Money clips are something of a dilemna for me for where I live and where I typically travel and work. Where I live and where I travel to mostly, the different denomination of currency notes are not of a uniform size making the use of a money clip difficult. In Australia and Singapore, in particular, coins are creeping up in high usage; the $1 denomination is a note in Singapre and, even worse, the $1 and $2 denomination in Australia are coins. In these countries you might find it easier investing in a robust coin pouch than a money clip that you only pull out for big ticket items.
I bought this leather money clip made by Labrador (a brand I had never heard before) largely on a whim and thought I had made a mistake buying. However, over time, and especially on my travels I have grown to love it. Made in Thailand, I found it ironically in a children's book store next to my kid's Tae Kwon Do centre (centre? or dojo?). It's obviously very different to your traditional money clip which can sometimes feel like a glorified paper clip. Made from leather, it's naturally folded over and has a magnetic catch embedded into the leather. On the other side is a slip pocket designed to fit at least one card.
While I didn't think this money clip would replace my current wallet it works particularly well when I travel to Indonesia and I love it because;
- all my notes can fit in the money clip. I put my biggest notes to my smallest denomination in this one clip. No more deciding which notes go where.
- I can immediately fold out and fan my notes so I can how much cash I have and locate the denomination I need.
- For the one card slot, I use it for my hotel keycard which again, makes it the perfect travel wallet.
- Indonesia is a market here you can deal in just notes. Any coins I receive I give back as tip or to any hand that's out (which sadly, and is a sign of the times, is many in Indonesia).
While I love it, I know this will not replace my current everyday card/cash wallet but it will do absolutely nicely when I travel to specific countries.
