My wallet is already thin enough these days, thanks. :-) Love the dot-matrix wallet, though (what self-respecting geek wouldn't?)

Some nice wallet options there. I'm tempted by the Tyvek Mighty Wallet.

At the moment I am using a Freitag wallet that my sister bought me. They're a little expensive but they're made from recycled truck tarpaulin. Maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but I like it :)

http://www.freitag.ch/shop/FREITAG/shop.jsf

I can't believe you've neglected to include the Ducti line of duct tape wallets in your list! I have one and like it. There was some extra stickum at first, but now it's fine. And their warranty is kinda impressive.

The European in me wonders, though: Where does the change go?
At least that's what causes most of my current wallet's bulge.

All the wallet you'll ever need - if it doesn't fit in this, you don't really need it in your wallet.

http://www.airlifttechnologies.com/images/Rubber_Band_HD.jpg

Popular wallets all seem to have nowhere for coins to go. Are you supposed to have a separate coin purse for them? Just let them jangle about in your pocket? Or do you throw them away? I guess it's a bit different: in the US the biggest coin in daily use is $0.25, and the smallest bill is $1? Here in the UK coins go up to £2 and notes only go down to £5.

One thing I've never understood: What's with putting wallets in back pockets? I always keep mine in my front left pocket, and I don't care how thick it gets; it might make it a little awkward to use my laptop, but it never hurts when I sit down. Why worry about keeping a thin wallet when just moving it to a different pocket accomplishes the same goal?

My dot matrix tyvek wallet lasted about 9 months before one side fell apart. However, I'm still using it 4 months on (it's ok if I'm careful) as I've not found anything better to replace it with.

I've owned the Tyvek wallet in the past and was extremely disappointed. It doesn't fall apart, it just loosens enough that it refuses to hold cards in anymore. The first time you pull it out and your cards all fall out is kind of amusing. By the time it starts dropping cards behind in your pocket when you pull it out, you're about ready to kill a dude.

The ducti lasted somewhat longer, but it is similarly fragile.

The proper pocket for your wallet is the inner pocket of your jacket, behind a zipper or button, to prevent it from falling out or being stolen easily. Keeping anything except possibly a single key in a holder in ANY trouser pocket is just unsightly.

(Strong opinion weakly held.)

Dot Matrix wallet is funky but I have always been taken with this:
http://www.popgadget.net/2006/07/stainless_steel_1.php

A Steel mesh wallet, practically indestructable in normal use and has the benificial side effect of creating a Faraday Cage, maybe useful with the wide spread adoption of RFID tech? Especially after seeing White Hats exposing the ease of phising data from security cards and travel pre-pay cards just by waggling a scanner near the victims pockets (surreptitiously of course!)

Although Randall does make a good point, plus keeping your wallet in a back pocket is a prime target for pickpocketing - even more so if its super thin!

Wallet in the front pocket looks strange when you're walking around the street and it's all buldgy and sticky-out-ee. Ugh.

I've got the leather one from alt-ett and its super thin too.

the inside is sailcloth but it doesn't look cheap til you open it

FWIW, it's actually a Costanza-wallet, not Co_n_stanza-wallet

You sad people. Get lives, pronto...

Wallet?

I'm sure you can optimise that away completely. Isn't its purpose exactly the same a /pocket/?

;-)

My partial solution to the bulkiness problem: have both front pockets full of enough stuff that there's no question that I've got a lot of random things in my pockets, rather than any other interpretations.

I've been using the Slimmy for the past 8 months and can't go back. It forces you to not cram everything in there.

I too have been looking for a decently optimised wallet for *years*. They used to be easy to find, but fashion has moved on to less practical designs.
Like several other posters I'm in the UK where having somewhere to put your coins is important.

Wallets here either have somewhere for coins, but only a few slots for cards - or lots of card slots but no coin pouch - what gives?

I recently found a compromise - 5 card clots, but the wallet overall is slightly larger so you can get several cards in each slot comfortably. Then it has a little, buttoned, coin pouch - and two, whole length, pockets for notes and receipts.
I bought two, just so I'm sorted for next time too!

I've always hated having a fat wallet, though normally I optimise it by not carrying loads of cards around in the first place. I mean, credit, debit, driver's lic and a bit of cash - what more do you actually need?

I would never carry my wallet in a back pocket - apart from losing it by taking it out when you sit down (as Jeff mentions) it's also far easier to pick-pocket. Short slim wallets fit in your front pocket and are far harder to pick.

(I'm such a geek for even thinking this out)

Even as we've moved increasingly more toward digital thus there's much less a need for carrying paper currency, I've found that I do carry a lot of more bulky plastic in my wallet now. I'm having a tough time reducing the contents as much as many of my friends. Mine wallet is manageable, but it's closer to the "Costanza" than I'd like...

What with driver's license, blood donor card, credit card, debit card (which I only use for making deposits), insurance card, library card (it's just across the street, so yes, I actually do use it), daycare card (authorizes me to retrieve my kiddo), and the requisite wallet-sized photo of said kiddo, and a business card that's quite a collection. All of that is accompanied by a few bucks (I always like to carry a little paper money) and receipts, which get cleared out at the end of each day or so.

Seems risky to be sitting on your wallet. Won't it warp all your cards?

