Do you (try to) use a wallet?

[Anonymous]

I’ve developed a new bad habit with my wallet. I used to stuff receipts in the main pocket and it would be a mess but now I have a habit of just closing it up with the receipt right in the middle. It’s a trifold so I can stuff plenty of them in there and at the end of the day i have a huge wad of them that I leave on the desk with the good intentions of sorting them later. Now i just have little piles of receipts laying everywhere.

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[Anonymous]

I use a wallet but i keep losing them so i have to change all my cards and get a new one after a few months but then they usually turn up so i have to shred all the cards i get back because they are not usable anymore. I have two driver’s licenses because i had to replace one because i lost my wallet so when the wallet turned up i just kept the license because it was technically still valid so i keep one in the car at all times as a spare just in case

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[laddybug3]

Yes, I do use a wallet. Many times when I get change back I just put it in my purse.

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[Anonymous]

Interesting. A long time ago I used to be just like this. Lost my keys so many times, and my wallet, and everything else one is supposed to keep with one when leaving home. The keys thing was so bad when I was still in high school I OFTEN got into the house at the end of the day (my parents always worked late), I would get in by opening a basement window by sticking my arm through the make-shift pet door my dad and I made.

I’m totally OBSESSIVE about my wallet, keys, coffee mug, gloves, and whatnot I need to have with me whenever I go out. It’s a rather short list of things that are ALWAYS in there place, and ALWAYS organized. It has to be a short list, because I can’t handle any more than that, but I totally FREAK if the things on the list can’t be found.

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[Patte Rosebank]

Wallets and purses are very strange things. For some bizarre reason, no matter how big the purse or wallet, the amount of stuff you put in it will always expand until the purse/wallet is filled to capacity. The Theory of Relativity is nothing compared to the Theory of Matter Expansion in Personal Accessories.

For me, the only solution has been to get one of those very small organizer wallets (as seen on TV) and one of those small organizer shoulder bags (ditto). The wallet is so small that it only holds my cash & tokens in one zippered side, and just the most essential cards in the other zippered side—no room for anything else. The purse is so small that it only holds stuff I REALLY need to be carrying. Though, curiously, I’ve found that, most of the time, I don’t even use the purse. I just stuff my wallet, cellphone, keys, pen, and lipstick into my coat pockets (which are quite deep and snug, so nothing can be removed without having to tug on it a bit), and off I go.

Since I’m not using a purse, I just leave all these necessities in my coat pockets, so I never have to hunt for them when it’s time to go anywhere.

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[Anonymous]

I used to be pretty bad about putting cash, cards etc. in my pants pocket instead of a wallet or purse. One night I went out with my girls wearing jeans that were a little snug, and when I sat down my ID snapped in half! Not to mention all the times I’ve ordered a replacement for a lost ATM card only to find the old one in the hamper or washing machine the next day, or in my coat pocket the following winter. So putting stuff like that in my pockets has gotten old.

Now I carry a good-sized purse with lots of little compartments to organize differently-sized stuff. There’s a big zip pocket in the middle which is great for hiding personal stuff. (My old purse was open-topped and my son was always reaching in and throwing my feminine products across the room, especially in public. Gotta love toddlers!) Inside I have a brightly-colored wallet that’s easy to spot while rummaging through all the unnecessary crap I haul around. The wallet is long enough that I don’t have to fold receipts and bills (not that I carry much cash these days), there are enough pockets for my cards and it snaps shut securely so important things don’t fall out. Best part, it only cost about $5. Love it!

My keychain has lots of little cards and a flashlight on there so it’s not going in my pocket. It’s always either in my purse, looped around my wrist or hanging on its hook in the kitchen. The only essential thing I ever put in my pocket is my cell phone, because if I feel it next to my hip while I’m driving or walking I know I have it. And if I misplace it I can call it from the landline.

Also I’ve learned not to leave stores and other places of business in too big of a hurry. Before I walk out I make sure my money and cards are put away and my keys are in my hand. Otherwise I drop my card or cash on the floor, or I’m standing next to my car frantically trying to find the keys in the heat, cold, rain, snow, dark etc.

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[billd]

anyone notice how many of us here have cats, refer to cats, use cat references in our screen names, have cats or cat images in our avatars.

