Back to Basics: Carry What You Need but No More

You pare down your packing list, and you keep your bags at a minimum so you can carry everything on. But that isn’t enough. Before you head out on your next trip, take a few minutes and take a look at your wallet.

wallet Back to Basics: Carry What You Need but No More What are you carrying in your wallet that you don’t need while you’re on the road?

Carrying credit cards that you won’t need, or bits of unnecessary personal information, can put you at risk for identity theft should your wallet be lost or stolen.

What should you carry?

Carry what you need, of course. Things like your driver’s license or ID card, passport, credit cards, health card, insurance card, passport, etc. Make a copy of all these items (front and back) to keep at home. Give the copies to a trusted friend or co-worker at home, so if your documents are lost, the information can be faxed to you.

As an additional protection, scan and email these documents to yourself at an email address than you can access from the road. That way, if anything should be lost or stolen, you can access your email and print out copies of the documents. Not as good as having the original, of course, but it will make replacing things and protecting yourself a whole lot easier.

I’ve greatly pared down what I carry: Drivers license and insurance card, health insurance card(s), passport, American Express and a Visa card, AAA membership card, and my pre-paid Starbuck’s card.

How about you – what do you carry in your wallet?