Pocketses
I’ve recently been trying to cut down on the amount and volume of items I carry around in my pockets every day. Hopefully this will turn out to be a before/after scenario, where this is the “before”, but here’s a brief view in to what I carry now (you’ll have to click the image to see the full-size version to read the captions), followed by a side-view of the height of each item:
Suffice to say, this is waaay too much stuff. Especially since I’m considering ressurecting the Eric once-a-day photosteam, which would require carrying yet another bulky item, a camera.
So I did some research, and here’s my sekrit plans for pocket domination:
- 1. Wallet -First of all, it’s a 3-fold wallet with exactly 14 pockets and crevices for putting… well, I’m not sure what. It has a coin purse, two see-thru pockets, 2 areas for monies, and 2 secret compartments. This is vast overkill. Currently, I carry at most 40$, and the cards shown in the top picture (license, car insurance, medical insurance, 1 credit card, 1 debit card).
Solution for Wallet (generalized) - Less cards, less scraps of paper, less discount cards. If you can significantly reduce the number, move to a smaller wallet.
Solution for Wallet (for me) -(courtesy of the evar-useful mr. d10) – The Slimmy, and it’s smaller cuz, the SlimSlimmy, for the minimalist. Their marketing is elite:
- 2. Phone(s) -Ugh. This is definitely the biggest problem area. The main issue is that I have to carry two phones, one for my personal number, and one for my work phone. I would happily just leave my work phone in my laptop bag… but sadly, I have to go on call every 2 or 3 weeks, and have the Treo on me 24/7.
Solution(s) to Phone Issues (generalized) – Not sure anyone really has an issue with phones. Obviously a smaller, thinner phone is better. Or, if you do carry multiple phones, the phone that can roll with two SIM cards simultaneously is becoming a reality.
Solution(s) to Phone Issues (for me) – Ideally, I’d have one phone that could carry and access two SIM cards simultaneously, which I had assumed didn’t exist… but some quick googling found… these!- Samsung D880 DuoS
- HKC G1000 Dual SIM Phone with Windows Mobile 6Sadly, these lovely phones run about 3 to 400 dollas each, so thats pretty much out of my price range. More likely, I’ll replace the Treo with a much skinnier Blackberry Curve, and keep the Nokia, as it rox long-time.
- 3. [What the] Keys - Ugh. The metal thorn in my side. Several times while writing this diatribe I’ve looked over my keys and tried to remove some useless key or accessory from it… but its all fail. The only thing I could remove is that little grey plastic thingie that’s at the bottom, and leave it in my car.
Solution for Keys (generalized)- One strategy seems to be the way to go… try and determine which keys you don’t use at least once a month, and leave those keys in your car. This is assuming you will be near your car during those rare times you do need them.Solution for Keys (for me)- meh. got nothing. I’ve already pulled off anything I don’t use at least once a month.
That’s all for now folks. I’d like to take a moment to congratulate myself on not making a single, “is that a ____ in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me” joke this entire post. Thank you, thank you very much, self.
On wallets:
A guy at work literally has the butt brick wallet. He keeps EVERY receipt in there, for NO good reason. I swear it’s like George Costanza’s wallet. At least two inches thick. One day he cleaned it out and it was amazing – it had all these empty bulges everywhere. Of course, it was two inches thick again in a few days.
I’m on a two-year cycle with wallets, it seems like. About every two years I clean it out. But with credit, ATM, insurance, essential discount cards, etc., I think it’d be tough to go slimmy, as appealing as that is.
Phones:
There is no way I’d carry two phones. I used to carry a PDA and a phone, but that got old real quick. I’m loving the idea of an iPhone, Android, or Windows Mobile, but I can’t justify the monthly cost.
Keys:
I used to have one big keychain, but years ago I split them up – so when I’m driving, I have only one set of car keys with me. The only keys I have on my main set are car keys, fob, house key, and work keys. Oh, dang, parent’s key and house gate key, too. Hmm. Anyway, the extra set of car keys is the obvious thing to lose there.
So, Mr. D10 has really enjoyed the slim wallet, and you’d be surprised how much you can fit in there. You lose a lot of width when you get rid of all of those layers of leather that are in a traditional wallet. Also, you can keep your discount/membership cards (even most of the insurance cards) in the car and take them in with you when you go in that certain store.
Suggestion on the keys–I know keyless entry is nice, but not really necessary, so you could get rid of at least one of those that you wouldn’t need as often (assuming one of those is for the lady friend’s car, which you probably don’t use as much anyway).
Also on the keys–I have a Toyota, and those bulky plastic key-toppers are ridiculous. You can get a copy made that has a much slimmer top (as in metal only, no plastic cover), and this helps greatly. Looks like the other car key could possibly do the same. The metal ones are less likely to break anyway.
Derek – yeah.. it’s always “one more key”. man-d10 has like 4 keys total on his keyring.
Homegirl – yeah, Heather’s dumb car will sound the alarm if you don’t have the keyless entry, and try and open it with the key. Which means I either have to carry both her car key, and her keyless entry, or neither. And it happens just often enough that I need to use her car that it could be problematic if I left her keys in my car or the house. ugh.
As for my keyless entry… yeah, it’s not too huge, I guess I consider it a worth sacrifice for my pocketses.
Definitely a good call on the rubber heads of the keys though. Have to run up to Ace and get a key made.
I love these “whats in my bag/pockets/etc†type posts. i’ve been meaning to do one of these for my work bag sometime as I think that’d be somewhat interesting.
Lady d10 beat me to the bunch on all my suggestions (nix keyless entries, replace factory keys with copies). But hey, you could just get an iphone and take care of the phone + camera with one fell swoop. It’d definitely simplify the photo-per-day deal. I know it’s alot of monies, but when you think about phone+camera (not to mention gps/weather/email/backrubs/koipond/etc), the iphone starts to seem more affordable.
Derek, one thing i do is keep discount cards in my car in the glovebox. I have no need to have those on me while i’m sitting at work or whatever.
The Slimmy is quite awesome – like G said, I’m amazed at the quantity of things i can fit in there with still minimal width compared to my previous wallet. And, while we have multiple credit/debit cards, at any given time I only carry one debit, one credit and then only essentials (DL, health/car insurance, Georgia tech ID).
So… I know it doesn’t help with the key remotes… but when I get copies made of my car key, they never have the one that exactly matches, so they copy it onto one without the plastic head. These are the copies Jason always claims, as they are much thinner and he carries his keys in his pocket (and I don’t)… so maybe you can get copies made of the 2 car keys on plain keys without the plastic heads? Just a suggestion… it would give you, like, a centimeter less depth, maybe.
Dangit! That’s what I get for not reading all the comments first… my sister beat me to it ;-)