Slim Your Wallet: 6 Easy Ways to Carry Less

March 12, 2018

In preparation for spring cleaning, or for our desire for warmer weather, we want to look at the best ways to lighten up our wallet weight. End that long term relationship with that Costanza wallet. If you keep carrying that thick bulky wallet it is only going to cause you pain and suffering. It can literally cause your sciatic nerve to flare up and put pressure on your lumbar discs. That is literal pain and suffering.

In no particular order, here are the six best ways to slim down your wallet this spring.

1. Get a Smaller Wallet: If you have a bigger wallet, the more likely you are going to fill it up. We get iPhones with the most storage possible and we still find a way to fill it up with songs, books, movies and everything else. The same goes for our wallets. If we have 10 credit card slots, we’ll probably put in at least that many cards or even double it up. If we keep the minimum to five card slots and five cards, the less likely we’ll be keeping all those unnecessary cards in our wallets. While searching for your thinner wallet you may as well get a monogrammed wallet just to avoid any confusion of the wallet’s owner.

1. If You Don’t Use It – Lose It: I can see the appeal of carrying around your senior prom picture from 98’; we admit you looked good, but is it really necessary? How often are you using that Chuck E. Cheese frequent player’s card? If the debit and credit cards in your wallet are not being used daily or weekly then don’t tote them on your person at all times. If you are carrying mementos stored away in the tiny pockets of your billfold, you are only doing yourself a disservice. That card for a free game of mini golf is not that critical. Also, you should never carry your Social Security card in your wallet unless you know for certainty that you will need it. So ditch the needless cards and objects that are only dragging you down.

1. Let's Get Digital...Digital: We know you have a smartphone. Put it to use. Embrace the technology of the now. There are so many ways to pay for things without ever having to pull out your bifold wallet. It may take a minute to add your cards to Apple Pay but it will be worth your effort. For Apple Watch owners it becomes even easier to scan and pay for the everyday necessities. What do you do with your endless supply of loyalty, reward and gift cards? You can store all of your loyalty and rewards cards on great apps like Stocard and Keyring or the built in Apple Wallet app. If you have cards in your wallet that can be digitized, we highly recommend it.
2. Cash (The King of the Past): Why would you be carrying that extra wad of cash around with you in the first place? Will you be shooting a rap video later? Any cash you acquire should be taken to your local banking institution or left at home under your mattress. If you must carry cash, be sure to find a minimal leather wallet that comes with a money clip attached and definitely don’t walk the streets with huge quantities.

1. Toss Those Receipts: “Receipts – We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Receipts.” We get it; sometimes you need to save a receipt from Bed Bath and Beyond. You may want to return that Shake Weight that you bought, but we really doubt it. You may need to keep track of your receipts for expense reports for that crazy work trip in Orlando. (Shoving them in your wallet is not going to erase the shame) You do have to save those receipts on occasion and the best way to do it is use the technology that you already have. There are over 1 billion iPhones worldwide and over 2 billion active Android devices as well. Since we already know you have a smartphone, you have access to apps like Concur, Shoeboxed, Wave and even just a picture with your camera is better than adding more clutter to your wallet.

1. Regular Checkups: There’s a pretty good chance that the inevitable of new card accumulation will occur. You will get a new rewards card from Whole Foods or become a member of the elite Costco club, you might even take the chance on that new gym down the street. The point being, there will always be a new card dying to join the ranks of your slimmed down card wallet. You don’t need to reject the newcomers but you should perform a card audit as often as required to prevent from ending up getting back to your previous “Costanza” days.

How do you feel now? Lighter? Pretty sure that is the most effective weight loss plan that we’ve ever done.

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