Tired of digging around in your black hole of a purse for that one single item that always seems to go missing? Then it might be time to let go of some baggage. Here are seven tips for keeping your purse organized. With this advice, you can be well on your way to a streamlined bag. Whether you go truly minimal by choosing cell phone cases with card pockets or just trim down to a smaller satchel, you are sure to find a few tricks that will work.
#1 Minimize the Tech Accessories
These days, it seems like the amount of tech and tech accessories we carry is increasing. From multiple phones, both personal and business, to cords and cables to keep everything charged on the go, our purses can get crowded with electronics.
However, some solutions can minimize how much tech and accessories you carry around. For instance, you can leave behind your smartwatch and phone chargers and swap them out for wireless chargers that are slim and sleek-looking. Whether you keep them at the office or on your nightstand is entirely up to you, as long as it doesn’t crowd your purse.
#2 Ditch the Plastic Gift Card
Not everyone is equipped with contactless payment options, so you can’t ditch the plastic entirely. However, you can limit how many gift cards, loyalty cards and membership cards you keep in your purse.
Instead of cramming all those plastic cards in your wallet, keeping them in your purse pockets, use an app to store the cards such as Card Smash or Gyft. This way, you know exactly where they are. Plus, should your purse ever get lost or stolen, the value of your gift cards won’t be stolen, too.
#3 Choose Digital Receipts
Receipts are notorious for getting smushed and crinkled in the bottom of your purse. Sure, they might come in handy to wrap up a piece of chewed gum you need to toss, but on the whole, they are clogging up your purse. Not to mention, receipts are entirely unhealthy and laced in BPA – yes, BPA, that stuff you’ve been told to avoid in plastic bottles for years now.
So what can you do with receipts? Well, you have a few options. For one, you can avoid them altogether. Instead of a printed receipt, ask for a digital receipt by email. Digitized receipts are a great alternative for those who tend to lose them, too. Need to return an item? All you need to do is search the store name in your email and voila! Receipt found and trees saved!
If, for example, you prefer to keep receipts for business purposes, at least stop them from entering your purse. Instead, take a snapshot of the receipt with your phone. For an iPhone, use the Notes app and for Samsung users, use the free ScannerApp. Whatever system you use, just keep your purse receipt-free.
#4 Think Travel Size Bottles and Containers
There’s no need to tote around large-sized bottles of beauty products, hand sanitizer and the like. Items like this will weigh down your purse and spill, which can create a huge mess and even ruin the interior. Instead, swap those huge heavy bottles and containers out for something more travel-sized. Even if your hand lotion brand doesn’t come in travel-size or smaller ounce-size containers, you can still purchase your own and refill it as needed.
The same goes for medicine and vitamins. Don’t bring along the entire bottle of aspirin. All you need is a few pills to last you through the day until you get back home. So, again, use a travel-size container and refill it as needed. If you need to take vitamins with every meal, these can add up. Plus, many women prefer to keep vitamins in their purses so they don’t lose track of them. For this, simply find yourself a vitamin box. And don’t worry – you can find some pretty attractive pill cases these days.
#5 Store Items in Pouches
Aside from medicine and vitamins, there are many other items you can categorize. Whether it’s gum, makeup, your business cards or pens, keeping them organized in smaller pouches inside will help you find them faster and create less mess.
Be sure to keep related items in their designated pouch. For instance, cosmetics like lotion, lipstick and makeup should go together, preferably in a plastic casing to prevent melted chapsticks and powders from getting everywhere. You might also choose to carry a slim wallet inside with financial-related items like money, credit cards and a checkbook (if you even use it often). Finally, a small first aid kit is an excellent idea for those aforementioned medicines and vitamins, along with tampons and bandaids.
Are you a mom who needs to carry some diapers for your little one? Place the diapers in a resealable plastic bag and compress them down so they won’t continue to unfold inside. You can use a resealable bag for a number of things and, for emergencies, use it to carry out trash like a protein bar wrapper, tissues, wet wipes and more.
#6 Choose a Smaller Purse
Large purses are like black holes. If you notice things going missing or spend too long rummaging through your purse, it might be time to go smaller. A more compact purse can prevent you from filling it to the brim and force you to carry only the necessities.
If you have something like a tote bag or satchel, swap it out for something smaller like a saddle bag or messenger bag. See how it feels. It might seem constricting at first, but you’ll be surprised how small you can go. You might even appreciate the freedom of a smaller purse.
#7 Swap Your Purse for a Wallet or Keychain
Want to ditch the purse altogether? Go truly minimal with a wallet keychain or cell phone case with a card pocket instead. This method works incredibly well for women on the go, like sporty ladies who love to take runs but want to grab a smoothie or iced coffee along the route. It’s also a nice alternative for women who enjoy traveling light – carrying a backpack for other necessities like camp gear or craft supplies instead – with a single wallet or keychain to pull out for quick trips to the store.
Try These Purse Organization Tips
Try all of these purse organization tips and see what works best for your lifestyle. For moms who need to carry extra kid equipment, downsizing a purse might not be possible, but organization will be amazingly helpful. On the flipside, you may find that all you really need to survive is a cell phone case with a card pocket and your keys. Explore your options and find what suits you.