You are Money (clip)!

November 17, 2010 7:06 AM

Money Clips - what should one look for in this device?

For whatever reason, I despise keeping actual money in my wallet. For the most part, this is due to having spent some time in an area rich with pick pockets, so I kept my actual cash in my front pocket. I still do. The problem is that inevitable, bills will magically transform into wads that grab onto my keys and self-eject when I remove my keys. To me, it seems that a money clip would be the thing to sort this issue out.

If you have used money clips, what has worked both best and worst for you?

posted by plinth to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (14 answers total)

I use a standard S clip, something like this. It's a single piece of metal, no moving parts, no springs, no magnets, no logos. I like its simplicity. Cash goes in one side, folded in half, cards on the other. Everything slides in and out without fuss. It fits relatively unobtrusively in my front pocket with ease.
posted by jabberjaw at 7:20 AM on November 17, 2010

Greetings,
I carry a wallet for cards etc. I also carried my money in a "ball" in my front pocket with my phone. Around the third time a co-worker pointed out the money "wad" I had dropped on the floor while removing my phone, I figured I'd better sort this out.
I just found a slim wallet/money clip from Perry Ellis on Amazon for like 30$ or so to replace my wallet. I really like it except for the money clip part makes the wallet thicker than I like.
I than found a Coach slim wallet sans money clip and I just fold the money inside the wallet and keep it down to a few larger bills at a time. I still keep the singles etc. in a smaller ball in my front pocket for easy access (NYC demands money every 10 minutes).
This is by far my favorite option so far.
posted by Studiogeek at 7:29 AM on November 17, 2010

I used to use a money clip a lot like jabberjaw's, only it was single sided (no space for cards). It just holds the cash by friction but would loosen up if I stuffed too much in there. In the end if I got too many singles back in change, I started keeping them "loose" in my pocket to avoid overstuffing the clip, which sort of defeated the point of it. Eventually, I got a wallet I liked better and stopped using the clip.

A friend swears by a small, silver binder clip (like you get at office supply stores). A black one would be just fine, of course, but not as classy.
posted by devbrain at 7:29 AM on November 17, 2010

I use a small wallet that fits comfortably in the front pocket - just large enough to hold my bills, license, and 2 or 3 credit cards.
posted by COD at 7:29 AM on November 17, 2010

Fellow money clip user here. I've had a couple over the years and what I look for is what kind of metal is the clip made of, how large the clip is, is it decorative, or simple.
One of my favorite clips was a stainless steel monopoly one, but it fell out of my pocket during a rowdy concert. My new one is a silver money clip with the $ symbol and in the center a view of the mackinaw bridge in Michigan. Found it at an antique store.
posted by handbanana at 7:33 AM on November 17, 2010

I was actually talking about this with a friend this weekend. Once an avid money clip user, he has finally given up on them, as none of them did what he wanted them to. He now uses one of those thick rubber bands you get around broccoli or asparagus. He carries his ID, all the cash he needs, and two credit cards, and the rubber band friction helps it stay in the bottom of his pocket.
posted by phunniemee at 7:35 AM on November 17, 2010 [1 favorite]

Mr Shotglass used a binder clip until he started carrying more bills than would fit in the standard size clip. He got this one from Santa last year and has been pleased with it.
posted by mrsshotglass at 7:39 AM on November 17, 2010

You may also consider using a money band. It is specially sized for bills.

I would recommend against the binder clip, though, as they have pointy edges.
posted by jabberjaw at 7:44 AM on November 17, 2010

I have an ancient money clip with an Aztec calendar on it that I found in my grandpa's sock drawer when I was a kid. I've used it for the last four or five years, when I started getting twinges in my lower back from the giant wallet I carried around. I keep a few bills, my license, two CCs, a debit card, my insurance info, and one membership card in it. Nothing else. The clip resides in my right front pocket along with a Skeletool, while my inhaler and car keys live in the left front. My phone, when I remember it, lives in a back pocket (or side in teh case of cargo pants).

If I'm in a situation that calls for collecting or exchanging business cards, I have a leatherette binder with slots for that sort of nonsense.
posted by notsnot at 7:57 AM on November 17, 2010

So use a leather clip with a credit card slot from Cole Haan. I totally dig it except it's a magnet which tends to wipe things with a magnetic strip like parking tickets and subway cards. My next one will not use a magnet.
posted by bitdamaged at 8:00 AM on November 17, 2010

Cheapskate version: 50 for $4. If it gets too deformed, use a new one.
posted by bgrebs at 8:56 AM on November 17, 2010

I use a wallet/money clip combo from Coach. No magnet, holds 3-6 cards, but still fits in my front pocket. My last one lasted 10 years.
posted by LouMac at 9:23 AM on November 17, 2010

Response by poster: Binder clips are an interesting idea, but they don't survive long in my pocket and have uncomfortable edges.
posted by plinth at 10:21 AM on November 17, 2010

A friend gave me a Smart Clip, and I also had a classic-style money clip -- but they were just one more item to have tangling up in my pocket.

I have a Bill's Urban Wallet that might make you happy: it's a 3"x4"cordura pouch consisting of two pockets sewn back-to-back, plus the face has two slots for a pocket knife & small pen (or small light or...):
www.billscustomcases.com/accessories.html

Last I heard he was pretty backed up with orders, but some places online have them in stock.

I don't use mine: it's nearly new. MeMail if you want to make a small deal. Yes, I know this isn't Craigslist.
posted by wenestvedt at 1:08 PM on November 18, 2010