What’s in YOUR wallet? (Or Purse?)

my money clip
It’s been a loooong time since you last peered into my wallet (errr, money clip), so I thought it would be fun to divulge all the secrets yet again ;)  I’m one of those people who REALLY enjoys being all voyeuristic w/ this stuff (just like you, right?) so the more people who participate, the more fun we get to have!

And then when you’re done, be sure to check out my my interview going on over at John’s blog, Free Money Wisdom.  He asked this question at the very end, among a lot of other great ones re: blogging, and it reminded me I wanted to blog about this again.  So thanks homie!

Okay, so here’s what’s in MY money clip… get sexcited!!

  1. Driver’s license –You *always* need to carry identification on you, no matter what!  It’s super important for many reasons, but mainly safety.
  2. $31 in cash – (3 tens and 1 one) Cash is VERY important to me – I can’t tell you how many times I need a dollar or two really badly, and having some on me saved the day.  Yeah I still use credit cards for 99% of my purchases, but I’m a firm believer that having cash on you at all times is important.  Don’t be one of those people who are always asking a friend for a few bucks!  Or “forgetting their wallet” making you have to pay for things (the downside of always having cash on you, haha…)
  3. USAA World MasterCard #1. – For all my “personal” stuff. Clothes, trinkets, candy, pretty much anything non-related to household items or our “family” stuff.
  4. USAA World MasterCard#2 – For our “house” stuff. Anything home or family related like our cable bill, groceries, pet stuff, dates, etc. I don’t use this one as much since a lot of our bills are automated online, but Mrs. BudgetsAreSexy does a lot. Especially when food shopping (and I love her for it!)
  5. USAA Personal debit card – Really annoying to hang on to, and I sometimes take it out every few weeks, but this is my one and only way of getting cash.  I hit up the ATM once a month and snag $200 (so I can be sure to *always* have cash on me!) but then after that it just sits in there ’till the next month… and takes up what little space I have in that money clip! ;)
  6. Amex – This is for all my business expenses.  Which I use fairly often, especially with Love Drop since we fly somewhere every single month.
  7. Starbucks gold card – Personalized and everything! Haha… yeah… umm…. no excuses here ;) But you DO get a lot of crazy ass discounts with this card!  And I have a stack of 15+ FREE coffees sitting on my desk because we used to use it so much :)  Now it rarely comes out, mainly cuz I work at home .

Your turn!  What does YOUR wallet (or purse) say about you?  Are you a cash monger or credit card lover?  Or a healthy mix of both?  I think it’s hella interesting seeing what people carry around with them every day, it says a lot about ’em just like their shoes!  (but we’ll save that one for another day – I know some of y’all spend a pretty penny on those bad boys ;)).

Can’t wait to see whatcha got! Happy Friday!!

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46 Comments

  1. Maria Nedeva July 29, 2011 at 7:27 AM

    OK, my turn (and OMG! I am the first one to post comment).

    1) £2.20 cash
    2) Debit cart for current account (checking account?)
    3) Credit card 1 (personal for Amazon and iTunes)
    4) Credit card 2 (work related expenses only)
    5) Card for ‘I am so worth it’ account
    6) Charge card (household stuff paid every month automatically)
    7) An empty card saying ‘calm, prosperity, love’ (yes I wrote this but it was given to me by a Tarod card reader)
    8) Waterstones card with £2.30 credit (will have to use it as some point)
    9) Bill for my spectacles
    10) a pretend million dollar bill for good luck (and to signal my wish to the Universe)

    This is it. A year ago I did organise it though – found things I lost years ago (and not only ones that belonged).

  2. Andy July 29, 2011 at 7:43 AM

    1. Driver’s License
    2. Chase Freedom Master Card
    3. Discover Card
    4. Debit Card
    5. Graduate School Student ID (even though I’m done I use it for student discounts!)
    6. My undergrad student ID (which is 13 years old and I don’t know why I keep it in my wallet)
    7. Miniature undergrad diploma (the school gave these to everyone and I don’t know why it’s in my wallet either)
    8. Regal Crown Club card for movie rewards
    9. Trump Casino card (I haven’t been to a Trump casino in a few years so I guess I can take that out)
    10. Mine and my girlfriend’s business card
    11. A punch card for a Thai buffet
    12. Insurance cards
    13. A fortune from a fortune cookie that says “You look pretty”, because I do.
    14. $0.00

  3. J. Otwell July 29, 2011 at 8:38 AM

    I carry a small clutch wallet inside is:

    1. Work cell
    2. Personal cell
    3. Keys
    4. 2 quarters and 2 pennies
    5. Credit card holder which has:
    a. Driver’s license
    b. Debit card #1
    c. Debit card #2
    d. Business Amex
    e. Visa #1
    f. Visa #2
    g. HSA debit card
    h. Tracking number for passport renewal

