If you had to make a list of everything that’s in your wallet right now, do you think you could do it?
My daughter, who is a college freshman in D.C., had her wallet stolen a few weeks ago. Luckily she doesn’t carry much, so she could remember what cards she lost and we were able to replace most of them fairly quickly. But I was a bit nervous having her walking around without her college ID, bank card, or credit card for a few days.
When she was home for spring break last week, we took all of her cards and photocopied them, front and back. If she ever loses her wallet again, we’ll have a comprehensive list of what was in there, along with the account numbers and phone numbers. While I was at it, I did the same with my wallet and my husband’s wallet. I had not photocopied my wallet contents since 2012 so it clearly was time for an upgrade. I put the photocopies in the Important Papers section of my file cabinet, in a folder called Wallet. (I have a real way with names, don’t I?)
I recommend that you take some time to photocopy or scan the contents of your wallet. As long as you are emptying out your wallet, take the time to review what you have been carrying around. If you’re like most people, there is way too much stuff in there. Some things — like old receipts or expired membership cards — are no-brainers to toss. Others might not be as obvious, but if you are bulking up your wallet by carrying cards you don’t use very often, consider taking them out. You’ll appreciate the streamlined weight, and if you are unfortunate enough to lose your wallet, you’ll be glad that you were carrying less.
