How to Select and Use a Tidy, Compact Wallet

 

 

What kind of wallets should I select that fit our lifestyle?

 

 

We know wallets change their shapes and sizes as we change the types of currency. People started using credit cards, prepaid IC cards, and smartphones for payment. Modern wallets should suit for those payment methods.

 

Let's find the wallet that you can store money smart, and easy to bring everywhere, and make it possible to have you a minimal lifestyle.

 

 

 

Checklist for your wallet

 

Before selecting a new wallet, let's see how you use your current wallet. 

 

□Do you use a credit card for most of all payments?

 

□Do you bring more than two cards every time?

 

□You startle when you go to a shop/restaurant where the available payment is cash only.

 

□You always carry more than three different cards like an insurance card and drivers license, besides a credit card.

 

□You do not renew your wallet for more than a few years.

 

□You do not know exactly how much cash you always carry.

 

 

If you check multiple answers on the checklist, it would be good timing to change your wallet to compact, thin one. You may feel anxious if you do not carry a long thick wallet at first, but it is a good chance to organize and recognize essentials inside the wallet.

 

 

Three rules to tidy up your wallet

 

In addition to changing your wallet, there are some rules that you should know to keep your wallet neat.

 

 

 

Rule 1: Carry only one/two credit cards

 

Some of you carry lots of credit cards to distinguish the use depending on shops. But having too much credit cards cause you hard to manage all payments dates and expenses, and also become a reason for a thick wallet. So we recommend selecting minimum amounts of credit cards, maybe one or two. If you have more than three different cards, choose one or two that you always carry in a wallet.

 

 

Rule 2: Check unnecessary membership cards/rewards cards regularly

 

 

Aren't there any membership cards and rewards cards that you actually never use? Those cards become causes of your wallet to be heavy and thick. If you have some of them, think about different ways to carry. Some of the cards could be placed by online services. Managing unnecessary cards is one of the crucial ways to keep your wallet tidy.

 

 

Rule 3: Remove receipts immediately

 

Do you keep receipts in your wallet? Receipts are a sheet of thin paper but cause a mess. When you go back to your home, look through and remove them immediately. Or just say "No receipt" at a shop/restaurant if you do not need it. Try not to make your wallet "a black box"!

 

 

Try not to have too many small changes

 

 

As you know, if you started having too many coins in your wallet, the wallet is getting heavy and looks bad. The tip for not having excessive coins is the calculation on cash payment.

 

When you pay 670 yen in total and pay with 1000 yen, the change is going to be 330 yen, which means you'll receive six coins. But when you pay 1070 yen instead, the change is going to be 400 yen (which means you only get four coins). It depends on kinds of currency, but some easy calculations work nicely to keep your wallet light and thin.

 

 

Thin, compact wallets which keep inside neat

 

Now, let's find functional wallets that fit your smart lifestyle.

 

Practical wallets for minimalists

 

An Australian brand, Bellroy produces simple leather wallets and card cases. The brand creates a slim wallet with fewer layers and selects the recyclable materials for the packages. Bellroy focuses on making a wallet compact and minimal and easy-to-carry.

 

 

 

CARD SLEEVE is the thinnest item in Bellroy. It is made for cards, but you can place folded bills too. There is a pull tab on the top, and you can easily take out cards.

 

□ Good points:

- It is super thin and compact.

- A convenient pull tab attached.

- You can store cards on each side. 

- Suits for a pocket.

 

 

□ Bad points:

- You need to fold bills. 

- Cannot pack coins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bellroy's NOTE SLEEVE WALLET has larger space than CARD SLEEVE. It has pockets for both cards and bills. It also has a pocket on a back of the main card pocket with a pull tab. By having separated pockets, you can keep your cards and bills orderly.

 

NOTE SLEEVE WALLET is able to pack about 10 different cards. So it would be a nice wallet for cardholders. About packing coins, you can use a small pocket which is inside the pocket for bills. Try not to have too many coins!

 

 

□ Good points:

 

- Separate compartments for cards, bills, and coins

- A large volume for cards

- Still compact

 

 

□ Bad points:

- Relatively small space for coins

 

 

 

Wallets with a wide-open fastener

 

 

 

When you have a small wallet, you may realize it is a little hard to find coins and bills inside. But with a wide-open fastener, it would be easy to use.

 

ARTS&CRAFTS' COMPACT TWIN PURSE has a fastener which shaped like "L," and could be opened widely. It has multiple compartments inside, and you can put cards and bills separately. Use a pocket on the front for coins.

 

 

□ Good points:

- Has compartments and designed to place bills and cards neatly

- With a wide-open fastener, easy to look inside

- A functional front pocket for coins

 

□ Bad points:

- Need to fold bills

 

 

If you only need coins and a card

 

 

 

As you have been reading already, a place for coins is the important point to make your wallet compact and tidy. If you only want to carry minimum coins and a credit card, selecting a coin case is also a nice idea to carry smartly.

 

APTO's COIN CASE is a small flat case for coins. One IC/credit card could be stored separately. The slim coin case could fit in your pocket smoothly.

 

 

□ Good points:

- So flat and easy to put into a pocket

- A card can be stored separately

 

□ Bad points:

- Cannot put bills

 

 

 

 

If you need a little more space inside, APTO's 3WAY INSTANT WALLET would be useful. The product has three different components; one for bills, another for coins and the rest is for cards. By inserting the coin case/card case into the pocket of bill wallet, you can use the different units together. If you only carry coins/cards, use each unit separately.

 

 

□ Good points:

- Useful in multiple ways

- Could be used separately

- Has space for bills

 

 

□ Bad points:

- If you carry all together, the wallet becomes a little thick

 

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▼Find more compact, functional wallets here