Interesting thread!

I used to be in the hernia-causing category, but I finally got tired of lugging around a big tote. And when I would clean out said tote, I was horrified to see the stuff I had been carrying around for months! Now I try to get purses that are large enough for only what I absolutely need, plus a little extra space for the occasional odd item that I need to take with me--but not so much space that items get lost.

My purse holds my phone, wallet, sunglasses, lip balm, and a small zipped pouch with odds and ends: bandaids, nail clipper, pantyliners, nail file, bobby pins, etc.

I usually wear rather large handbags. I carry a lot of stuff. Some probably quite unnecessary - but hard to change the habit. I carry wallet, keys, cards, phones, several lipsticks, a little mirror, small perfume, pens, Kleenex, glasses, small umbrella, headphones, gloves ...and some more. Sometimes a water bottle.
Swapping hangbags is a hassle, but I try to do it more often now to get them in rotation and to improve outfits. Cannot master the purse organizer concept - usually, instead “organization” they contribute to mess

I think that some of you must be related to Mary Poppins with the amount of stuff that you can fit into a hand bag!I m the same though and if I ever change bags woe betide me if I leave anything out because that’s the one thing I ll need that day.

I've been afraid to look for a couple of weeks now. My bag has gotten heavier and heavier, and I can't for the life of me figure out why. So, I'm diving in while there's a community of friends to send search & rescue if I don't resurface soon.

* several pounds of keys. I don't know how it came to this.
* Revo shades and my eyeglasses for driving at night
* two ink pens, a folding hair brush, a cleaning cloth for glasses, and what I thought was a lollipop stick turned out to be 1/3 of an ink pen
* inhaler
* travel bottle of biotene mouth rinse because my b.p. meds are good at giving me cottonmouth
* vertigo meds. I learned the hard way not to leave home without them
* a cigarette lighter. Since I don't smoke, I can only assume that this is there in case I ever get stranded on a deserted island & need to start a signal fire
* eyeglass repair tool
* leftover medicine from cold & flu season. I'm guessing these were left here in case I wind up on a deserted island
* my sobriety medallion given to me by my meeting group last year
* enough hair elastics for an entire squad of cheerleaders
* not one
* not two
* but three tubes of hand lotion. I guess I'm expecting that entire squad of cheerleaders to be stranded on that deserted island with me
* a band aid
* a band aid large enough to treat a gunshot wound. Because there's sure to be a gunshot wound on the deserted island.
* a little snack for the deserted island. Apparently, I only need something to hold me over while I cook all those cheerleaders over that signal fire I started.

I still can't figure out why my bag is so heavy. Unless it's the keys and the cheerleading squad's hand lotion.

I'm just glad I'm not a full time stagehand AND a full-time university student anymore. I swear, I had almost an entire tool kit PLUS a fully stocked office PLUS a full makeup bag PLUS a well stocked kitchen pantry and fridge in there.

Edited to add my wallet. I guess I forgot the wallet because I went have any use for it on that deserted island.

Cindy you made me laugh!!! I definitely leave extra meds in my bag too long. It's definitely eye-opening to see what's still in there when I haven't really checked for a month or two. The lighter... maybe you were going to burn test fabric? I used to have matches with me just for that. But the 3 tubes of lotion are the funniest to me. I hate being without it - but that's 2 too many! It will definitely add to the weight. I've had some extra-smushed protein bars in there sometimes. And further petrified jerky.

Sometimes the bag itself is a weight culprit. My leather one is awesome but definitely heavier than the velvet one I carried over the winter.

Ginger, I once found an unopened package of poptarts of an indeterminate age in my bag. I ate them the moment I found them. I was very hungry.

You ladies crack me up!
Katerina- I understand totally about the organizer not working-could not believe it worked against me too- but what- no scarf? LOL
Cardiff girl- my daughter refers to my bag as the Mary Poppins bag- but of course if she needs something other than phone cc or gloss- guess who has it? BTW-I love Julie Andrews- love her movies and great autobiography too!
Cindy- thank you.... it’s nice to know someone has more in their bag than me- close...but you have me beat.
Ginger- matches for burn tests -that’s one step beyond tape measure even for those of us sewing and yarn fans. Too funny
Thanks to all for suggestions, support and for letting me know I am so not alone. You are just terrific

I carry so much junk in my purse, I had to give it a break. My left shoulder is killing me lol. I ended up buying a phone case with a wallet on it. I haven't used my purse in 3 wks. lol

I think bag size totally depends on how you get around. If you drive, your car is your purse— sunglasses case, extra jacket, any packages you pick up during the day can live in the car. This your actual handbag can be small. If you use public transport you need more space and more stuff in your bag because it’s your life support for 10-12 hours a day.

This is how it works for me, anyway, depending on where I’m living.

My husband says my car is a purse on wheels so I understand completely Jessikams- lol