Wallets have a funny way of collecting things. You start with a driver’s license and a couple of cards, then somehow end up with old receipts, forgotten gift cards, expired insurance cards, and pieces of paper you haven’t looked at in months.
But clutter isn’t the biggest reason to clean out your wallet. If it gets lost or stolen, everything inside can disappear at once. That said, here are 12 things that really don’t need to be in your wallet every day.
Written Passwords and PIN Numbers
A folded piece of paper with your ATM PIN or passwords written on it shouldn’t be sitting next to the cards and accounts those numbers protect. Keep login information somewhere more secure rather than turning your wallet into an instruction manual if it lands in the wrong hands.
Your Birth Certificate
A birth certificate isn’t an everyday form of identification, so there’s little reason for it to live in your wallet. Store it somewhere protected at home and only take it out when you know you’ll need the original document.
A Spare House Key
Keeping an emergency house key tucked into your wallet sounds practical until you think about what happens if you lose both at the same time. If your driver’s license also shows your current address, you’ve potentially lost a key and information identifying the home it opens.
Your Social Security Card
Your Social Security card is far too important to carry around simply because it fits neatly behind your driver’s license. Unless you specifically need the physical card that day, keep it stored securely at home with your other important documents.
Your Passport
Your passport should generally stay somewhere secure when you aren’t traveling or using it for a specific identification requirement. Losing your wallet is inconvenient enough without realizing your passport was tucked inside it too.
Every Credit Card You Own
If you regularly pay with the same one or two cards, there’s no reason to carry every credit card you have. Keeping seldom-used cards securely at home means fewer accounts to worry about freezing or replacing if your wallet disappears.
Blank Checks
A blank check contains your bank’s routing number and your account number, information you don’t need to carry around every day. If you know you’re going somewhere that requires a check, bring what you need for that particular occasion instead.
Large Amounts of Cash
There’s nothing wrong with carrying cash, but your wallet probably isn’t the best place to store a large amount. Cards can usually be locked or reported stolen, while cash that falls out of your wallet or disappears with it is much harder to recover.
Months’ Worth of Old Receipts
If your wallet barely closes because you’ve been stuffing receipts into it, it’s probably time for a cleanout. Keep receipts you need for returns, warranties, or recordkeeping somewhere more appropriate at home and get rid of the rest, especially those containing personal or transaction information.
