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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