I do not normally review products on my blog as my intended audience is just my kids and those friends and family members with whom it is difficult to keep up. However, I searched for a review of this particular wallet before purchasing it and found that what few reviews I found were not helpful for my purposes. Hopefully, this post will help someone out there.
I replace my wallets about every ten years. It takes that long for me to wear one out. A few years ago I wore out a wallet I loved and replaced it with a bulky, big wallet that I never liked. That wallet was actually labeled "my big fat wallet" in the store. It was indeed big and fat, and I really preferred small and slim. The problem for me with small and slim is that I carry way too much stuff in my wallet. My kids all have individual health insurance cards. Really?? With the same numbers, plan etc, shouldn't I only have to carry one card with every one's name on it? Grr. Along with that, I tend to frequent stores with repeat customer programs, and they always tend to have a card for that. I actually have a separate holder in my purse for cards where I can alphabetize them. In addition to the cards used frequently that I do carry in my wallet, I also carry my checkbook. Yep, I am THAT person who still writes checks in the store while you wait behind me. Sorry, but I do not want a debit card. I want my wallet to hold my cards, checkbook, a pen, and cash in an organized manner. I was not in the market for a new wallet since mine was still in good shape when I came across this one at a home sales party with multiple vendors. The investment would be more than I typically spend on a wallet, so I really wanted to find a good review on it first. I found a few reviews that did not help nearly as much as the consultant selling the wallet, so after a few days of having this wallet, I decided to write my own.
The wallet size is bigger than I would normally carry, but it is thinner. I have found that my purse is lighter with this wallet, and it is a good fit in my purse.
There are two zipper pockets on the outside. I carry my change in the smaller one. I am finding that to be a bit troublesome as it is very tight. I think with time it will loosen, but I wish the pocket was designed to open wider.
On the inside of the wallet, there are nine slots for cards as well as a clear pocket for my license. The slots for cards will hold more than one card, so I could get our six insurance cards into two pockets. The left side of the wallet has a sleeve that is handy for cards I want to keep readily accessible and for receipts. Behind the card slots and the sleeve, there are two pockets on each side. Two of those pockets zip to close, and all four are big enough to carry bills without folding them. If you do some variation of the Dave Ramsey envelope system and need your money to be in different places in your wallet, these four pockets give you some options for that.
As I stated before, I want to carry my checkbook in my wallet so that my pen license and checkbook are all in one place, and it fits best in the open pocket behind the sleeve. You can see that my whole checkbook, cover and all, fits in there. I love the spot for the pen in the middle of the wallet as it nicely holds a fat pen (my favorite kind).
My bills do fit nicely in a zippered pocket as well.
Final Thoughts:
I am much happier with this wallet than the big fat bulky thing I carried for the last couple of years. You can add a wristlet strap (also available through Thirty-One) and carry it as a wristlet if you do not want to carry your purse.
Everything fits in this wallet.
The consultant with whom I spoke about this wallet carries it like this. She hangs her key chain over the wristlet strap and is good to go. She told me that customers are concerned that their stuff will fall out because the wallet does not have a zipper closure, but she wrangles a three-year-old with this wallet which allows her to be hands free, and she has never had anything fall out.
If I could change anything, I would probably have the checkbook already built in to the wallet, and I would have the zipper pocket open wider on the outside for my change.
The wallet is very tight right now for me and all my stuff, but I do think it will soften and loosen some with more wear.
This particular wallet comes in "pick me plaid" which is the pattern I purchased, but you can also get brown corduroy or grey.
Now how do you buy one of these?
The wallet is sold through Thirty-One independent consultants. There should be one near you, and you can probably find her online or at a local craft or home show. I really did not think I would like Thirty-One products as my preference in purses and totes is more for a leather look than fabric. I am not a fan of Vera Bradley. However, I have to say that I really, really like the Thirty-One products that I own. They are definitely designed with busy moms and especially teachers in mind.
This wallet retails for $40. I bought mine through an auction on ebay as I was really unsure about how I would like it. I do not recommend buying a Thirty-One product this way for a couple of reasons. Typically, you end up paying full retail price through the bidding system, and Thirty-One always offers specials which would have landed a better deal or a nice discount on another product. Secondly, you do not have a consultant to back you with the company if something goes wrong with the product. That being said, I have never had to return anything to Thirty-One. Thirdly, it is always nice to give the profit back to someone local to your community. I actually bid on ten wallets before getting one in the price range I was willing to pay, so ebay requires much more patience as well. Lastly, I had to take what I could get. I did not have much choice in the pattern and had to be willing to take a used product if it came to that.
I hope this review helps someone who may be looking at this product.
The company link is below.
http://www.thirtyonegifts.com
My consultant is awesome, and she does have a web account where you can place orders at the link below.
https://www.mythirtyone.com/LisaHague/
I have to admit that I have considered becoming a consultant with this company as I am continually impressed with their products.
Update: after a week of using this wallet, I am finding that I often leave my purse behind and carry it like a wristlet. I really never thought that would be my thing, but it is really handy for a quick trip in a store or at the gas station. I'm lovin' it!
No comments:
Post a Comment
I welcome comments, but because I am a high school teacher, I do check them before they are posted.