Messy purse? Clean it up!

A little organizing can go a long way for your purse, wallet, health — and your sanity.

Over time our purses and wallets accumulate enough stuff to make it look like a bomb went off, without us even realizing it! Most recently, mine's been filled with dozens of receipts, a smattering of cosmetics, loose change, bobby pins, tea bags and even random snacks. When you're out and about, you want to have the easiest access to the things you need and being unorganized doesn't help. 

An overstuffed purse can even lead to health problems. Your purse should weigh less than three pounds, according to The American Chiropractic Association. A lighter purse will help improve your balance and help you maintain healthy posture as well!

So where do you start?

First things first, dump out everything in your purse. I. mean. everything. I'm sure you clean the rooms in your home often, think of your purse as another little room that deserves to be cleaned and organized once a week. This way it'll help you stay on top of things so it never gets out of control messy again!

Turn your purse inside out over a trash can so any crumbs, random pieces of paper or plastic can fall out. Take a damp cloth or paper towel and wipe down the inside of your bag.

Next, throw away any odds and ends that shouldn't be in there or that you don't need. That means any old receipts, pieces of paper, expired coupons, old cosmetics, hair pins and anything along those lines. 

Go through your wallet and do the same. Also, do you have too many of those punch cards? I'm talking about the "Buy 10 and get one free!" ones from a variety of stores and restaurants. Think about if you've been to the establishment in the past three months. If not, and you don't plan on going, toss them! They just add more clutter to your wallet.

Organize the rest of the cards in your wallet. I've got a wallet that has several different slots for cards, and I like to organize mine by category. One slot holds my two credit cards. One holds my debit card. One holds my "bonus cards" for grocery stores. One holds my "bonus cards" for convenience stores/pharmacies. One holds credit cards or gift cards for clothing stores. One holds "bonus cards" or gift cards for restaurants. And one holds my "emergency essentials cards" — health insurance cards, AAA card, driver's license etc. By organizing these into categories, you'll always know where your things are when you need them!

Back to the purse. Collect any loose change and put it back in your change purse in your wallet or in a separate jar at home. 

Now when putting everything back, it's important to remember: Only add the essentials! Your wallet, checkbook, a pen, glasses and case (if you have them) and digital camera (if you use it often enough) are your main components. If you're adding extras, such as a few cosmetics, a brush, an emergency bottle of ibuprofen or feminine items, make sure they're travel size and can fit into a pocket in your purse. Or invest in a smaller bag or use a zipped plastic baggie to compartmentalize them. 

We love big purses because they can fit a lot of things, but that doesn't mean we always need to fill it to the brim. A less cluttered purse makes our lives easier and is one less thing for us to stress about. So try to take the time to organize your purse and wallet once a week so you can maintain a feeling of organization everywhere you go! 

XOXO, Erin