I don’t like carrying a purse.
I have one and I take it with me every time I leave the house. No exceptions. It’s essential. I can’t be without it. I mean how else would I constantly be near full-size bottles of Tums and Tylenol, migraine pills and lip balm.
So, it’s not the purse I hate. It’s the carrying.
Carrying my purse while shopping for groceries is a hassle I normally avoid. I don’t want the 10-pound (maybe slightly exaggerated) bag dangling on my arm. Weekly shopping for a family is exhausting enough without constantly battling those dangling purse straps. And when I put the bag in the cart, I’m tied to the cart. I can’t walk halfway down a congested aisle to grab a can of corn unless I grab my purse and take it with me.
I’ve always found it easier to leave the purse on the floorboard in my locked vehicle and grab my keys, cell phone and debit card.
That is, until it wasn’t.
On a recent Thursday night right after work, I ran to the Twin Cities Walmart to do the weekly grocery shopping. It was the best opportunity I had that hectic week.
I grabbed my debit card and put it in the front pocket of my pants. The front pocket is never a good idea. I put my keys in the other pocket. I made a mental note not to put my cell phone in the pocket with the debit card so it would not come flying out when I grabbed my phone.
Well, that’s exactly what happened.
That Walmart didn’t have the fancy cell phone holders at the one where I normally shop. I ignored my mental note, and at some point, I mistakenly put my phone in that pocket and apparently pulled the phone out, sending my card flying into the unknown.
Right before I got to the checkout, I realized my card was missing. When you lose something like that, panic strikes and it strikes hard. I immediately checked my bank account for any new purchases … there were none … and I temporarily disabled my card.
I left my full grocery cart near the checkout and briskly walked to customer service. I prayed it had been turned in while sweat began to form on my face. It had not.
Everyone became a suspect in my eyes as I imagined each person I encountered scheming to spend my money.
I retraced my steps throughout the whole store looking for it. One of my biggest fears was telling my husband, who had previously scolded me about pocketing my debit card. Admittedly, I’ve temporarily misplaced my card too many times to count. I should note we have separate banking accounts. By the time we got married, I was too old to figure out how to share an account with someone.
And of course, my husband called as I was finishing my crazed walk around the store.
“Why are you still at Walmart?” he asked.
All instincts were to lie and avoid shame and embarrassment, but there were no fibs to explain this. I had no other payment method, so I’d be leaving the store without any groceries.
He gave me a not-so-harsh “I told you so,” and I responded with an “I know. You are right” before I got off the phone to call the bank and cancel the card.
Thankfully, my bank printed me off a new card with a new number the next morning. Now I get to spend time reviewing all my automatic payments to make sure those have my bank account number and not my old debit card number.
I should note that 20 minutes after leaving the store, an employee called to say a staff member found the card and turned it in.
Have I learned a lesson from all this? Yes, I think so.
I began looking at options. Option 1: Just carry my purse for the rest of my life. Option 2: It is 2025, so I can just pay by phone.
After seeing Walmart+ has a mobile scan-and-go option, I decided to see what that is all about. I paid $98 for a one-year Walmart+ subscription that offers different perks friends have raved about.
I did the whole grocery pickup thing during the COVID pandemic, and while that has benefits, I just don’t like other people picking out my food. So, I probably will never use the delivery option. I will definitely take advantage of any fuel discounts offered.
Fellow women: I can’t be the only one who hates dragging around a purse everywhere, especially to shop. What do you do to keep your purse safe? Do you just take it with you everywhere and accept that this is just a part of a woman’s life?
I am jealous of my husband who relies on my purse for Tums, Tylenol and lip balm. Occasionally, I am even asked to put his phone in my purse. Might as well. It’s got everything else in it.