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Jimi: The wallet for people who hate wallets

Pocket Change - New York Times

Jimi wallet on Amazon

I learned about the Jimi wallet from a guy named Stephen Houghton who I met at the David Allen seminar last month. We were swapping contact info, and I couldn't help but notice his weird little plastic wallet (I think his was bright orange).

As this Consumed piece from the NYT Magazine agrees, Stephen said the appeal of the wallet (even its basic philosophy) involves seeing how little you could get away with carrying at a time -- a subject I know is dear to many 43F readers, as well as your author.

This is where the ideology and mission come into it: the Jimi (which sells for about $16) does not hold as much stuff as a traditional wallet, and that is by intent. It's a bit slimmer than a regular wallet and unfolds to reveal two compartments, one with a money clip, the other to hold credit cards. "Do Not Overload," the instruction sheet warns, "Jimi holds five cards. . .plus three folded bills." And since it's made of hard plastic, you can't simply fatten it up by stuffing more cards and receipts and other things into it, as you can with a normal wallet. Basically, if you want to use a Jimi, you will have to play by Jimi's rules, and that probably means you have to pare down. As O'Neill says, this is a borderline anti-American notion. "It's funny how many people write us and say, 'If I could just get one more card in there..."'

Ordered one for myself yesterday. You can pick one up from the Jimi website or from Amazon for under $20.

TOPICS: Links, Wallets
notnil.net » Blog Archive » Jimi The wallet for's picture

[...] I’ve used a money...

[...] I’ve used a money clip combined with a card holder for years now, so whan I saw 43folders link to the jimi wallet I was intrigued. Ordered one three days ago (and yes I did order the orange one!) and received it in the mail today. Interesting gadget. I got the orange one, and besides the color, the plastic hinge feels like it may not hold that long. While I think I can manage carrying just 5 cards around, I’m a bit concerned about having it open the way it does and the fact that it holds just three bills. I usually carry more cash than that around. Then again, carrying bills loose in the pocket never was that big of a deal either. It fits real well in the pocket given it’s vertical orientation, so will have to wear it for a while and see how it pans out. [...]

 
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