Slashdot Mirror
What's in Your Billfold?
realian001 asks: "I have been through many different types of wallets...(those long wallets, tri-fold, bi-fold, money-clips, etc, etc). I finally settled on a bi-fold, but I was just curious, how does the average Slashdot reader 'configure' their wallet? A type of wallet would be a good starting point, then having cash or not, and/or how many different types of credit cards, grocery discount cards, etc etc etc."
About the only good thing about my long-gone Toyota Corolla was that the key was near flat and could be copied at my local hardware store. The one time (so far...) that I've locked my keys in my car, I had the backup ready to go.
My Wallet
Actually I owned one for about a year, and finally threw it out due to wear and tear a couple of months ago.
It peformed decent as far as wallets go; though I don't think I'll buy another one.
Still the coolness factor was very high, and I got a lot of positive comments about it.
A $20.00 tri-fold I picked up to replace it, has actually creased all my cards, some I am going to have to replace, so my next wallet will be a bi-fold.
I hate bulky wallets, so I keep my few cards and bills in my pocket secured with a wide rubber band. It's cheap, functional, and the mailman brings me a new wallet almost every day!
I don't use a wallet at all. Instead I have two of those little mylar sleeves that your bank will give you for free to put your ATM card in (just ask). One has my ATM card, driver's license, and "normal use" credit card in it. That goes in my right pocket, along with some cash and a few coins. Nothing else goes in that pocket, because I want to just reach in and take out cash or card w/o any shuffling.
The second mylar sleeve is for my business ATM card and business credit card, with my health insurance card in between. I don't use those nearly as often, so that goes in my left pocket along with a few other less important cards -- video rental, etc., and the junk I end up with during the day, like doctor/dentist appointment cards and restaurant receipts (purchase receipts go in the bag). And car keys if I have no jacket.
That pocket gets cleaned out every night -- appointments get scheduled and the cards get tossed, receipts get tossed, and so on.
Works pretty well, I think. I don't know how I'd work a real wallet -- where do people put them? I don't like stuff in my back pockets.
for years I kept every piece of paper that I came upon in an ass-denting, tri-fold wallet. I suspect I have hip problems today as a result.
anyway, I got fed up one day I switched to a very simple bi-fold wallet. it's not so much a wallet as a credit card holder I guess... I can carry the basic few things that I need rather than a bunch of useless crap. Haven't looked back.
long story short, I don't carry all that crap in my wallet any more. that's what glove compartments are for.
"no grocery card. got one of the keychain things. much nicer!"
What's even nicer is to shop at grocery stores that don't require you to be willing to carry around an advertisement for them in order to shop there (affordably). (I'm also concerned with the privacy issues, but I think the extra crap they want me to always keep in my pocket actually bothers me more!)
I used to have a wallet, tri-fold. It had my quick reference list of phone numbers, a handful of business cards, every membership card I had ever been issued, some random post-it notes, scraps of paper and when I am lucky some money. It was great, except for the fact that it was HUGE. Well, it turns out that wallets don't like to be left in pants as they go through the washing machine, and when I found my long lost wallet in my pants pocket a week later it contained colored money! My business cards and some post-it notes of mine had bleed onto the bills and turned them pink and green. O, yeah the wash destroyed the wallet too. So, not I use a simple money clip. I put my business cards between my ID and credit card and fold my bills in half over everything else. Slip the whole package into money clip and voila, you've got a slim and easy-accessible wallet alternative. In the end I am glad my wallet was cleaned as it is sooo much better not to have that huge bulge in your pocket all day.
I know you aren't looking for Wallet suggestions, but I thought I'd pipe in.
I love my Fossil Chicago Super Capacity wallet. It has a flip up ID pocket, space for about 14 cards, + money and 2 hidden spare key pockets.
highly Recommended.
I currently use one of those stylish slimline metal cigarette cases as a wallet. I've been meaning to put an insert in it for cards and whatnot, but just having a stack of cards and some cash under the little spring loaded arm works pretty darn well as is. The nice thing is its only like a quarter of an inch thick, so you can kiss your lower lumbar wallet pain (that you probably didn't even know you had) goodbye, you can't fit a huge amount of crap in it so it forces you to throw out those damn receipts, and since its several layers of steel it might even deflect a bullet. Plus whipping it out with one hand, hitting the spring loaded open button with your thumb and making it flip violently yet smoothly open looks really damn cool (until all your shit flies up in the air because you forgot to make sure it was under the spring arm.) Best wallet ever.
Heh, try being Canadian, we don't have this option. ;)
Typically, we all walk around thinking we're poor because there are very few bills in our wallets...one can only afford to put so many $20+ bills in our wallet. But then you stick your hand in your pocket and pull out a treasure chest worth of gold and silver colored coins and realize you're rich! Well, you can at least afford to buy lunch anyways
(Note for those who don't know about Canadian money: Standard Coinage is 1c, 5c, 10c, 25c, $1 and $2. Bills are $5, $10, $20, $50, $100...however there are something like 10x as many $20 bills out there as all the others combined. It is quite rare for us to have stacks of bills in our wallets anymore. There has actually been rumours going around that they want to make the 5 a coin as well...pretty sure that's bs though, that's really starting to not make sense.
No Comment.
Here is an interesting concept to hold your cards: http://www.chameleonnetwork.com/ This product may be vapourware, but it sounds cool.
Don't blame me, I voted for Cthulhu.