Don’t Leave Home Without Following These Wallet/Purse Tips

First Published Date : December 8, 2011

“Why carry something if you don’t need it?” Twenty years ago, a senior taxi driver in New York City gave me that advice – the best wallet tip ever and I have been religiously following it ever since. Today, I will share some wallet or purse tips you should follow to make your life easier, simpler, and safer.

1. Go through your wallet and get rid of everything you will not use on a regular basis. There is no point carrying all the cards and receipts in your wallet. I keep only those what I use everyday. If I use a credit or debit card occasionally, I leave it home and only keep it with me when I will be using it.

2. At any point, you should know exactly what items are in your wallet. This way, if you lose anything you will be able to detect it right away, reducing your chances for being a victim if someone else gets ahold of your cards.

3. Make a list of everything you carry in your wallet. Write down your credit card number, customer service phone number, and anything else you would require to block your credit or debit cards in case of theft or loss of your wallet. Better yet, you can scan the back and front of all your cards as well. Keep this list handy at home, in hotel safe, or online securely in such a way that you will have access to it when you need to call your financial institutions in case of emergency.

4. Do not carry wallet in your rear pocket. Thieves use very sharp tools to cut pockets and it’s a lot easier to cut when it’s in your back or rear pocket.

5. Be careful and pay attention to what’s going on around you. Thieves work together in crowded places and try to distract you by pushing you, causing artificial arguments among themselves, or anything else to cause distractions so they can use that split second to grab your wallet while you are distracted.

6. Keep some cash separated from your wallet in a different place on you. If you lose your wallet, this ensures that at least you will have some money to get home.

7. Do not keep your home or car keys in your wallet. If thieves get ahold of keys, they will be easily able to access your home or car because it’s not hard to find information (home address on driver’s license, vehicle information on insurance or registration card, etc.) leading thieves to further carry on their operations.

8. Do not write your PIN number on the back of your cards or carry it with you in your wallet. Also, do not use your date of birth, postal code, or your phone number as your PIN. If thieves have your wallet, they will have access to enough information to guess your PIN by going through your wallet.

9. Do not leave your wallet in a jacket, coat, or anywhere else if you’re checking out these items in a restaurant, movie theatre, or anywhere else.

10. If you are wondering what’s in my wallet, here are the items I always carry with me if I am in Toronto:

– One bank card (Interac card)
– One credit card
– Driver’s license
– Toronto Transit Commission Metropass

If I travel, I modify these items depending on where I am traveling to.

NB – You do not need to carry your rewards or points card anymore as smart phone apps have the capability to carry these cards digitally on your smart phone.

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