[A Minimalist Framework for Purse Organization]-[Decluttering My Small Purse… What I Actually Kept]

Sadie Aldis · B2 ·

📋 Summary

Streamlining Your Daily Carry: A Purse Organization Framework

Many of us struggle with the "clutter creep" in our handbags, often finding ourselves unable to properly close our purses due to an accumulation of unnecessary items. Managing a small shoulder bag requires intentionality and honesty about what is truly essential for daily life. By adopting a systematic sorting framework, you can transform a chaotic bag into a functional, organized accessory.

The Three-Pile Sorting Method

To begin the decluttering process, empty your bag entirely and categorize every item into three distinct piles:

The "Obviously Staying" Pile: These are your non-negotiables—items that provide utility or safety. For instance, a reusable grocery bag that folds into a tiny pouch is a must-have for sustainability and convenience. Similarly, glucose tablets are a critical necessity for health, while a slim wallet serves as an essential daily tool.
The "Maybe" Pile: This category is for items you are unsure about. This is where you must be honest with yourself. If an item takes up significant space but is rarely used, it likely belongs in the "no" pile. For example, the author keeps a tinted lip balm and hand sanitizer here, evaluating whether the convenience justifies the bag space.
The "Why is this here?" Pile: This is the decluttering goldmine. Items like old SD cards, card readers, or broken combs that you never use should be immediately discarded or removed.

Prioritizing Health and Safety

Personal care items often take up the most room, but they can be optimized.

Medical Essentials: Rather than carrying full-sized medication bottles, consider bringing only a few units of what you need. The author highlights the importance of checking ingredients for allergies, such as ensuring pain relievers are gluten-free for those with celiac disease.
Personal Protection: Safety tools like a small "dog spray" (Saber) can provide peace of mind. However, it is vital to be familiar with your safety gear; the author humorously notes the importance of not accidentally deploying your own protection.

Strategic Loading and Storage

Once you have determined what stays, the strategy shifts to how you pack. Instead of filling the bag randomly, organize based on frequency of use.

The Pouch Hack: To keep small items from tangling or disappearing, use small containers like pencil cases or sunglass cases. These are often thinner and more efficient than traditional, bulky cosmetic bags.
The Vertical Method: Similar to the Marie Kondo approach, store items vertically. This allows you to see everything at once and prevents items from being buried at the "bikini bottom" of the purse.
Accessibility: Place items you need frequently (like lip products, glucose, and keys) in side pockets or accessible areas, while tucking rarely-used items into your organized pouch at the base of the bag.

Conclusion

Purse organization is not just about aesthetics; it is about reducing daily friction. By ruthlessly curating your items and utilizing smart storage solutions, you can maintain a bag that is lightweight, organized, and perfectly functional. As the author concludes, the peace of mind that comes from a clean, easily-closable purse is well worth the effort of a monthly clean-out.

🎯Key Sentences

The first step is admitting you have a problem.

I'm going to do, this is obviously staying pile.

I forget grocery bags all the time.

You know what's funny?

I know it's crazy.

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📝Key Phrases

made up that statistic

get right on into

admitting you have a problem

on the day to day

get tangled in

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📖 Transcript

Did you know that one in seven women can't close their purse properly because of all the stuff that's inside of it?

You probably didn't because I made up that statistic.

However, you've probably been wanting to do a purse clean out and organization, because you probably have all these little things all over your purse that you can never get out and you don't know what you have, what you don't have, what you actually need in your purse, especially if you like having a little shoulder bag purse, like I do.

In this video I'm gonna show you a little framework for organizing your bags that I like to use when I'm trying to see what I actually need versus what I don't need to carry around with me every single day.

I wanna see your before and afters of your purse, so post on your story and tag me.

I would love to see that.

Or study on the web version →