In any event, I'd have thought the back pocket was the least safe place for a wallet.

I used to use a standard leather wallet. When I switched to a folded paper wallet (made from a single 8.5x11" sheet), the size of my wallet shrunk, so that a fully loaded paper wallet was thinner than my empty leather wallet. Unfortunately, the paper wallets lack durability.

Currently, I'm using a 1/4" binder clip to hold my cards, which make up the majority of stuff I want to carry in my wallet.

How, how did you miss this one, HOW I ASK YOU?

http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/giftsunder20/5f21/

You want a geek wallet, you go to the guys who make geek, chic.

I've had an All-Ett now for about 8 months, and I've been very, very happy with it. I sprung for the leather version it, so it's slightly thicker than the one you showed, but honestly, it's a wallet, and it has totally cut down my pocket size by a fair margin. I could try a different one, but if this works, dot-matrix or not, I'm happy!

Why not? Because I have stuff to do during the days.

I don't carry a wallet. I have my bank card, driving licence and my teacher's union card in a metal slipcase I bought while on an aeroplane years ago.

It's aluminium, doesn't bend and has a maximum thickness. Can't stand carrying pockets of junk around with me, plus I need room for my phone and other electronic stuff ;)

Steve W on May 1, 2009 04:10 AM:
> Seems risky to be sitting on your wallet. Won't it warp all your cards?
>
> In any event, I'd have thought the back pocket was the least safe place for a wallet.

I second that. I keep my wallet in my left front pocket.

A wallet? Ha! I just stick everything I need in my pocket. And stay away from coins. Coins are pretty much the bane of my existence.

"Be still, my beating geek heart!"

LOL

I carry a telescoping pen in my pocket with my notebook (this is GTD 101). The pen brand appears to be "Zebra" and I bought it in a pack of 2 at OfficeMax or Office Depot for about $6 iirc.

On the advice of a chiropractor I carry a thin wallet in my front pocket. It's reduced my back troubles substantially.

Great post! I've been a very happy All=ett owner for years. I have the Junior one. I *think* I'm on my second one, but the things last so long I can't remember if or when I've ever had one wear out. It looks exactly like the day I received it.

Reading the comments here, I realized I almost never put bills in the wallet. I stuff them in a sloppy mess in my pants pocket, or (lately) my shirt pocket, and once in a while organize them into a stack. Maybe I'll get an All-ett card case for the few cards I carry around, since I won't need it to hold money.

Ooh, I see they have a shoe bag I might have a use for too.

There is the Inka pen if you want to have it on your keychain http://www.writeanywhere.com/inkapen.html

The ultimate pocket pen:

http://www.spacepen.com/chromebullet.aspx

I've been carrying one of these in my front pocket for years, and it's awesome. It doesn't fit *inside* my wallet, but how convenient would that be, anyway? Quicker just to grab the pen directly from your pocket. It does nest nicely in the external folds of my front-pocket wallet, though, so it adds no extra bulk.

The ultimate pocket pen:

http://www.spacepen.com/chromebullet.aspx

I've been carrying one of these in my front pocket for years, and it's awesome. It doesn't fit *inside* my wallet, but how convenient would that be, anyway? Quicker just to grab the pen directly from your pocket. It does nest nicely in the external folds of my front-pocket wallet, though, so it adds no extra bulk.

Tell me Mr. I Can Save Money By Building My Own Servers didn't buy a $40 sterling silver "wallet pen" :)

After seeing that first pic, I'm thinking perhaps wallets aren't really your problem; but rather, a lack of organization.

I use the Dopp Regatta 88; I can easily fit in 3 credit/debit cards, medical insurance card, dental card, gift cards, drivers license, and paper currency. Its great and it stays thin; It is the best wallet I've ever owned. http://www.amazon.com/Dopp-Regatta-Front-Getaway-Pocket/dp/B00007GDE2/ref=pd_sim_misc_1

No love for money clips? About a year ago I emptied out my George Costanza wallet and realized that all I really needed to keep with me was a debit card, my Costco card, my drivers license and MAYBE a credit card. They fit nicely in my money clip even with many bills wrapped around them, and it's easily a fifth of the volume of my old wallet.

http://www.exentri.no/en_Default.aspx

Best minimalist, user friendly wallet, hands down.

I'll add a thumbs-up for the mini Space Pen that SWB mentioned. The short length and rounded shape mean reduce the wear and tear on pants pockets. Feels nice to write with, and the Space part has geek appeal. My only minor complaint is with the flimsy pocket clip; it's useless so I removed it, but that means there's nothing to stop the pen from rolling off a table.

Muji makes a mini rollerball pen with similar dimensions, but the ends are cylindrical rather than rounded so it could be slightly rougher on pants pockets. Also it doesn't write as smoothly as I'd like.

I only wish fanny packs weren't dorky. They're the perfect thing for carrying camera, PDA, Moleskine, etc.

I once had a co-worker that carried his money in an old tube-sock. He kept it rolled up and stuffed inside his pants pocket. He kept coins inside an empty 35mm film canister (which he kept in the toe of the sock-wallet). I swear I'm not making this up.

