I’ve been carrying a wallet for something like 35 years in my back pocket. Initially, I carried my ATM card and a few dollars. When I got my driver’s license, I added that to the mix. Slowly over the years, cards just kept getting added, such as my insurance card, student ID, CPR card, credit cards, EMT card, AARP card, etc. It got to the point that my wallet was quite packed, and I looked for a slimmer wallet. I did find a wallet that reduced the bulk, and I used that one (or a replacement) for many years.
Last summer, my son got his driver’s license and at the same time bought himself a used iPhone. While I suggested he get some type of standard wallet, he was insistent on getting a MagSafe compatible wallet that he could attach to the back of his phone. For him, it worked well as he only had his 1 card and a $20 bill; he insisted that he would only use ApplePay and didn’t need to carry his ATM card.
This past summer, as I was thinking about what I had in my wallet, I took a careful inventory of what was in it.
- CPR card – digital version on my phone; never needed to show it.
- ATM card – I only use it to get money out of the ATM, which is deliberate and not just when I’m out and about.
- Auto insurance card – digital version on my phone; proof of insurance in each car.
- AARP card – digital version on my phone; have yet to use it.
- Prescription benefits card – no longer in use as it is part of my health insurance.
- Driver’s license – digital version not yet accepted anywhere.
- Credit card – needed as not everywhere takes ApplePay.
- Costco Card – digital version on phone.
- EMT card – never used it, but I’m not quite ready to leave it out of my wallet.
- Health insurance card – always asked for at doctors’ offices.
- CERT identification card – card explicitly says “not for identification purposes”. Used it once to get into an evacuation site to volunteer.
Looking at what was really needed, I slimmed down my cards to carry to 5 and decided to give a MagSafe wallet a try. The first thing I was kind of surprised at was how strong it held. The wallet also holds the cards pretty tight, so they’re not going to fall out. As I generally only wear long pants, I’ve made sure that all my pants have a side pocket on the leg; this allows me to carry my phone with attached wallet without making it hard to side down or walk. If I wore jeans and put my phone in my front pocket, the MagSafe wallet might be a bit more awkward.
I’m now a few months into this “experiment” and while it does feel weird to no longer have anything in my back pocket, it is kind of liberating. When I get into the car, I pull out my phone (with wallet) and put it in the cubby where the CarPlay connector is. Since I’ve gotten into the habit of always putting my phone there (for the last 8 years since I first got a car with CarPlay), I don’t forget my phone when I get out of the car.
The only weird thing about a MagSafe wallet is that when I want to take a picture, I have my wallet hanging off the back.
I’m quite happy with this change and feel like I’ve been dragged into this century by relying on more things to be on my phone (yes, as technology person, this sounds kind of weird).