112 An Organized Purse

Purses.  Big or small, colorful or leather, they come in endless shapes, sizes and styles.  And no matter the design, owning a purse seems to be something that most of us ladies have in common; and many of you have been itching to take a peek inside my purse and see how I keep it organized.

It's nothing super thrilling or exciting, but it is something that keeps me sane from day to day.  Over the years I have carried different purses of different shapes and sizes and within the last two years I came to a very obvious conclusion.  I realized that if I have the space, I will use it.  Meaning, if I carry a large purse, magically it becomes filled with more items and it becomes more challenging to organize and find the things I need.  Receipts, toys, cosmetics, you name it, I have tried carrying it!  Keeping that in mind, I have switched to one single little clutch:

It's neutral so I can carry it with just about anything, and it's small enough that I only allow myself to carry my basic essentials with me at all times.

I know, you must think there is no way this can be true.  But it is.  I will admit that I also have two other bags.  I have a padded camera purse that I adore and I have a simple work tote.  Whenever I am heading off to take photos, I take my camera bag and my clutch fits nicely inside.  When I travel for work or we are taking a road trip, my needs change and I carry a larger tote with some essentials and the clutch also fits nicely inside of that.  Diaper bag days are gone, but if necessary, this clutch could also be tossed inside of one of those.  That is why I have fallen hard for a clutch purse, it is so versatile!

Although it is fairly small, it does a great job carrying everything I truly need on a daily basis!

Lets take a closer look at what is inside:

• Wallet
• Keys
• Change {for meters, tolls, etc...}
• Sunglasses
• Pen
• Cell Phone
• Nail Clippers
• Lip Balm

As I mentioned, the larger the purse, the more that can easily accumulate.  This way, I can keep it easy to maintain and quickly find anything I need.  Rummaging through a deep purse to find my keys is one of those things that quickly makes me hot and flustered and frustrated.  Ew.

My wallet is also fairly basic, I use each of the compartments to hold my debit cards, ID, store cards, insurance cards, checkbook and deposit slips:

My insurance cards and deposit slips live behind my checkbook and my store cards/gift cards are tucked in a slot behind the debit cards:

Simple as that!  No fancy pants organizers or storage cases.  Just a simple little clutch that I can't allow it to be filled with odds and ends and that forces me to quickly clean out extra change and any receipts that may accumulate in a single day. 

So what works best for you in the world of purses and handbags? Any funny stories about the oddest item you have found when cleaning out or digging through your purse?