I simplified my wallet the easy way ... I got mugged! What a bad way to learn that lesson. It was way back in 2002 but I still feel the sting of the loss. I lost nearly $300 in cash (people had just paid me back for an event that I paid for as a group), all my credit cards, drivers license, social insurance numbers for the kids and I, all our health cards, all my points cards, everything.

I don't recommend this is the way to go. I still have trouble trusting strangers. It was done in a distract type of way rather than with a gun. A woman with a baby on her hip 'fell' against me as I was boarding a bus, and two other people 'tripped' against us up the stairs. Because of the baby, my guard was down, she got into my purse and then jumped off the bus like it was the wrong bus and ran in the other direction. I just thought she was running for her bus until I noticed my wallet missing and then all the pieces fell together.

To make a long story ... even longer, after that this is how I simplified my wallet.

1) Only keep what you need in there. There was no reason for me to have our social insurance numbers in my wallet. At the time I didn't have a car either so there was no reason to keep my drivers license in their either.

2) Only keep the one credit card you regularly use. That way if your wallet does get stolen or go missing, you can cancel that card and have your back up card (different credit card) at home to use.

3) Empty the whole thing out and take out all the expired coupons, old 'points cards' that you never use. You may be surprised what you find in there.

4) Face your bills all the the same direction (heads all facing the same way) in order from largest to smallest or smallest to largest.

5) If your wallet is still too heavy, be sure you're not carrying around too much change. Start to spend it when you go out. Even if I'm paying for something with debit, I'll often use up my coins first and then put the rest on debit. I know in Canada where we have $2 coins, $1 coins (bills start at $5) wallets can get very heavy quickly. There is no point in carrying around more than 4 pennies, 5 nickels, 5 dimes, and 4 quarters in loose change, or if your Cnd, a couple of loonies and twonies. After that it starts to become cumbersome.

6) Maintain. Go through your wallet weekly. File any receipts you need to keep, even if it's just in a file or large envelope marked 'receipts'. Get rid of the rest. Sort any bills that are mixed up. Have a certain place for all your cards so you know where to find them every time.

I hope you never have an experience like mine where you had to learn the hard way how to simplify your wallet. Ever since a simple wallet has brought me peace of mind .. and a lighter load to carry around.

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Gosh, I don't even have a wallet. Someone would have to steal my entire purse to steal mine!!

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~Happiness is a large family~

This is good advice. I rarely have money to put in mine, but it does have my driver's license.

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"It's time to move from what we can do, to what we must do, to what we will do." ~Hillary Clinton

I have a wallet, and a separate thing for my credit cards, store cards, etc.

Good advice!

We just got back from vacation and I left my purse at home. All I took was my credit card, debit card, DL, disney pass, chapstick and cell phone and it all fit in a tiny zipper wallet that I could throw in the diaper bag. It was great!

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It's not what you make; it's what you spend.

i just simplified my wallet last month before going out of town. i was sick of thumbing through all my cards - stores, insurance, license, library, etc - to find the one I needed. Now I have my store cards I don't use very often hidden in a zipper compartment, 5 cards in card slots in the main section (debit card, cc, grocery club card, sam's club card and AAA roadside assistance card) next to my license and the rest is out of view. The ease of using my wallet is so nice.. I can find things with my eyes closed or in the dark if needed! I switched from a smaller wallet that could fit in my back pocket but needed all the cards piled together to a larger one (that holds cards & a check pad, though I rarely use checks) and it still feels great. I think my best bet would be to get a man's wallet -- DH has like 7 card slots aside from his license (and one under his license)..

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I have a strawberry shortcake wallet. That is more of a billfold. There are all kinds of cards in it. Including a bunch of empty prepaid visas. I do need to clean it out cause its a pain looking for what discount card I need when I can hardly get them out. There is no place for change so it gets thrown in my purse. But I am starting to put my change in a jar.

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Mom of one kangaroo!

I have cut back on what I carry too. I had to, I bought a smaller purse! I still think I carry too much though. It is hard at first to leave things home that you think you might need, but the majority of what I've got in my bag isn't used at all. I'm inspired to clean out that wallet again!!!

I do not carry my social security card in my wallet. There is no need for it to be in there. I carry my debit card, my one major credit card, my kohls card, and my sam's club card. I rarely have cash or change. I never carry checks with me either, everywhere I shop takes debit card. I only use about 3 checks a month. :-) I simplified my wallet after my home town walmart had a mugging.

i lost my wallet visiting family out of town last christmas. hubby was carrying all the cash, but mine had all the credit cards. but i was prepared, i stuck all my cards in a copy machine so i had the 800 #'s off the back to call before i left. i had spent 3 months shopping around for that wallet, i wanted one that i could put my checkbook in, and aparantly that was not a good idea for me.

i carried a purse for a long time until i started leaving it at home and grabbing just my wallet to go with me everywhere, because i didnt need the rest of the stuff in my purse.

after i lost my wallet, and replaced all my cards, i was in the market for a new one and ended up finding one, at my moms house in her garage, in a bag of things my little sister was giving away...free instant new wallet. priceless. i've had it for a year and a half now. looks like i couldnt lose the damn thing if i tried. i cleaned all the recipts out of my wallet yesterday, but i should probably go back through and double check all my cards, i should never carry credit cards, i only get into trouble but i need to keep my red cross card and library card where i wont forget them, for when i do need them.