A look at what the LowestRates.ca team carries in their wallets

A wallet says a lot about a person.

What you carry and how it looks can give someone a sense of where you like to shop, how you spend your money and whether you’re an organized person (or a hot mess). Unfortunately for me, if people met my wallet before they met me, they’d think I was the latter.

Last year, we did a Q&A with some of the LowestRates.ca team to find out what they carry around with them every day, which item they used the most, and which items they could and couldn’t live without. We learned a lot about their habits.

And now, it’s time to snoop at some new wallets.

I got my hands on some wallets and in this blog post, I’ll reveal what I think their wallet says about them. On this team, it’s clear the women carry way more than the men and apparently people still go to libraries (Arthur would be proud). As an added bonus, I found out what’s in the wallet of our co-founder and CEO — who knows, if you take inspiration from his wallet, you may find yourself the CEO of a company one day.

Owner: John Shmuel, Managing Editor

What’s in his wallet?

• Two credit cards
• Two debit cards
• Presto card (Toronto transit card)
• Driver’s license
• Health card
• Bike Share
• Air Miles
• Aeroplan
• PC Optimum
• Petro points
• Plum rewards card
• Library card
• YMCA membership
• Guess points card

How do you make most of your purchases? I use my credit card mostly, unless I'm buying something from a small business, in which case I'll use debit so they don't get hit by merchant fees. I almost never carry cash. (Well, Canadian cash, more on that below.)

What item in your wallet do you use the most? The least? I use my main credit card daily. I have a backup credit card, but I rarely use it.

Do you have a digital wallet? If so, what's on that? I do! It has all my loyalty programs on it, like PC Optimum, Plum points and Aeroplan. But I rarely use my digital wallet since I carry around all my cards. I'm more than happy to only carry around my phone the day everyone takes Apple Pay and makes their loyalty programs digital.

If you had to get rid of one thing in your wallet, what would it be? I should probably take out the renminbi bills I'm still carrying from my trip to China.

Do you ever clean out your wallet? If yes, how often? I've tried to get rid of some of the cards I carry, but somehow I end up convincing myself they're going to be useful even though I never use them. Which I think is a sign of being a hoarder.

My take: John’s wallet is clearly falling apart and he needs a new one. But its shoddiness aside, he carries practical cards  — it also makes him come across as someone who is always prepared. Two debit cards, two credit cards and cards that will collect him points towards travel, groceries, gas and books — John has his life together. But I couldn’t help but wonder: why is he carrying a Guess card? It’s not 2005, John.

Owner: Jessica Mach, Writer

What’s in her wallet?

• CIBC debit card
• CIBC Dividend Visa card
• Manulife card
• Health card
• PayPal Security key card
• Punch card for hair salon
• PC Optimum card
• Sephora Beauty Insider Card
• Toronto library card
• 3 stamps
• A USB stick
• $16.10 cash

How do you make most of your purchases? Debit or cash. I only use my credit card for big purchases -- anything over $150.

What item in your wallet do you use the most? The least? I use my debit card the most, and my Sephora Beauty Insider Card the least.

Do you have a digital wallet? If so, what's on that? No.

If you had to get rid of one thing in your wallet, what would it be? The Sephora card.

Do you ever clean out your wallet? If yes, how often? Like, once a year?

My take: When I asked Jessica one word to describe her wallet, she said “I have no idea”, which: me neither. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never met someone else who carries a USB or stamps in her wallet — but no form of ID. I hope we did our due diligence before we hired her. With that being said, she did tell me she uses her wallet pretty much as a purse and doesn’t carry a purse, so it makes sense that she carries things most people wouldn’t have in their wallet. However, with no ID (and looking like she’s 15) I wish her good luck at the LCBO.

Owner: Alexandra Bosanac, Core content editor

What’s in her wallet?

• Amex SimplyCash card
• TD Interac Card
• TD Green Visa
• Manulife card
• Driver’s license
• Health card
• TTC metropass (Toronto transit)
• Library card
• PC Optimum card
• Art Gallery of Ontario membership card
• Punch card for eyebrow waxer
• Moksha yoga pass
• Receipts
• CRA cheque

How do you make most of your purchases? On credit. I almost never carry cash and rarely use debit since my allotment of fee-free transactions is pretty small.  

What item in your wallet do you use the most? The least? Probably my loyalty cards the least, to be honest. Proud to say that I use my library card the most.

Do you have a digital wallet? If so, what's on that?I do. I use Apple Pay on my phone and my smart watch. I only have my TD Visa synced with it.

