Mini Organizing Challenge – Purse Organization

May 22, 2013

Mini organizing challenges ABFOL - Utensil Drawer

 

The first week of the Mini Organizing Series went well! It was an easy task and one to happily check off the list this spring. Another easy challenge that makes a huge difference is organizing our purses. I know mine gets messy fast. This week, dump out the contents and clean your purse out… then put everything back in an orderly manner. You may even want to change out your purse for a more “summery” style. One tip that I found super helpful was designating pouches to categorize my things. I find that if I use these pouches, my purse stays pretty clean and organized. Another thing I added was a separate case to keep my receipts in. I no longer put them in my wallet. Every time I went to pay for something and opened up my wallet, all of the receipts fell out. It was frustrating. The receipts can get out of hand!! Have fun & don’t forget to take a before and after picture to share on our FB group page.

 
 

PURSE ORGANIZATION

 
 

Purse Organization ABFOL 4

 
 

Purse Organization ABFOL 9

 
 

Purse Organization ABFOL 1

 
 

Purse Organization ABFOL 2

 
 

Purse Organization ABFOL 11

 
 

My “financial” things (Wallet, receipt pouch, Envelope System, & Budget Planner)…

 
 

Purse Organization ABFOL 10

 
 

I have an obsession with lip balms. I must have one of every kind at all times. πŸ˜‰ I also never leave the house without my Aveda Hand Relief. It’s the best lotion ever!!!

 
 

Purse Organization ABFOL 8

 
 

My EMERGENCY PURSE KIT. This contains everything I usually need but most of the time never have. So I got smart & put this kit together. It’s been GREAT! It has come in handy several times.

 
 

Purse Organization ABFOL 7

 
 

Purse Organization ABFOL 6

 
 

Purse Organization ABFOL 5

 
 

Purse Organization ABFOL 3

 
 

Happy Organizing!

 

53 comments on “Mini Organizing Challenge – Purse Organization

  1. Dawn M says:

    I agree, little pouches make it so much neater and easier to find things. Love how summery it all looks.
    Wondering what is in your keychain Do terra pouch? Love your blog and how inspiring it is!

  2. Hilary says:

    Your purse organization is amazing! My purse needs some major TLC, thanks so much for the inspiration πŸ™‚

    Hilary

  3. Heather Sullivan says:

    Love this, Toni! My receipts always make my wallet bulge. This is also great to make switching purses a cinch! And Aveda Hand Relief IS the best! I don’t leave home without mine, either!

  4. Okay, I have to know where you got the pink and white striped bag. I’m in love and was just looking at something like this Monday. I knew I should have gotten it!

  5. Barbara Barnes says:

    Wonderful! Thanks for the great tips!

  6. Whitney says:

    Can you list what specifically in the smaller containers, your ’emergency’ kit?

  7. Kristen says:

    This is great! I actually did a similar post not too long ago, except I was trying to figure out how I could carry LESS in my purse. However, mine looks similar to yours, so I guess I’m okay, ha! Here’s the post, if you want to check it out πŸ™‚ Happy Wednesday!

    http://theroadtodomestication.com/2013/03/27/whats-in-your-purse/

  8. Ashley says:

    I LOVE this! First, I felt so organized already that I have a pouch for all my lip balms, etc AND use one of those Johnson & Johnson mini first aid kits to hold my actual first aid kit. Second, I LOVE that you showed it in a purse without lots of pockets as I use a longchamp bag. (It’s great because you can wipe the inside out with a clorox wipe in case anything icky spills in it.

  9. Rose says:

    This is pretty much the same thing I do! Except my emergency kit is more like a first aid kit, my lip balm case also contains my lotion etc., and my cash envelopes are inside my wallet. Feels good to know we do something the same. Maybe there’s hope for me yet πŸ™‚ Even if my obsession with planners has never been a long term fruitful endeavor… Yet πŸ˜‰

  10. Belinda says:

    Hello, I love this, I need some serious help with my purse. I would love to know where you purchased your purse, I just love it? I am very picky when it comes to purses, and like you I like to have everything in it, because you never know what you might need and when. My husband said I need to just make a kit for my car, but it get so hot here during the summer that, that would not be a good idea.

