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by Lydia Parker
Is your purse basically a mobile version of a junk drawer—complete with loose Band-Aids, expired mints, and receipts that date back to a pre-mask era? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. I once found a rogue sock in mine… and I wasn’t even carrying gym clothes. But there comes a time when enough is enough.
Let me take you step-by-step through the purse purge you didn’t know you needed—because back pain from carrying a bag full of “just in case” nonsense is not a personality trait.
Yes, we’re really doing this. You’re about to look your chaotic carryall in the eye and say, “No more broken pens and 17 lip balms.” Let’s declutter that purse like the fabulous minimalist you were born to be.
Step one: dump the entire contents of your purse onto a flat surface.
Yes, all of it. Don’t just peek in like you’re negotiating with a raccoon. Flip that bag like a pancake and see what falls out. Be brave.
You’ll likely find:
It’s okay. Breathe. You’re not a bad person because your purse is a disaster. But we’re about to fix it.
If there’s one universal truth it’s this: no human needs three lip balms. That’s the maximum. If you’ve got more in your purse, in your car, in your jacket, and on your nightstand—we need to talk.
Use the Rule of Three for your purse essentials:
You might also want to peek at your bedside habits in No-Nonsense Nightstand Declutter: Banish Bedtime Chaos for Good.
Once you’ve exorcised the crumbs and old gum from the depths, start sorting what’s left into categories:
Put everything you actually use into neat little piles. And don’t forget to test your pens. Trust me, nothing’s more tragic than a pen graveyard masquerading as “being prepared.”
If you’ve ever spent 10 minutes fishing for your keys in a sea of crumpled napkins, it’s time to embrace container-ception: pouches inside your purse. Life-changing.
Consider:
Bonus: your purse becomes way easier to switch out if everything’s in compartments. You’re living in a rom-com montage now, sweetie.
Seriously, how many nearly-empty lotion tubes do you need on hand? You got dry elbows or are you starting a moisturizer museum? Be ruthless!
Here’s some stuff you probably don’t need in your bag:
If you haven’t used a card in three months and forgot what it’s even for, it goes. Don’t let loyalty clutter ruin your purse and your peace.
Here’s a harsh truth: BIG BAGS ARE ENABLERS. The bigger the purse, the more chaos your shoulder carries. Downsizing your bag size is an easy way to keep only what matters.
You clean out your fridge. Hopefully. So why does your purse not get that love?
Once a week, take five minutes to:
It’s five minutes of maintenance for hours saved not rummaging for your debit card while the person behind you sighs audibly.
If you switch bags often, you’ve got what I call “bag-bloat”. You know what I mean—three handbags in a rotation, plus that one you forgot about in the car trunk.
Some questions to ask when decluttering your actual bag collection:
Decluttering also offers a fabulous chance to make more eco-conscious choices.
Swap:
If this has you drooling for more sustainable swaps, check out Sustainable Fashion for Every Budget: How to Build a Greener Wardrobe Without Breaking the Bank and start building a bag that’s as light on the Earth as it is on your shoulder.
Take one last look at your newly transformed purse. You know where everything is. Your shoulders feel lighter. You’re no longer terrified of the checkout line dig.
Celebrate that win, my friend.
And now that your purse isn’t lying to you about your preparedness level or hiding snacks that legally count as compost—why not snap a pic of your neatly organized bag, and tag us over at @mysimple.life.official on Instagram?
Let’s inspire the world—one beautifully decluttered bag at a time. 💼✨
Simplicity is the ultimate power move.
Lydia Parker
Lydia Parker
Lydia grew up in a home where the motto was "Keep everything; you never know when you’ll need it!" After years of wading through mountains of Tupperware lids and mismatched socks, she had an epiphany: less is more. Armed with a label maker and a deep love for minimalism, she turned her life around and now dedicates her days to helping others tame their clutter and embrace simplicity.
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