Professional Organizer Tips for an Organized Handbag

An organized handbag pays off in simple yet important ways as any professional organizer will tell you when sharing handbag organizing tips. You can find your keys or your bus/subway card when you need them. Your receipts are in one place, ready to be filed. Your credit cards, ATM card and ID are safe, helping to protect you from identity theft. Your bag is lighter, lessening its impact on your back, shoulders and neck. You look more professional and your organized handbag enables you to locate items without rummaging through your bag, or emptying its contents in the middle of the sidewalk. And when it’s time to shop for a new one, you will know the right size of handbag and number/type of compartments you need.

Here are some professional organizer tips for a more organized, efficient handbag:

1. Sort & Purge – Empty your bag of its contents and group items by type or how you use them. Credit and bank cards together, insurance cards together, cosmetics together, etc. Throw away anything that’s broken or unidentifiable. Set aside duplicate items – do you need three hair brushes in your handbag? And be honest about what really needs to be carried in your bag on a daily basis. If you don’t use it regularly, it doesn’t need to be with you every day.
2. Assign a location – determine the location for each item in your based on frequency of use. Items that you access several times a day (phone, keys, office ID badge) should be in easy-to-reach places so that you don’t have to dig for them each time. Less-frequently-used items can be stored in pockets or compartments that aren’t as easily accessed.
3. Select the right bag for you. If you carry a large wallet, set of keys, a cosmetic bag, glasses, a book to read on the train, etc., don’t be swayed by the cute, tiny handbags. You’ll never fit everything into it and it’ll end up on a closet shelf. Likewise, don’t buy too big, especially if the bag isn’t divided into compartments. If all of your items end up at the bottom of your handbag, it can be difficult to find what you need.
4. Maintain the system. Put your solution to the test and be open to refining your system when something isn’t working. If the designated “cell phone pocket” in your bag is not easy to reach when your hands are full, try a different location for your phone. Periodically return to step one so that you’re doing a “Sort & Purge” on a regular basis.