Organizing my purse is something I do even before purchasing my purse. If it’s not set up for success, no matter how cute, it doesn’t come home with me. It’s one item I could never, ever possibly buy online. I have to love the look AND feel of it before plunking down the dinero. And color is good, too. We have already established that I am the “I love color” gal, but organizing trumps all.
Every purse I buy at this point has to have 2 separated compartments, with one to protect my ipad. The main compartment holds my essentials:
- wallet, which also holds the last few receipts I picked up
- hand sanitizer (from Blogger Bash)
- business card case
- my gym card
- mints
- a mesh see-through case from my favorite Mary Kay ladyy for primping gear
- purple pen
- Sharpie
- hair band (for serious hair)
- ear buds, neatly wrapped, of course
- USB drive (this one from EasyClosets) (because I was organizing home offices yesterday)
- cough drops
- This side usually has my phone, but it was in my pocket when I snapped this picture.
The other compartment holds my other brain:
- my iPad mini
- a microfiber cloth
- bandages (these have kitties on them)
- stuff I picked up at the Philly Home Show yesterday
- wire ties from organizing clients’ offices yesterday
That is it. 80% of the time, when I look into my purse, I’m either going for my wallet or my iPad, and I don’t have to dig for them. I also try to keep things colorful inside my purse so it isn’t a dark, black hole in there. 
I constantly purge anything extra that doesn’t belong. I just don’t have time for it. Organizing my purse is a quick 5 minute organizing project.
Someone asked why I don’t have kid stuff and emergency supplies in my purse. Once my kids got out of diapers, I instituted the “you bring it, you carry it” rule. My chiropractor can attest to the fact that it’s better for my health, and my kids are learning to think ahead for themselves. If you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, or if your kids are still tiny, I hope this gives you some hope and a plan.
If you are on the 31 Days of Clutter-Free Living journey, can you tackle organizing your purse tonight?
I always put all that little stuff in a pretty makeup pouch or two, so that I can easily switch handbags to meet the occasion – red leather tote for business meeting, cute hobo bag for lunch with friends, patent leather clutch for evening. I used to hate “switching purses” – moving all that little stuff from one bag to another, and then remembering where the stuff is kept in each purse. This way I know one pouch has my makeup, another has my pens, and another has all my “Frequent shopper” cards, no matter what purse I use. And it makes for easier digging — if you need to pull out a chapstick at a red light. Just pull out the smaller makeup pouch and pull out the chapstick.
Yep, that’s basically what I do, minus the “switching purses” thing. I only switch purses twice a year, spring and summer. I’m just not that fashionable. Have you seen the Purse Perfector http://PursePerfector.com? Love those for the reasons you stated.