A lot of women rely on a purse or handbag on a daily basis to carry the necessary things which get them through life. However, things can get a bit stressful when your purse or bag becomes overloaded with junk and you can’t find what you need when you need it. Here are a few tips on how to get your bag organized and make life much easier.
Step 1: Empty your bag of everything.
That’s right, just dump it out.
Step 2: Make piles
Create a few piles:
1. Necessities: Things you have to leave the house with, like your wallet, any sort of keys, sunglasses, etc.
2. Junk: Old trash, receipts, old candy or candy wrappers and anything else that should have ended up in the trash. Your bag is not a trash can, it’s your home away from home. Treat it as such.
3. Things you’d rather have: You may not need these things to survive outside the house, but they probably make life easier. Examples include hand sanitizer, mini lotions, hair ties, nail files and lip balm. If they help you and you use them frequently, this pile can be merged with the “necessities.”
4. Things you can live with or without: Sure, it’s nice to have a backup lipstick or mascara in your bag just in case you need a touch up, but you don’t need to make your bag Sephora on the go. Try creating a space at home where you can dump these items, like a small basket. Before you leave, put what you might need for the day in your bag and empty the unnecessary items out.
Step 3: Clear out your wallet
Rid your wallet of used up gift cards, business cards, movie tickets or anything else you stuffed in there without thinking. Getting rid of a lot of change can help make your wallet slimmer and will make your bag lighter. Say goodbye to sore shoulders!
Step 4: Compartmentalize
Some bags are built with multiple large compartments and some aren’t. That’s okay! We can work with either. If you have a bag with multiple compartments, use them! I have one with two separate large zippered sections. I use the front one for important things that I need in reach at all times, like my wallet and phone. The back one, which I wear closer to my body, has things like my sunglasses. I use it to hold gloves or a snack when I need to go out.
If your bag is just one gaping hole, it’s easy to let things pile up. You can easily buy a purse organizer, such as this one from QVC. It’s less than $20 and has enough pockets to stick everything you have in a specific place. Everything will stay put without shifting and you’ll know exactly where your stuff is!
Step 5: Take advantage of the small pockets in your bag
Those little pouches and small zippered compartments are there for a reason. They’re perfect for storing things like lip balms and tissue packets. The zippered ones are there if you have something small that you want to keep safe.
Step 6: Get more than one bag
I’m not saying you need to treat yourself to a few designer bags. However, there are plenty of places where you can pick up a cute handbag for less than $30. It’s important to have more than one bag because it gives you the option to have a new start every once in a while. It may be stifling using the same bag day by day. With more options, you can have something fresh when your current situation becomes boring or overwhelming.