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How to Organize the Inside of Your Purse

Updated on October 8, 2012
My purse- prior to organizing.
My purse- prior to organizing. | Source

Organizing a purse is one of those tasks that a woman loves to do, but can never quite figure out how to keep it all clean and clutter free on a day to day basis. After all, our purses are often a dumping ground for all things necessary and important while we are on the go. Who has time to put a receipt in just the right spot when there are 500 other people in line behind you?

Then of course, there is the problem of purse buying. Many women like to change purses like they change underwear. Because each bag is different, it turns into the haphazard "dump" from one bag to the next.

If you are a Mom who uses your purse as the be all of emergency necessities, is it even possible to keep it organized?

Yes it is. Here's how.

Don't fall into the trap of the micro-organized purse

You know what I am talking about. You go to the store to find a bag with just the right size pockets and containers, and get excited when you find one that seems to have thought of every possibility. Those micro organized purses may be okay in theory, but if you ever carry anything other than your absolute necessities, you might get stuck. What about if you need to bring things like a:

  • Water bottle
  • Folder of papers
  • A snack and sippy cup

These might not be everyday items, but it is annoying to have to get another whole bag just for the extraneous stuff. When you realize the micro-organized purse doesn't work, you go to the opposite extreme: The "Dumping Mary Poppins" bag.

The purse that eats everything

Those giant oversized purses are scary. Not only do you lose things, but suddenly- reaching your hand into a cavernous bag with a never ending bottom starts to feel hazardous. You start pulling out petrified gum, a half used bandaid, or a receipt from 5 years ago that chronicled your shoe buying binge. This isn't fun and usually leads a lady back to micro-organization.

The key is to find a method that takes the best of both worlds and mix them together.

A purse in a purse

This is my favorite method. First, pick out a purse that is large enough to handle the occasional "extras". Here is my go-to purse. It is big, but not shoulder-breaking enormous. It has a few key pockets but lots of room at the same time.

My main purse

Just big enough.
Just big enough. | Source

Create "mini-purses" or organizers that fit in your big bag

Don't go too crazy or you'll never be able to keep up. But you want to get a few smaller organizers to categorize your things. Once you do this, they can all go into the big bag. This way, if you are going out for the evening, you can just grab the "mini-purse" you need out of your big one and stuff it in a clutch. Here are some of my mini-organizers that go into the big purse.

Coupons and shopping

Source

First aid and toiletries

Source

Wallet and money

Click thumbnail to view full-size
Source
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Shopping
I keep all coupons (for grocery and otherwise), along with my store credit cards, grocery store savings cards, and any other shopping related items I might need. Throw a few scraps of paper and a pencil so you can jot things down if you need to.

Toiletries and first aid
You'd be amazed what fits in here. I want to know that when I grab this little organizer, I have the essentials I need. I keep:

  • bandaids
  • cough drops
  • medicine
  • tampons
  • chap stick
  • nail clippers
  • hand lotion
  • wet wipes
  • elastic bands
  • eye gel
  • makeup
  • an extra pair of earrings
  • sleep meds
  • xtra toothbrush and toothepaste

Wallet
I keep my change, cash, credit cards, and other cards (library, movie rental, health insurance, etc.) in here. I also use it for obvious things like license, social security card, etc. When I know I'm going somewhere that I don't want to be afraid of losing it, I just take this organizer out (minus some cash, license and credit card).

Checkbook
Since I don't use this that much, I keep my checkbook separate from my wallet. It holds deposit and withdrawal slips, checks, and important receipts. I also keep a pen handy.

With just a few smaller organizers, you can reach in your purse for anything you need without having to dig. When it is time for a night on the town, just grab the organizers you'll need and leave the rest at home. This way, you can easily transfer important items in between different bags.

Source

Bigger items that I let float in the main purse

With bigger items, they are less likely to get lost. You can use the fancy organizers on your main bag to hold the larger items that don't fit into one of your mini categories. In my purse, I have:

  • Flashlight
  • Vaseline
  • Big thing of keys
  • iPhone
  • Purell
  • Pens
  • Bluetooth (with its own little case)
  • Hanker-chief (for pulling hair back on a bad day)

Click thumbnail to view full-size
My four mini-purses.See how nicely they fit in my big bag?Using the other pockets to keep my free floating stuff.Keys in the front.Purell for the kiddos.
My four mini-purses.
My four mini-purses. | Source
See how nicely they fit in my big bag?
See how nicely they fit in my big bag? | Source
Using the other pockets to keep my free floating stuff.
Using the other pockets to keep my free floating stuff. | Source
Keys in the front.
Keys in the front. | Source
Purell for the kiddos.
Purell for the kiddos. | Source

This is the only method I've found that works for people like me who hate to jump through any hoops, even if it is for the sake of organization. With this method, I still have room in my purse for extra things, as well as the ability to easily lighten the load if I don't need it all in a given day.

When I want to get a new purse, rearranging only takes minutes!

All set and ready to go!
All set and ready to go! | Source

About the Author

Julie DeNeen is a freelance writer and mom of three. She is a chronic purse collector and finally found a system that works! Are you interested in Hubpages? Sign up and you can publish your first article today!

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