I’m beginning to envision life without credit cards, but I’m still in the planning stages–I’ll let you know how it goes.Īnd I concur–get rid of the loyalty cards and don’t accept new ones. It’s not only for simplicity though, it’s the principal: I hate credit card companies and feel dirty for keeping the cards just to pay for an online purchase every once in a while. I’m actually kind of in a funk about credit cards in general and am toying with the idea of using paypall or something for online purchases–or in France, you can generate a one-time card number for online purchases and then just use your bank account. I do shop at the farmer’s market, though, for which I obviously pay cash–in that case, I keep something to write with/on so I can track my expenses (I’m anal that way–and the farmer’s market doesn’t give a receipt).

I actually try to buy as much as possible by card because I then use my bank statement to add up budget expenses later BUT I also try to keep in mind that if you go to the grocery store 20 times in a month, that makes for some pretty annoying accounting–and waste of money–so I try to keep my trips to a minimum on everything. When it comes to your wallet (and financial transactions), how do you keep things simple? I’d love to hear more tips! If I had more, however, I’d seriously consider using a service like JustOneClubCard to consolidate them. I only have one at the moment, for the store where I do most of my grocery shopping. Be selective with “loyalty cards.” Don’t accept them for places where you don’t shop frequently or if you do, only bring them along when you’re going to that particular store. Leave your business cards and photos at home (or convert them to digital format and put them on your smartphone or PDA, if you carry one).ħ. Don’t use your wallet as a Rolodex or photo album. I empty all the receipts from my wallet as soon as I get home, trashing the insignificant ones and filing those that I might need later (for warranties, returns, tax purposes, etc.).Ħ. Don’t use your wallet as a filing cabinet. It takes up too much space, and makes you that person that nobody wants to be in line behind.ĥ. I simply don’t want to be bothered with keeping the receipts, and matching them up to a bank statement every month.Ĥ. In fact, I use cash as much as possible, particularly for minor expenditures like food, household supplies, drugstore items, books, magazines, and most clothing. However, I much prefer to carry a few bills, rather than review a bank statement that has a zillion little purchases on it. Okay, from a strictly minimalist standpoint, you might say that cash adds unnecessary bulk. This not only reduces the bulk of your wallet, it helps you consolidate spending onto one bank statement.ģ.

The low limit one stays at home, the higher limit one in my wallet.Ģ. Who wants to deal with all that paperwork? (And worse yet, all that potential debt!) I typically keep two credit cards at a time: one with a high credit limit, for travel and big-ticket items and one with a low limit for online shopping (to lessen the hassle if the numbers are stolen). In fact, own as few as possible signing up for every store card, or offer that comes in the mail, only complicates life. To this end, I’ve found the following strategies to be particularly useful:ġ. It is the most compact of the three.I try to keep my wallet as light and streamlined as possible (no Costanza wallet for me!). The tactical wallets are made of an elastic cinch that holds two pieces of metal together, where you place your cards.The cardholders are generally square shaped and have slots for cards such as ID or credit cards, maybe even a cash pocket.

The bifold is just like the traditional wallet, but more compact.There are basically three types of minimalist wallets available: bifold, cardholder, and tactical. Are you a corporate guy who is always networking and holding meetings, sometimes even on the weekends? Or you’re a laid-back cool dude that likes the outdoors? Whatever your vibe, there are so many styles of minimalist wallets, you are bound to find your perfect one. Like any object you’re looking to purchase, you have to figure out what suits your lifestyle best. We put together this mini buying guide for those of you who really have no clue what to look for in a minimalist wallet. How do you start shopping for one, you might wonder, and what are the most important factors to consider?

Mini malist wallet