Wallet Uselessness

Warning: This post might seem extremely “retentive” to some (most?) people.

While in Mexico, I was walking around super light. No cell., no iPod, no laptop (duh). No wallet, no passport, no keys (except if I as the one carrying the key), just a few hundred pesos. Feels good.

Anecdote; for some dumb, “how the heck does my brain work” reason, since seeing Vanilla Sky, in which there is a scene where David Aames picks up a simple money clip with one credit card, I’ve been dreaming of carying just that. No frickin’ wallet with 35 things in it. However, that doesn’t seem doable. Here’s what I currently carry.

  • Money
  • Personal credit card
  • ATM card for the personal account
  • Company credit card
  • ATM card for the business account
  • Indigo member card for the 10% discount and the points
  • RAMQ (medical insurance) card
  • Driver’s permit
  • Video club card. This one is going out, you can rent with just your phone number.
  • Sometimes metro tickets

    Far from the money clip and one card but even farther from the George Costanza “my wallet’s giving me back problems” setup so not too bad. Now what can I take out?

    The first three are essential. The two company ones… I guess I could leave them home most of the time but is the space saving worth the couple of times I’m bound to forget picking them up when I need them?

    The Indigo card I could probably just pickup when I’m heading downtown and might stop but same reasoning as the company cards, worth it?

    Do you need the RAMQ card if you endup at the emergency room or something? Or can I just bring it when I have some kind of appointment with health pros?

    I could do without the driver’s permit since I don’t currently have a car but it’s my preferred identity proving thing. Not hat I get carded when going out but, you know, sometimes you need it.

    So, suggestions? And, more importantly, semi-meme, what do you carry in your wallet/purse?

6 Comments

mare March 30, 2006

I didn’t have my Indigo card with me the other night and they just looked me up with my phone number. So that one you could leave at home as well. I carry 20 or so cards, because I’m too lazy to think before I go out: do I need this card or that card. It helps that in the last 20 years I haven’t lost my wallet once, because if I do I’m pretty f*cked. And I don’t wear tight jeans, so my wallet fits just fine in my front pocket.

Philippe-A. March 30, 2006

C’est toujours bon d’avoir ta carte soleil sur toi. Si t’as un accident et qu’on t’ammène à l’hosto, il faut que tu payes et que tu te fasses rembourser après, si t’as pas ta carte sur toi.

Mais bon, a successful freelancing-internet-designer-something like yourself could probably cover that with the credit card. So yeah, the money clip and one credit card thing is easily doable.

Patrick March 30, 2006

Hehehe. Right!

Splurge March 30, 2006

Here’s what in my wallet: – 3 credit cards (one is my dad’s, who insists that I keep it for emergencies, even though I have 2 of my own) – 2 ATM cards (different accounts) – Air Miles card – Esso Extra card – RAMQ Medicaire card (I never leave home without it!) – CAA card – CAA Arrest Bond and Bail Bond Certificate (hey, you never know!) – 2 Blockbuster cards (different locations) – Montreal General Hospital patient card (I’m a regular, unfortunately) – driver’s license + insurance + registration – a few bus/subway tickets – a couple of business cards – a few receipts

and of course…
– cash (but never enough, unfortunately)

The end.

Blork March 31, 2006

My wallet currently has almost the same as yours:
– driver’s license
– health card
– Indigo card
– 2 credit cards
– debit card
– QWF, STC, and Aeroplan membership cards
– transit pass
– 2 band-aids
– Indigo Cafe, Cafe Vienne, and Sushi Shop affinity cards
– $100 cash

But here’s the cool part: my wallet is less than 2 cm thick (that’s like… 3/4 of an inch). The key is not so much what’s in your wallet, but the wallet itself. Forget the classic design that gives you six or eight layers of leather (or plastic/fabric) when it’s folded over. My wallet is like a pouch. Only two thin sheets of leather.

BTW, I have a second wallet that I carry in my bag that has the rarely-needed and less important stuff in it.

Patrick Drake March 4, 2008

Hi there – I have been looking everywhere to find where I can get that the money clip that David Aames has in Vanilla Sky – its like a square paper clip – any ideas who makes it ? Much appreciated !

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