  4. Kevin July 29, 2011 at 9:20 AM

    0x01. Driver’s License
    0x02. Car Insurance Information (I lose it in the glove box so I keep one copy in my wallet)
    0x03. Health Insurance Card
    0x04. Library Card
    0x05. Blood Donor ID Card
    0x06. $10 gas card (got from the last time I donated blood)
    0x07. Debit Card
    0x08. Credit Union CC (Visa)
    0x09. Chase CC (MC)
    0x0a. BoA CC (Amex)
    0x0b. Bank Account Number Card
    0x0c. Store Cards (ABC, Panera, Pet Smart, Staples)
    0x0d. Theme Park Passes (Sea World, KSC, Disney)
    0x0e. $30 in cash (need to put in bank before I spend it)
    0x0f. Gas receipts (way too many of these)
    0x10. A toothpick… I hope this was unused… how the heck did it get in here?
    0x11. Old Staff ID from work

    Obviously I need to do some cleaning and purging. Two of those theme park passes are expired. I don’t need the staff ID. And the insurance card… it’s my old one… the new one is in the glove box. The most disturbing thing is the toothpick. I don’t remember putting one in my wallet. I can be such a bird brain some times.

  5. HP July 29, 2011 at 9:23 AM

    1. Health Insurance Cards
    2. Drivers License
    3. AMEX (for pretty much everything as long as they accept it)
    4. Schwab Debit Card (best checking account ever created)
    5. Business Cards (for networking/schmoozing)
    6. Metro Card (for transportation to work and around the city)
    7. ZipCar Card (when #6 won’t get me where I need to go)

  6. LB July 29, 2011 at 9:41 AM

    How about lunch bag? I don’t carry my purse with me during the week.

    1)Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks most days. Working 11 hour days, 5 days a week it is so much easier just to have food available at work.
    2)2 work badges
    3)driver license
    4)debit card
    5)costco credit card
    6)pens
    7)$15 in cash
    8)doctor’s note
    9)consealer
    10)random vitamins (HA! it must be Friday, because I find that funny)

  7. No Debt MBA July 29, 2011 at 9:43 AM

    My wallet is packed!
    1) Fidelity AmEx (2% on everything!)
    2) BoA Debit
    3) HSBC Debit
    4) BoA Visa
    5) ~$15 in cash
    6) College ID (shhh! no expiration date!)
    7) 3 Gift cards
    8) Health insurance
    9) Library
    10) Public transit card
    11) Assorted receipts (have a return to make and then I’ll clean these out)
    12) CVS card
    13) Car insurance
    14) AAA
    15) ID for work
    16) My SO’s business card
    17) Drivers license

    Damn, longest list yet!! I guess mine says I like to be prepared? Congrats J$, your list is less than half of mine!

  8. Tim July 29, 2011 at 10:02 AM

    1. Conoco gas car (for emergencies)
    2. Credit union debit car (I use this for pretty much everything. I rarely carry cash)
    3. Credit Union Visa Credit Card
    4. Driver Licence
    5. Various punch cards/points cards
    6. USGA membership card-random
    7. College ID even though im done
    8. Insurance cards
    9. Various business cards
    10. CPR and First Aid certified cards
    11. Receipts
    12. $5- usually never have this but I had to get some to pay for softball this week

  9. Melissa July 29, 2011 at 10:03 AM

    Fun, post, J. Money! I’m totally with you on the cash thing. I use credit cards for EVERYTHING, but I am so awful caught in the situation where I need cash and don’t have any, and yeah, it can be embarrassing realizing you’re at a cash-only restaurant, and bumming $5 from someone so you don’t have to use an ATM. Or when you’re hanging out at a friend’s house and they suddenly decide to order pizza, and you have exactly zero dollars to contribute. I always try to keep at least $10 or $15 on me at all times.

    Today, finally, I decided to post my answer to your Friday question on my own blog, instead of taking up all the space in your comments section! Check out the contents of my purse here, if you’re curious: http://www.broketo.ca/2011/07/nosy-nellie-asks-whats-in-your-bag.html

  10. Brian July 29, 2011 at 10:24 AM

    I have too much crap in my wallet, so once a year I buy a new one and it forces me to downsize it (for a while until I accumulate more crap!)

    1. Joint Account Debit Card
    2. Personal Account Debit Card (we operate on a yours, mine and ours system, works for us)
    3. Chase Freedom Visa (everyday Card)
    4. Southwest Visa Signature (joint card for joint expenses). We fly southwest a lot since my sister live in Baltimore and we live in Indy.
    5. Costco Amex. Only used at Costco
    6. An Old Discover Card we are phasing out and has seen been replaced by the Southwest Card. We will stop using it entirely once we redeem our points
    7. The emergency card (Visa). I use this card once a year to keep it active. It was a card I got in college with my dad. So since it was with someone with excellent credit, it has a super high limit. So keeping it open helps me out with the whole available credit thing.
    8. Kroger Loyalty shoppers card
    9 Insurance Card
    10. Driver’s license
    11. Petco Shoppers card.
    12. AAA card.
    13. College ID, like the NoDebtMBA there is no expiration date on it. Great for student discounts at the movies!

