Next uncluttering project - the wallet

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Next uncluttering project - the wallet

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Started 1 year ago by JuliaJayne
Latest reply from ninakk
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JuliaJayne
Member

I have a big ol' fat fine leather wallet that I bought a few years ago when I still had the habit of dragging my life around with me every time I left the house. In order to drag around my big ol' fat wallet, I also needed a biggish handbag with a wide opening so I could easily get my big ol' fat wallet out of the bag.

It occurred to me recently that my big ol' fat wallet now has very few things in it. There are a lot of open card slots and my favorite little hiding spaces no longer have anything hiding in them. I was somewhat startled when I became aware of how little I now kept in the wallet. I also realized that there are a few things in the wallet that I could leave at home.

I am now on a quest to find a smaller, but serviceable wallet. I have looked at 3 stores so far, and have discovered that all the wallets are, more or less, the same. There are 2 sizes: too big with many more places to stash things than my big wallet has, or the wallets were oddly small.

I am inspired by The Everyday Minimalist's blog post "The Minimalist Wallet Series".

I actually like Serena's wallet, but I haven't found one even close to that, yet.
http://www.everydayminimalist.com/?p=3839

What type of wallet do you have? Do you like to take Justin Case with you when you leave the house or do you take the minimum amount of stuff. No judgment, just curious.

Posted 1 year ago #
tmichelle
Member

I have a very similar wallet to Serena's on the site you linked. But, I would like to know what you did with all those key chain discount cards.

Posted 1 year ago #
Periwinkle
Member

I'm also on the lookout for a wallet, but I want something *really* small. The issue? It's gotta hold coins. Most ultra-small wallets are American, but here in the UK, the smallest note denomination is £5 so we use coins a lot more. The majority of my day-to-day spending is coffee and things so obviously I use coins a lot.

I currently have a purse from New Look which has a whole bunch of card slots and things and is bigger than a wallet but smaller than most long purses. I'm looking for a small man's wallet with a coin pocket. The killer? No leather (I'm vegetarian).

(It also has to be big enough to get my bus pass in. It's bigger than a credit card - my current purse folds in 3 and I keep it in the notes compartment, and it fills up an entire third.)

ETA - As for what I have in it:
-Coins and notes
-Bus pass (which has my college ID card in)
-Library card
-Boots card (Boots is a drugstore)
-Bank card (debit/ATM)
-NUS card (National Union of Students - gets discounts and stuff)
-Stamp cards for Caffe Nero and a pasta place at college (just paper, not plastic cards)
-UCAS card (may take this out as I think the NUS card covers it)
-Provisional licence (useful for ID)
-Piece of paper with some phone numbers on in case I don't have my phone/it's out of charge and I need to contact someone
-Any vouchers I have at the moment
-A couple of bus timetables

Posted 1 year ago #
lazycow
Member

@JuliaJayne, this might be a bit small, but I have this (in a different colour):
http://www.etsy.com/listing/50773332/sandy-brown-mini-zippy-leather-coin?ref=sr_gallery_33&ga_search_query=keychain%2Bcoin%2Bpurse&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_ref=auto

It fits several cards (I keep most of mine in a little plastic folder in my car), lots of coins and even my mobile phone (when there are no coins in the coin part). I LOVE it the fact that I can attach my house and car keys and I'm good to go. My sister has one too (and she is far from being a minimalist!)

Or, you can type "coin purse" into Etsy and see the huge range of purses, and everything is so inexpensive :-)

Posted 1 year ago #
Ginger
Member

I have one of those three fold wallets which is about 3x2 and a half inches. I like it but I wish it were thinner like my old one. Two of the card slots are always empty. I only keep four cards, cash and coins in it.

When I go out my purse usually comes with me (but I can easily get away with just my wallet and phone). I usually bring: wallet, phone, keyring of discount cards (sperate from keys), mini address book, mini notebook, pen, pocket knife and tissues.

EDIT: Oh, I also have been carrying either chapstick or blistex for these winter months lol. This winter has been really bad.

Posted 1 year ago #
Jude2004
Member

I hate purses. I have a keychain wallet, the simplest possible one I can imagine. http://www.keychainwallet.org/ It holds cash if I happen to have some; my debit card; my driver's license; and a grocery store discount card. Everything else stays home in one of those large wallets. I try to keep a small brush in my car. If I absolutely have to carry more (e.g., I'm heading to a friend's house overnight or going hiking), I carry a small backpack. I empty it when I get home. I have bad memories of watching women clean out their purses in the 1950s and 1960s. It was disgusting. I don't want a purse or backpack that looks like that.

Posted 1 year ago #
Rosa
Member

Hey, congratulations on emptying out the wallet!