GREAT post, that first pic reminds me of George Costanza. ;-)

Check out the PicoPad. That should allow you to carry a pen and notes with you easily:

http://everydayinnovations.com/pages/products_picopad.php

I had an anal sex with a special cat.

I stopped sitting on a wallet years ago. I use a medium sized binder clip to hold my credit card, drivers license, etc. If you remove the "wings" that are used to open the binder clip you can still slide the cards in to the clip. This goes in to my front pocket along with any cash. It's cheap, it's ugly, and it gets the job done. Plus, I can pull out just my credit card without having to flash any cash I am carrying.

Jeff must not be Italian, because all good Italian boys learn to keep their wallets in their front pocket because that way you won't be a target for pickpockets.

Coins in your wallet? Are you crazy?

@ Jeff
Your link for the wallet pen says the product is no longer available. :-(

While interesting, the scope of some of these sorts of posts is *almost* starting to make me wonder how many of those links are paid for (beyond the obvious Amazon Affiliate links).

As for a wallet, I go for a simple Ixchel hemp bifold. http://ixchel.net/product.php?productid=16245

And I put my coins in my pocket.

Hey, did the Cool Tools blog and the Coding Horror blog get cross-wired?

Instead of optimizing my wallet, I optimized my pockets--got the Scott-E-Vest hidden cargo pocket pants. You can practically stuff a eee pc in there without a noticeable bulge.

I am not amused.

The reason you should not keep wallets in your back pocket is that you have the lowest density of nerve cells in your whole body in that area.

Who pinched my wallet?

I've just ordered one of these : https://www.dosh.com.au/

Slimline wallet with 3 or 6 cards.

I use a wallet that I bought around 8 years ago for less than $10 at Wal-Mart. It's contoured to my butt and my butt is contoured to match it...I hardly ever notice it in my back pocket. Plus, I'm more interested in the money in the wallet than the wallet itself.

Plus, if you cram receipts in your front pocket and just keep cash and credit cards in the wallet, it's no big deal.

Wallet goes in the jacket and in your desk when you sit down (and some place safe at home).

No more back pocket, front pocket issues.

I didn't know that I was supposed to be obsessive about keychains (mine has keys on), or wallets.

/me uses an Umbra Bungee Wallet for nearly a year and thinks its great.
Though, recently, one of the two notches on the top that holds the lid on fell down into the wallet/grove it sits on. Oh well.

Second Ryan O.'s suggestion on money clips. I still carry a wallet, but it's pretty thin w/o the cash.

I like my tiny Fisher Space Pen:

http://www.spacepen.com/bullet.aspx

It's tiny, and it's a friggin PEN, **FOR SPACE**.

I would never carry my wallet in the back pocket. It's uncomfortable and seems easier to steal.

@various: yes, what _do_ people do with coins? Currently I use a duct-tape wallet I make myself as a fourth-generation copy of the original I bought about 10 years ago. They gradually get scuffed over time so need patching, and eventually rebuilding, but that means I can make exactly the wallet I want, and a couple of layers of duct tape back-to-back is thin.

Pens: bullet pen seconded, and the clip works well for clipping it to the wallet. I had a pen very much like the Derringer, and it wore out in a few months, the retract mechanism broke and it fell into little bits. Sturdy, lasts a long time, geek appeal, etc -- it's just not as thin as other pens might be.

Not tried it myself, but the foldzflat pens look pretty minimal -- fancy stainless steel one here:

<a href="http://www.barryfarber.com/foldz.html">http://www.barryfarber.com/foldz.html</a>

Being an American in the UK, I switched to carrying my wallet in the front pocket several years ago and can't imagine keeping it my back pocket anymore. Having been told horror stories of others being pick pocketed in Europe, I switched from fear (granted this is true, as evidenced by the one time I put it in my back pocket and it was stolen.) My philosophy anymore is constraining what I carry and not how I carry it. I.e, no more than 2 cards and cash, receipts go in the pocket as do coins. British coins are more valuable than in the US, so I only carry anything higher than a 50p piece and keep smaller change in my pocket until the end of the day when they go in a loose change bag that is cashed at the bank once it is full.

+1 on the All-ett being good. I've had one for 4 years now, and the crackling eventually goes away (I forget how many years it took). The 'falling to center' problem requires care when opening, but is fine once you're used to it.

I've been carrying an All-Ett for the past six months and I'm really happy with it.

I find it odd that out of all of the very enlightening, mostly technical subjects you write about this is the subject that makes it to the top of hacker news. I think it is solely based on the dot matrix wallet design.

-d.

@Bill: I've got the Dopp Regatta 88 also. Best wallet I've ever owned.

I'm a big fan of the Slimmy wallet. I used to get lots of numbness in my legs from sitting on my wallet. Once I switched to the Slimmy, which you carry in your front pocket, my numbness went away.

I also use and recommend the INKA pen http://www.writeanywhere.com/inkapen.html if you want to carry a pen on your keychain.

Optimize your wallet? It's called Mint.com.

I got one from here: http://www.saddlebackleather.com/104-wallets-category

Great quality with a 100 year warranty.

1) Please, if you come to any metropolitan area, don't carry your wallet in your back pocket. Prime pick-pocketing target. Also, if you are walking through crowded tourist traps (like times square for example) you can just jam your hands in your pocket inconspicuously holding on to your monies/phones.