I’m pretty certain Yawnie, my fat hyper-emotional cat is AD/HD. He does’t carry a wallet.

I have to keep things like my cell phone, keys, etc. always in the same place all the time. I can tell my phone and wallet are in place because it’s a weird feeling when they aren’t there. Phone on my left side and I know it’s there as my left arm touches it now and then. So I guess in a way, without thinking, I’ve developed habits that help me keep track of some things I use constantly or daily. Now if I could apply that further…….

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[nellie]

I’ve always used a wallet and a purse and of course both tend to become quite a mess bulging with receipts and what-not.

One of my most embarrassing moments was at the bank after trying to use my bank card at the machine and getting a notice on the screen to see a teller. I found out my card had been cloned and the guy asked me when my last purchase was. Of course I had absolutely no idea so opened up my wallet in front of the guy to look through the receipts, I must say the fellow kept quite a straight face as my wallet practically exploded with paper the way clowns come out of a Volkswagon. He patiently waited as I went through everything ( I even exclaimed ‘oh I was looking for this’ a few times!) But I was quite embarrassed to appear so disorganized and decided I had to find another system.

For the past couple of years I’ve tried a new tack which works well enough – and that’s all we really need isn’t it – to be well enough organized to get by?

Strategey #1 – Ziplock for Receipts keeps wallet from becoming overstuffed

I keep a sandwich size ziplock baggie in my purse and stuff the receipts in there. I label the bag with the month & year. Then when the month is over I put it into a cardboard shoe box labeled for the year. I also cut a slot in to the top of the box so I can throw random receipts in there as well. Sometimes I’ll get a receipt too big to fit in the baggie so I just put it in my purse until I remember to throw it into the box.The slot keeps me from having to open the top – we all know how boring that can be This is a safety feature so that I don’t just throw the paper on top of the box instead of in to it!

Strategey #2 – Less really is Less

I limit what I keep in my wallet to only the debit,credit and misc cards I truly need and use a wallet that has three sections of card slots. I assign each card a particular spot and try not to double up. This way I always know what’s missing. I also put my debit and credit cards into one section, another section is for discount, membership or gift cards and the third section is for insurance and health card. I generally refuse store discount and membership cards unless I shop there very very regularly. The savings points are way to much of a pain to keep track of and I usually forget I even have it anyway and it only clutters up my wallet.

A few other strategies

I also have a large travel wallet that I keep in my purse. It’s meant for passports and foreign currency and is somewhat larger that a wallet but has tabbed sections that look sort of like one of those multi-section file folders. I keep this for prescriptions or other papers that I will need again soon like for example a receipt that I might need to return an item or a cheque I need to deposit.

When traveling, instead of bringing along my usual wallet, I take out only what I really need – debit, credit card, driver’s license, health card, maybe CAA card if travelling in North America. I put them into my passport cover ( one of those with a fancy leather ones) which has card slots on the inside. This way all my vital stuff is one place and easier to keep track of . While I have used a small wallet for cash in the past, my last trip I put all the cash into a snack size zip lock baggie. It’s easy to tuck everything into a slim purse pocket this way.

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[Anonymous]

Awesome Nellie…

I too have the zip-loc strategy. Except I don’t carry it with me. I have it in the kitchen drawer, below the spot on the counter where I used to keep the PILE of receipts. I mark it with the date it is started and then add the date it is full… yes, just a month to month would be prefect, I’m on my way there. And I haven’t got to the shoebox yet, I still have baggies strewn around, but that is the next step. I empty my wallet, pockets, purse into this bag once a day on a good week, once a week on a bad one. But, it’s getting done.

As far as a wallet goes I carry a card holder only. It’s a pretty little leather card holder my sis brought from Denmark so can’t tell you where to get one, suffice to say they have great design over there. Three slots on either side with one windowed slot for my license. If I’m lucky I stuff a bill of some sort into one of them.

In my purse, I’ve recently bought a purse pocket organizer thingy from Coconut Creek (Canada). I can easity just pull this out and transfer it to a different bag, backpack, purse whenever I need to… awesome! And with my little credit card holder, I can either keep it in the assigned pocket in this organizer or I can go bag free and pocket it. Loving this.

