There are a few things that I can confidently say that I am quite organized with. Although I suppose it’s all subjective. My family is pretty damn organized and I’ve been named “Messy Jessi” most of my life. But, I will say, I’m still organized. Just an organized mess. The one thing in my life though that has stayed perfectly organized and mess-free may I add, is my purse. Which I feel like for any woman is a major feat.
From keeping my receipts, loose change, makeup and more all organized, my purse is never a mess and I can easily find anything and everything I will ever need. Never am I struggling with the bottom of my bag trying to find that one hair tie. I’ll also never understand when I see people at the grocery store shoving their receipt into the abyss of their bag. Or friends who toss their credit cards into their purses after ordering drinks. Everything in my purse has a place. Period.
There’s a secret to the madness of course. And it’s about having the best pouches and holders for everything. Plus, having only the essentials readily available so you’re never searching or without something, you may need.
How to Organize Your Purse
My bag truly only has 3 things in it. Yes three. A wallet, a makeup bag, and my sunglasses case. I obviously will also have my keys and phone in here too. The only other thing that MAY be loose and not in one of these compartments is chapstick and a hairtie in one of the zipper pouches of the bag I’m using. Other than that, everything is contained and I think that’s what’s key to keeping your purse organized.
The perk to doing things this way too is that it makes swapping bags SO easy and quick. I change my purses up often, sometimes several times a week. So just pulling out my wallet and makeup bag makes it effortless. Plus, I never find myself saying “oh that’s in my other bag’. Here’s how to do it.
Dedicated Spaces
The most important part of keeping your purse organized is to have dedicated spaces. My wallet holds all my cards, cash, coins, receipts and any gift cards. I also clean out my wallet every so often and remove receipts to file them away for taxes if I need to or toss them.
For makeup, nail files, chapstick, tissues and all those little things you find yourself needing while out and about, keep them in their own dedicated makeup bag. I use this Burberry one that I got as a gift and have it perfectly filled with the essentials. For my smaller purses, I use a smaller version with the bare minimum. But within this bag I also keep things organized like my pills all go in this plastic organizer so there’s not a bunch of random stuff rolling around.
Keep Like With Like
When figuring out your dedicated spaces, you’ll want to keep like with like. If you’re the type who likes to carry around a ton of makeup, then get a separate bag to keep that all in. No reason to go through an entire bag of makeup to find your Advil. Personally, I don’t keep a TON of stuff in my bag, so mine can all stay in one bag without an issue.
A Functional Wallet
Having a good functional wallet that keeps you organized can make a big difference in keeping your bag tidy. Find a wallet that has a spot for cash and receipts as well as enough slots for cards. If you hold onto a lot of coins, make sure your wallet has a coin section or get a separate coin purse. I use this one from Neely & Chloe and love how functional and organized it is.
When I’m going from purse to clutch or super tiny bag, I will transfer my essentials (a card or two, ID and $20) into a card case to save space.
Travel Sized Everything
There’s no need to tote around giant bottles of lotion or full size bottles of Tylenol. Get travel-sized items in your favorite things (I even have a travel sized eyeliner and brow pencil). If you can’t find travel-sized versions of your favorites, I love these little containers to store lotions and even pills in.
My Purse Essentials
The things that are ALWAYS in my purse are below. These are items I find myself always needing or never want to be without in an emergency.
- Lotion
- Kleenex
- Deodorant
- Pill Box
- Peppermint Rollerball
- Nail File
- Pen
- Brow Pencil
- Lipsticks
- Concealer
- Chapstick
- Hair ties/Hairclips
- Screen Wipes (I use these)
