What do you recommend I carry in my first wallet?

I was given a wallet today and I've already put some money in it. I don't know what other things I should put in it, maybe my ID.

54 points · 55 comments · view on lemmy.world

55 Comments

vk6flab@lemmy.radio · 46 pts · 174d (2 replies)

In my experience, as little as possible.

The more you pack into it, the more you carry around, the higher the risk if it's lost, or worse, stolen, not to mention the more it affects wear and tear on your clothing.

Less is more!

Remember_the_tooth@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 174d (1 reply)

Nah, get some topsider shoes or penny loafers, khaki shorts, woven leather belt, a golf shirt and some aviator sunglasses. Then load that bad boy up with any and all cards you can find. Stuff it until the calfskin is warped and about ready to burst. Then shove it in your back pocket and sit on it for several decades. Ignore any contrary advice from orthopedics.

Know_not_Scotty_does@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 174d

Make sure you get a good one with multiple fold out compartments too, maximum leather. Bonus if it's ostrich skin or crock skin to really bulk up the wallet.

heyWhatsay@slrpnk.net · 33 pts · 174d (2 replies)

Get a library card, always underrated

compostgoblin@piefed.blahaj.zone · 7 pts · 174d (1 reply)

Having fun, isn’t hard

sem@piefed.blahaj.zone · 5 pts · 174d

When you've got, a library card!

IWW4@lemmy.zip · 27 pts · 174d (3 replies)
  • ID
  • Important Phone Numbers
  • If you are on an meds a card with the correct spelling and dosage
Cromer4ever@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 174d (1 reply)

Thank you so much! I'll definitely keep that in mind.

Screen_Shatter@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 174d

Also health insurance card. I usually keep my dental and vision as well but those are less necessary. Just handy to have.

JayGray91@piefed.social · 1 pts · 174d

Important Phone Numbers

I really should do this. And here I am mid 30s and 2X years carrying a wallet lol

ace_garp@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 174d (1 reply)

2 bandaids

A note(maybe laminated) saying:

"LOST wallet. Call 555-4678 for reward. Thanks "

Keep 50 bucks at home, for when someone shows up.

Cromer4ever@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 174d

What an original idea xDD

GreyShuck@feddit.uk · 8 pts · 174d

I have my driving licence, work ID, a first aid quick reference, postage stamps and one of those Swiss army knife credit card sized things as well as cash and bank cards.

TheLeadenSea@sh.itjust.works · 8 pts · 174d

Bank cards, loyalty cards, other cards...

MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 174d

FYI: do not sit on a wallet. That can cause/irritate Sciatica.

Keep in front pocket, or other carry all item, eg: backpack, courier bag.. etc.

Postmortal_Pop@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 174d (1 reply)

I keep a laminated 4 leaf clover in mine.

melisdrawing@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 174d

Me too!

morphballganon@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 174d

Plenty of people are answering your question, so let me give you a warning. If you put a gift card to an obscure store or punch card for a barbershop in there, you will absolutely forget you have it.

aramis87@fedia.io · 6 pts · 174d

Driver's license. Credit/debit card. Library card. RFID blocker (if not built into wallet).

Health insurance card. Important medical information (like I dunno, "Diabetic" or "allergic to penicillin"). Contact information for next of kin [can be the same card as health information].

An emergency twenty dollar bill.

HubertManne@piefed.social · 6 pts · 174d (2 replies)

Does it block rfid? If not not anything with rfid unless they are in rfid blocking sleeves.

brunchyvirus@fedia.io · 3 pts · 174d

Depends, on what you're trying to protect. EMV transactions are far more secure and don't actually transmit any bank info, they're just one time transaction hashes generated cryptographically that are only valid for a short time.

You're more likely to come across a skimmer at a gas station that's reads you card details of the mag stripe, or having your card leaked in a data breach.

The only time I've seen RFID really being attacked is red teams tricking employees to clone security badges outside office buildings. So I guess put your security badge in an RFID sleeve around your neck lol

fullsquare@awful.systems · 2 pts · 174d

take any aluminum can, cut it open, cut a plate fitting in your wallet, insert it there so that it sits on external surface if your walket, done, that's your yeehaw rfid blocking sleeve, extra mass 1g

if you want to scan bus pass you can put that card on external side of it

Witchfire@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 174d

An uno reverse card

It's come in handy more times than I'd like to admit

Nighed@feddit.uk · 5 pts · 174d
  • At least one payment card
  • travel cards
  • driving license/ID
  • organ donation card (I stick mine on the back of my ID)
  • at least one coin for supermarket trolleys
  • some notes, just in case.
  • work building access card
Nioxic@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 4 pts · 174d

Only things you wanna lose

Sure you need some cash but dont put your life savings in there, just enough for todays shopping/sandwich

finallymadeanaccount@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 174d

Traditionally, a condom. But only for a decade or so. Just long enough for it to mark an eternal shape of dismal circumstance.