    No Cash today, but I am going to the bank, so I will probably have my typical $20. I do always have an emergency stash of cash at home and in my car. So if someone stole my car they would get an extra bonus of cash.

  11. Gina July 29, 2011 at 10:44 AM

    This is my purse and keychain wallet contents:

    Tin of gum
    Roll of lifesavers
    Bag of skittles
    lip gloss
    Work id badge
    $1.00
    peppermint
    cell phone
    keys
    Drivers License
    BofA Check Card
    Discover Card
    Visa Check Card
    Flexible Spending Account card
    health insurace card
    AAA card
    Prepaid long distance card
    Car insurance cards
    Harrah’s Total Rewards (From New Orleans Vacation)
    Wendy and Applebee’s Gift Cards
    Union Id
    Various Receipts
    Business cards
    Birthday check Need to cash that!
    Locker key card for YMCA

  12. Mercedes July 29, 2011 at 10:57 AM

    I don’t usually carry around a purse, just a wallet with all I would need in it. This is what I am carrying today:

    1 – Drivers license
    2 – Debit card (which never gets used)
    3 – Chase CC
    4 – Cap One CC
    5 – TJX Rewards CC
    6 – Citi CC
    7 – Metro Smart Trip Card
    8 – Costco Membership Card
    9 – Sams Club Membership Card
    10 – Safeway Club Card
    11 – Target Gift Card (~$12)
    12 – TJMaxx/Marshalls Gift Card (~$15)
    13 – 3 Safeway Gift Cards with about (~$13)
    14 – 10 receipts (Big Lots, Home Depot, Costco, Target, Marshalls, Homegoods)
    15 – My Cell phone

    I hardly ever have cash on hand, but that is what I figure the debit card is for. It seems like I have a bunch of cards in there, but honestly, it used to be a lot more full!

  13. Stephanie July 29, 2011 at 10:59 AM

    In my purse…

    The Money Type Things, all contained in a little wallet:
    1) Driver’s License
    2) Debit Card
    3) Visa (Personal)
    4) Visa (Corporate card – work purchases/travel only)
    5) HSA Debit Card
    6) Health Insurance Card
    7) $97 Cash (just hit the ATM this morning!)
    8) Coupons for Dick’s Sporting Goods & Kohl’s

    The Other Things, just floating around:
    1) Chapstick (it’s as close as I get to lipstick!)
    2) 4GB Flash Drive
    3) Tide Stain Stick
    4) Little Note Pad & Pen
    5) Winterfresh Gum
    6) Bottle Opener & Cork Screw… I know it makes me look like an alcoholic but I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been traveling/staying in a hotel with friends & we went out to get a 6 pack or a bottle of wine and had to buy these things because we don’t have them with us. This is actually a money saver for me :-P

  14. Edward Antrobus July 29, 2011 at 11:09 AM

    Okay, my comment didn’t seem to post. J. Your blog doesn’t like me!

    Driver’s license & insurance card.
    $15 cash (left over from anniversary…I usually don’t carry cash, because I’m more likely to spend it on impulse buys.)
    Debit card for joint checking account. This is what 99% of all purchases are on.
    Pre-paid debit card for income from donating plasma. Once a month, I use it to buy a money order to transfer it to my separate checking account to pay my debt obligations.
    Health insurance cards.
    HuHot loyalty card. Gets me a $10 discount at my favorite restaurant for every $100 I spend.
    A bunch of coupons for Luna Bars. They were on sale at King Soopers last week, and with the coupon (doubled) they were free.
    A sticker for my Qdoba loyalty card. For some reason, the mag-strip on the card doesn’t work, but it came with a sticker with the bar code on it. I just attached it right to the wallet.

    That’s it. I try to travel light. :)

    All of my other loyalty cards (and library card) are on my key-chain. I don’t have a card for my grocery store because my wife works there and we have to enter her phone number to get the employee discount (10% off all Kroger-brand items!)

    Unlike others, I can’t use my student ID, even though it doesn’t have an expiration date. I’ve lost 80lbs and shaved since that photo was taken. No one would believe it was me!

