For the past several days I have been working on an article about finances. When Derek posted about his spending habits and his MyMint interview it gave me the idea to put up this little teaser as a slighlty-related-but-not-really-related-intro for my post coming later this week.
What’s in your wallet?
I usually carry about $20 cash plus my driver’s license, Visa debit card and a standard Visa (for emergencies). I also carry my Sheridan’s Frozen Custard Card and (of course) a few business cards.
The cash is for quick, small purchases or cash only places. Otherwise I use my debit card as often as possible because I earn a percentage back (which adds up to about $60 / year). I barely ever use my credit card: less than once a month, and always keep it at zero balance.
loud said:
$3 cash, 3 credit cards, driver’s license, 2 student ID’s, car insurance card, and a subway card. Wow, that’s so boring.
I highly recommend the BP Chase card. Get those free gas rewards, yo
Posted on April 10, 2007 at 8:56 pm
{Shawn} said:
@ Loud: How many stamps on the Subway card, or is it a metro card?
Posted on April 10, 2007 at 9:07 pm
Ronalfy said:
I have my Citi Mastercard, Three debit cards (Visa), Paypal Mastercard, Bank of America Mastercard, Barnes and Noble card, insurance card (car and medical), driver’s license, credit union membership card, two calling cards, and several business cards.
No cash
BTW, I only use my Citi Mastercard regularly and pay off the balance every month.
Posted on April 10, 2007 at 9:13 pm
Ronalfy said:
BTW, Notice I didn’t say my Social Security Card. That is just asking for trouble if you carry that around.
Posted on April 10, 2007 at 9:14 pm
Ben said:
I don’t use a wallet. Mine fell in the lake that used to home to Jim Bakker’s water park. I just carry cash and my license in my pocket.
Posted on April 10, 2007 at 9:16 pm
Ronalfy said:
I can’t carry cash in my wallet. It’s almost as if it’s screaming at me, “Spend me. Spend me.” I’m much more disciplined with plastic.
Posted on April 10, 2007 at 9:17 pm
Idhrendur said:
Looking in my wallet to see what I have will probably turn into a cleaning expedition…let’s see…
Yep. After cleaning, I have:
$15
Some business cards
Notes from friends (to make me smile)
Driver’s License (and older versions thereof)
Store-specific cards (Albertsons, Staples, Costco)
Information cards (Social Security, FAFSA Pin, last tetanus shot, username & password for training at work)
Alternate IDs (alumni association, college, library card)
Payment cards (ATM, credit card)
Yeah, I’ve got a full wallet. There was more junk in here before I threw it in the trash.
Posted on April 11, 2007 at 1:08 am
Liam said:
- A Jim Dunlop Pic (plectrum)
- SD Card
- £3 of coins
- About a dozen reciepts
- 2 London Eye Tickets
- 3 Visa Debit Cards
- Drivers Liscence
- Tesco Clubcard
- a Hotel door key card I forgot to give in on a check in last week!
- Costco Card
- National Insurance card (Is a UK thing)
- Wesley Owen Theolopgical Student Discount Card
- Ikea Family Card
- Starbucks Card with nothing on it
- My last 3 years of student ID cards
- 2 Business Cards, one for a suitmaker and the other for a Financial advisor
-Boots Advantage Card (UK Chemist store)
- Buy 5 coffee get one free stamp ticket from a local starbucks
- DVD rental Card
- NUS (national Union of Students) Card
- British Airways Executive Club Card,
and yes I did empty my wallet to write that list. Somebody beat that for a full wallet…!
Posted on April 11, 2007 at 2:13 am
Aaron said:
@Liam: Good to see another Brit in these parts :o)
Posted on April 11, 2007 at 3:42 am
Phil said:
I like the look of your wallet Shawn, don’t think I’ve ever seen one that simple! Does it have a special name or anything?
I currently have:
£15
Drivers License
1st Class Stamp
Uni Student Card
Uni Society Members Card
Debit Card
My National Insurance Number Card (randomly, it shouldn’t be there!)
Library Card
Virgin Records Student Card
Nottingham Forest Fixture list!
Starbucks Card!
Posted on April 11, 2007 at 5:05 am
Aaron said:
£4.62 in change :o)
£10 in note (bill) form
provisional drivers license
Visa Debit Card
Visa Credit Card
Delta Airlines Card
old NUS card.
Student coach travel discount card
YP Rail Card
Uni Library Card
National Insurance Card.
Random Recipts.
£5 British Home Stores voucher
Posted on April 11, 2007 at 5:23 am
{Shawn} said:
@ Phil: It’s a J. Crew magic wallet I got in California last month. I couldn’t find one on jcrew.com but there are random ones around the internet and on ebay.
