Organize Your Purse SAGE Column June 2009
Organize Your Purse
Boy Scout motto aside, what do you think might happen on the way to work that you need to load your purse with 7-10 lbs. of extra stuff? That’s enough to cause headaches neck pain, and throw your back out of alignment. Ideally, purses should weigh no more than 10% of your body weight, or 10 lbs., whichever is less.
Beyond the health concerns, how much stuff will see you safely through the day? When was the last time you actually needed to reapply all of your make up while on a coffee run? Can you find your house key amongst the junk? Can your first-aid kit live in the car or in a desk drawer instead?
The easiest way to keep your purse contents under control is to simplify what you carry. Eliminate all but the essentials. The essentials will be different for everybody so think through what your usual day is like. Use small cosmetic bags to help keep like items together and easier to find. This will also make it easier to switch out your purse for a night on the town and back to day use.
Don’t carry a checkbook if you primarily use your debit or credit card when you shop. Keep receipts in the cash section of your wallet and add them into a check register when you get home. Then toss the receipts that are not tax deductible.
Small trash items end up in our purses, too – used tissues, gum and candy wrappers, etc. Take them out when you’re near a trash receptacle. Regular review of your purse and its contents will reveal if there is still stick to the Band-Aids for your blisters. When you remove the stuff that accumulates during the day, you’re ready for tomorrow.
***********
Miriam Ortiz y Pino’s articles appear monthly in Sage Magazine, a publication of the Albuquerque Journal. Miriam is a Certified Professional Organizer (CPO) and owner of More than Organized // www.MorethanOrganized.net // She works with people who want to simplify their lives in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico.
This article may be freely distributed if this resource box remains attached.
***********
Tags: Albuquerque, carry, kits, lighten, organize, organized, organizer, organizing, professional, purse, safety, simplify, Simplifying, stuff
