Wallets are stupid.
There is no point in a man carrying around 80 different bits of paper and other junk. Wallets are also bad for the posture. It’s like sitting on one brick each time you sit down. Throw away the wallets and simplify your life!
When I used to carry a wallet I would usually just leave it in my truck and take out the few things I needed. Yet, I still held on to the scraps of paper, old insurance cards, old credit cards, and other nonsense.
Get rid of it!
Now: I carry around a money clip with only the things I need. These things I need consist of:
1) Drivers License. Obviously this is something everyone needs to carry around. Except for criminals. I have learned that criminals avoid the DMV like the bubonic plague.
2) Personal debit card. If I want to buy something I hand the clerk my debit card. No need for wadded up dollar bills.
3) Business debit card. Same reason as above.
4) Personal credit card. Same reason as above.
5) State issued ID. This is probably redundant for me to carry considering I carry a Drivers License. This is a leftover from my dirt poor days when I drove less than legally (illegally) and needed an ID to get into bars. Priorities for the young and dumb.
6) Starbucks gift card. Occasionally I meet with clients at a Starbucks and I like to use this gift card which I received for free instead of using my own money. When there is no money left I will toss the card in the garbage instead of putting it back in wallet (money clip, actually) purgatory.
7) One business card. This actually serves as somewhat of a bookend for my stuff. It helps me fill out the clip. I carry more business cards with my padfolio so there is no need for more in my money clip.
That’s it. What else could a man need to carry around every day?
Let the women carry around all the extra junk in their purses. That’s what they are for. Purses. Not women. That’s why we don’t carry around man-purses everywhere. We don’t need all that extra clutter.
Simplify your lives, gentlemen.
I had to start carrying my wallet in my front pocket to avoid the whole posture thing (I also ruined a couple of nice slacks because I was wearing holes in the back pockets). I still use a wallet … though you’re right, I only use about 10% of the things that end up getting stuck in it.
This is just another great application of the 80/20 principle. When you actually look through your wallet, you’ll notice that there are only a few things that you ACTUALLY use. You’ve inspired me, my friend. My wallet is about toast anyways. I think I’ll get a money clip.
I am confused. Where do we carry the cards that we need to carry? They can’t be left in the truck for obvious reasons and they must be somewhat protected from damage. Keeping them in pockets is a recipe for disaster! Mag stipe cards don’t work when damaged and Gov. issued cards are expensive to replace. Not quite sure what the point fo the topic is. I would get an RFID implant if this would take care of the multiple card/pin BS!
Carry your cards in the money clip next to your cash. Use a paper card or some kind of business card to put on the outside. Bada Ching!!!
I’ve had my money clip for half a year now and love it. I don’t see the point of a huge wallet with a billion different point cards and whatnot, point cards are useless and just a way for the store to make you want to buy more shit that you don’t need.
I just have a debit card and driver’s license in a small card carrier. I keep my old wallet in my car with all the old junk.
I have my keyring down to my house key and car key. You don’t need all that other shit. It blows my mind to see someone with 50 keys on their keyring. Maybe a work key but we use badge scanners, so I don’t need that. I keep a second keyring in my car with all the other keys on it.
My goal is to get a car with a keypad lock and the same for the house and not carry it at all.
I still have a wallet that I carry occasionally. It only has very few pieces of very thin papers, a couple of paper cards, and cash. No plastic or credit cards (they go in one of those RFID wallet things).
One good use for a smart phone these days is I scanned all my government issued IDs (including the driver’s license) and store it in a folder on the phone or micro-SD card.
You could also get one of those smart-car door opener things, so the car opens when you touch it in the right spot. Probably a better idea to make it fingerprint based.
But my wallet is cool and made of lizard skin!
I’ll keep using it until the day Amex offer me a Centurion Card.
Then that’s all I’ll carry. (and get continually turned down by the majority of places which don’t accept Amex)
Hey Victor!
Effin LOVE this site! Been visiting daily since getting rid of Failbook. Thanks for all that you do. I am a bit confused. I totally understand the “credit is for losers” angle but I am surprised that you own a credit card. Have I taken the “cash man” thing too literally? I run a fitness business and laying the groundwork for a dojo and I have never had need of a credit card. How would one be useful? Is it like an “emergency” thing or something else?
Lex, I use it mostly because I’m international. When I make purchases over the net, I’d say every 10th time my card gets puts on a “fraud alert” and my funds are stuck until I call them and “ok” the purchases. I’d rather that happen with a credit card than a debit card. Literally happened to my credit card last week, waiting on a new one in the mail. If I were waiting on a debit/atm card I might be in some hurt. Also, I pay off the credit card in full each month. I think I paid $3 in interest in 2013.
I can vouch for money clips.
Ever since I read this post 6 months ago I have been using one and it has made my life so much simpler.
For one, it fits in my pocket, even in gym shorts. It’s never so bulky that it opens and gets more bulky. Lots of money can fit in my Alpine Swiss money clip without the money magnet coming undone.
I can flash my ID without having to fish it from my wallet. I keep three things in there: My debit card, my ID and a Dunkin’ Donuts gift card.
It has no wear and tear whatsoever and should last me years.
And best of all: It only costed me 10 bucks. Best investment I’ve ever made.
I actually applied this few months ago when I first read this article. I bought a money clip from Ross for $3.99 plus tax so $4.something. I had so much crap inside my wallet therefore it made my wallet thick.
Many people who saw it assumed that I was rich because they assumed it was all money inside. Most of the stuff in my wallet were junk like outdated business cards, unnecessary old receipts, insurance cards, multiple debit cards, etc… Sometimes I had difficulty just to fit and take out the wallet out of my pants pocket. It was such a hassle.
When I got the money clip, all I put was driver license, one or two debit card, few spare cash and car insurance card. It fit all nicely and fit snug in my pocket right in. It was much more comfortable too while driving. The old wallet that I had was much more expensive than the metal money clip but yet it felt like more of a burden to me.
One of the great aspects of applying the Spartan lifestyle.
There is one additional card you forgot to mention; your (health) insurance card.
When you get coins for change, what do you do with thouse?