A tale of three wallets

Apart from the number of face products I use, I’ve also been a maximalist in regards to my purse. And by purse I mean tote bag. And by tote bag I mean my life!

I’m definitely one of those women who like to carry everything with her just in case. And just-in-casers can not carry small bags because where would you put that hand lotion, hand sanitizer, extra pads/tampons, pain killers, hair elastics, bobby pins, stamps, band-aids, lip gloss, lip stick, lip balm, powder, blotting papers, loyalty cards, credit cards, debit card, coins, insurance card, I.D., bus pass, old receipts, lucky cat talisman, single small googly-eye, mustache-shaped paperclip, 2 still-pertinent and positive fortunes from fortune cookies … Okay, maybe those last few aren’t universal. But you get what I mean.

I have tried to down-size before. And I was totally inspired by Cath doing it (read how she down-sized her purse here). But somehow (again, like my face products), the fewer things I tried to have, the more I acquired. Math isn’t my strong point, but when has 2 minus 1 equaled 65?!

So I realized just recently that things have gotten out of hand. Why? Do you see those two wallets to the left of the turquoise mini-wallet in the pic above? I was using both of those simultaneously. That’s how much stuff I was carrying. I mean who uses two full-sized wallets day-to-day?

It seemed sane at first. I bought the Michael Kors wallet because my office building has a number of security doors with card beepers. Forget your card and you’re stuck in the 4th floor cafeteria when you have a meeting in the conference room on the 22nd floor. This wallet has a handy wrist band and holds my phone, so I could always have my card and phone and be kinda hands-free too. There are slots for a few other cards so I thought great! No more bulky wallet, I just need a credit card, debit card and my office pass!

But then I had to go to the doctor’s one day and didn’t have my insurance card. And then I realized I needed to carry two credit cards because one of them offers me cash back on groceries (aren’t you so proud, Dad?!). I couldn’t fit everything into my spiffy Michael Kors wallet so I pulled out my much-loved and seven-year-old Marc wallet and added that to my ever expanding tote-that-wishes-it-were-a-purse.

wallet-2

But enough is enough! I’m sure, I have actually used the band-aids and the hand sanitizer in my stash of seemingly ultra-necessary things I carry — but not that often. Maybe once a year. So, I bought this cute little turquoise wallet and am going to see if I can handle at least a smaller wallet and then see if I can graduate to a smaller bag.

I mean, I don’t even own a small purse. All of my purses think they are purses because they are leather and not canvas, but cavernous totes they are. I figure this is safe though. I don’t get a bag unless I can live the lifestyle of the bag.

Something to work toward, but I’ll let you know if this just turns into me carrying three wallets instead!

 

6 thoughts on “A tale of three wallets”

  1. It’s a conundrum, really.

    You asked who uses two full-sized wallets? I have. 😀 Right now I’m down to one full-size wallet, one credit-card wallet, and a coin purse that holds business cards, frequent-buyer cards, etc. (And still, any cash I have gets jammed into my purse willy nilly.)

    I feel semi-organized but not streamlined at all. But I’ve accepted that this will likely be as streamlined as I get!

    1. Haha! Aunt Mare, I think it’s genetic. I feel much more comfortable carrying more wallets and I know my mom’s wallet is bursting at the seams. I have stuck with the little turquoise wallet for the last few weeks, but it feels wonderful and also anxiety-producing. I always think I’ll be forgetting some necessary card — though I haven’t yet. I guess this is a weening off period. I’ll let you know if I last!
      xoxox,
      Lar

  2. Nice post! I used to have only a small cross body bag. However, I know carry a Longchamps tote – the La Pilage Neo large in all black and spent years agonizing over whether to buy it.

    I actually like my large tote because out here (SF bay area) it switches from sunny t-shirt/long sleeve weather to I need a fleece and maybe even a light rain jacket super fast. My bag has: my wallet, car keys, headphones, cell phone, and sweater. I really like being able to carry an extra sweater or jacket. Also, if I don’t have a reusable shopping bag, I throw my groceries in the tote.

    I recently upgraded/lifestyle shift from the Longchamps to a Timbuk 2 bag in small. This is a big shift as I wanted something that is hands free (messenger bag) and will later double as a diaper bag. (baby on the way) I think this bag is actually slightly smaller but I am really loving it and using it the same as the Longchamps bag.

    I like to keep my bags as empty as possible and clean them out a lot. I’m not the go to person for lip balm or band aids, but I think I like carrying less stuff overall. It’s a constant deliberate effort though.

    1. It’s funny you mention your Longchamp, Clare! Cath and I are both using smaller versions at the moment to try our small purse experiment.

      Seattle isn’t quite as capricious as SF, but I do always have to have an umbrella with me, so I can’t carry a cute and tiny Celine cross body (knock-off ;D) even if I wanted to.

      I also agree with you that it is about being deliberate and clearing out your purse often. With the KonMari Method, I usually clean my purse out daily. It sounds insane, but works surprisingly well!

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