Another thing I’ve done in the past that helped was having a receipt jar at the door… similar to a key bowl that has kept me from losing my keys for years. I have used a pretty pottery kleenex box cover on a small tray. It is nice enough to leave out and hides the pile of receipts. But, the baggies are best for jumping ahead and having them organized all in one step.

I still occasionally leave out my debit card… in my pocket, car console, by the computer… but overall, it’s much better than it was.

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[Anonymous]

I put everything in my wallet and it ends up being the size of a filing cabinet. Then after a long time I try to organize it and after 15 seconds I just through everything out. My wife has everything that she is interested in in folders and she can usually find what she is looking for pretty fast. Organized people suck lol just kidding.

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[shutterbug55]

Yes I use a wallet. I have one credit card, my Drivers License, and 20-30 in cash. I don’t carry insurance cards, library cards, or anything like that. In my case less is best.

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[presto]

I use a wallet, but I have to keep it in a “Man purse”. The man purse has saved me somewhat . The wallet used to hold cash but now I keep the cash on a money clip in my pocket. The wallet hold Credit cards and all the store discount cards that I ALWAYS forget to use. plus it holds every receipt i get for forever! I am self-employed so I have a very hard time throwing away any receipt I feel an irresistible urge to keep it even if it has absolutely nothing to do with my business! OK so all my receipts and credit cards are in my wallet that is in my man purse so what do I keep in the purse beside my wallet? Well you name it and I will bet it is in there I have candy that I never eat but might one day the packets of crackers that come with a salad, well I don’t eat crackers but I keep them in my man purse. I have at least 2 pocket knives (I keep an additional 3 pocket knives in my pants pockets at all times. No I am not on a search and rescue team, nor do i live in a ruff neighborhood – I do collect knives and guess I feel the need to carry part of my collection at all times.) I have several calculators in there now the multiple calculators I can explain I have a form of Dyslexia that makes it nearly imposable for me to do anything with numbers, I need a working calculator any time I am forced to talk numbers. I have business cards in there, reading glasses ( I do not need reading glasses), I have 2 MP3 players, paper napkins, wet wipes, trash, pens, pencils, note pads, often a GPS, some times a gun (again i do not live in a ruff area and I am not a cop. I have never been attacked, I do have a permit that allows me to legally carry the gun) well that covers the high lights of what is in there the contents is constantly changing so you never know at any given moment what might be in there…… And I still stuff my pockets

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[BAM123]

I use a simplr staimless steal money clip cash on one side and holds about 7 credit card size cards on one side – fits in my front pocket works great

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[Carrie]

Hahahaha Presto! I LOVE YOUR MAN PURSE! YOUR MURSE! Thats the kind of stuff I would have in mine too. My little adventure bag!

I dont have a wallet. I keep my drivers license and bank card in my right hand pocket on my jacket and thats it. If they are not there they are lost. I lost them ALL the time. And my keys. One month it cost me close to $300 for a locksmith for locking my keys in my car. My husband made some spares and I lost them too… So he made more and gave one to who ever was with me. Eventually he hid one on my car and im glad he did. Saved me a lot!

Recently Ive been wishing that I had something. I once had a purse, lost it the same day. Just wasnt used to it. It didnt fall into my “checks” I always do pocket checks and keep the sames things in the same pockets. I want some sort of bag that I can use to go out in, to work with, so I dont have to have a different one for each occasion. I was thinking of calling it my “life bag”. Keep all my ID in it, gum, some tissues, things that would be handy! But im so afraid that Ill lose it, I dont even bother! I would be very nice… Im running out of pocket room!

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[Anonymous]

I bought my nephew a murse for Christmas kind of as a joke (“It’s a European shoulder bag” -from a commercial on TV), but partially because I instinctively knew that he would get a lot of use out of it. He loves it.

My system is simple:

credit cards, cash and ID cards go in a simple “wristlet” that has a strap that helps me keep track of it if I take it out of my handbag.

receipts go into the main part of my handbag, get left in the shopping bag or thrown onto the floor of the car (as in fast food drive thru receipts).

once a month, the trash gets cleared out of the handbag and the car.

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[Author]

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