2) Apparently it has been shown sitting on a wallet can lead to sciatica issues. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/17/health/17real.html

3) Wouldn't the most optimized thing be to not have a wallet at all? Money clip FTW. http://storus.com/detail.php?product=smart-money-clip-gun-metal I've been using this for a while. Open portion gets my insurance card, on top of that drivers license, on top of that 2 credit cards, on top of that metrocard (public transit) which I can get to and slide back away without taking the clip out of my pocket. Inside clip part gets some business cards wrapped in cash, small bills facing outward.

Getting a new wallet is fine....but has anyone stopped to question *why* we carry so much crap with us?

I have two cards (credit cards) with magnetic strips on them. That's the only relevant information. I have three cards with bar codes on them. Again, that's all that is important on those cards. Then I have two cards (both insurance cards) that just have some plain text printed on them to indicate my policy number.

Why can't I get a single card, with two magnetic strips, three bar codes and some plain text? It would reduce my wallet from 8 cards to two (Driver's License and my super-card)?

It seems like a no-brainer to me. Either you'd be limited to two magnetic strips (one for each side of the card) or you'd need a system to move/rearrange the magnetic strips. Oh well. That's what I want - not a better wallet - but a better card to put in it.

I second (or third or whatever it's up to) the people using the binder clip and the bullet space pen. I've used both for about 10 years now.

I carry both my cards and my cash in my binder clip (it sounds like some of the people here are just using it for their cards). I use a leftover Cayman Islands dollar as a separater between the cards and the money.

The only flaw I've had with the space pen is that I've learned to double check it is still in my pocket because if I slouch too much with slacks on occasionally it will decide to leap out of my pocket. It does have the added advantage of writing on walls without any problems. I tried writing on my arm once when I went diving (since they say it works under water) and it was never the same again, but they probably mean it can write while wet not 30 or 60 feet underwater.

They both fit well in my left front pocket with the pen sitting under the binder clip.

<a href=http://www.dorkyengineer.com/images/VegasClipAndSpacePen.jpg">Binder Clip and Space Pen</a>

Goddamnit. Why doesn't this stupid thing have a preview?

<a href="http://www.dorkyengineer.com/images/VegasClipAndSpacePen.jpg">Binder Clip and Space Pen</a>

None of these hold coins, and are thus disqualified.

I'm the designer of the Dot Matrix Mighty Wallet (Tyvek Wallet):
http://www.dynomighty.com/product_detail.php?Dot_Matrix_Pi_Mighty_Wallet%E2%84%A2&d=mighty+wallets%2F003-DY-401

I wanted to respond to the comment about the cc's falling out of the old tyvek wallet - YES that was a problem in the first design version (2005) and now I have improved the design and I've even added some more storage areas.

Here's a YouTube video of the Mighty Wallet I made: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=793vgXot6sw

What the heck are you guys carrying around? With a wallet that fat, you need a purse! Seriously, you must tilt at a 30 degree angle when you sit on that!

I have my driver's license, incurance and registration, a few credit cards and a few bucks in mine, what else do you need? It's in my back pocket and thin enough so it doesn't bug me.

i have the all-ett, and i had one before this one. they last the wear and tear of a year, and then you need a new one. they're so great that i just get another one.

At some point I decided that the best wallet solution was to make my own using gaffers tape. It's got a nicer feel to it than duct tape, and works just as well. I've been very happy and the thing has lated a couple of years now, with only minor patching (which isn't noticeable... it's just more tape).

I need: space for notes, a few coins, an SD card, somewhere to hook a tiny pen, 6+ credit card slots, somewhere to keep a plectrum (you always end up needing one if only to fix an ipod). This Visconti one does all that (this is mine, or close as dammit):

http://www.shopeezee.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=SE-VISCONTI-455

I have had the same super thin wallet, same maker I believe, since I read this article in NYT back in 2005: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/12/fashion/thursdaystyles/12online.html Granted I don't put it in my back pocket, but it's held up really well. I had a thin 8Gb hard drive from Lacie in it for years and it was still thinner than all other wallets.

I carry my drivers license, bank card, and some cash. That's it.

I switched to one of these (a smallet) about two years ago. It's awesome. I put change into my trouser pocket and when at home throw it into a box. When the box is full, I bring it to the bank and throw it into the counting machine which adds the amount to my account.

A vote for the view slimmy

http://www.koyono.com/ViewSlimmy-Thin-Front-Pocket-ID-Wallet-p/m17546w.htm

I have been using it for 3 years and no signs of wear. Never run out of room. Will never try anything else.

For a college student my wallets is surprisingly big and fat. I just wish it was the same way on the inside, I really need a new wallet.

Oh my goodness ... I actually had something cool in my possession _before_ Jeff Atwood declared that it was cool, causing an immediate, multi-month, worldwide shortage as his readers all rushed to buy it.

:>

My dot matrix wallet arrived a couple of days ago. I love it! So much thinner than my old wallet, and as my Mum pointed out, if I ever get mugged I can pretend I don't have a wallet on me :)

Change? Change can go die in a fire (it seems an odd affectation to keep change in a wallet when pockets are available). I hate $1 coins, quarters are on the limit of usefulness, any other denomination of change is essentially a low grade ore that you need to mine for partial value at a coin-star machine.