  15. Ciawy July 29, 2011 at 11:15 AM

    I agree with the fun post comment above.
    In my wallet:
    Visa credit card
    Debit card personal
    Debit card household
    MasterCard commuter card- from work
    MasterCard health card – from work
    Starbucks gold car (we’re the same!)
    SF library card
    REI Membership card
    Sephora card – don’t judge me if I love makeup
    $10 cash
    Driver’s license

    In my purse:
    Scarf – it does get cold here in SF, even in the mid of summer. gotta be ready
    Clipper card – for my train ride
    Work ID
    Make up kit, with a lot of girlie stuff in it, and which explains the sephora card.
    Mints
    Car keys

  16. lorakathleen July 29, 2011 at 11:20 AM

    Luckily, I just cleaned out my wallet :)

    1. Drivers license
    2. Health insurance/FSA cards
    3. $68 in cash (making a craiglist purchase later today)
    4. 2 debit cards
    5. Best Buy card (why do I carry this around?)
    6. Airline Member number cards
    7. Best Buy/Banana Republic/Grocery Store GCs
    8. Starbucks Card (not gold yet though!)
    9. Bobby pins (keep them in my coin pocket)
    10. Stamps

  17. Jenna, Adaptu Community Manager July 29, 2011 at 12:30 PM

    Way too much stuff! I only clean out my purse when I’m about to travel (which is like once a month). But I’ve got my wallet, sunglasses, passport (so no one can argue about my age when I’m buying beer), chapstick and random hair ties and bobby pins.

  18. SophieW July 29, 2011 at 12:40 PM

    Ha, today I have some of the craziest things in my purse…
    Wallet:
    Drivers License
    Military ID
    Auto insurance card
    AMEX cuz I get airmiles
    VISA cuz not everywhere takes AMEX :(
    3 bank/debit cards – depends which bank I’m taking the money from (avoid bank fees!)
    3 Points cards (Shopper’s Drug Mart, Airmiles, HBC Rewards – Can u tell I’m Canadian? lol)

    Purse:
    $197.00 cash
    Colour cards to match stuff in my living room – very helpful at yard sales!
    lipstick/gloss
    pen
    hair elastic
    cell phone
    keys
    2 credit reports (I’m trying to get the agencies to fix my name!)
    water bill (see above – stupid, I know but had to fax it off today)
    4 dividend re-investment forms
    4 Optional Cash Purchase forms

    The only reason I’m still carrying around all those forms is because I can’t mail them off until the credit agencies fix my name – they will get rejected unless the name on my form matches my credit report. What a pain!

  19. Kari July 29, 2011 at 1:33 PM

    I wasn’t planning to read the comments but now I’m glad I did because I think I have too much in my wallet compared to some folks….interesting.
    1 drivers license
    2 chase debit card
    3 esl debit card
    4 master card (used for vacations or large purchases)
    5 visa gold card (emergencies only)
    6 college alumni card
    7 social security card (no one else carries this? *gulp*)
    8 three business cards
    9 subway card for points
    10 a portion of a 3×5 card with 11 states left indicating ‘D’ for quarters i need to finish my quarter collection
    11 $37 I use cash for small purchases. I banned myself from charging (debit or credit) any purchases under $10 because I found more often than not, they were random, impulsive purchases. When I have just cash on me I seem to think twice before those little purchases.
    12 a card showing my routing number and account number which i plan to toss soon – just waiting to go to payroll and set up a new direct deposit. I procrastinate…
    13 wegmans shoppers card
    14 HRA CC (medical stuff only)
    15 super cuts card buy 8 get 9th free. Have gotten 2 free ones already.
    16 good sams roadside service card
    17 CVS extra care card
    18 Tops bonus card
    19 Sears CC rarely use but its my oldest standing card.
    20 blockbuster member card – guess I outta toss that one…
    21 NYS access card (free access to state parks)
    22 picture of my SO
    23 MVP health ins card
    24 dental ins car
    25 national access pass (free enterance to all national parks)

  20. WinrWinrChknDinr July 29, 2011 at 2:24 PM

    I try to keep it as thin as possible. I can’t stand a thick wallet. I feel like George Costanza in that I would need a wad of napkins to keep myself level…

    1.) No cash whatsoever (ahh, the joys of being married…)
    2.) Chase PriorityClub CC (personal use)
    3.) Drivers license
    4.) Immunization Record
    5.) Misc. Insurance cards (health, dental, vision)
    6.) MSHA (Mining Safety & Health Administration) Certification (my job occasionally takes me into mining situations, and I am required to have it on my person should the company or MSHA ask for it).
    7.) PriorityClub Platinum Card
    8.) Employer credit card
    9.) Hertz #1 Club Gold card
    10.) International calling card
    11.) Employer Insurance card (for the company car)

  21. kody July 29, 2011 at 2:41 PM

    I don’t carry much in my wallet at all. Lets see..

    1. Car Insurance
    2. State Issued ID (of course)
    3. Credit/Debit for any type of situation
    4. Cash (20 dollars only at a time)
    5. King Supers Card (a gas saver :)
    6. Best Buy Reward Zone card

  22. Kitchen Penguin July 29, 2011 at 2:45 PM

    How did I know that you’d have a Starbucks gold card? I’m so glad that you have smart readers and nobody has their social security card in their wallet.

    I have two wallets; there’s the primary one that I could carry in my pocket for a day out and have (almost) everything I need and a card case for my membership cards and secondary stuff.

