7 things people over 70 still carry in their wallet or purse that haven't been necessary in over a decade

Last week, I was behind a lovely woman at the grocery store who must have been in her eighties. She opened her wallet to pay, and I watched as she sorted through what looked like a small filing cabinet's worth of cards, slips, and papers.

The cashier waited patiently as she searched for her credit card, moving aside a checkbook, several paper coupons, and what appeared to be a small phone book of business cards.

It reminded me so much of my own wallet just a few years ago, before my grandchildren staged what they called an "intervention" about the state of my purse.

The truth is, many of us who've crossed the seventy threshold are carrying around artifacts from a different era. Not because we're stubborn or resistant to change, though sometimes we might be a little of both.

It's more that these items have been our companions for so long, we've forgotten to question whether we still need them. They're like that spare bedroom no one uses anymore but you keep furnished anyway, just in case.

1) Paper checkbooks

Do you remember when writing a check was the height of financial sophistication? I certainly do. For decades, that checkbook was as essential as my driver's license. But here's the thing: I haven't written a check in a store in at least five years.

Most places don't even accept them anymore, and if they do, the person behind you in line starts shifting their weight and checking their phone with increasing irritation.

Yet there it sits in so many wallets and purses, taking up precious real estate. When I finally removed mine, it felt like letting go of a security blanket.

What if I needed to write a check? But the reality is, between debit cards, credit cards, and even those payment apps my grandchildren taught me to use, the checkbook has become about as useful as a typewriter ribbon.

2) Expired insurance cards

I recently helped a friend clean out her purse, and we found insurance cards dating back to 2008. Not just one or two, but a whole collection, carefully preserved like archaeological specimens. "What if they ask for proof of previous coverage?" she asked. They won't. They really won't.

We hold onto these expired cards as if they're talismans, proof that we've always been responsible, insured citizens. But insurance companies now keep digital records of everything, and most doctors' offices can look up your current coverage electronically.

That stack of old Blue Cross cards from the last decade? They're just making your wallet heavier.

3) Paper appointment cards

There was a time when that little card from the dentist's office was the only thing standing between you and forgotten appointments. I used to have a whole collection of them, carefully arranged by date in my wallet's side pocket. Doctor, dentist, hairdresser, they all had their place in my portable filing system.

But offices send text reminders now, or they call you the day before. Some even have fancy apps where you can see all your appointments. The transition wasn't easy for me.

Taking those classes at the senior center helped me understand that my phone could be my new appointment keeper. Now, instead of shuffling through paper cards, I have everything neatly organized in my phone's calendar, complete with those helpful little alerts that pop up to remind me.

4) Business cards from people you'll never call

How many business cards are hiding in your wallet right now from people whose faces you can't even remember? I found one recently from a plumber who retired eight years ago.

Another from a real estate agent in a city I visited once in 2010. We collected these cards like they were valuable contacts, but honestly, when was the last time you pulled out a business card from your wallet and actually called the person?

These days, if I need a service, I ask friends for recommendations or, yes, I look online. Those reviews from other customers tell me far more than a business card ever could. The stack of cards I was carrying around was less a valuable resource and more a monument to encounters I'd never follow up on.

5) Phone numbers written on scraps of paper

Virginia Woolf once wrote about the importance of having "a room of one's own." Well, for years, my wallet was a room for every phone number I'd ever scribbled down on whatever paper was handy. Restaurant napkins, grocery receipts, the backs of envelopes, they all found their way into my wallet's depths.

But here's what my grandchildren taught me when they helped me set up my smartphone: every number can go directly into your contacts. No more searching through paper scraps trying to decipher your own handwriting or remember whose number you wrote on that yellow sticky note.

It took some practice, and I'll admit I was intimidated at first. Technology and I weren't always friends. But now, finding someone's number is as easy as typing their name.

6) Library cards from multiple libraries

Do you have library cards from every library system you've ever lived near? I had four at one point, including one from a town I moved away from in 2005. Libraries were sacred spaces for this former English teacher, and those cards felt like membership badges to an exclusive club.

But most library systems now let you access your account with just your phone number or a digital card on your phone. Some libraries even share systems, so one card works for multiple locations.

And that nostalgic card from your old hometown? Unless you're planning to physically visit that library again, it's just taking up space next to your current card, which you probably don't need to carry either.

7) Store loyalty cards that haven't been scanned in years

My wallet used to look like I was collecting loyalty cards for a very boring scavenger hunt. Grocery stores, drugstores, pet stores (I haven't had a pet in six years), they all had their designated slot.

The thing is, most stores now can look up your rewards by phone number, and many have apps that store your loyalty information digitally.

I kept these cards because throwing them away felt like breaking a promise to save money. But carrying around fifteen pieces of plastic for stores I rarely visit anymore wasn't saving me anything. It was just making it harder to find the cards I actually needed.

Final thoughts

Cleaning out your wallet might seem like a small thing, but it's really about making peace with change. Each unnecessary item we let go of is an acknowledgment that the world has moved forward, and surprisingly, so have we.

I've learned that embracing these changes doesn't mean abandoning who we are or pretending the past didn't matter. It simply means making room, literally and figuratively, for the present. And trust me, your back will thank you for carrying a lighter load.