A question for those who switch out their handbags frequently

Tammyb

Are you a minimalist in what you carry or do you have a small bag that contains everything and you just move that from bag to bag.

For reference, I carry:
Wallet
Lipstick
Chap stick
2 cell phones
Work ID
Keys

5 years ago

Dressing

24 replies

Latest reply was from DonnaF

Anonymous

I have one small bag that contains the absolute bare minimum.

I have a second purse organizer that contains everything I like to have with me.

When I switch out bags, I always have the small bag with me. I have the purse organizer with most of the time, but it is not essential.

The system is fine tuned. It has never let me down, even once.

5 years ago

Anonymous

I’ve used small bags or nothing and with certain purses, the small bags make it feel too heavy but most of the time it’s worked well. When I use nothing, I tend to lose or misplace stray items! I must have a zillion chapsticks hiding out together somewhere!

5 years ago

Anonymous

I'm super-disorganized with purses and their contents, and always have been. Despite owning every purse organizer , makeup pouch, wallet, etc etc ever manufactured, I never get past the first day with them and then it's back to loose lipstick and gloss, my wallet, maybe a pen if I'm lucky, maybe mints if I'm lucky, and my phone. When I switch bags - which happens often in the summer - these things may or may not make it to the bag of the day. By the end of a week , or month, all of my lipsticks are in different purses , 5 of them are found in my gym bag, one bag will have 25 random crumpled receipts and 100 tissues in it, and another has my wallet which I've been looking for all day. UGH!

PLEASE SEND HELP.

Oh - and to make it even worse now? My new car has a push-button start that doesn't require a key to get into , either. My keys are NEVER where they should be, and I can't get a handle on not needing them to start and turn off the car.

5 years ago

Susie

Veteran

I'm pretty minimal. I have a small pouch for lipstick/balm, perfume and a few other things. My wallet is quite small but holds all I need. Loose items are a folding hairbrush, key fob, phone, a pen, and a pair of readers. I commute by car so sunglasses live there.

5 years ago

Astrid

Veteran

I'm a minimalist and switch my things over. I have some things more than once so they usually stay in the two bags I most regularly use at the time: tissues, lip balm and a lens cleaning cloth. I switch my wallet, phone and keys. Plus a pen. Other than that the only things I carry regularly are a waterbottle and if necessary an umbrella and some female hygiene products. And a reusable shopping bag in case I run some errands on the way somewhere. It's not much, so I find it easy to keep track and switch.

5 years ago

JAileen

Veteran

I have a small zip pouch that holds lipstick, chapstick, emory board, dental floss, nail clipper, and Advil. So no loose things in my bag.

What I have in my bag:
Wallet
Keys
Sunglasses
Reading glasses
Zip pouch
Phone
Pen

5 years ago

taylor

Veteran

Large bag contains :
Large Cosmetic bag that also contains aspirin, hand wipes bandaids.
Sunnies
Glasses
Keys
Wallet
Cell phone

Small bag contains:
Sunnies
Glasses
Wallet
Keys
Lipstick

The only thing that changes is that I don’t put my cosmetic bag in . If it is a really small cross body I will put my cell phone in my pocket and perhaps put my sunnies on my head .

5 years ago

notsaf

Veteran

Can't leave the house without:

- Wallet (very minimal: just a small, structured flat leather pouch)
- Phone
- Keys
- Sunglasses (also minimal: Ray Ban aviators sometimes carried without their case) and/or an umbrella
- Lip balm (Sugar)

Somehow, I manage to fit these all into a mini bucket bag, which is what I carry when I carry the least. Like Angie, I switch over almost every day or even twice a day. I guess, also like Angie, bags are part of my signature look -- or at least what I think finishes an outfit.

Shopbop

MARC BY MARC JACOBS Too Hot To Handle Mini Bucket Bag

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Top Pick

Custom Find

by notsaf

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Nordstrom

Standard Icons 58mm Mirrored Polarized Aviator Sunglasses

$200.00

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Nordstrom

Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15

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Top Pick

5 years ago

Sisi

Veteran

Minimalist- wallet, office keys, cell phone, tissues, makeup case.

During the working week I also take another larger bag (at present I am using an old straw beach bag) to carry snacks, a scarf, yoga clothes for when I go directly from work to yoga, and other random things (shopping bag, bills to check ...)

lisa p you are too funny! Do not expect help from me, I am also rather disorganized ...

5 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I'm a bag maximalist. I carry a lot, and struggle even to manage a small crossbody or clutch for evenings out when presumably I should not need as much. Where do you all put your stuff?

What I usually carry (or want to carry):

Wallet
Card holder for extras (not crucial but...it's always when I leave it at home I find I need it.)
Sunglasses and case
Phone
Keys + massive fob for electronic car start (I hear you, LisaP)
Transit card
Measuring tape
Kleenex
Extra shopping bags
Bottle of water
Small pouch containing: lip balm, roll on sunscreen, lipstick, eye pencils, concealer, saline solution, bandaids, etc.
Headphones

What I often ALSO carry:

My Kindle mini and a notebook (for writing) and/or my laptop.
A sweater or small jacket.
A mini-umbrella.

You can see why pockets would never do it for me and I really struggle with the teeny little bags!

Also, why I don't bother to switch out that often.

I am, however, super organized about the switch when I make it and it takes no more than a minute.

5 years ago

Anonymous

Suz, instead of trying to switch out the stuff in my handbags, I'll just bring you with me. You have all the stuff I'll need

5 years ago

Tammyb

Active Member

Suz, I’m so curious! Why the tape measure?

