Organizing Purses

How do you organize pocketbooks? First I want to look at how you store and organize purses and second how you organize the inside of your purse.

I'm one of those that chooses a brown or black purse and then I just carry it until it needs to be replaced. I don't change my pocketbooks to match outfits or shoes. But a lot of women collect purses and change them to match their outfit or their shoes. For some it's a matter of choosing their black purse to wear when they wear black shoes, a brown purse for brown shoes and a taupe purse for light colored shoes. For some it's a matter of matching the outfit such as carrying a red purse to match their red outfit. And then there are those who literally collect purses and carry a purse based on their mood or the event. So a sassy purse for those days you feel flirty and a beaded bag for the nightclub.

I'm thinking that there are a few rules for storing your purses:
* Protecting them from dust and losing their shape
* Easy to see for choosing, so you don't forget what you have
* Neat, organized

I did some Google searches and found some ideas for you. I looked for ideas that range from cheap to expensive, from a few purses to a purse collection! I appreciate all the great ideas that people shared on the Internet!

This photo shows someone has set aside a perfect corner to store her bags. Some are hanging from hangers which should help them retain their shape and the ones on the shelves are able to stand alone to retain their shape. So these are neat, organized, stored, their shape is protected. The only beat missing is protection from dust.



This lady has used a higher closet shelf so she used clear plastic storage bins as drawers so she can pull a bunch of pocketbooks at a time. I also use clear plastic storage bins but I do leave my tops on to protect from dust. Being clear makes your purses easier to see. So this idea is neat, organized and viewable but there isn't protection from dust.








I like this closet purse organizer! If I had a lot of pocketbooks, I wouldn't mind having this. I think I would like it if it had a see through curtain on the front, maybe zippered. If I bought this I would add a gauze curtain to the front to help with dust.





This would hold their shape and is viewable but doesn't protect from dust.



This purse closet is a trick!







Using a cabinet is an idea, sort of a wardrobe for pocketbooks!



Now this is the closet that most women would die for! I love the glass doors for easy to see viewing and to keep them dust free.





Now let's talk about organizing the inside of your purse. Some people just use it like a big grocery bag. Everything is thrown in it - from a reciept to pieces of gum; from your wallet to your cigarettes; from your latest book to your leftover sandwich from lunch. My Mother, since she has 3 daughters, 3 grandchildren and now 2 greats, tends to carry around the kitchen sink in her bags. She usually takes 2 bags full of stuff everywhere she goes. One is her normal pocketbook and one has all kinds of OTC medicines, wipes, extra glasses, her epinephrine shot for emergencies, etc. My thoughts are that a purse isn't suppose to be your kitchen cabinet, bathroom cabinet or desk drawer. I have a desk drawer so I don't want to carry it with me in my purse. I have a bathroom cabinet and don't need to carry it in my purse. But, having said that, I do have to carry some things like that. For instance, I do have to have meds on me at all times but I don't carry a whole box of Alka Seltzer in my purse. I keep 1 pack of Alka Seltzer in my medicine box for my purse. When I use it, then I remind myself to put a new pack in. I don't carry a whole bottle of Aspirins but I carry about 4 in my medicine box and replace them from my bathroom cabinet when I use them.

Here is what I carry in my purse:
1 small medicine box with the meds that I have to have such as Aspirin, Arthritis Strength Pain Reliever, Alka Seltzer, Benadryl, etc. This little compartmentalized box is about the size of a bar of soap. I have each compartment labelled so there is no guessing.

Lip balm

Toothpick

1 can of Ensure (I have Severe Hypoglycemia that comes on within a couple of minutes so this is necessary for me.)

Wallet that holds my cash/checks/cards, and an additional small wallet that only carries my extra cards (like discount cards, gift cards, points cards, etc)

1 pen

Small tape measure

Sunglasses

Cellphone (which is taken out as soon as I get home)

Camera (small Cybershot)

I like to have a pocket for receipts

These are the things I generally keep in my purse at all times. Of course there comes a time when I stick a handful off coupons in as I go to the grocery store or my leftover cookie from lunch. But those things don't stay in my purse. As soon as I get home I take out anything extra I shoved in there during the day. I don't wear makeup so I don't carry any makeup. I have a handy pocket on my truck door to keep a small makeup bag that has a brush, lip balm, and fingernail clippers. This way I have them but don't have to carry them every where.

Each woman is different. So what you carry in your purse is different than what I would have. I think we all carry a wallet, our cellphone and a pen but beyond that, we will carry different things. But here are some incentives to cleaning out your pocketbook and getting it manageable.

Another thought is for those who change purses frequently. Using a bag within a bag. That way you just lift the inner bag or purse organizer out of one bag and place it in the next bag. Here are some of those including inner organizers that fit different size bags, small to larger. I prefer light/bright colored purse interiors or light/bright colored inner bags so that you can see inside more easily.















I think this is a great idea for keeping your shopping lists and receipts/coupons/gift cards!