Decluttering Your Wallet for Your Safety
There are a lot of reasons to declutter your wallet. For starters, it simplifies your life.
It makes it easier to find what you need when you need it and ensures the safety of important personal information. By taking inventory of what’s in your wallet, you’re more likely to notice if something is missing or stolen from your wallet.
This allows you to take action quickly in case something goes wrong.
1. Take everything out of your wallet
Start by taking every single card out of your wallet, including store loyalty cards and business cards. Put them on a clean surface free from clutter.
If some receipts or items—like pens or loose change—don’t belong in your wallet, put them aside to deal with later. Right now, just focus on your wallet itself.
Before moving forward, take a photo of the contents of your wallet so that you can reference it when organizing everything back into place later on.
2. Remove all evident trash
Identifying your wallet’s trash is the easiest place to start. So, get rid of all those things that don’t matter anymore:
- receipts from the last decade
- old gift cards
- expired coupons (Yes, we’re looking at you.)
- business cards from people you’ve never met and will never see again
- loyalty cards for businesses you stopped visiting years ago.
3. Don’t keep too much excess change in your wallet
While it’s convenient to keep some change in your wallet, too much of it can be a hassle. Just the right amount may come in handy when you’re using a vending machine.
If you have eight cents, then you are out of luck and will have to get change from somewhere else or give up on having that bag of chips.
Also, there is the issue of theft. Thieves often target people who have lots of small items in their pockets or bags because they are easy to steal without being noticed.
If you carry around several dollars’ worth of coins and somebody sees that bulge in your jacket pocket, they might try to take it from you.
4. Remove debit cards and vulnerable information
You bring your wallet wherever you go, so it only makes sense that any fragile information should be removed. Here are some of the things you shouldn’t have in your wallet.
- ATM passwords
- Debit cards
- Excess credit cards (two credit cards will suffice)
- Personal information such as social security numbers, your mother’s maiden name, etc.
- Sensitive health information like allergies and medications you take regularly
5. Be knowledgeable of what to keep in your wallet
While some people prefer to take out their cash and credit cards, then put them back in when they’re done shopping on payday, others choose to leave them in their wallets. Whatever your preference, be sure only to have what you need.
Leave it at home or in your purse if you’re not carrying much cash. Only keep the credit cards you plan to use that day in your wallet.
Also, keep insurance and medical cards in case an emergency happens. If you can’t fit everything into one pocket-sized cardholder, bring one or two valid IDs with you.
Lastly, bring with you your membership and gift cards that are valid. Otherwise, throw them away if they’re no longer of use.
Decluttering your wallet isn’t just for organization purposes but also for your safety. Being vigilant using the steps above can keep your finances and personal information secure.