The Great Planner Wallet Debate

The Great Planner Wallet Debate


Plannerds often use their planners as wallets. It's one way to score a soft, leathery wallet with some extra functionality. I empathize. My wallet does not do everything that I want it to do. In fact, during Christmas shopping season, my purse often looks like this, with receipts just crammed in there next to my wallet.

Add that to the recent stretching of my much beloved current wallet, so that credit cards are loose and about to fall out, and I need to replace the old wallet with something more practical. I wanted something useful. I wanted a small planner.But I know better.You see, I can't keep two planners. It's just not practical for me. Also, I needed a place to put receipts, coupons for things other than grocery shopping one (that go in my grocery shopping coupon Fold 'N Go), and cash. I knew, in the great debate between using a planner as a wallet or a wallet as a wallet, I wanted the wallet. But I wanted to cheat. I wanted that elusive extra something that planner/wallet combo people seem to have.So I pulled out all the loose receipts...and put everything in a pile (with a sneak peek of the new wallet).
My new wallet has fabulous features. It's purple. (Come on, you know that is FAB. U. LOUS.)


It's got two main parts - one for money-related matters (also known as shopping) and one for all those pesky cards.


And...drum roll please....IT'S GOT LABELS.


I knew you would like that part!The sections are labeled Cash, Receipts, and Coupons. Guess what the main things that stump me happen to be? Cash (my old wallet folded and I couldn't keep the case neat), receipts (until I get them home, I need a dedicated place for them), and coupons (like 15% off at Kohl's or a free appetizer at Outback).You might not be able to find the same wallet (that I bought at the Bass Outlet), but have you considered labeling parts of your wallet like you do your files? It's not my idea, as I totally stole it from my new wallet, but I think it's going to work.My wallet set-up is in two parts.First, I set-up the money section.My ID and primary credit card go in the see through slots at the top. Notice that my ID is upside down, so that I can show it to a cashier.In the three divided pockets, I have cash (with change in the perfectly placed zipper pocket between cash and receipts), receipts (folded so I can see the store, date, and total on the outside, instead of folded with the printing on the inside), and coupons.
Second, I have the non-shopping stuff that I carry in the other part of the wallet.I have some tricks for knowing where things belong. The most often used stuff goes on the outside, while less used stuff gets tucked behind the most used stuff. For example, my medical cards are in the upper left quadrant, while my social security card is tucked behind them. My gift cards are in the upper right quadrant, with the punch cards (like buy 4, get one free) behind it. The library cards are the lower left quadrant, with my bar card (needed at court and the law library) behind it. And the spare credit cards are in the lower right quadrant, with rewards cards behind that.
One final trick is that the external zipper compartment is left empty, so that if I need to take off jewelry (like my wedding ring before going swimming), I can zip it securely in that pocket.I love having all the essentials that I was looking for in a planner/wallet combo in my wallet instead.The verdict? If a planner/wallet combo works for you, great. If not, list your actual problems and find a wallet that solves those issues.Happy shopping!Etcetera.