I have a men's style wallet that fits in my back pocket, but it came inside a purse and it has a zipper pocket for coins.

It's slightly too small for bills to go in easily - the paper money space is exactly as wide as a dollar bill is long so it can be hard to put a handful of change in, in a hurry. But I never carry a purse so I have to have the pocket size.

Posted 1 year ago #
Gypsie
Member

Here is the wallet that I carry everyday. I carry my driver's license in the clear outer pocket and my military ID in the flap pocket. In the zippered center is ATM/Debit Card and cash. I keep my discount cards on a keyring.

http://www.amazon.com/Popstitch-Key-Coin-Color-SADDLE/dp/B000PVI218/ref=sr_1_18?s=apparel&qlEnable=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1296781844&sr=1-18&searchContext=B001M5GQ8W,B000XVYQAG,B0039P1A1Q,B00366LO28,B001XG32CI,B001I0ATUW,B001YSUMPU,B002XGGIZA,B000BNV1OA,B001CW54UQ,B0042UIWIG,B002K4L8M8,B001XG9NGM,B003CKMSTQ,B001XG7ILE,B0019RM1E6,B004KJ0PSY,B000PVI218,B0046IY0N0,B004DK2YRU,B0009QZAK0,B004GZQNAQ,B00471GC1O,B002RDAC0Q

Posted 1 year ago #
JuliaJayne
Member

Lazy cow, your coin purse seems a little small, but maybe I'm thinking too big.

Ginger - I hear you on needing lip balm.

Jude - It sounds like you have a good system - taking only what you need. I also like the idea of keeping a brush in the car, which is another reason why I need a biggish purse.

Rosa - I'm getting more and more inspired that you and others do just fine taking just the minimum with you.

Gypsie - that's a cute little purse. There are other nice coin purses on that page.

I thought about making this... http://thimbleanna.com/?p=566

Posted 1 year ago #
vjb
Member

I have a Coach Mini Skinny, and I like the size and the fact that my keys and money are now one "unit"... But the card pocket on the outside is kinda useless – as soon as the wallet stretched out a bit, my cards started falling out! For now I keep them inside the wallet, but I'd really like to get a similar wallet with an *interior* card pocket.

One day...

Posted 1 year ago #
JuliaJayne
Member

That is small, too. For those of you who have tiny wallets, where to you keep your phone? (assuming you carry a phone with you).

I was thinking about making this.. so cute.

http://thimbleanna.com/?p=566

Posted 1 year ago #
everydayminimalist
Member

@JuliaJayne -- Thank you!

FYI that wallet came from Danier Leather (danier.ca) in Canada. It was on sale for $30 so I picked it up. I like having the zippered pouch at the back, the coin snap purse attached, and LOTS of space for cards, stamps, etc.

The silver ID case is from Urban Outfitters ($15), but I just recently got a Mighty Wallet that I will review soon enough with pictures and so on.

It's super light and easy to carry, but doesn't have a coin section, so it's only for cards and bills.

http://www.dynomighty.com/products.php?s=mighty%20wallets

Posted 1 year ago #
morfydd
Member

I bought my wallet at a cheap import stall at a holiday market for something like 5 Euros. It's a trifold that snaps closed, with a snap coin purse on the back of the center fold, two slots for cards and then a big slot for bills. It's really tiny, but somehow is currently holding:
--Cards for transit, DeutscheBahn discount, organ donor, health insurance, credit, driver's license, and ATM, and a photocopy of my passport.
--Frequent buyer cards for 2 coffee shops and a nail salon, and a stamp.
--Way too many coins.
--No bills - must stop at the ATM.

For carrying everything else I once again praise the Purseket, of which I have the smallest version. One pocket gets the wallet, one gets the phone, one gets makeup and the last gets headphones, my work ID, and occasionally my iPod. My keys clip to a loop. I can switch everything from purse to purse and not worry about forgetting anything in a random pocket or scrabbling around in the depths of a purse.

I hate big purses as a rule, but just switched to a slightly larger one that will hold the Purseket and my German books (and apparently a ton of other things as well). Bah. Heavy leather is heavy.

Posted 1 year ago #
Julia
Member

I have a JIMI, have carried it for a couple of years, and really love it. No help with coins unfortunately, although they might have added something new. It's called "the wallet for people who hate wallets."

Smal - maybe 2 x 4", I haven't measured - plastic hardshell case, holds drivers' license, car and health insurance cards, credit & debit cards, and 3-4 folded bills. A section slides out and can be used on its own as a moneyclip. And no, I'm not a shill for the company.

