Six things you should not keep in your wallet, and one you should

[caption id=“attachment_80711” align=“alignnone” width=“860”]  Complied by Bindisha Sarang
Wallets, like fools, come in all sizes and shapes. And, more often then not, the kind of wallet you carry reveals some things about the kind of person you are. So does what you carry in your wallet. Firstbiz did a quick dipstick survey to find what all people carry in their wallets, and the result was partially shocking, partially amusing, and partially worrying. Hence, we bring you a list of things you should not carry in your wallet and why. Photo: Reuters[/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_80685” align=“alignnone” width=“860”]  All your debit and credit cards: We won’t tell you to stop carrying your debit and credit card, it’s just not practical. But carrying all your debit and credit cards in the wallet, is not a good idea. If your wallet is stolen or lost, you will not only have to cancel all the cards, but will also be left high and dry without even one card at your disposal. And, if case you need funds, you will have to visit banks to withdraw funds. Moreover, it takes at least 7 working days, for your banks to send you the new cards.
Tip: Carry one, or at the most, two debit cards and one credit card. Keep the rest at home. Also, store the bank’s call centre number on your mobile phone, so that you can get in touch with them ASAP, in case you lose your wallet. Photo: Getty Images[/caption]

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[caption id=“attachment_80686” align=“alignnone” width=“860”]  PIN: You should never carry your debit/credit card PIN in your wallet. Now this might seem very obvious, but you’d be surprised to know how many actually carry the PINs in their wallet. The Firstbiz dipstick survey showed that 10 percent of our respondents carried their debit/credit PIN in their wallet. In case your wallet is stolen or lost, losing the card and its PIN simultaneously is like giving an open invitation to the thief to sweep your savings account/ credit card limit clean.
Tip: Most people carry the PIN since they forget the four digit PIN provided by the bank. Instead, you can actually change the PIN at an ATM to any number of your choice;, that way you will remember the number, and need not carry the PIN. Photo: Reuters[/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_80688” align=“alignnone” width=“860”]  Keys: Many carry their home keys in their wallet. Let’s also not forget that your wallet more often than not has some or the other card, like a driver’s licence, which has your home address mentioned on it. Carrying your house keys in your wallet is, again, an open invitation to thieves. And even the chance of your house being actually looted after you lose your wallet with the keys in it, might be low, you will still have to pay for a new lock for your house door, won’t you?
Tip: Heard of key chains? And, yes, do keep a spare key with a trusted friend or a family member. Photo: ThinkStock[/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_80689” align=“alignnone” width=“860”]  Passwords: These days we have a number of login ids and passwords to remember for various websites. Keeping password cheat sheets is seriously risky. Our survey showed, some people actually did have bank login ids and passwords written on small chits. And, even if it’s written in cryptic code, if luck if not running in your favour, you might have much to lose, if this information falls in the wrong hands.
Tip: You could store your password in a small diary in your house under lock and key. If you’re comfortable about storing passwords in an encrypted format on your mobile, that’s an option too via apps like Dashlane, Keep pass and Blackberry’s Password keeper. Photo: Getty Images[/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_80690” align=“alignnone” width=“860”]  Pen drives: Since a pen drive is small and sleek, it’s fairly easy to slip them into your wallet. But, in case you lose your wallet, you have no control over the data you’ve stored on the drive. Also, if it’s has some official sensitive data, it could get you into trouble.
Tip: Buy a pen drive holder instead.[/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_80691” align=“alignnone” width=“860”]  Voter’s Id: If you have to carry a voter’s ID card, we suggest you carry a photocopy of the same. Reason being, unlike other cards like a PAN or driver’s licence, getting a new voter’s ID card is going to be a much bigger pain.
TIP: You could take a picture of the voters ID (front and reverse) and store it on your smart phone. Photo: Reuters[/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_80702” align=“alignnone” width=“860”]  **Other items people keep:**Our dip stick survey showed that may carry their PAN cards. We won’t tell you not to carry the same. But, instead you may want to consider a coloured duplicate copy of your PAN and a digital image on your smart phone. If you carry condoms, ensure you replace with a new one weekly. Condoms are delicate and simply keep them in a wallet for months could damage them.
Finally: Research done by Professor Richard Wiseman from the University of Hertfordshire, who is also a psychologist, showed that when you have a baby or a puppy photo in your wallet, you have a higher chance of someone returning the wallet to you, if in case it’s lost.[/caption]