Create A Better Space By Organizing Your Pocketbook
By Audrey Cupo
So, you want to get organized. Have you ever thought that one of the best places to start is your handbag, pocketbook or purse? Call it what you may, but they are all intended for the same purpose. When you leave the house each day, this bag tends to be your life line. It contains all the things you need and then some. For a lot of busy moms, it has "everything in it but the kitchen sink". (If it could fit, it might have been put in there too!)
The question you want to ask yourself, first and foremost, is - "Do I really need all this stuff?" More than likely, the answer is "NO!"
The handbag or purse tends to be the dumping spot for everything you acquire on a daily basis. The problem is that it tends to stay there. The stuff just accumulates and accumulates. That is not the intended use of this accessory, believe it or not.
How to we fix this situation? First, empty your entire purse onto a table. Make sure you have enough space to spread out the contents.
Then, grab your keys. Put them aside. You will definitely be putting them back in again.
Next, grab your wallet. As you do, go through it quickly. It should only contain money (its original intended purpose), your debit card(s) and credit cards that are used regularly (the rest stay at home), health insurance cards, drivers license, vehicle registration. Remove all of those receipts from the stores and MAC machine, putting them in the location where you pay your bills. (This should be done at the end of each day).
Next, set aside medications that you need while you are away from the house, your reading and/or sunglasses, a pocket checkbook if you use one, a pad of paper and pencil/pen, cell phone, your calendar/blackberry or other hand-held device you use to keep track of your appointments, etc. These are all necessities.
Lastly, get a small zippered bag (cosmetic size) and put your lip stick and make-up you use to touch up during the day, hand cream, gum/mints, an extra set of house and car keys.
That should do it. All the other items do not need to be returned to the purse.
The tendency is to use a large handbag to carry all the stuff. Try to downsize to a smaller size so you will be forced to carry less - only what you really need. Put smaller items in pockets of the purse to locate them easily.
Finally, make a point to go through your handbag once a week to clean it out. I guarantee you will find candy or gum wrappers, miscellaneous notes or receipts and other things you acquire along the way.
The next time you shop for a handbag, keep in mind the features you need it to have so that it can function for you. Less mess is less stress.
Audrey Cupo is a full time professional organizer and the owner of "A Better Space" based in Bucks County, PA. Aside from writing articles, several blogs, and a monthly newsletter, Audrey provides in-home organizing services and has a full line of "U Can Do It" products as based upon the strategies she has used for herself for over 25 years as well as her years of experience setting up personalized organizing systems for her clients. Visit her website at http://www.4abetterspace.com to learn more.
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