    Primary RFID Blocking Wallet of Power (http://www.flipsidewallet.com/)
    1) Driver’s license
    2) Auto insurance card
    3) AmEx/Costco card
    4) MasterCard (my oldest CC)
    5) ING check card
    6) Work AmEx
    7) TWIC
    8) AAA membership card
    9) $5 cash
    10) $1 bill folded into a frog
    11) My new year fortune from the Shinto shrine
    12) Kennedy Center membership card (doesn’t belong here but I needed it when we saw Wicked)
    13) Medical insurance card

    Card Case
    1) Starbucks gold card (this SHOULD be in my primary wallet but there isn’t enough space)
    2) Retail rewards cards: Qdoba, Cold Stone, Wegmans, Red Robin, Panera, Safeway, and REI
    3) Library card
    4) Credit union ATM card
    5) Metro SmartTrip card
    6) FSA Mastercard
    7) United Mileage Plus Visa (for buying airplane tickets)
    8) Tote bag coupons for the farmer’s market
    9) Pictures of my friends
    10) Some receipts that need to be filed
    11) Check to deposit
    12) SCA membership card

    Happy Aloha Friday!

  23. Kevin I July 29, 2011 at 2:55 PM

    1. Debit card (only used to access ATM)
    2, 2x Credit Cards (Use one for most spending, one for bonus reward items)
    3. Five dollars in singles and a twenty dollar bill.
    4. Handfuls of movie stubs
    5. BJ’s card and AMC Stubs card (all other loyalty and membership cards are on an app on my phone)
    7. Drivers License
    8. Health Insurance Card
    9. Reimbursable Receipts

  24. Evan July 29, 2011 at 3:12 PM

    1) ZERO CASH
    2) Drivers License
    3) Attorney ID Card
    4) ING Debit Card
    5) Gallon Blood Donation Card
    6) 2011 Signed PBA Card
    7) Chase Debit Card 1
    8) Discover Card
    9) Gold Amex
    10) Health Insurance Card
    11) Chase Debit 2
    12) Dad’s BJ card for cheap gas
    13) FOB card to get into work

  25. Tim G July 29, 2011 at 7:55 PM

    1. Drivers license
    2. Perkstreet debit card
    3. ING Direct debit card
    4. 2 work badges
    5. Health insurance card
    6. $100 cash
    7. Fortune from fortune cookie that says, “For a good cause, wrongdoing may be virtuous”

  26. Laiane July 29, 2011 at 8:18 PM

    1. $180 cash. I hit the ATM today. This is money for lunches and random spending for 3-4 weeks.
    2. State-issued identification card (just like a driver’s license, but I don’t drive).
    3. Debit/ATM card for joint account with husband
    4. Debit/ATM card for personal account (we have “yours, mine and ours” accounts)
    5. L.L. Bean Visa, used for purchases from them only, since I earn discount coupons and get free shipping and free monogramming.
    6. American Express (rarely used, mostly to top-off pay-as-you-go cell phone)
    7. Mastercard (rarely used, in case places don’t take Visa or debit cards)
    8. Amazon.com Visa that earns “points” you can trade in for amazon.com gift certificates or other goodies. This is my go-to card for that reason and because it has the lowest APR.
    9. University Hospital “blue card.” I live in a university town with an awesome teaching hospital with lots of patients (and clinics). You don’t exist in their computer system unless you have your blue card — or have memorized your 8-digit number.
    10. Pet Supplies Plus Preferred Pet Club card (special sales prices and discounts earned)
    11. Plum Market Rewards card. This is a hoity-toity super-upscale supermarket down the road from my home. Rewards Card members earn special discounts by earning points, the best one being 10% off your ENTIRE purchase. I don’t shop there often, but earning that 10% for luxury items is such a nice perk.
    12. Voter identification card.
    13. Coffee shop gift card I keep reloading for purchases (A free coffee for each $25 increment you buy when you reload!)
    14. Punch card for another coffee shop with 7 out of 10 punches towards earning a free drink.
    15. Reminders cards for appointments with dentist, optometrist, and for my husband’s hair cuts (since he can’t remember them himself).
    16. ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) membership card. Member since 2005!

    All credit cards are paid off monthly. I know I could leave some of the cc’s at home, but I like them all in one location.

    One thing NOT in my wallet (as of now) is my Social Security card. When I read Kitchen Penguin’s comment above, I knew it was the right thing to do.

    One thing I noticed while typing is that I have a lot of cards/memberships that give perks, discounts and freebies. Yeah, I’m weird like that.

    Sorry to be so wordy, but I’m a former English major. We never recover from Teh Wordiness.

  27. Ramona July 29, 2011 at 8:32 PM

    My wallet is pretty empty. Let’s see:
    1. $23. Phew, am broke.
    2. Romanian credit card. I just have it with me, won’t actually use it, the commissions would kill me.
    3. American credit card. 15 bucks on it. I really feel like a queen right now.
    4. Driver’s license. Not that I drive here, but gotta have it.
    5. Romanian Passport.

