Is your wallet full of old receipts, unused gift cards and uncashed checks? Does it feel like you are packing around a mini suitcase in your purse? Perhaps it’s time to declutter your wallet! Whether it’s clutter on your dining room table, magazine rack or wallet, it is doing the same thing…….draining your energy. The negative effects of clutter doesn’t just affect your energy, it can also affect your health. There is an interesting article on the Huffington Post that lists 5 ways that clutter can hurt your health. It is quite interesting and something you may want to check out.
I love the saying, “the way you do something, is the way you do everything”. If you have an issue with clutter somewhere else in your life, most likely you have an issue with your wallet. If you do have some clutter in your wallet, no worries. I am going to share with you a few tips on how to declutter your wallet and make it more efficient, Dave Ramsey style.
Who’s Dave Ramsey?
Dave Ramsey is the guy known for helping people get out of debt and how to manage money. I respect what he teaches and have taken his Financial Peace University Class. You can find more about it about it here.
I am about making things simple, doing things to improve health and about getting out of debt. Who would have thought that decluttering your wallet had anything to do with any of these, ironically, they do.
Here are a few simple tips on how to declutter your wallet:
1- Get rid of old receipts, grocery lists, and other paper items that are not needed
2- Go through your wallet and see if there are any gift cards that you have forgotten about. If there are, USE THEM!
3- Keep your debit cards, reward cards and membership cards that you use frequently in a handy place. The ones you don’t use often, place a rubber band around them. If you have room in your wallet you can put them in a different place. I like to store them outside of my wallet for less bulk.
4- Chuck old business cards that you are no longer interested in. File the ones you MAY be interested in.
5- Get rid of all unnecessary credit cards. Dave Ramsey would have you get rid of ALL of them. I have one connected to my COSTCO membership and another one for my business. We track them with an online mvelopes system. I don’t know what I would do without mvelopes. It’s like an envelope system, but online. I pay no interest and is paid off automatically every month.
6- Have emergency information where it can be seen, especially if you have a serious health condition.
7- Keep a full set of MONEY FRIENDS available in your wallet. Read more about it here.
8- Use some kind of cash tab system inside of your wallet, instead of having a separate cash envelope wallet. I love my cash tabs. You can learn more about them here.
9- If you have had the same wallet for a long time, switch it up for something new and fun.
I really like the Mundi wallets. They work really well with the tabs.
There you have it: simplicity, less stress, and hopefully some motivation to get out of debt.
Life can be chaotic enough; your experience at the checkout stand does not have to be stressful. Unclutter your wallet and see how it unclutters your life. Remember, the way you do something, is the way you do everything.
So what’s next………… your sock drawer, or your closet?
AHHHHH, it feels so good to let some things go. LET IT GO!
Jan Howell
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