More Than Bargains

Do you have a Disorganized Purse? I DO! March 6, 2008

I’m a PURSE lady! I have purses in all colors and sizes. The one thing that always happens no matter what size the purse is, it’s always disorganized. I’m constantly trying to find this or that and its frustrating. I’ve been trying to find that perfect purse but I think its just me being messy! 

On http://www.homemadesimple.com I found an informative article on How To Organize Your Purse/Briefcase:

Divide & Conquer the Clutter
A great way to conquer clutter in your purse, bag or briefcase is to divide the items you carry by their purpose and then store them in separate compartments. Keep small zippered bags like a makeup or pencil case inside your purse or bag where you can store loose items and organize all your essentials.
Storing common items in separate bags makes it easier for you to stay organized, find what you need and quickly switch to a different purse or bag when you’re on the go. Use bags of different colors to make it even easier to remember what you stored in each bag, and carry a small clip-on light or flashlight to help you find things inside your purse in limited light.

Organization Tips for Purse Necessities:

*Medicine and first-aid kit: Create a small first-aid kit with band aids, ointment, tissues, eye drops, throat lozenges and a small pill case with headache, allergy and other medicines you like to have on hand.

*Shopping essentials: Make trips to the store a more productive and pleasant experience by organizing your shopping essentials. Keep a zippered bag with coupons, a notepad, pen, loyalty cards, checkbook and a small calculator. Remember to sort through your coupons once a month and throw out ones that are expired or those you no longer need.

*Personal care: Use a zippered makeup bag for sample-sized bottles of lotion and hand sanitizer, lip balm, breath mints, a small brush or comb and other personal care products you use on a regular basis.

*Catch-all container: Despite our best efforts, bags tend to fill up with loose change, postage stamps and small pieces of trash like old receipts and candy wrappers. Create a catch-all bag for all those little items that don’t logically fit into your overall purse organization strategy. Use a clear plastic zip-top bag so you can see what’s inside it, or a cloth bag with a drawstring that you can wash and reuse. Whatever bag you choose, clean it out weekly to keep the clutter under control.

There are also many pre-fabricated purse organizers available in stores that may be helpful organization tools for you.  

Briefcase Basics
With all the electronic equipment and other office-related tools we carry with us, it’s essential to keep our briefcase or laptop bag organized and clutter-free as well.

Take these simple steps to keep your work items organized when you’re on the go:
*Use color-coded folders to separate your files by subject and purpose. Use a red folder for your hottest “Must-Do” items, and keep it in a front pocket for easy access.
*Designate sections of your briefcase or bag for specific purposes, such as one area for your laptop, power cords and related items and another section for your cell phone, PDA or daily planner.
*Carry rubberbands or small bags to store power cords or chargers and keep them from getting tangled in your briefcase.
*Take time each month to clean out your briefcase or bag, file paperwork and restock supplies like pens and notepads.
More Time-Saving Tips
Staying organized when you’re on the go is a continuous process, so update important information on a regular basis.

*Keep a pocket-sized address book in your bag with important phone numbers like your favorite takeout restaurants, dentists, doctors, stores, car and home repair and others you might need when you’re out and about. Get even more organized by programming these important phone numbers into your cell phone or PDA.
*Also, carry a small notepad for taking notes and creating To-Do lists when you’re away from home. It will help you remember everything you need to accomplish while you’re out so you won’t need to make a second trip.

With a little planning and effort, you’ll be amazed at how you can cut down on clutter and keep all those things you carry with you every day more organized and easier to find.

 I love all these ideas and will be implementing some TODAY!