    And that’s it. We’re tourists here in the US, so not too much to carry in the wallet.

  28. Diane July 29, 2011 at 9:16 PM

    – About 25 random cards of various kinds: library card, AAA card, frequent buyer cards, health insurance card, etc etc etc – fat!
    – $21 – was $100 but I paid cash for smog test and one dinner this week.
    – A whole butt load of work receipts – ummmm…need to get those in Quikbooks.
    – car registration & insurance
    – drivers license
    – some free drinks coupons from Southwest
    – dry cleaning receipt
    – my business cards
    – random bits of change ($0.31 in fact)
    – 1 personal credit card (Visa)
    – 1 business credit card (Visa)
    – Debit/ATM cards (2)

  29. WR July 29, 2011 at 10:30 PM

    Ha

    here goes…

    Drivers License & a bunch of credit cards I never use. I almost always go debit except on gas/airfare which I tend to use the Costco AMEX. nice kickback.

    A bunch of receipts (was on a biz trip recently and have not done expenses)

    My beloved Phantom Fireworks lifetime membership (with extra special benefits) card. Boom Boom rockets are illegal in my state so I have to go to…oops I said too much already.

    5 different gift cards i have gotten for my birthday over the past few years. Casual Male? does that store still exist? Would I want to buy anything there? I really do not like gift cards. kind of a waste.

    Probably the most tragic thing I found just now while looking through my wallet is a Borders gift card. No idea the value (probably <$10) since I usually just buy coffee there and read the books for free which is why I suspect my card is worthless now.

    I would say that 90% of the success I have now can be attributed to cold Saturdays spent in the business/finance section of borders books with cup of coffee and the determination to learn everything I could about personal finance and business success. I feel a pang of sadness and a pang of guilt. (should I have bought more books?)

    -WR

  30. WR July 29, 2011 at 10:32 PM

    Oh, and about $600.00 in cash. More than I usually carry, just sold some stuff.

  31. diane July 30, 2011 at 2:34 PM

    Library card
    Debit Card
    Credit card
    Tums- i am pregnant and heartburn is killing me
    Cash-21.00 right now
    License
    A pen
    A winning scratch ticket…won a dollar :)
    A few coupons
    And a few gift cards
    My phone

  32. Jen @ Master the Art of Saving July 30, 2011 at 5:32 PM

    I actually have a little basket that I call my “purse station,” I keep all debit, credit, reward and gift cards in it. Then whenever I leave, I simply grab the ones that will be needed and go. It’s so much better than carrying around stuff ‘just in case.’ The only things that never leave my wallet are my reward credit card (that I use for everything) and my license. Easy peasy. :-)

  33. PD July 30, 2011 at 9:06 PM

    1. $40 cash (used for “cash only” places)
    2. license, health ins, car ins, transit pass, work id
    3. 2 debit cards (for ATMs)
    4. fsa card
    5. sbux card
    6. mom’s costco card (for gas)
    7. amazon rewards visa (for dining out and amazon)
    8. amex (for gas, groceries, and stuff to be paid off over time)
    9. chase freedom visa (for everything else)
    *all cards are paid off at end of month except amex (currently 0% int)

    other stuff in my purse…
    cell phone (w/ all of my store loyalty/membership cards stored in Key Ring app)
    headphones
    flash drive
    keys
    and a lot of receipts, coupons, and random business cards

  34. Mike July 30, 2011 at 11:26 PM

    Ok—

    1) License
    2) Bank of America debit card
    3) Health insurance card
    4)Prescription drug card
    5) Kroger Plus Card
    6) Shell gas card with about $20 on it
    7) CVS ExtraCare card
    8) Vision card
    9) Petsmart gift card with about $300 on it
    10) Petsmart PetPerks card
    11) Discover More (for the 5% cash back)
    12) Dog’s identification card
    13) Visa PowerRewards card (They’re running a promotion)
    14) American Express Blue Cash Preferred (6% Back on groceries. Sexy)
    15) Amex gift card with $16 on it
    16) $100 Visa gift card

    And I am ASHAMED to write this — I have NO CASH. I could have sworn I had $8 in cash. It’s gone. I’m going to the ATM tomorrow.
    And as soon as I get back I’m cutting this list to 8 -10. Who carries 16 cards?

  35. Chet July 31, 2011 at 7:32 AM

    1 – License
    2 – CCW license
    3 – Debit card
    4 – American Express (paid off, every month used for my essentials gas, groceries, dog)
    5 – Health Insurance card
    6 – HSA Visa
    7 – Sam’s Club
    8 – Auto Insurance card
    $38.00 cash

    I prefer a slim wallet, not the Costanza wallet that I see so often. I keep my Kroger, PetsMart, BassPro cards on a key ring to they don’t clutter my wallet. As new iphone apps keep developing, I have moved some cards from my wallet to the iphone. Starbucks and AAA have apps that replace the cards that take real estate in my wallet.