I bought mine at a bicycle shop.

http://www.thejimi.com/

Posted 1 year ago #
camellia tree
Member

I lost my wallet recently and decided that I needed to pare down my wallet. I think a good question to ask oneself is, if I lost this wallet, would I be able to remember what is in it? (I had a tough time with this.) After going through this I am cutting down to one credit card, etc., and minimizing store loyalty cards (Starbucks, etc.).

Posted 1 year ago #
chacha1
Member

I have the International Pocket Briefcase from Levenger

http://www.levenger.com/PAGETEMPLATES/PRODUCT/Product.asp?Params=Category=15-101|Level=2-3|pageid=2269

I don't carry a checkbook, but my register (to note debit card transactions) slides under the left card slots. Folding money has one end tucked under the right notepad section. I don't carry change for any longer than it takes to get home and empty it into my bowl. I have just my driver's license, debit card, and loyalty cards for drugstore and grocer in the card section.

I like this one because it FORCES me to clean the thing out on a very regular basis (I empty out receipts daily), it holds just what I need for daily business, I can open it with one hand, and it fits into a pocket of any of my jackets, cargo pants, or safari vest.

I do carry a credit card, my AAA card, & insurance card separately, in a metal card case, in a zip bag with pens, nail file etc., in my shoulder bag. Don't need to get those out very often. :-)

Phone, sunscreen, lip balm, office building keycard, sunglasses etc. go in pockets in my shoulder bag, which is big enough to accommodate a Kindle, a zip bag of girl stuff when needed, and my regular zip bag.

Posted 1 year ago #
Rosa
Member

I keep my phone in my front left pants pocket, where I can reach it to answer it.

Posted 1 year ago #
bandicoot
Member

i carry....
driver's license
credit card
cash card

cash

lipbalm
lipstick
small hairbrush
perfume in a small rollerball tube
a handkerchief

iphone earbuds wrapped up on one of those cable organiser thingies
iphone
pen

.... all in a longchamps veau foulonne cosmetics bag.
http://www.magnums.net/prod/2527021
it's a leather bag with one small internal side pocket (for the cards) and no handles, just a zip across the top.
i've carried one for years, it's my absolute favourite bag.
i can jam it under my arm for hands free action.
i can slip it into a large pocket for temp storage.
i can get it into the skinny pocket on the back of the airline seat in front of me....with some stuffing.
it's not a very orthodox purse shape, but the leather and zip is wonderful quality and mine have withstood years of casual abuse.

i bought a larger-sized red one in paris last year and that has come in handy for when i want to carry banking, or my ipod, or kindle or a book.

every night, i empty out the receipts and rubbish, and sort out the coins.
every couple weeks i wipe the bag out with a damp cloth.

Posted 1 year ago #
pkilmain
Member

Bandicoot - that's a great little bag! I have a small sort of canvas material one which has a long strap and two sets of eyes so it can be a shoulder/across your body strap or a round your wist one. It's flay so I wear it round my waist on my right hip. Icarry

Driving license
Credit card
Cash card
Insurance card
Cash
Lip balm
Phone
(and I can get my passport in it if needed)

What I can't fit is my glasses - the one tome I tried I popped lens out. I wear contacts and am quite blind without them. My fear - which has lessened over the years is that I'd have a problem with the contacts and need the glasses. This trip the glasses were in my beach bag all the time, but I snorkeled, swam, a d spent lots of time on the beach and never used them. I think when I get home I'll put my old/spare pair in the car and leave my good ones at home.

At home I use the same small bag and when I need to. And when I need to carry more stuff I put it inside a large bag. My carry-on for th plane holds it, my iPad, my mp3, water, a book (for those no-electronics times) and snacks if appropriate.

Posted 1 year ago #
ninakk
Member

http://www.becksondergaard.com/Grannyss.html

I have one that is dark brown. It's heaven and works like wonders even after a few years. It's rather large but I don't stuff it full ever. The secret that it contains is an inner purse, so that's where coins and bigger money (almost never though) go. Since two compartments are created by the middle small purse, I keep cards in one and miscellaneous stuff receipts included in the other one. It's long enough to contain the clip bus card, which is excellent since they need to be all flat or the machine won't eat them. Most cards stay at home nowadays, because it's very seldom that I decide to rent a movie; then it's a shared decision and we usually go to pick it up together with DH. There are probably a couple more that could stay in the little box which now is home to cards I won't let go of. The best part is it's big enough to double as an evening purse if you remove all unnecessary things (I don't like to carry anything that creates a hassle if lost to begin with when I start to kill drinks).

Edit:
The cards it contains at home (I just got to Denmark where my life is very simple with very few cards): bank card (debit and credit in one), three loyalty cards, driving license, social security card, library card, coffee card (10th for free; but I never use this due to a very tightened budget so it could stay at home), university card, one or two more but have a glitch in my memory so they can't be important.

Posted 1 year ago #

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