Wallet inserts

Go inside billfold
Usually transparent vinyl
Can wear out over time
Can be replaced
Limited selection in most stores, but plentiful online
Cost less than $1 or more than $20
Usually made to fit specific type or types of billfold

Used to help organize:

Credit and debit cards
Membership cards
ID documents
Business cards
Photos

Pages are book-fold or accordion-fold

Book-fold pages are joined at a common spine
Accordion-fold pages are joined end to end or top to bottom

Some organizers attach with flap into billfold pocket, others stow away

Attachment is usually with a plastic end flap that fits into a wallet slot, leaving the pages (sometimes called sleeves) in view when the wallet is opened
End flap may be trimmed with scissors to better fit a billfold slot
Stow-away type inserts do not attach but instead tuck completely inside a slot and are retrieved for use with the aid of a small pull-tab

How cards load into vinyl pages

Cards may be inserted from an opening on the top, or from either side, depending how the pages are deisgned
Security -- preventing cards' falling out -- varies accordingly

Pages may be staggered or not

Non-staggered pages show only the nearest card or cards
Staggered pages (sometimes called "stacked" pages) show the edges of multiple cards for ease of selection

Wallet photo inserts compared to card inserts

Organizers designed to hold photos are slightly wider, usually allowing for pictures at least 2.5 by 3.5 inches, a common photo print size
Organizers designed to hold cards are about the same lengthwise but narrower top to bottom than photo inserts
Either can work for either purpose, though photos may need be trimmed

A variant for certain billfold types: pages that show two cards at once

Most wallet inserts have pages that show primarily one card or photo (when the insert is closed)
Some organizers, designed for larger billfold styles such as "hipster" or "credit card" styles, have double-high pages that show two cards or photos -- one above the other

Wallet inserts for checkbook covers and long wallets

Pages are nearly six inches wide, making use of the wallet's non-folding width
Protective inserts are available that prevent duplicate-copy checks from spoiling the next check duplicate in the book

For those who tend to lock themselves out

Some wallet organizers come with a compartment to keep a spare key

Some personal observations about organizing what you carry in your pocket

Let's face it, we all have stuff we need to carry around. The question is, what are the chances we'll need that ticket stub from the first time we saw Titanic, or that drawing someone made of us on a cocktail napkin?

Before you head out tomorrow, think: What do I really need? And then, arrange what you DO need in a sensible way. You'll be better off, and you'll feel better for it as well.

FERMILIAR