Posted on April 11, 2007 at 6:13 am
Emily Mea said:
- driver’s license
- student ID from college (three years ago)
- wal-mart gift card that I use for gas money - can’t pass up the three cents off each gallon
- a Bed Bath & Beyond gift card
- medical, dental and presription drug insurance cards
- Lifeway discount card with one hole punched
- social security card
- a business card for Mr. Tim with Action Taxi because you never know when you’ll need a taxi (actually he gives his cards out to all of his children’s friends and requires us to cary them as a “just in case”)
- a check made out to IHOP that I need to send
- various receipts from the last several months
- my debit card
- Moe’s card (think Chipotle, but not as awesome)
Posted on April 11, 2007 at 6:19 am
Chana said:
Shalom,
What is in my wallet…
62 NIS
Bus pass
Debit card
Health Insurance card
Israel ID card
US driver’s license
Postage stamps
Shawn and others, wise decision on low usage of credit cards. Several years ago, I decided I had enough of debt, and 5 years later I have now attained my goal of living cash-only.
The check debit card I also try to avoid in case of fees, but it is still close to cash, if needed.
Posted on April 11, 2007 at 9:54 am
Rob said:
Lemme see.. umm..
- 20 pesos PHP(thats less than 1 dollar)
- High school Alimnus card
- University I.D.
- Village I.D.
(err, they don’t let me in my house without it)
- some business cards
- Tater’s POP club card (pop corn card)
- House of Praise membership card
- 2 sim cards
- some i.d. pictures (i have no idea why)
- and a piece of paper with a bunch of numbers on it.. dunno whose numbers these are..
- Arcade card
- pictures of some friends
man that was weird, i never really think of what i put in there. this wallets really old too, note to self, buy a new wallet.
Posted on April 11, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Robin said:
Gotta say “Thanks Shawn!” My wallet also needed some cleaning out. And there’s no better incentive than this!
-$4 in ones
-$.57 in change
-a random pound I found misplaced in a roll of quarters
-my tithe to pay at church tonight
-Texas driver’s license and SAGU id
-bank card and visa credit card
-a $10 movie gift card from Christmas that I still haven’t used
-Target, Penney’s, and Walmart credit cards belonging to my mom, for rare use
-library card
-car insurance card
-2 Marble slab cards
(among other random cards and odds and ends)
Posted on April 11, 2007 at 1:34 pm
David said:
-Some various bills
-business cards
-photo ID
-drivers permit
David
Posted on April 11, 2007 at 2:35 pm
David said:
-a few small bills
-business cards(not mine)
-ID
-Drivers permit
-David
Posted on April 11, 2007 at 2:40 pm
loud said:
Metro card. Man, now I’m craving Subway… it’s all about the meatball sub.
I found out during the Urbana conference this past winter that my Sidekick’s magnet erases hotel cards and possibly credit cards. So be careful about cell phones and cards in the same pocket
Posted on April 11, 2007 at 3:10 pm
{Shawn} said:
@ Loud: I’ve been ordering meatball subs since I was a kid. Same thing every time.
Posted on April 11, 2007 at 3:57 pm
David said:
@ Shawn:You guys know what you’re talking about! And I thought I was the only one. Meatball is where it’s at.
Posted on April 11, 2007 at 4:07 pm
caleb vaughn said:
I don’t use wallets much, i just put my cards and cash in my pocket and when i am at home, I put my cash inside a couch cushion (last place a theft would ever look).
Posted on April 11, 2007 at 6:08 pm
Troy said:
@Shawn: I like the wallet too, man. I wanted one of those for years, but never could figure out if I could make it work for me. Seeing your’s makes me jealous. =)
And I guess I too needed to do some wallet-cleaning. I’m usually on top of it, but it was time for a revisit. Mine’s thorough, but relatively efficient, I think.
In my wallet:
- Half-full Beanology coffee card
- 1.5 full Dunn Bros. coffee cards
- Mid-Continent Public Library card
- CVS card
- Red Cross Adult, Child and Infant First Aid and CPR certification cards
- Blockbuster card (for Total Access trade-ins)
- Mostly full Christian bookstore card
- Higher Grounds coffee debit receipt
- ATM receipt (I keep all receipts for balancing checkbook, and potential returns)
- Deposit slip (for until I’ve permanently memorized my “new” bank account number)
- IHOP business cards (all I’ve got for now)
- Home-made Scripture-art card from my early born-again days
- Dunn Bros. Coffee coupon that’s probably not even valid any more
- ICE info (almost all of which is out-of-date), on the back of an old business card
- Auto insurance card
- Health insurance card
- Driver’s license (haven’t gotten around to filling in the organ donor info yet)
- Support check I need to turn in
- Credit card (had it for 10 years, hardly use it, pay it off every month)
- Photo ID debit card
- Use for everything possible, unless it’s going to bite a small business owner for a small charge - Hamilton and a Washington (I hardly ever carry cash–NEVER more than $20; I can’t keep it either)
This was great; I’m cutting-and-pasting to save this info in case I ever lose my wallet..
Posted on April 12, 2007 at 4:20 pm
Christian said:
i carry about 70 euros ( in southern europe without cash you die!!)
2 amex cards but i just use the gold one
a gold master card
a maestro debt card
driving licence
master scuba certification card
Jaa fliyng licence
and plastic airport id to enter at work
some business cards
Posted on July 17, 2007 at 9:55 am