5 years ago

Melaine

(website)

Active Member

I use a Sash Bag which has card slots and lots of pockets. When I switch bags I just put all the stuff into the same pocket in the other bag so it's really easy. I am kind of a bag minimalist though I pretty much carry cards, keys, phone, inhaler, and my essential oil rolls for the most part.

5 years ago

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

Most of the time these days I get by with what is in my pockets. Cell phone, men’s style wallet, keys, and lip balm. When I can’t do that for clothing reasons I put those items and a small cosmetics bag in whatever small purse works with my outfit. The cosmetics bag has extra medicine, Kleenex, glasses cleaning cloth, shout wipes, etc. I keep similar stuff in my car along with some snacks and a towel. I’ve got bigger bags that hold my planner and/or laptop and/or paperwork, but then I’ll usually pair it with a smaller bag for my personal stuff.

5 years ago

Alicewonderland

Veteran

I found a wallet organizer that can hold essentials including keys and glasses, which also can convert into a small crossbody with the clip on strap. I then just put this wallet into each bag. Otherwise for things like lipstick/lip balm I put one in each bag.

5 years ago

Christina F.

Veteran

I like to carry the following for work. For other days I adjust depending on where I'm going and for how long.

Phone with wallet that holds some cc's, metro card, and work building pass

Wallet (holds cash and less used cc's and Membership cards)

Keys

Three different pill bottles - allergy, Tylenol and Aleve (one helps with my hip, the other with headaches--annoying that one won't do both).

Sunglasses

Wireless earbuds

Body Glide in the summer

Mini Tide pen

Lip Balm

The bag I used to organize all this has needed to change for a long time - it was falling apart and too small for the pill bottles. I just stumbled across the perfect item i the travel section of the Container Store:

https://www.containerstore.com.....ouch/12d?p

It fits everything but but is VERY lightweight because it's for travel. I hope it holds up well to daily use, but it only cost $10. I'd wanted a makeup bag or something for this purpose, but I like this even better.

5 years ago

Jane

Veteran

Ahh! Interesting! I love changing my bag!

Pouch with make up
Small purse with cards with lovely words saying ‘woman in a mission’ from a dear friend
2 phones
Ear buds
Pen
Glasses

Then today
Homemade flash cards (I’m learning Italian)
And an Inspector Montalbano book (in English but maybe one day in Italian!)

The thing I always lose is the key fob for work door.

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5 years ago

Sal

Veteran

LisaP- I am in your camp! My bag is disorganised. I do swap and this forces tidy ups or receipts etc. Maybe there is something in a star sign!

5 years ago

Classically Casual

Veteran

I alternate between the city and the country. In the city I use a normal size bag, and besides the basics it contains my gym lock, keys, earplugs, a small tape measure, and heaven knows what else.

In the country I use a minimalist bag and all I need are wallet, phone and sunglasses. I much prefer being in the country....

5 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Haha, Lisa, that would work! I'm a mule!

The measuring tape (a soft tailor's tape, that rolls up) is for measuring garments (sometimes) or furniture (if in house shopping mode). It turns out to be surprisingly useful. And weighs nothing.

5 years ago

Echo

Veteran

I don't carry an organizer, but I do switch bags frequently. I just move the main things from one bag to another.
* Wallet
*Keys
*Lanyard for work
*Epi-pens for my daughter
*Brush
*Phone
*Tape measure (it IS surprisingly useful)
* Lipstick
* Sunglasses
*Reading glasses

5 years ago

Anonymous

I keep most stuff in the car, just my phone and little coin pouch w cards and cash stay with me-in little crossbody purses.
Buuuut....
I have a bag for the gym
A bag for swim
A bag for lunch
That goes in my big work tote bag
Reusable shopping bags in 3 sizes
Swag bags for full time job
Swag bags for part time job
A bum bag for running-hiking
A bag for my bike

What I actually want to carry:
Absolutely Nothing!

5 years ago

Bennett

Veteran

I used to be a mule as well, but it turns out I never touched most of the stuff I dragged around. My handbag contains:
phone
reading glasses
small flat leather zip-pouch with wrist strap for cash and debit card
small thin metal snap-lock case to stack credit and ID cards in
one chapstick
one lipstick
a couple hair elastics

I just need a little extra space for sunglasses IF needed, and the key fob if I'm driving. So if you come to me for tissues, deodorant, saline, tape measure, stain stick, umbrella, shopping bag, sunscreen, headphones, nail polish, clippers, perfume, brush, bandaids, mints, gum, wet wipes, aspirin, or a pen........ I'll just point to Suz!

5 years ago

DonnaF

Veteran

I keep a (cheap) pen in every single one of my bags. Otherwise, I end up with five in one and none in four.

From bag to bag I transfer: 1) A very small wallet that has a coin section, currency section, and credit card section. I try to remove anything that doesn't get used. 2) A small pouch the size of my wallet that includes lippie, a small pill container that hold decongestant and Naproxen, a few tissues, a small cloth for cleaning glasses, two keys on a ring, flossers, Tide on the Go packet, bunion pad, and toe pad. 3) My house and car keys. 4) My phone. Any more than this and I will forget something.

I also sometimes carry my reading glasses.

I keep my bags small to keep them in proportion to my short stature and to ensure that they don't become too heavy. I used to think I needed a larger bag until I really examined what I was and was not using. Keeping my lists on my phone really helped.

Oh, and I change out my bag almost daily!

5 years ago

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