For Your Own Protection, Thin Out Your Wallet

...So the chiropractor says to me, "And, by all means, don't sit on your wallet!"

(Cue the canned laughter.)

Except...that wasn't a punchline and there was no joke.

My wallet was a menace, if not to society, then my lower sacroiliac--or whatever that thing is. But there are other good reasons to go easy on the wallet contents.

Seriously, my wallet had grown to George Costanza-sized proportions. But lower back problems would pale in comparison to identity theft. And that was brought into sharp focus when I ran across Emily Inverso's Kiplinger piece on items one should not keep in one's wallet.

Now, I was aware of some of these things and, in fact, was conscious enough of it all to inquire about personal information on my driver's license, recently, when I lost mine and had to replace it. I couldn't remember if my Social Security number was on it and was assured that it was not and hasn't been since, I believe, 2005.

Regardless, the point is the number's not on there and that's a relief. But this article points to many items we possess that DO contain our most sacred identifier. Obviously, having your Social Security card readily available is a bad idea, while having it photocopied, memorizing the number, and shoving in a safety deposit box is a good one.

Now, I have a couple of items in my wallet that make me vulnerable, but I'm also probably not going to remove them. (And, yes, I'm avoiding mentioning them for obvious reasons.)

But I don't carry the rest of the stuff Kiplinger advises against. And neither should you. There are safe places for all of that stuff and that's where it all should be.

Imagine...we live in a day and age when having MONEY stolen from your wallet might be the BEST outcome of a robbery.