I'm surprised by the tendency of so many people to keep truly gigantic wallets. For myself I just keep the bare essentials: ID, credit/debit cards, health insurance, car insurance, first aid/cpr certs, and some cash. I don't keep silly things like membership and rewards cards for every store I shop at ever, those stay at home. If you plan a trip to a specific store or restaurant, bring the card, otherwise most of the time you can use a phone number to have your info looked up. Also, keeping receipts for everyday purchases is silly. The useful info is online with my bank anyway. On the rare occasion that you may actually need a receipt there's certainly no reason to keep it in your wallet for months.

> My dot matrix wallet arrived a couple of days ago. I love it!

I love my new timepieces more though: <a href="http://www.vessel.com/prod_cur_tempo.html">http://www.vessel.com/prod_cur_tempo.html</a>

I carry a pen like this: http://phodroid.com/09/05/65kdf9

That's a Mont Blanc pen refill, the sturdiest one I could find in one the store that fits inside the wire binding of my calendar. It even came with a disposable cap that I'm continuing to use. I keep this in my left rear pocket and my wallet in my right. No problems yet, and it's very convenient.

Though I didn't have many complaints about just carrying a pen in my left front pocket either. This was just optimizing for optimizing's sake.

I bought a regular wallet a few years ago, and it came with a removable bit that's just a sheet of leather with a couple clear plastic pockets for your IDs. That has become my wallet now. It's the perfect size for my driver's license, health insurance card, credit card, and debit card, plus a couple of big bills. I keep smaller bills folded over themselves in my side pocket.

@Terrence Kelleman

Hey I bought a dot matrix wallet awhile ago and it suffered from both cards falling out and falling apart. What really made it fall apart was the two glue spots becoming unglued. This new design seems to fix the first problem, i'm wondering if there is still any glue used to hold the wallet together? I'd love to go back to a wallet that gets stares and compliments instead of this boring old leather one I have!

Personally I switched to stuffing everything I had in my wallet into an old Altoids tin and keep that in my front or cargo pockets. No one really wants to pickpocket one and it has room for all the cards, notes and even my mini magnetic phone book and minipen

Easy to keep track of and just big enough for Debit/credit cards ID etc. Plus being metal it wears far better than anything else.

Really, am I the only woman reading Jeff's blog???

As a woman, I love the new fashion of ultralarge bags! Seeing as we walk around with one anyway, why not one that can not only carry all the wallet stuff (mine's about as thick as Jeff's original one, btw), but also:

* food
* hair tie, travel brush/mirror
* perfume samples
* A4 paper block
* 2 pens (in case one doesn't work ;-))
* food
* sunglasses in the summer, car keyhole defrost spray in the winter
* chewing gum
* store coupons
* HIS sunglasses (because the box doesn't fit in his pockets!)
* more food (d*mn my sweet tooth!)
* ...

You should try the smart money clip and put it in your front pocket. It holds more cash than any wallet and holds up to five cards.

Yeah, the optimal wallet would be no wallet at all. I carry a credit card wallet. It has my insurance card, drivers license a couple credit cards, business and personal, and a money clip. Thats it. I try to keep it empty of cash for the most part. In fact if it weren't for DC taxi cab drivers I wouldn't ever have a need for cash. International travel calls for a whole different ball game as you need someplace to carry a passport and stash some cash, like one of those silk body pouches. In that case I always have cash because outside the US things change considerably. Here in the US I know I can always call my bank or wife or someone and get some money wired to me or something, so I don't worry about it.

For me, nothing beats the simple "Weekender" wallet from Johnston & Murphy:

http://www.johnstonmurphy.com/product.aspx?c=759&pid=56771&VID=56771

I use a slim money clip for cash, so it holds everything I need. I also carry a Fisher Space Pen, which others have mentioned.

Seriously, when did you last use your Nissan-card?

I've found that the perfect size is a card-sized wallet with enough room for a few notes, a debit card, a credit card and an id. I picked it up in Fredrikshamn in Denmark.

Henrik J

When I was a kid, I'd lose my wallet and keys all the time. When I was 16, my best friend bought me a plain leather chain wallet, and I've not since lost either my wallet nor my keys. I'm on my fourth wallet in 12 years since then, on account of wear and tear, though. And when I say chain wallet, it's a reasonable chain, not something that drapes down the side of my leg.

+1 Front left pocket.

I've had my All-Ett wallet for over five years, and it is still in good shape. It would be nice to get rid of all my cards, but in the Northeast, each store has its own "loyalty" card which is needed for cashing checks. Plus, I have my NY Subway and Bus maps <http://antonmiles.com/newyork.html>, a couple of ATM cards, my credit card, drivers license, insurance card, etc.

The Jimi Wallet and Umbra Bungee Card Case simply take up more room and hold less. The Thin Super Skinny Wallet is also bigger while it carries less. Of the ones you mentioned, only the Tyvek Mighty Wallet comes close to the All-Ett. However, I don't think the material (although much cooler looking) is as sturdy as the All-Ett. I know a few people who got one, and all of their wallets were falling apart within a year. The Tyvek material might be nice and sturdy for an over night letter, but the material wasn't made to last for a year of abuse.