If you had to get rid of one thing in your wallet, what would it be? Probably the wallet itself. I've had it since 2006.  

Do you ever clean out your wallet? If yes, how often? Ha, very infrequently. I only start tossing things once it reaches Seinfeldian proportions. In the words of George Costanza, "I need everything in there!"

My take: Alex claims to have a George Costanza wallet, but I’d hazard a guess that George wouldn’t frequent an eyebrow waxer enough to warrant having a punchcard. Although she does carry a lot in her wallet, her debit/credit cards, license, health card, TTC are necessary to have. The AGO membership and Moksha yoga pass, though? Necessary only for a quintessentially non-Costanza day.

Owner: Justin Thouin, co-founder and CEO

• What’s in his wallet?
• Driver’s license
• Personal bank card
• Personal credit card (RBC Avion Infinite Privilege)
• Work credit card (RBC Avion Platinum Business)

How do you make most of your purchases? Credit card (unless credit cards are not accepted, in which case I use debit.  I never carry cash.)

What item in your wallet do you use the most? The least? The credit card the most and the debit card the least.

Do you have a digital wallet? If so, what's on that? Yes! Uber, Starbucks, CAA, Aeroplan, Westjet, Porter, GreenP, PC Optimum and RBC.

If you had to get rid of one thing in your wallet, what would it be? Nothing! Since I only have two credit cards (one work, one personal), my debit card and driver's license in it.

Do you ever clean out your wallet? If yes, how often? No. I try to stay on top of purging anything I don't need to keep things clean, and well organized.

My take: Okay, Justin’s wallet blew my mind. This, readers, is the wallet of a co-founder and CEO and I need to use his wallet as inspiration ASAP. His wallet is extremely simple and efficient — like Marie Kondo, or the combined salt-and-pepper shake at Subway. He only carries around what he needs, which is four cards and everything else is on his digital wallet. In reality, this is pretty much what everyone should carry.

And last but not least, mine — and it’s embarrassing. Especially because I recently read Cait Flanders’ book ‘Year of Less’ and I’m clearly having a rough start.

Owner: Nicole Ballantyne-Choo, Communications Specialist

What’s in my wallet?

• Simplii Financial debit card
• PC Financial Mastercard
• Canadian Tire Gas Advantage Mastercard
• Driver’s license
• Health card
• Presto card
• CAA membership
• Manulife insurance card
• Starbucks gold rewards card
• SCENE card
• PC Optimum card
• Sephora Beauty Insider card
• Plum rewards card
• My LowestRates.ca business card
• Boyfriend’s business card
• Hairdresser’s business card
• CPR A certified CanFitPro card
• Expired Canyon creek 20% off coupon (throwing that out after this)
• Expired La Senza $10 off coupon (throwing this out too)
• Gift cards: LaSenza, Cineplex, PINK, Lululemon
• Movie popcorn/drink coupon
• $15 cash
• Bobby pins — seriously??

How do you make most of your purchases? PC Financial Mastercard. I get points towards groceries for every $1 I spend. Any chance I get to save money on groceries I take it.

What item in your wallet do you use the most? The least? I use my PC Financial card the most. As for the least? It’s pretty obvious my wallet is a random collection of gift cards, rewards cards, business cards, and even bobby pins! So I’d say I don’t use a lot of things in my wallet.

Do you have a digital wallet? If so, what's on that? I actually do. My PC Optimum, my SCENE card and my Starbucks card are all in there, so I really don’t need to carry around the physical cards.

If you had to get rid of one thing in your wallet, what would it be? Seeing all the gift cards in my wallet is making me want to go shopping so I’d probably get rid of those first. After that, take out the physical rewards cards that are on my iPhone.

Do you ever clean out your wallet? If yes, how often? I clearly never clean out my wallet but after having to take note of everything I have in there, it’s time for a purge.

My take: Looking at everything in my wallet was the therapy session I never knew I needed. After dumping out the contents on my desk and having my coworkers stare in horror, I know I need to make some changes and throw away more than half of what I carry. All I need are my bank cards, CPR and CAA cards (I carry these everywhere just in case), but after much thought, the bobby pins will stay — I usually pin my hair back, lose the pins, distribute them to friends ... it’s nice to have backups. For the rest of my cards, I can use the app versions instead.

Andddddddd that’s the 2018 version of “What’s in your wallet?” Tell us about your own wallet now: what can't you live without, and what do you want to get rid of? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.