    Thank you & God Bless,
    Belinda

  11. Nikki says:

    Love your blog! Just did a post on my purse organization last week – would love for you to check it out! I’m pretty new to this whole blogging thing and I’d love some feedback! Thanks a million!

    http://nikkisnarrative.blogspot.com/2013/05/whats-in-my-bag.html

  12. Thanks for posting this! I have something semi-similar with pouches in my purse, but I’m definitely going to add a receipt pouch. I was putting them in my planner, but it’s a pain to pull it out every time. Thanks for the idea!

  13. Rebecca F. says:

    Where do you get your zipper pouches from? I’m needing one for receipts.

  14. margaret says:

    I love the idea of separate pouches to keep my purse organized. I have done this with my own purse for years now. It’s great not having to dig to the bottom for something πŸ™‚

  15. Shelly says:

    My purse is jealous! I so have some sort of order, but I like yours better. πŸ™‚ I will keep this in mind… gonna Pin it!

  16. Christine says:

    Wow! That is a beautiful! One question, where did you get such fabulous little bags for your purse????? If you could share that information it would be great. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. LOL

    • rachel says:

      The emergency kit is a clinique pouch. The two money kits are from a time for everythings etsy shop, the pink striped one is from victorias secret, and the receipt pouch is from target dollar section.
      (Toni shared this information on the home organization 101 facebook group page. If you’re not already a member of the group, we would love to have you join us! https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeorganization101/

  17. Julia says:

    Love your purse, where did you find it?

    • rachel says:

      The purse is the Louis Vuitton Neverful, if you don’t have a store near you, you can shop online

  18. I would love to see exactly how you have organized your purse–what’s in all the pouches?

  19. Robbie says:

    Darn–I just cleaned out my purse before reading this post! However, I do need to move back into my “good” bag, so maybe I can do that and then submit my picture.

    I use a zippered pouch meant for a three-ring binder for my receipt container. It was what we had and it works, but yours looks a little easier to get in and out of. Also, I love all those pops of color! I would describe the style of your bag as “a big black hole” (though admittedly a gorgeous big black hole!), but you make it work–doesn’t look like anything would get lost at the bottom of it. Even though I try to containerize, I would probably still be getting frustrated digging around at the bottom of a bag like that, ultimately just wanting to dump everything out to find what I’m looking for! One question: do you not carry your hot pink Filofax with you?

    I’ll plan to check out the links that the other commenters have shared–love looking at what other people carry and how they organize it. Thank you for this post–such a treat!

  20. Jaime from NZ says:

    I don’t know if it’s just me, but I always carry a copy of my sons birth certificate in my emergency kit in my bag. He is exceptionally tall and is often thought of to be older so it’s good for when companies try to charge extra for him. I also carry a copy of my marriage certificate… despite being married for many years I still come across memberships in my maiden name.
    The flip side of it is that I also have a copy on hand in an emergency. I have copies of everything at home in our disaster kit but it is good to have this just in case.

  21. Melissa says:

    I always carry a pair of mini scissors in my purse. They work great for cutting tall straws for my boys’s drinks in restaurants.

  22. Great idea about having a separate space for receipts! I love all the fun pouches you used, great idea to use so many!

  23. Jennifer says:

    I love the compartments! I also love the receipt idea. I am going to have to get one for just receipts. It would make it so much easier to account for everything on the weekends. I also keep a cheap small thumb drive and a set of small headphones in my emergency kit. For some reason, I always need them either for me or the kids.

  24. Donna says:

    I love all the pops of color. That would cheer me right up. Also the receipt idea and the many pouches keeps things neat. This will be super helpful for me. And I must say I just LOVE the Louis Vuitton. I gasped when I saw it. It is on my wish wish wish harder wish list. :0) Thanks for sharing!

  25. Bonnie says:

    Where, oh where, do you go about finding apple cider and red velvet Chapstick?

