Tips To Help Declutter Your Wallet In 4 Simple Steps

The society seems hell-bent on making us acquire more stuff than we actually need and most of these items clutter our wallets. Items including receipts, multiple credit cards, membership cards, discount cards, coupons, and business cards create unnecessary bulk and exposes you to all kinds of security risks in the event that your wallet is stolen or lost. Thankfully, there are clever, neat and simple tips you could implement to declutter your wallet while getting rid of cards and other items you feel you could do without.

Why should you resort to decluttering your wallet?

When you decide to declutter your wallet and move to a minimalist one, you get to enjoy numerous benefits. For instance, it helps you reduce potential security risks while ensuring you stay organized. With the option of a nice, slim wallet with ID window, you effectively avoid having an unnecessarily bulky pocket. The slimmer wallets also provide important health benefits (reduces common back conditions such as sciatica).

Declutter Your Wallet In Four Simple Steps:

Step 1: Separate the essential items from the nonessential ones.
Step 2: Choose your daily carry.
Step 3: Digitize the cards
Step4: Invest in a small, minimalist wallet.

Step 1: Get Rid of the Nonessential Items

It might prove a little challenging to empty your wallet, depending on the amount of clutter currently held in your billfold. You need a high level of discipline to completely get rid of items such as restaurant receipts, movie stubs, ATM receipts, and all other nonessential items. Even though it is never easy to embrace, you ought to develop the mindset of decluttering. Before you embrace the idea of having a smaller wallet, transform into an essentialist. With an essentialist attitude, you’ll essentially have the wisdom that enables you to determine what items are essentials and which ones are nonessentials. Those without the discipline to declutter remain ensnared in the powerful grip of nonessentials.

Items you can remove immediately include the following:

i. Social Security Card

Considering your social security card is one of the most important, consider leaving it at home. Note that if it gets stolen, you become vulnerable to risks such as identity theft. The U.S government also recommends that you leave your social security card at home or somewhere safe.

ii. Membership Cards

It is never a wise idea to carry around gift cards in the hope that you’ll visit your local store and use it. Remember, if your wallet ends up in the wrong hands, gift cards are often the first to be used considering they are like cash. Therefore, leave your membership or gift cards at home. Only carry them if you’re certain you’re going to shop.

iii. Business Cards and Credit Cards

If you love networking and enjoy meeting new people, a business card will always come in handy. However, if you collect business cards from others, transfer the contact details to your phonebook. You could also file away the information if you wish.

Do not carry all of the credit cards you own because any thief who comes across your wallet will have a field day and you will have nothing to cushion you while you work on replacing your cards. It is advisable that you carry just one main card and an extra one just for back up.

Summary: Items you can leave behind (Password and PINs, Social Security card, coins, receipts, and gift cards)

Any identity cards, such as driver’s license, work access card, or state ID cards that you might not need to carry on particular days have no reason to be in the wallet, unless you need it for that day. By doing so, you declutter effectively and protect your identity. Memorize PIN codes and passwords and keep them away from your cards in order to safeguard your security.

Step 2: Identify the Essentials

After emptying out your wallet and getting rid of the useless items, it is important that you identify the essential cards that you’ll need to carry. Carry just two cards (a primary card and a back-up). This limits access for wireless scanner thieves and pickpockets. Furthermore, leaving store cards at home saves you from making impulse buying decisions that you might end up regretting later.

Always carry some cash for emergencies. Even though we live in a cashless society, smaller transactions are still best completed using cash. However, carry just enough to buy what you budgeted for.

To simplify the decluttering process, classify cards into cards for everyday carry such as driver’s license, credit cards, and optional carry for your planned purchases (punch cards and reward programs cards).

Step 3: Digitize Data

Smartphones boast of extremely powerful processing power capable of powering 120,000,000 Apollo space missions. With this kind of computing power, you can easily downsize your wallet’s daily carry by using handy apps. Digitization apps help you eliminate the dreaded membership cards that you aren’t sure about the next time you’ll ever need them.

Store your passwords using LastPass Password Manager and exchange receipts using Expensify. For cash available in your bank, use Android pay or Apple pay. If you prefer to carry fewer business cards, you can choose from a number of apps with card reader functionality. Camcard is one such app that helps you to scan cards directly onto your iPhone contacts. For reward and membership cards, Stocards and Keyring card apps allow you to store barcodes from cards you have stored up on your smartphone. As you can see, you have many options of digitizing using your smartphone. Therefore, you need to get started right away.

Step 4: Buy a Minimalist Wallet

After implementing the tips recommended above, there is one last thing you need to do: Get rid of your billfold wallet. Now would be the perfect time to buy a minimalist wallet, as this reflects your new decluttered lifestyle. The move to a cash-free society and the adoption of digital payment options means the bifold wallets are quickly getting antiquated. The design has undergone no changes ever since it was launched in the market and it is not a suitable option for anyone looking to go the minimalist route by carrying fewer items.

Thankfully, minimalist wallets are plentiful in the market. While most of the mass-produced wallets have no specific benefits, a few actually focus on the specific needs, depending on your desires. You can choose from a number of minimalist wallets including wooden wallets, metal wallets, card folders in calf or cow leather, slim bifolds, and many more. If you’ve made the decision to own a minimalist wallet, then you should ideally choose the seamless ones, as they eliminate bulk.