I'll be replacing my All-Ett with another one. That is, if the one I currently have ever wears out.

Hey, what about the rules of optimization here? Skipping rule #1 (don't optimize), the next rule is #2: Measure

When I measured, I found most of the thickness was from stuff I didn't need to carry around. Sears card, JC Penney card, receipts from a year ago, club membership cards, 20 business cards, pictures, etc., aud nauseum.

When I got rid of the unneeded stuff, the result was good enough (another rule: Stop optimizing when the result is good enough). If it wasn't good enough, THEN I would go for super-thin materials. But then I would be giving up organization. I guess I'm like the TV detective Monk, but I don't want my cards to touch each other...

You could have saved some money (and optimization time), if you just threw out the garbage from your old wallet.

Besides, aren't you paying for everything with a retina scan already?

Ah Plastic! Status symbols.

Recently i want to change my wallet with a smaller one, and after a week of searching i choose the J.FOLD ALTRUS WALLET (i pick the black one).

You can see it here:
http://blogfile.paran.com/BLOG_715477/200710/1192371210_J.Fold%20Altrus%20Black%20Wallet.jpg

I'm very happy with it. It's very small and minimalist, and it's made of strong material.

I haven't solve the where-i-do-store-coins problem yet (i put them directly in my pocket), but i never change back my new pocket, for any reason in the world ;)

I had a pen and pencil set growing up that I carried around in my wallet until the mechanical pencil fell apart. It was the size of a credit card and the pen/pencil would snap out of the frame. It was a bit thick, probably 3 or 4 credit card widths but came in handy quite often.

I love my All-ett

While I'm fine with ephemera, am I the only one who thinks Jeff has just gotten bored with the whole programming blog thing?

I'm a European guy (Britain), loads of change, bulging wallet but I'm with the lady on this one.

I tote a man-bag often as not (shoulder strap, battered leather, bought for me by my good lady), AND it carries a small(ish) laptop and as many pens as I like (if I fish around it generally has a few biros and a marker or two). It also has all my vehicle key sets (petrolhead), passport (hidden(ish) compartment) and my Leatherman PST. Oh, and an LED torch (winter nights), antihistamine spray (from a camping trip). It has also been covetously admired by ladies on more than one occasion... Plus, it looks okay/fits the vibe when I'm riding my motorbike, can carry chargers/batteries for whatever kit I'm toting, hip flask & 4x pint bottles of ale (obviously that's an either or with the laptop!). It also means my wallet automatically goes with me if I grab my bag.

It really is the insane change that kills my wallets, every time! It still does but my man-bag catches the fallout.

Here in the UK you simply can't live without coins. Most vending machines don't take notes, so you can't for example pay for parking without several pounds worth of shrapnel on you.

The smallest note is a fiver anyway, so even if you can feed it into the machine it will only spit a load of metal change back at you. To make matters even worse most machines don't take anything less than a 10p coin, and every shop prices every god damn item at £X.99 so you end up with millions of pennies.

Worse still, when you have to pay the asshats their 78p you waste loads of time finding as close as possible to exact change, slowing the queue down. Stick to round numbers, damn it!

They should just get rid 1p and 2p coins, maybe even 5p as well. Why they made the pound coins so thick and heavy I don't know, but it seems to be some kind of Europe wide fetish as the €1 coins are the same.

We need a system of electronic cash like the Suica system in Japan. Saying that I got my current 8+ year old wallet from Muji, and it has a coin purse built in.

Additional: the Suica card has the added benefit of not needing to be actually removed from your wallet to use it - just brush the wallet over the payment pad. A lot people just use a little card older on a small chain for them.

Oh, and some mobile phones have it built in too, charges come on your monthly bill.

The cards store your transaction history, so it's easy to download to a computer and claim back tax on your expenses.

Wow, only one guy with a bag?

I only have my cellphone in a front pocket. Everything else goes in the bag, this usually includes my wallet obviously, and pens, earbuds, eeepc, a4 sized notebook (paper), a 0.5 liter bottle of water and often a book i'm reading.

(btw, it's a messenger bag from freitag (http://www.freitag.ch))

Those of you struggling with coins in your wallet or loose in your pocket: I've been using one of those simple squeeze-open coin purses that drop into my front pocket for years and I can't imagine how I lived without it before! No jangling noises when I move about or spilling coins out when pulling something from my pocket, etc. Plus it gives me something to fidget with when waiting in whatever coffee line I happen to be in...

I just picked up a stainless stell microfiber mesh wallet, and couldn't be happier with it:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/gear/9964/?cpg=ab

I tried carrying a wallet in my back pocket for a month or so, but I started having horrible shooting pains in my leg and I could barely walk around.

I decided my side pocket was a far better place for it. :) My wallet is really skinny, every few weeks I go through it and remove anything I do not need, even with only 6 or 7 cards in it right now (mostly loyalty cards of various types...) I feel it is far too thick.

I also had this wallet but once it got warmer out, it was hard to carry around. Perfect for a jacket pocket, not so much for jeans or dress pants. But it does hold a LOT of cards :)

I'm a fan of the low-tech solution here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_band

It helped me winnow down the things I 'needed' quite a bit. I'm happier for it.

Seriously... Jeff, you are a geek and you are unaware of the Fisher Bullet Space Pen??
Clip it to the inside of your wallet. Done.