  26. Karen says:

    Love the purse organization. I have that very same Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM in the momogram and it does HOLD a lot. I carry a A5 Black Chameleon Filofax and a Pocket Raspberry Filofax, for make-up a have a Baggu small Gold Pouch,black leather flip flops,Nook in a red leather case and a Louis Vuitton Zippy wallet in momogram. I am a Filofax lover with 5 (A5 black Domino,A5 black Chameleon,A5 raspberry Finsbury,Pocket raspberry Chameleon and a Pocket brown Cameleon)…Love you Blog
    Regard Karen

  27. Jennifer says:

    Does this not make your purse so heavy though? Especially with the planner in it. I have tried doing that but just feels like my purse is heavy and hurts my shoulder πŸ™

  28. Kristin says:

    I have been on the hunt for a new purse for the last couple weeks and I saw this when you first posted it and loved it. Well last night I finally bought a new purse and immediately gathered my unused cosmetic bags and organized it! Thank you! It’s perfect (:

  29. Missy says:

    LOVE this! My husband is getting me a miche and I want it to be way more organized then my current purse.

  30. Sydnee says:

    I was wondering what you carry in your wallet if you put all your money in the cash envelop system?

  31. Thank you so much for sharing this post. I’m going to adopt your ideas and use them! I love your blog, I just started my own and hope to be as successful as you one day.
    Ill keep looking to your blog for inspiration!
    Blog on, cheers!
    Shaynae~Heart the Home

  32. Shannon says:

    Hi Toni,

    May I please ask the brand and shade of lip gloss situated in between the Velvet Cupcake Chap stick and the MAC lipstick? And unless it’s too personal, may I please ask the shade of MAC lipstick? I ask because you and I share a very similar color palette and I am always up for trying something new. Thanks so, so much. Have a beautiful day πŸ™‚

  33. Emma McGowan says:

    I love this idea! I think I will be trying this out – no more searching through my handbag to find my lip balm!

  34. Rhonda says:

    I need to try this. I can never find anything in my purse. My son says I need a purse intervention. I will give the separate pouches a try.

  35. Karen G. says:

    Thank you so much for letting us take a peek on your LV bag … You are uber organized and I just made your website my homepage.

  36. Karen G. says:

    Thanks for sharing this. πŸ™‚

  37. Bella says:

    Love this organization! Inspired me to go purchase a little emergency bag for my purse! Just curious, where did you find the white plastic snap case you used in your emergency pouch? Thanks!

    • Theresa says:

      Bella, I think this might be a recycled item, like a mini first aid kit of some kind? I’ve seen a little snap case like that but can’t remember where. You might look for a travel soap case that might work.

  38. lauren says:

    Sigh…I’ve been trying to find this filofax everywhere:( Any ideas where I can get one. It’s absolutely PERFECT!!!

  39. Will try again. Need to inventory what goes in each bag until “no need”. I have problem in stores with being rushed by customers in line behind and therefore throw things into bag. Maybe I need an additional holding bag until I have time to “rebag” it. Any other ideas???

    • Rachel says:

      I say, don’t worry about the customers in line behind you. We live in a go-go-go society. A few seconds more at the register won’t hurt anyone.

  40. Checking out how others organize their purses. Love the tips and items you carry. Thank you for the inspiration!

  41. Amanda says:

    I have had what I call a “junk bag” or what friends and co-workers call my “everything bag” for years. It would make me nuts to have all those little things loose in my purse, or alternately the diaper bag or my school (work) bag. I use a sturdy clear cosmetics bag so that I can see at a glance where things are and what I have. Along with the usual, I also have a few safety pins, shout wipes, glasses cleaner wipes, and individually wrapped toothpicks. I also have a pencil bag for extra pens and mechanical pencil. Another, (solid color) for feminine hygiene products, and a small wallet. It makes for easy switching between bags as needed. Will be adding a sepate one for receipts– why I had not had one before is beyond me as it is practical.
    I am aiming to get my house into an acceptable form of organized. I have mastered my walk-in pantry (YEA!). Slowly but, but hopefully surely I will tackle and conquer the rest of the house. No easy feat with kids and a husband who can be slobs at times. Alas, all I can do is try and drool over your awesome-ly, ΓΌber organized, pristine spaces! Wish me luck!

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