Wallet Alternatives for the Minimalist
Posted by Jon Lee in Efficiency, Personal, Reviews, tags: Efficiency, health, hipster, minimalism, minimalist, review, wallet
Long time readers of my blog will know that I’m all about being minimalistic and efficient — from getting things done with my Hipster PDA (mini version) to doing all my web development on a portable usb drive.
Another step in minimalism and efficiency can come in slimming down something you carry with you every single day: your wallet.
There are many types of wallets but the one most people would be familiar the one that is bursting at the seams, barely fits in your back pocket, and makes you sit lopsided. It has been affectionately known as a George Costanza wallet since being featured on an episode of Seinfeld where it literally exploded. The danger of explosion aside, large wallets in the back pocket have been shown to be a contributor to back pain and poor posture.
What do you REALLY need to carry?
- Credit card (maybe 2)
- Bank card
- Drivers license
- One or two other cards (transit pass, membership cards etc.)
- A little bit of cash
Wallets for the Minimalist
All of the following wallets can easily carry the things listed above yet manages to remain small stylish.
Slimmy series
The Slimmy series may seem expensive for the amount of physical material you get but what you’re paying for is the shear genius of the wallet design. It consists of a few flaps of leather held together on just two sides. Cards and cash slide easily in and out yet do not fall out. You can get the Slimmy in three different flavors: The regular Slimmy, the ViewSlimmy with a transparent ID window or the SlimSlimmy for the ultra-minimalist.
Jimi Wallet
The Jimi wallet looks more like a toy than a wallet but has a certain unique charm to it. Within it’s plastic enclosure, you can store pretty much anything you want. It has a card slot and a clip to hold your cash and is available in many different colors. Apparently its a popular choice amongst those in Silicon Valley. You can opt to carry this in your pocket or where it around your neck via a lanyard. Personally, it’s a little too “out there” for me.
Dopp Regatta 88 Series
This is wallet I personally use. It has 4 slots for cards, an ID window and opens up in the middle on two sides to store bills. Although it only has 4 slots, I find that I can comfortably store up to 6 cards in it. The ID window is perfect for me because I need to show my ID card a lot. The nice thing about the Dopp Regatta over some of the other wallets mentioned is that it holds Canadian bank notes (which are slightly larger than American bills) without having it protrude from the wallet.
ALL-ETT Billfold
The ALL-ETT Billfold is the only “real” wallet in the list. It folds and unfolds like a regular wallet but the material it is made out of is super thin yet durable. It is similar to parachute material (it sounds crispy when you wrinkle it which may annoy some people). They also make an executive version that has leather lining but is not as thin as the pure ALL-ETT billfold.
Hipster Wallet
A Hipster Wallet is similar to a Hipster PDA in that all you need is a binder clip. This is certainly the cheapest and simplest of all the options but not exactly the most attractive
Take some time to trim down your wallet and relieve backpain! If you have a lot of store membership or discount cards, you may want to consider consolidating them onto a single card.
What wallet do you use? Leave a comment!
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I have a Jimi wallet; I’ve used it for over a year now. I love it, and people always ask you about it when you pull it out.
yea i use one of those tumi wallets with a money clip inside (still looks like a normal wallet) and its pretty big pimpin. i only have like 5 or 6 cards in it and some bills, so it stays pretty flat and doesnt make sitting uncomfortable.
~Mike
I’m one of those weird people that puts their wallet in the front pocket. Front right pocket, it’s always been that way, front left for keys.
Actually that’s what I do too but I couldn’t do it before when I had a large wallet. It just made my legs look lopsided lol.
I have the ALL-ETT myself, loving it!
LOL. That first wallet reminds me of the Seinfeld wallet that George had. My wife MADE me start carrying my wallet in my front pocket after we got married, and I promptly ruined several back pockets in my pants. Now I have the inspiration to downsize…
Good post! I never thought what all rubbish i carry around in my wallet for no reason! I looked thru it and i found a plastic magnifying glass, pix of my long dead dogs, 3 different expired ids of some or other sort and lots of unnecessary change. Needless to say, my wallet is now a great deal lighter! and in a nice way.
My brother has a few wallets and he will always say he forgot his wallet even though he is already holding on to one. I really don’t understand why he needs so many credit cards and all the other junkies. I thought only woman needed more space for junks
I just inspected my wallet and found so much junk that could easily be discarded that it is not funny. Thank you for this very timely post. It opened my eyes to a silly habit of putting all kinds of things into my wallet. Shall keep inspecting in future to discard useless stuff.
I used to have a very very thin wallet with nothing but credit cards and my identity. It is so “minimalist” and small that I lost it. Guess it is a price for being too light and small
I now use thick fat wallets!
Jean
http://www.urbanload.com
I don’t believe that wallet is only for carrying money and there are more uses of that. It can’t be replaced soon.
My wallet is starting to look like George Costanza’s so I need to do something about it before I through my back out. I may go back to my money clip if I can find it.
I’m one of those weird people that puts their wallet in the front pocket.
The things that makes wallets bulky are receipts that should go to the trash. About the Hipster wallet, what an idea!
But this post is really good reminding us to clean our wallets.
I am just thinking that what will we carry in our back pocket ?? will they be disappear?
This is nice post. I have seen wallets bursting out of peoples pockets, but really never thought of writing a whole article over it. Good one…..LOL
LOL I wonder how long it took to come up with a whole post about wallets. Either way good job, but I still like my plain old fashioned leather wallet.