Since you are writing about wallet pens, allow me to draw your attention to Swiss Army Knife, Swisscard Lite version:

<a href="http://www.victorinox.ch/index.cfm?site=victorinox.ch&page=191&lang=E">http://www.victorinox.ch/index.cfm?site=victorinox.ch&page=191&lang=E</a>

It is the size of and marginally thicker than a real credit card, but still fits perfectly in a credit card pocket of a wallet, and it includes quite something more beside the pen:

1. letter opener (blade)
2. scissors
3. pin, stainless steel
4. pressurized ballpoint pen
5. tweezers
6. magnifying glass
7. screwdriver 3 mm
8. screwdriver 5 mm
9. Phillips screwdriver 00-0
10. Phillips screwdriver 1-2
11. LED, light red
12. ruler (cm)
13. ruler (inches)

Available for around $20-$30 from Amazon, too.

As it is with Swiss products, the things in it actually do work quite well, despite seeming like a toy.

Funny thing is, I got so used to carrying it around, I forgot to remove it from wallet when going by plane. Security didn't notice.

http://www.victorinox.ch/index.cfm?site=victorinox.ch&page=191&lang=E

is the link (the previous one seems to have got messed up by having to type "orange", which I forgot to do initially.

I recommend the Pentel Mini M.V.P. mechanical pencil which is small enough to be carried in a pocket, but won't burst like a pen

"Wow, only one guy with a bag?"

I nearly always have a bag, either a backpack or small shoulder bag, as I carry far too much junk around. But I always keep my wallet in my pocket, as I'd never find it in my bag.

I've been wanting to get a better wallet for a long time now, but couldn't find one that I liked. I don't carry much cash, but tons of plastic. After reading this post, I decided to get the Leather Hybrid World with Zipper Pocket from Big Skinny.

http://www.bigskinny.net/leather-hybrid-world-zippered-pocket.html

Some sort of place to keep coins is essential for me. Although our bills are not tall enough to require this taller wallet, cheques and receipts are taller than bills. I keep my wallet in my front pocket and it's bulkier than I would like. Cell phone shares the same pocket. Keys go in the opposite front pocket along with my ballpoint pen and Sharpie.

I also ordered the passport holder.

http://www.bigskinny.net/passport-holder-tuxedo-black.html

Trimming down when I travel international is not a problem.

Instead of spending $40 for an official wallet pen you might try the pen refills for Swiss Army knives from Victorinox. A set of 3 will cost you $3. They're metal, 2.75" long and less than 1/8" wide with no bulging clip. I've used the same one in my wallet for three years now with 2 spares whenever I finally need them.

Here's a post with a good description and a link: http://www.bookofjoe.com/2004/12/worlds_best_tin.html

When I was a full time crusty biker I used to have a really useful hand-tooled leather pouch that fitted on my leather belt. Whenever I changed my trousers my belt would go onto them and my pouch with cash, cards, etc. It was secure and just capacious enough and the rivetted ~2mm hide was immune to the worst ravages of excess small change.

Shame it doesn't fit with the look I truck these days...

Another vote for carrying a messenger bag. The only thing I carry in my pockets is my BART card, which is the size of a credit card but the thickness of a piece of paper. I can't understand how anyone can put up with filling their pockets with keys and wallets and cellphones; it's both unsightly and uncomfortable, and it's a pain to move so many things between pairs of pants every day. Women have been ahead of the game here for many years, and I feel a fool that, being born a man, I didn't make the switch sooner.

The best tip I can offer is to make sure to get a bag that has some internal pockets for organization; I'm much faster pulling my cellphone, wallet, or keys out of my messenger bag than my girlfriend is at finding the same things in her purses.

There's only one downside to the messenger bag that I've found: rampant sexism. Sometimes when entering a business (the most recent incident for me was a few weeks ago at Fry's) the employees will demand that I leave my bag with them, even as several women with purses walk past unimpeded. This is ridiculous; I have every bit as much right to carry a bag as a woman, and my bag is in the same size range as a purse. In addition, if my bag is stolen while under their care, they generally guarantee no compensation of any kind. My usual response is to decline their request and shop elsewhere; I reserve my money for merchants that treat their customers with fairness and respect. I bring this up as a warning to others, but I hope you won't let it stop you from carrying a messenger bag; carrying one has been one of the best decisions I've ever made, and I wouldn't return to carrying my things in my pants for any reason.

what!? no humidity control MCU? that sucks :)

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Waterfield Designs' wallets in either leather or "indium" (a nylon fabric):

http://www.sfbags.com/products/wallets/wallets.htm

I've been using these for a few years now, and they're great. As well as cash and cards, they also hold my Fisher Space Pen (along the bottom), as well as a USB storage key (vertically). A bonus for me is that they zip up, so if you drop your wallet, your cards don't fly everywhere.

I use the smaller 2-pocket All-Ett ("European"?), have had it about 2 years or so. I have a small amount amount of cards in it (maybe half a dozen plastic cards, and half a dozen heavy-stock paper business and other cards), and only really need to access 2 or 3 frequently (debit card, credit card, and license). When I need other stuff, I do need to slide out a stack of cards from one of the pockets and flip through them, which takes some time. It does get softer and less crinkly over time. Some of the threads have started to come loose by now, but the wallet is still perfectly intact so far.