  36. Meredith July 31, 2011 at 10:17 AM

    1. USAA Debit Card
    2. USAA Credit Card
    3. Driver’s License
    4. College ID (I only use it when I go back to visit to get into the rec center, I promise!)
    5. Sam’s Club Card
    6.YMCA Membership
    7. REI and NPR Cards
    8. Houston Public Library Card
    9. Donor Identification Card from Be the Match

    No cash, no change!

  37. Slackerjo July 31, 2011 at 1:56 PM

    spare car key
    phone numbers written on a piece of cardboard. I don’t carry my phone around with me. I work on the phone so I hate the phone.
    debit card
    visa card
    library card
    drivers license
    organ donor card
    Ontario health card
    Prescription drug plan card
    immunization record (been carrying that around since 1985)
    3 stamps
    No cash. I only carry cash when I go out to buy a specific item(s) otherwise cash sits in a can in my apartment.

    I loathe purses so I don’t carry one. I find women’s wallets to be bulky so I use a men’s wallet.

  38. Cassie July 31, 2011 at 3:44 PM

    Oh boy, here goes nothing:
    1 – credit card #1 and only
    2 – debit card 1 – daily
    3 – debit card 2 – savings
    4 – drivers license
    5 – fire arms license
    6 – grocery store rewards card
    7 – starbucks card – sadly empty :,(
    8 – yoga membership – also currently empty
    9 – library card
    10 – insurance card
    11 – book store rewards card
    12 – partially used book store gift card
    13 – pharmacy benefits card (expired I believe?)
    14 – student card
    15 – air miles card
    16 – Provincial health care card
    17 – Blue cross benefits card
    18 – professional designation card.
    19 – starbucks “pick of the week” card x2
    20 – 50 cents worth of Canadian Tire money
    21 – 3 receipts

    It really is little wonder that I can never find anything in my wallet. My cash is currently in my purse (you don’t want me to list the contents of that)

  39. Skint in the City August 1, 2011 at 5:27 AM

    Way too much stuff!

    1. Business cards for Skint in the City
    2. Personal debit card
    3. Joint account debit card for household stuff
    4. Library card – excellent money saver, except when I need to pay overdue fines.
    5. Boots (UK phamacy) loyalty card
    6. Loyalty/points card for local petrol station
    7. £31.52 cash – I use cash a lot. Easier I find than checking bank statements against receipts.
    8. Fifteen Euros in notes from recent holiday.
    9. A red button I’ve been meaning to sew back onto a dress for about three months. I may never.
    10. A small key for a suitcase – why??
    11. Many, many receipts, dating back around four months. Thanks JMoney – you’ve prompted me to have a clearout!

  40. SG August 1, 2011 at 12:53 PM

    My “wallet” being a metal business card case, holds only
    1-Licence
    2-Credit Card
    3-Debit Card
    4-AAA Card

  41. J. Money August 2, 2011 at 5:01 PM

    This is awesome guys! I can’t believe so many of you took the time to actually type all of this out! Haha… are we nerds, or what? :) Feels kinda sneaky peering inside all of your wallets too, I love it ;)

