less Cash- I am always surprised when I see someone carrying a large amount of cash in their wallets. In this age, there really is no reason to do that. I would estimate that 95% of my purchases are electronic. (Heck, I wanted to pay at the DMV with PayPal.)
  2. Carry Fewer Credit Cards – The same principle can be applied to the cards in your wallet. There just isn’t reason to carry a bunch. I limit myself to 2 credit cards.
  3. Toss Those Receipts - Receipts clog up many people’s wallets. Instead of crunching them in you wallet, record them immediately. With apps like Evernote, Scanner Pro, and more, you can quickly capture electronic versions of your receipts. Then simply discard the paper scraps.
  4. Don’t File Things In Your Wallet – Just as with the receipts, don’t file other papers or documents in your wallet or purse. Again, scan or take a picture of them with your phone.
  5. Ditch Those Membership Cards – You don’t need to carry all those miscellaneous membership cards anymore. Even business cards are passé in most situations. From insurance cards to local club memberships, take a picture of the card and store it in Dropbox or Evernote.
  6. Carry a Thinner Wallet – It’s hard to put things in your wallet (or purse) if they don’t fit. Minimize what you carry by getting a smaller wallet. There are lots of great slim wallets that limit you to only a few items.
  7. There’s an App for That – Chances are there is an app to replace many of the items in your wallet. Starbucks has a great app for your loyalty account with them. Apple’s Passbook is coming very soon and promises to replace even more of the cards you carry.

Lighten Your Wallet

Think twice before you go stuffing things in your wallet today.

Take a few moments to lighten what you are carrying in yours.

At some point our phones will replace our wallets.

Until then, we can keep whittling down what we carry in them.

Question: What’s in your wallet that doesn’t need to be?

Posted on
Categories: Organization, Time Management
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Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.

  • http://www.themakegoodchoicesproject.org/ Michael Hawkins

    Wow, what a timely post. (You’re good at that!)

    My wallet is overflowing with credit cards, debit cards, receipts and other crap. I don’t carry cash, so that’s not the issue: it’s the cards and paper scraps that are cluttering things up. [I don't have a power cord adapter in there.]

    My wife is constantly telling me that I need a new wallet. (Has she been talking with you?)

    All kidding aside, I need to weed out my overstuffed wallet and get things under control. I’m sure there are several pieces of plastic that could be left at home in a safe place.

    Have a great weekend!

    • http://www.timemanagementninja.com/ Craig Jarrow

      Thanks, Michael.

      I would try taking several of those plastic cards out of your wallet… and then see which you miss. :)

  • http://www.markcancellieri.com/ Mark Cancellieri

    My wallet is super-thin. I bought an All-Ett wallet (“The World’s Thinnest Wallet”). The only cards I keep in there are my driver’s license, one credit card, and my Visa Checkcard. I made photocopies of my health insurance card, my dental insurance card, and my AAA card because photocopies are much thinner. Besides cash, that’s it. I also carry less cash now because I try to use my credit card whenever possible (points!). The only downside is that my wallet is so thin that I’m often checking my pocket to see if I have my wallet with me!

    • http://www.timemanagementninja.com/ Craig Jarrow

      LOL… that is an unfortunate benefit. (That it is so thin you are always double checking…)

      I have seen the All-Ett, but have not tried one myself. May have to try one. :)

      • http://twitter.com/Zen_Ken Ken Britz

        Craig,
        Definitely check one out. I’ve had the same all-ett since 2005 and it’s just now starting to really wear. The corners have worn naturally, and the rip stop fabric has kept it to typical card corner wear, but now the threading is just coming apart. It’s probably the longest I’ve had a wallet and it’s been a good purchase. I recommend the nylon – it’s thin – don’t bother with the leather. I think I’ll try out the sport all-ett since it’s half the size of my current all-ett and I’ve gotten down to even fewer cards than before.

  • EkstromChris

    Sure, limit the wallet to max 5 cards and a money clip. But don’t skip the cash! You should always carry enough cash to be able to function at those times to credit card reader is out of function…

    • http://www.timemanagementninja.com/ Craig Jarrow

      Great point. I am not saying to forego cash altogether…

      But, I use cards for the majority of my transactions. :)

  • http://twitter.com/SteveSmith1969 Steve Smith

    Since I’ve been a Dave Ramsey fan, I only carry one card, a debit card, plus my business credit card; but don’t discount the value of the cash system to help keep you spending within your budget.

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  • http://twitter.com/mstibbe Matthew Stibbe

    Taking photos of rarely-used cards that you might have to show someone and then putting them in your iPhone or whatever is a genius idea. Thanks.

    • http://www.timemanagementninja.com/ Craig Jarrow

      Glad you liked it.

      As an added tip, store them in Dropbox or Evernote… so that you can access them from any of your devices. :)

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