I Learned My Lesson, Take Inventory Of What’s In Your Wallet, Here’s Why
I'm always going a hundred miles an hour and multi-tasking. It was because of this trait that I had something happen to me that stopped me in my tracks and made me realize an important life lesson that I want to share with you. At the risk of sounding like a tagline for Capitol One, "what's in your wallet"?
It was a Monday, the day was progressing and I had arrived home to blog before a chiropractic appointment. Besides blogging I was going to purchase my Northern Lights Foundation Gala tickets while I had my computer up. I got busy answering emails and of course, ended up on Facebook and before I knew it, it was time to leave for my chiropractic appointment. I arrived home after my appointment and it was time for dinner. I had a coupon for a free pizza at Green Mill so off we went. On our way there, I was digging through my purse for my fingernail file, lip gloss and hand lotion (see, I'm a multi-tasker). We found a parking spot in front of Adventure Zone, I shoved everything back in my purse, grabbed a couple quarters for the parking meter and we went in for a very enjoyable meal.
After our meal I told my husband I would pay and reached for my wallet that wasn't there. I checked the floor under our booth and came up empty handed. While he was paying the bill and probably thinking I planned it that way, I ran out to the car thinking that it fell on the floor or as my heart sank, thought that it was on my lap when I got out of the car, it fell on the ground and someone had picked it up. It wasn't on the floor of the car or the ground and my anxiety began to escalate. By this time we were in the car trying to stay within the speed limit, yet hurry home and I tried calling Adventure Zone thinking that if someone found it on the street, they may have graciously turned it in there, nope. While I went through where I had been and had my wallet out that day I began to mentally try to note what was in my wallet besides my driver's license containing all my pertinent information.
I tried to remain calm on the way home thinking that it may have fallen out of my purse in the basement when I set it down to put my shoes and jacket on. Again I tried to mentally note the scads of credit cards I may have lost. I pictured myself having to go through my bills and look for phone numbers of credit card companies to call and cancel or freeze my account. I have several that I rotate through, if one gets a bit high, I take it out of my wallet so I can't use it and replace it with another one for emergencies.
I couldn't do it, I could not tell you exactly which cards where in my wallet at this time. Sometimes I have my Nordstrom's card in there, but not if we haven't been down to the MOA lately. We have a slush fund account and sometimes that debit card is in my wallet and sometimes not. I shuddered to think of the hours of research I was going to have to do just to know which cards were missing if I didn't find my wallet.
We got home and I looked in the basement where it may have fallen out while putting on my shoes and jacket, nope, not there. As I was literally running up the stairs (like speed would have helped at this point) it hit me. I had taken my wallet out and thrown it near my computer to buy my Northern Lights Foundation Gala tickets but didn't have time before I had to leave for my appointment to do it....my wallet was on the floor of my living room near my laptop exactly where I had left it.
I learned my lesson and have now taken inventory of what is in my wallet at this time. Some people call me anal, but I seriously would have had hours of trying to reclaim my financial stability. Not only do I have a list of what credit cards are in my wallet, but I also have their phone number to call if the card goes missing. Think about it, if you lose your wallet, those cards with the number on the back to report it missing is also gone. You'd have to go through your paid bills or google the company's websites, adding to an already stressful situation.
I hope that you consider incorporating what I've learned the hard way into your life so you avoid the scare that I did and you're prepared if it actually does happen to you.