    @Maria Nedeva – Haha, I love that “I am so worth it” account! Nice.
    @Andy – Hahaha… I’ve heard you’re pretty too. (and smooth move w/ student card for discounts, I should go and put mine back in too!)
    @J. Otwell – Two cells? Bleh… I’d get so confused :)
    @Kevin – Haha, better take it out before you get tempted to use it!
    @HP – Yeah, I wish EVERYONE excepted Amex — really sucks when you have to switch cards and ruin your game plan.
    @LB – Lunch bag counts – fun! :)
    @No Debt MBA – I wouldn’t be able to fit all that in a money clip! Which is why I use that instead, it forces me to limit what I take ;)
    @Tim – I like how everyone keeps their college ids on them still, haha, y’all are funny.
    @Melissa – Cool! And good idea w/ passing the answers over in your own blog – maybe it’ll keep on moving around the blogosphere! (Ooooooh love the picture of everything too, good job!)
    @Brian – Haha, damn good idea though… I keep like $8 in ones and a butt ton of change in my car too, mainly for meters, but also for emergencies/random tolls.
    @Gina – You’re a good person to know when they’re hungry for candy! :)
    @Mercedes – Hey, whatever works ;)
    @Stephanie – Haha, you know what I use for that? A ring! My sister got me this AWESOME bottle opener ring and I literally put it to use every single week. Great for party conversations too ;)
    @Edward Antrobus – Wow, congrats on losing all that weight though – that’s great! And even awesomer w/ that 10% off deal – it’s a shame you live so far away from me ;)
    @Ciawy – It’s okay, you girls are allowed to get away w/ all that girlie stuff :)
    @lorakathleen – Stamps! That’s a good one… I always need those randomly, haha…
    @Jenna, Adaptu Community Manager – Do you like it when you get carded all the time? Some women do – makes ’em feel so nice and young ;)
    @SophieW – Hah! You DO have a lot of craziness in there today! Haha… I love it how you have $197 on you too, as if you’re about to go out to girls weekend or something :)
    @Kari – Nice! I haven’t read the rest of the comments yet, but looks like you’re in the top 3 for most items so far ;) Cute you have your SO’s picture in there! I remember when people did that in high school, always wished it continued on…
    @WinrWinrChknDinr – Immunization Record? That’s a first! :)
    @kody – Wow, you may have the LEAST!
    @Kitchen Penguin – AWESOME! Another gold carrying starbucks lover :) That is dope. Also, funny as hell you have a frog dollar in there! haha… can’t say I’ve seen one of those yet in my day.
    @Kevin I – Move stubs? Are you collecting them for anything, or just random cuz they stick in there?
    @Evan – Booooooooooo no cash!
    @Tim G – Perkstreet! Love those guys – everyone I know who uses them swear by ’em. Guess you feel the same? :)
    @Laiane – We love wordiness here! The more we can read and see from each other, the better :) Thx for divulging all of your walletness secrets! And I think you’re the only one I know who uses a pre-paid cell phone ;) I did’t know they were still around!
    @Ramona – Hah! Very cool… didn’t expect Romanian credit cards to show up on today’s list ;)
    @Diane – I still need to try Quickbooks out. Everyone who uses it says it helps, but I just can’t bring myself to use it yet… at least for the business side of things. Don’t think it’s good for personal finances, is it?
    @WR – WHAT? $600?? haha… you are asking for it, aren’t you! Man, I’d be scared as hell walking around w/ that much in my pockets… maybe you should have given THAT to Borders instead ;) *tear*
    @diane – Yay! Lottery tickets!!! Good work :)
    @Jen @ Master the Art of Saving – Oh, that is easy. I like that!
    @PD – Good call w/ the flash drive, I really need to start bringing that around too – saves you soooo much time sometimes!
    @Mike – Haha… apparently dog lovers carry around 16 cards ;)
    @Chet – That is SUCH a damn good idea w/ the iPhone – I need to start doing that. Luckily most things are tied to my cell # which I can remember easily, but the rest I end up losing out cuz I hate carrying around discount cards :( the iPhone apps would def. fix that problem faster.
    @Meredith – YAY to USAA! BOooooooo to no cash!
    @Slackerjo – Hah! I remember doing that back in the day! Writing numbers of all my friends (and girlfriends, woo!) on a post-it note in my wallet :) In fact, I think I still have them somewhere… for good time’s sake.
    @Cassie – Haha, nice. And a fire arms license?? Does that come in handy a lot?? :)
    @Skint in the City – A red button and a luggage key, huh? Haha… you sure are an interesting one! And btw, did you ever tell me where you got that dope necklace from? I SOOOOO want one for me! “J. Money” That would be hot :)
    @SG – You win the minimalism route!!

  42. Basil Siddiqui August 5, 2011 at 3:45 AM

    I rep the same money clip style “wallet” as you J. I’ve got my license/ID, AmEx card for most purchases, Power Rewards Visa for places that don’t accept AmEx, and my health insurance card. No cash for me… gotta rack up those rewards points :) Keepin’ it simple!

  43. Thane August 7, 2011 at 10:05 PM

    Everyday Items
    1. Drivers License
    2. USAA Debit Card
    3. $20 USD
    4. Photo of my son

    Travel Add-ons
    5. USAA Credit Card
    6. Metro Card (for destination city if applicable)

  44. J. Money August 14, 2011 at 9:36 PM

    @Basil Siddiqui – Well, I don’t know about the “no cash” deal there, but I’m def. down for the money clips :)
    @Thane – Yeah USAA! And pic of your son :) I wanna do the same once I have kids.

  45. Ten Bob September 4, 2011 at 12:05 PM

    #1. $61 & £10
    #2. Drivers License
    #3. Citibank AAdvantage Debit Card
    #4. AMEX Platinum Card and Citi Platinum Select MasterCard (but they’re mostly relegated to the safe unless I’m traveling these days).
    #5. AMEX Corporate Card
    #6. Ralphs Rewards Card
    #7. Petco Pals Card
    #8. Anawalt Lumbar Rewards Card
    #9. USAA Member Card
    #10. Health Insurance Cards – medical, dental, prescriptions
    #11. Business Cards
    #12. Photo of a mom gazelle nuzzling her baby gazelle (to remind me to stay gazelle intense about my finances!)
    #13. Photos of my parents, husband and dog
    #14. Stamps
    #15. Card with phone numbers for AMEX
    #16. Loyalty card for local shoe repair store

    Really fun reading all these comments!

  46. J. Money September 4, 2011 at 4:29 PM

    HAH! Love your #12 – that is all kinds of awesome :)