What do you need wallet hacks in 2023 for anyway? Wallets are part of most people’s everyday carry (EDC) list. So, these hacks fall into a few basic categories.
- Conditioning a New Leather Wallet
- Keep Your Leather or Metal Wallet Looking Good
- Don’t Overstuff Your Wallet
- Make Your Wallet Last Longer
- Keep Your Credit and Debit Cards Safe in Your Wallet
- Don’t Ruin the Line of Your Clothes When You Carry a Wallet
- Reorganize Your Wallet Regularly
Conditioning a New Leather Wallet
Remember the smell of that brand-new leather baseball mitt? Remember how firm and tight the leather was at first? You might also remember tying up a baseball in the glove and soaking it. A new leather wallet needs similar attention. Trayvax top-grain leather wallets are ready to condition when you receive them. The process remains the same as with your mitt. You get a card outlining the instructions with your new wallet, but here’s the steps.
- Start with lukewarm water in a bowl
- Submerge the new wallet for 10 minutes or so
- Remove from the water – the leather may look lighter, but it will darken again
- Put the number of cards you regularly carry into the wallet. Keep the instruction card that came with the wallet on top
- Close the wallet (latch if it has one) and air dry
It takes a few hours, but when dry, it is fully conditioned and molded to fit your cards.
Keep Your Leather or Metal Wallet Looking Good
The day your wallet arrives, it is a thing of beauty! Clean, fresh-looking and a delight to behold. So, how do you keep it looking good? That depends on what kind of wallet you have.
- Metal Wallets – If you have a metal wallet like the Trayvax Original.2.0 or the Axis Wallet, you can just wipe it with a damp cloth, and it’ll be back to looking brand new. Scrub the MIL-SPEC paracord in your Original 2.0 or the nylon strap on the Axis. Sue some mild dish soap and a soft cloth, so even the worst dirt from your weekend camping trip disappears.
- Leather Wallets – There’s a bit more to keep a top-grain leather wallet like the Contour, Ascent Wallet, or the Trayvax Element Pick up a natural leather cleaner and conditioner and follow the instructions. If the leather picks up a stain, clean it as quickly as possible. And never try to clean an oil stain with water! If you have something greasy on your fingers when you reach for your wallet at a restaurant, grab the cleaner when you get home.
The best hack to keep your wallet looking good is to start with a high-quality leather that develops a patina over time. Stay away from anything called genuine leather (genuinely not high quality!) Trayvax’s Horween top-grain leather is a prime example of high-quality leather with a uniform appearance that develops a rich patina over the years.
Don’t Overstuff Your Wallet
What’s in your wallet right now? The library card you haven’t used in 2 years? Your expired golf membership card? Last year’s dentist appointment card? A whack of receipts? Perhaps you could just take a few things right out of there, then!
The next wallet hack starts with removing what you can. Then make it a habit to carry only the cards you need with you. Also, take photos of receipts, business cards, appointment slips or other important items on your phone. Save the trees and the space in your wallet!
Every Trayvax product description tells you how many cards the wallet holds. Stick to those limits (or get a bigger wallet!) Separate your cards, bills, and coins based on the wallet’s design.
If your wallet has a place for coins, like the Axis Wallet with a hidden coin pocket/key holder, great! If not, add a Renegade Zipper Wallet to control your coin collection until you can pop them into your piggy bank at home. Loose change can make an embarrassing appearance by spilling out of your pocket onto the floor in the checkout line!
Make Your Wallet Last Longer
With wallets, quality leather matters. You may have had cheap wallets (probably genuine leather) last a few years, then dry out and crack at pressure points. So, the first hack to make your wallet last longer is to buy full or top-grain leather or metal.
To be sure the wallet you choose will last, check the warranty. No warranty? There’s a reason for that. 3 years? Even 5 years? You can do better! Trayvax wallets carry a 65-year heirloom warranty. Now you know THAT wallet is going to last!
You can also help your wallet last longer by keeping it looking good (see above!) Cleaning and conditioning a leather wallet keep it looking great as it develops a deep, rich patina over time.
The next hack is the right size wallet. It makes it less likely that you’ll be tempted to overstuff it. And over stuffing it could reduce its lifespan. It’s better to really think about how many cards you need to carry every day before choosing a wallet – especially if you’re going to be carrying the same one for the next 65 years!
Keep Your Credit and Debit Cards Safe in Your Wallet
Keeping your credit and debit cards safe is critical now! Thieves may start charging things to your accounts, but they may quickly escalate to identity theft. Ask anyone who has dealt with this, and you’ll know it’s worth taking some precautions!
RFID Wallets or RFID guards are the wallet hack to keep your credit and debit cards safe from actual hackers! The chip on your cards can be read from several feet away, so thieves have ways to steal your info without you even knowing! Stainless steel inside your wallet offers a high level of RFID protection.
The next wallet hack to keep your cards safe is to take your wallet out of your back pocket! A back pocket wallet bulge is a beacon of opportunity for thieves. Watch old movies, and you’ll see that even children could steal a wallet from a back pocket a century ago! Don’t be a victim! Move your wallet to your front pocket.
Don’t Ruin the Line of Your Clothes When You Carry a Wallet
Then, there’s that issue of how it looks. If you take your old, bulky, back pocket wallet and just move it to your front pocket, it looks… odd. It certainly ruins the line of your clothes, creating a sort of vagabond impression that is just not attractive! So, one wallet hack to keep your credit and debit cards safe is to get a slim, minimalist, front-pocket wallet.
Consider a clutch if you can’t get everything you need for your everyday carry into a slim, front-pocket wallet. The Roam Clutch is sleeker and easier to carry than a big bag and easily fits inside a shopping bag or backpack when you’re on the go. Carry it safely with a cross-body shoulder strap or conveniently with a wrist strap (or both!) The full-sized Roam Clutch will carry 12 cards, but you can always place your regular wallet inside. Now that’s a wallet hack!
The Roam Mini Clutch is ideal as a wallet inside a purse or as an individual discrete carry for more than a wallet. Your phone, keys, and cards fit inside, held securely with 3 snap closures.
The Ultimate Wallet Hack – Reorganize Your Wallet Regularly
Sit at the table and just completely empty your wallet. Pretend it is brand new and look at everything with fresh eyes. Store seldom used cards safely at home, and keep your library card in your glove box!
This goes beyond cleaning out your wallet, which should be on your list of things to do for the first of every month. Consider your wallet on the list for spring cleaning, just like your closet! Focus on discarding trash, reducing what you carry only to the essentials, and organizing for easy access. Put your most frequently used cards on top, for example!
Conclusion
Wallet hacks aren’t rocket science but putting some thought into how you carry and use your wallet can make a big difference. Your wallet will look better, last longer, and give you better access to what you need when you need it.
Start the best possible wallet hacks by checking the selection of metal and leather wallets, clutches, and RFID protection at Trayvax.
1 comment
Kenneth McCleney
I have had a trayvax wallet for over 2 years best thing I ever done switching from old style back pocket wallet to a trayvax! Thanks trayvax.
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