They're not that expensive- the minimalist one I have is only $15.

I was at the same juncture as you Jeff, and I had been getting frustrated with Costanzing the size of my wallet.

I finally bought this Johnston Murphy wallet, it's not so slim as yours but I love it for its size:

http://www.johnstonmurphy.com/product.aspx?c=759&pid=46526

Way to all be rampant consumerists for an oppressive capitalist regime.

I can't believe the PHP extension in the 37signals URL ;)

If you removed that 'computer listing' from your original wallet
it might have continued to do sterling service !

Jeff,

This post smacks of WAY too much free time. Don't you have a newborn at home? I think he's crying...

+1 to front pocket. I've never understood why you would want it in your rear pocket.

I've been carrying the all-ett wallet for a few months and really like it. The crinkliness goes away. I'm totally happy with it. Doesn't have the digits of pi but that's nothing a sharpie can't fix...

I've been carrying the all-ett wallet for a few months and really like it. The crinkliness goes away. I'm totally happy with it. Doesn't have the digits of pi but that's nothing a sharpie can't fix...

I had one of those velcro 80's wallets in high school. It was obviously out of fashion, so while in the military I got a few eel skin wallets in Korea. Eel skin is very thin and supposedly durable. They wore out in record short time. I tried one or two other wallets before digging up my old high school velcro standard.
I'm not sure how many years I've used it for now (at least 15), but it's indestructible. If you're into form over fashion it's the best wallet around.

Thanks for this article, Jeff. I am picky about my wallet, and I try to keep it thin too. As far as keeping it in my back pocket, I have buttons on my back pockets, and that keeps it from falling out, and keeps pickpockets out.

Lately I've discovered cargo pants, and those have lots of room for pens and such. One can never have too many pockets (in pants or jacket)!

JimGf

Maybe you Brits could use a wallet like this: http://snipurl.com/hd0xa [www_amazon_com].

Now, you'll have a place to put all that change.

use a business card holder as a wallet, front pocket.

hi jeff. i have a question for you. i was looking at the url's you have in this post and noticed that most of the links to amazon end with "?tag=codinghorror-20". what's that for? do you get payed for clicks made on this post?

My wallet would be a lot thinner if people would just start using dollar coins!

I'm tired of having to keep so many near-worthless units of money in my wallet mixed in with my real money.

Any unit of currency that can't buy me a bottle of Coke belongs in my pocket with my "jingling money", not in my wallet with my "folding money". I'm sorry to say it, but the single dollar passed this threshold at least five years ago.

That wallet would suck for me, because I use only cash. Id have no where to store coins and bills. As for pens and stuff, I store those in my book bag. Credit cards are for fools. Too easy for companies and individuals to ripp you off.
Most I use those sorts of pockets is business cards I pick up, and then remove and stick in a shoe box somewhere, and then I end up throwing most of them away!

Hi Jeff, could you describe or show a pic of the relationship between the small and large cash pockets as described on their website? I can't seem to find any good perspective on that particular part of the wallet. The ubiquitous front views of 2 or 3 bills fanned out don't really do the trick.

For example, can you put some of your bills in the small cash pocket and then more in the large pocket and not have them overlap for minimal thickness? This would help reduce the width of carrying more bills in the same way the cards are side-by-side. It seems likely there is a little overlap in the Original model if it really is exactly 5 inches tall, so maybe this would only be possible in the Traveler model that's slightly taller? Now that you've had it for a bit, what do you think?

Thanks!

Talk to any healthcare professional who deals with posture issues and they'll tell you that sitting all day on hip pocket wallet is an unhealthy idea. Moving it to a different pocket is the best idea but if you have to put it in your hip pocket, thinner is better.

Why not optimise the *contents* of your wallet? I worked in the US a few years ago and was always amazed at the amount of crap my cow-orkers carried around with them, with wallets 3-4cm thick. My current wallet is maybe 5mm thick, and about half of that is the leather it's made of.

I just bought a PI Mighty Wallet :(
I just love these gadgets!

I use an Inka keychain pen, rather than keeping one in my wallet. I'm sure that'll keep the wallet thinner.

I use a London Oyster card sleeve as a wallet :p

Cards fit perfectly, and money goes in the other side of the sleeve. Can't get any more thin.

I have an huge billabong wallet, which isn't a problem. I bought it because it has a pocket for change inside. It can look a little unmanly sometimes, but I don't like jangly change in my pocket. I also used the coin compartment for keeping my work-related keys (locker key, kensington lock key, etc). I hardly ever have anything in my back pocket, so a bigger wallet isn't usually an issue. Though I wouldn't mind going thinner in the future.

If I want to carry a pen I usually grab one of my many Bic Cristals and stuff it in the pocket with my phone.

My keychain has 2 keys and a Homestarrunner star-shaped fob. I'm thinking of adding my bike lock key, but I hardly ever lock my bike. I never need anything else to be with my keys.

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Hey there, cool post. As a heads up, someone is scrapping your site: http://folktrash.com/2009/05/01/optimizing-your-wallet/

/Nat

Make a wallet out a wired magazine cover
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDLuB7BS0ps