AmidFuror@fedia.io · 3 pts · 174d

The phone number for someone giving the first guitar lesson for free

Proprietary_Blend@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 174d

AR-15

FinjaminPoach@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 174d

When you have your first wallet you're probably pretty low on stuff to put in, so stuff in anything that seems appropriate to you. When I was a kid I put buttons in because broke cartoon characters always paid with buttons and I figured it'd be worth a shot.

some things my wallet has had in it since i was 16 years old until today:

::: spoiler spoiler

  • a stamp I like the look of, in the really hard to reach bit with a see-through pocket
  • an old ticket to a tourist site because it has a cool design on it
  • a bus pass
  • student ID
  • driver license
  • currency + foreign currency
  • a thumbdrive for uni work in my coin section
  • a discount card i got mailed for getting student membership to a professional license board
  • a card saying I'm a stem cell donor, but idk what it does. I think it's just a helpline phone number.
  • political party membership card
  • dental floss (jk... But maybe it's an idea) :::
sparkles@piefed.zip · 3 pts · 174d
[ removed ]
Talos@sopuli.xyz · 3 pts · 174d (5 replies)

An Apple Air Tag

Cromer4ever@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 174d (4 replies)

Here in Paraguay it's very difficult to find one

Chozo@fedia.io · 5 pts · 174d (2 replies)

Weird, they're supposed to be very easy to find!

protogen420@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 2 pts · 174d (1 reply)

apple products are simply too overpriced for most people that don't live in the USA

Cromer4ever@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 173d

You're right, the iPhone 11 is very common here. Samsung and Xiaomi dominate the market. Plus, Apple's prices are ridiculously inflated.

Talos@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 173d

There are some very cheap alternatives out there, especially on Amazon but probably also very easy to find on other vendor websites. Some of them are even credit-card shaped so much easier to fit in a wallet. Work with either iOS or Android.

NotASharkInAManSuit@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 174d

As little as possible.

Diddlydee@feddit.uk · 2 pts · 174d

I'd recommend getting a short chain that straps to your belt if you're keeping it in your trouser pockets. The last thing you want is to lose the thing with all your important stuff. It should be attached to you one way or another.

Retro_unlimited@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 173d

When I had my wallet all setup, I like to take out all cards and get a photo of the front and back of all cards.

If it’s ever stolen then you can see the photos for the phone to call and report stolen and the card numbers too. You also know what was in the wallet too.

vext01@lemmy.sdf.org · 2 pts · 174d

A tracker, in case you lose it.

palordrolap@fedia.io · 2 pts · 174d (4 replies)

Don't put an official government ID in there. A separate card wallet is always a good plan. Put any card IDs in there instead.

Do put a card in there with your name and contact details along with name and contact details of next of kin. If your wallet didn't come with such a card, any old bit of cardboard or folded paper will do, so long as it doesn't look like a joke.

Doing that saved my bacon once or twice, or at least I assume that's how the people who found me knew who to contact.

As for what money to put in there, amounts and so on, it's going to depend on how often you pay cash, how much you pay when you do, and how much you'd be OK with losing if you lost your wallet (or worse).

Lumidaub@feddit.org · 1 pts · 174d (2 replies)

Edit: ignore me, I need to learn to read lol

> Don’t put an official government ID in there.

This depends heavily on where you live. Where I am, while it's not a crime or anything to not have it with you, you are required to HAVE one and it isn't worth the tedious hassle it'll cause if you're required to show it (unless you actively plan to antagonise the police which is valid).

palordrolap@fedia.io · 2 pts · 174d (1 reply)

That's why you have that in a different wallet elsewhere on your person.

In my case, the card wallet goes inside my jacket, and the cash wallet goes in my back trouser pocket. And in the front pocket if I think pickpockets are likely.

Lumidaub@feddit.org · 1 pts · 174d

Oh now I see, I misread your comment as "don't make yourself easily identifiable in these dark and fascist times". Carry on :)

Cromer4ever@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 174d

Regarding the topic of money, where I live cash is still common (I live far from the capital) I usually carry a little cash, about $5 or so. When I turn 18, I'll start using digital wallets. Thanks for the advice!

Mac@mander.xyz · 1 pts · 174d

I have:

Driver's licence
Work Badge
Two credit cards

That's it.

daggermoon@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 173d

A shiv

cymbal_king@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 170d

Your local public transit card

Kolanaki@pawb.social · 1 pts · 174d

More money.

Etterra@discuss.online · 1 pts · 174d

Driver's license or ID, car insurance card, credit/debit card, an emergency medical and allergy info card if you need it, medical/prescription drug insurance cards, a spare car or house key. Where you live may change that. DO NOT carry your Social Security card (US) - that should be in a secure place at home, like a safe or lockbox.

spittingimage@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 174d (4 replies)

A condom.

Apart from the obvious use, you can carry water in it if there's an emergency.

GargleBlaster@feddit.org · 6 pts · 174d

Please don't carry condoms around in your wallet. They can easily break in situations when you definitely don't want them to break.

Cromer4ever@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 174d (2 replies)

It would be pointless in my case, because who wants to be with a weirdo who collects coins?

meejle@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 174d

a) Don't sell yourself short bro, many of the best people are weirdos

b) You are going to feel SO stupid if you meet a horny coin fanatic tomorrow and have to turn them down

Lumidaub@feddit.org · 2 pts · 174d

People who might need someone with a vessel to carry water in it if there's an emergency.

pishadoot@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 174d

I thought your post was asking what to carry in your fish wallet