Mine is the same in the picture, bursting at the seams!
my wallet almost like that ..i need a hand bag to put my things!
Heck i just went out and got myself a nice new wallet, some months down the line i will find it stuffed with all sorts of crap, Sigh!
Hey where did you find my wallet ? oh sorry not mine lol
Have you seen the london underground map wallet? Now that’s something to be wreckoned with!
I hate carrying around a wallet. Ever since tight(er) jeans came back in fashion it is a real pain (literally) to fit one in the pocket. Also, I almost never keep it in the back pocket since hearing about a friend who did so for a number of years and developed serious back alignment issues (it makes you sit lopsided). I would be much happier with one of those slim wallets and ditching dollar bills and coins altogether. What I need most is my debit and credit card and a piece of ID. And some rollies.
I think I’ll stick with my slim leather wallet… but nice financial advice lol
never put your wallet in your back pocket, it makes it easier for pick pockets. If you put it in your front pocket it sits next to your meat and two veg, so if anyone tries to touch it, you will know about it.
Haha that’s always a danger with small things eh.
But I imagine that losing a fat wallet would be much more devastating considering the amount of stuff that’s in there!
I’ve never heard of it but I just looked it up… wow, that is quite ingenious! But you’re right, it is a beast of a wallet.
Another great reason to get a slim front pocket wallet! You wouldn’t want a big wallet like that bulging out the side of your pants!
Not as long as you might think
All the research was done months ago when I was looking for a minimalist wallet myself, heh.
I also use a Dopp Regatta 88 Series type of wallet. First of all it’s slim, I always look for that in a wallet because I can not stand a bulging wallet. Secondly it limiting me to just 4 card slots, allows me to leave my credit cards at home and just carry my debit card, 2 membership cards I use regularly and my garage card. The ID window works well for my drivers’ licence. Thirdly, I usually don’t like carrying that much cash on me, so it’s perfect for a few notes, and I don’t store my coins in my wallet because they make it tear quite quickly. So with all I need in my wallet it can still maintain it’s slimness and remains inconspicuous in my pocket.
Ideal gift for the guys…
Dopp Regatta 88 Series here, but I am thinking about moving to a Slimmy as the former does not feel very comfortable (especially when stuffed), withe the Slimmy stuffing is just not possible.
That is one heavy and loaded wallet that i have seen and that we the same way ones my wallet looked like. Now a days I keep removing things that I don’t want almost everyday so in that eay My wallet stays slim and looks good as a new one.
Thanks for the post. I recently bought a slimmy wallet off of Ebay and am loving it! I put my wallet in my front pocket now, avoiding that annoying back pain you get from sitting on a thick wallet!
The jimi wallet looks sweet! I want one.
I have had the same wallet for years. I got it from my dad. Its a nice leather one, but its starting to fall apart.
If you’re interested in a minimalist wallet with some style, check out the Mont Blanc memo pad. It’s actually a combination note pad, card case, and wallet. On one side, it has three slots for cards and one slot for cash; on the flip side, there’s a handy note pad that easily holds 3-4 sheets of paper. This durable piece is the same size as a wallet in length and width, but much thinner! And it’s Mont Blanc, so the quality is guaranteed. I’ve been using mine for several years with no complaints.
My wallet had a tended to expand its girth too often, and my fiance (now wife)bought me a black leather Mont Blanc Meisterstuck 6-credit card bi-fold (with divided bill compartment) and its been super! She loves the classy appearance–and its almost four years old–and it has really improved with use (the leather’s patina and softening). It was so nice that when I got it, it made me purge its excess contents regularly…keeping it compact and comfortable in my back pocket. Highly recommended for quality and design simplicity…and character…only without it when I’m in the nude!
I personally use the very thin guy. just enough for me to carry cards and a little cash
These wallets are all cool for thier own reasons, but my favorite thin wallet is not shown amongst these…
My favorite wallet is the Flipside wallet from FlipsideWallet.com. Its made from high strength plastics and aluminum alloy, stays slim and compact and never bulges, locks itself shut, has clear compartments to see all of your stuff, and even shields your credit cards from RFID theft!
I got a Flipside Wallet in black off thier site, and get compliments every time i take it out. By far my favorite wallet!
I’m with you on the this wallet, if its too big it hurts your bum
[...] year, I wrote an article discussing wallet alternatives for the minimalist. The nice people over at Rogue Wallet saw this article and I guess they didn’t want to be [...]
these wallet alternatives are great ideas! I also used minimalist wallets as they reduce the bulkiness of my pockets. I also found this great video on howcast.com on how to make a paper wallet Now that is a minimalist wallet!
I love and use the Jimi wallet as it helps me lessen the back weight and thus lessening my recurring lower back pain. I treat ‘jimi Wallet’ as my lower back pain relief now lol.
[...] I have a passion for minimalist gadgets and gear. In particular, I’ve written a post about alternative wallets for the minimalist. In that post, I mentioned several wallets including the one I used at the time. A company even [...]
The thinnest wallet I have ever encountered is the PaperWallet. it is durable made out of a recyclable material water resistant and beautiful.
it is by far the best wallet I have ever owned, I am in love with it. INSANE wallet!!
they have a website check it out. I promise you its better than all of the wallets above.