If you find yourself desperately clawing through your purse for your wallet, your reading glasses or your lip balm more times than you care to count, perhaps it is time that you learn how to organize a bit better. There are three key words to organizing a purse.
Those words are: Downsize, Categorize and Utilize.
Step One: Downsize
The easiest way to a better organized purse is to start with less. If you can, switch to a smaller purse which is not only easier to carry around but also provides you with less space. A huge purse invites clutter because most people feel they must fill the entire thing up. By going with the smaller option, you are already eliminating some of that tendency.
While you are downsizing the purse itself, also consider using smaller versions of the things that you carry with you on a daily basis. A trial sized bottle of contact solution is a prime example. You don’t really go through an entire bottle of solution in a single day, right? Consider using smaller size versions of hand creams and lotions and perfumes as well.
If you are carrying a purse and a secondary bag, perhaps some of these items could be stashed in the other bag so that your purse is kept clutter-free and only filled with the absolute essentials.
Step Two: Categorize
Most women wear many hats during the day especially if they work outside of the home. That may mean needing items for the business person, the mother, the wife and personal needs. Everything in your purse could be placed in a category and while there may be some overlap, most of the items will have a clear place. After getting rid of the things that you do not need and the duplicates of other things, stash everything in zipped pouches so that they are neatly kept in one spot, out of the way and easy to find when needed. If you are okay with the items being on display, use clear pouches so that you can see when certain things are running low.
If you would prefer a bit more discretion, use color coded pouches so that you can just grab the “blue” pouch when you need a makeup touch up and red when you need a snack and so on.
Step Three: Utilize
Most people use separate items when a single tool could do the job. For instance, why carry blush, eye shadow and lip color when a single makeup stick could be used for all three? If you typically wear neutral shades or have a minimalist’s approach to makeup that single stick could be all that you ever need. For others, it could be the perfect key to touch ups during the day with your other makeup in a bag in the car, the gym bag or at home when it is time to glam it up a bit.
There are other things that can be used for multiple uses. Baby wipes in small containers can be used as a makeup remover, to wash your hands, to wipe away a spill on your clothing and even as a makeshift bandage for a minor injury. They are also more pleasant for sore noses during cold and flu season and can even be a lifesaver in a restroom that is less than fully stocked.
The more things that you can use in multiple ways, the less stuff that you have to carry.
If These Steps Fail You
You’ve tried to eliminate the clutter. You’ve tried adding pouches but now your purse is overflowing with stuffed to near bursting pouches and the thing you need is always at the bottom. This is when you may need more serious intervention. The two options here are simple: eliminate the purse completely or buy a purse organizer.
If you opt to eliminate the purse you will drop down to a simple wallet or clutch. There is no room to horde and accumulate stuff in these items. You will be stuck with the absolute bare minimum. You can keep a makeup bag in the car or a spare hair brush in the glove box but now you are only carrying a wallet, your car keys and your phone.
Best travel purses you can choose here.
If that thought filled you with absolute dread you can try to purse organizer. Usually sold in catalogs or through late night infomericals, these organizers have pockets and slots for all of your purse items. Everything has its own place, tucked securely away. Once everything is in place you put this organizer into your purse and ideally never search for lost items ever again. The advantage here is that the organizer goes from purse to purse so you are organized and on top of your game no matter which purse you are carrying.
