Downsizing my Purse

I’ve always carried around big purses – like the Baggu tote bag on the left. I don’t know when or how it started, but I can’t imagine not carrying around my wallet, makeup, coin purse, sunglasses, hand sanitizer and lotion, meds, a pen, and any other items that seem necessary.

But I’d like to try to minimize what I’m toting around every day. For one thing, I know that I don’t use all of the stuff in my purse every day. Plus, it probably doesn’t do my shoulder any good to be lugging around a heavy bag.

Largebag

Over the past year, I’ve attempted to downsize the number of items I carry with me, but it’s still a lot. Currently in my bag (above), I have my Marc Jacobs sunglasses and sunglasses case, a small bag for one chapstick, one lipstick and one lip gloss, my wallet, a change purse, my keys, a compact mirror, a reusable grocery bag, antibacterial gel, hand lotion, a worry doll (a gift from Lar), a pen, medicine, blotting papers, and a small wallet for my business cards.

I’d love to be one of those women that can carry a small, crossbody bag instead of a large tote, but I’ve been carrying around large purses for so long, I feel like I’ve become dependent on their size. So I’m going to try to carry around less for a week or two and see how it goes.

Smallbag

I have a small Michael Kors handbag that I use for evenings out. It’ll fit my wallet, a pen, my sunglasses sans case (I’m a little worried about that), meds, keys (I removed some pieces that I don’t use often), antibacterial gel, chapstick, and one lipstick.

I’m not totally confident that I can spend a whole week with just a few items in my purse – as silly as that sounds. Sometimes I feel like all the things I carry around in my purse are more of a security blanket than something I really need. I’m hoping a week or two with just the basics will help me get over that.

smallbagfull

I’ll have a follow-up post in a few weeks about how it goes. Wish me luck!

4 thoughts on “Downsizing my Purse”

  1. I tend to carry a lot in my purse day to day too (a Longchamp tote in my case). I downsize for the weekends (wallet, sunglasses, keys, lip balm or lipstick, hand lotion, blotting papers, maybe tissues if my allergies are acting up) into a smaller tote.

    One trick for getting rid of the compact mirror, at least: when I need to re-apply lipstick in a pinch, I’ll use the selfie mode on my phone.

    1. Same here! Weekdays I need everything I can fit in any bag I can find- hair ties, umbrella, work badges, wallet, random restaurant menus… but weekends, a drivers license, credit cards, cash and I’m good to go!

  2. I recently tried to do the same. I have a Matt & Nat envelope-style cross-body that I use for my wallet, slimmed-down makeup bag, headphones, keys, a thin tote for last minute shopping and phones. I find that when I need to bring lunch to work or bring files back/forth to work, I add a small tote bag but it’s manageable. I do find that I end up carrying my travel mug around in my hands on the way home – empty – every day though.

    It’s kind of hard to want to be eco about your beverage container and brown bag lunch and get away with a small bag, still.

  3. OMG Ican’t believe you had soooooo much in your bag! But I have to say even with all that stuff in there you are quite organized about it.
    How are you handling the downsize so far???

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