What should you put in your purse?

You know the basics. Wallet, phone, & sunglasses. But what about everything else you may need? How do you determine what’s important to carry around with you and what’s not?

There are two things to think about, emergency & 24 hour comfort.

In the unfortunate situation you have an emergency what would you want to have on you to make it through? Here are some ideas to help you identify what those items may be.

• Phone charger in case your phone dies.
• Band-aids, pain reliever, tissues, antibacterial wipes.
• Water & food in case you get stuck somewhere.
• Contacts if you are in trouble.

The other important category is 24 hour comfort. Let’s say you unexpectedly are away from your home for 24 hours what would you need to feel comfortable?

• Chapstick, gum, small hair brush, perfume, dry shampoo to be able to freshen up.
• Small notepad, pen, headphones to help with boredom
• Maybe a small pair of socks or scarf in case it gets cold.

What should you leave out of your purse?

On the flip side there are a lot of things that make it into your purse that you probably could live with out. We may feel we need to carry absolutely everything but in reality, there are quite a few things you can leave behind.

Here are some typical items that make it into purses that you may consider leaving at home to lighten the load.

• Mail, magazines, large notepads, more than one pen or pencil.
• Club member cards. If you always use your phone number, stop carrying around the cards in your wallet.
• Unnecessary keys or keychains on your key ring.
• Full sized brushes, medicine, bottles of lotions, perfumes, or hand sanitizers.
• Large bulky planners or calendars.
• More than one pack of gum, mints, granola bars, etc.

How can you keep your purse organized?

MAKE A PURSE CHANGE. Maybe your purse is too small or too big. You need to use one that is just right for you & your lifestyle.

If you are an on the go minimalist, a smaller purse may be better suited for you. If you are a mom of four it may be wise to increase your purse size for the unforeseen carry on items you end up needing.

CATEGORIZE THE CONTENTS OF YOUR PURSE. Most purses have one to two additional zipper pockets somewhere. It is time to make an effort to decide what will always stay in these pockets. Phone, keys? It’s up to you!

Add small zippered pouches for designated items and label them. Use clear, mesh, or color coded to help quickly remind you what’s in them.

Not sure what types categories you may need in these smaller bags? Check out this list to help you identify what categories you probably already have in your purse.

• FIRST AID. Band-aids, Advil, tums, Neosporin, antibacterial wipes.
• MAKEUP. Chapstick, lipstick, face powder, concealer, perfume.
• HAIRCARE. Bobby pins, hair ties, dry shampoo.
• NOTES. Notepad, pens, pencils.
• FOOD. Granola bars, flavored water packets, napkins.
• ELECTRONICS. Phone, headphones, charger.

INCORPORATE A PURSE INSERT. If you have a large open purse then you may want to consider trying a purse organization insert! Every item now will have a designated spot of their own.

It may take some time getting used to putting things where they belong, but if you love being able to see everything in your purse in one glance, then this may be the perfect solution for you.

UPGRADE YOUR WALLET. If you can barely fit everything you need in your existing wallet, you may want to find a new one that can. Or on the flip side if you have a huge bulky wallet, downside to a slimmer version that can easily fit into your purse.

You may want to consider a phone case with a wallet attached if you are constantly leaving your purse behind just to take your wallet and phone with you.

COMMIT TO A MONTH LONG HABIT CHANGE. For one full month challenge yourself to put your car keys back in that same pocket… every single time. We can change small habits with just a little bit of intention and effort.

Whatever changes you’ve made to try and keep your purse organized make a conscious attempt to keep it that way.

DO A 5 MINUTE PURSE TOUCH UP EVERY WEEK. It’s not just enough to organize a space. You also have to maintain it. Choose the same day and time every week to quickly adjust your purse back to how you organized it. You will be surprised how this can be accomplished in mere minutes.

What are the best organizers to display your purses at home?

Before you start to think about organizing your purse collection, perform a serious declutter! Remember some of theses things as you go through your purses.

• If you haven’t used it in the last two years, you probably won’t.
• Purge stained or torn bags.
• Beware of duplicates! If you have 10 canvas totes, cut that number in half by keeping only your top favorites to free up some space.
• Be rational with seasonal bags. If you have a lot of clutches but barely go out anymore go ahead and let some go. If you still have tons of different beach bags, but rarely make it there, then let some go.
• Only keep handbags for who you really are. It’s OK to donate bags that no longer fit your personal style.

Here comes the fun part. Figuring out how to organize all of your purses! There are many different ways to display your collection, but the easiest thing to do next after purging is categorizing.

Not sure how to categorize your purses? Check out these relatable options and see which one best suits want you need to keep them organized.

BY USEAGE. If you use a lot of the same purses then you may want to organize those specific ones together, and organize less used ones separately.

BY COLOR. This one is obviously very fun and easy on the eyes! If you love color then organizing all of your purses by color will be a no brainer.

BY STYLE. This one is very helpful throughout the year. If you know all of your clutches and night out bags are in one section and your summer bags and canvas totes are in another, you’ll always know where everything goes.

BY SIZE. Either small on top and large on the bottom or vice versa. Storing your bags by their size allows you to acquire organizing products that can help you even further with your organizing efforts.

Now that you have your categories it’s time to come up with some clever purse organizational solutions! There is no wrong way to store your handbags & purses. The only thing that matters is that it works for you.

Check out these amazing 30 purse organization ideas below!

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