4 Things That Happen When You Stop Lugging Around a Purse

I’m on a mission to spread the word about one little change that had a huge impact on my life. I stopped carrying a purse around.

I know, I know. You think I’m nuts.

Hear me out.

I used to be normal. I had a love of Vera Bradley bags and Coach shoulder bags. I organized them and cleaned them and exclaimed “This old thing?” when people admired them.

However, I also stuffed them full of receipts and napkins (and if we’re being totally honest here, mayonnaise packets from Chick-fil-A) and so much stuff that I couldn't actually find anything in it.

In what can only be a case of divine intervention my husband bought me this Vera Bradley wallet keychain. It’s a slim debit card sized wallet on a key chain. You have enough room in there to fit about 20 cards and some cash.

In the beginning, I used it to make my husband happy but still lugged my purse and wallet around. I was so sure that I couldn't live without my purse.

Then slowly, I started thinking “Do I really need my whole purse?” and then just leaving it in the car as I just brought my keys.

Eventually, I realized that I always left my purse in the car and stopped bringing it with me out of the house.

And I never looked back.

Instead of missing my purse, what I experienced was bliss.

There are four things that happen when you stop carrying a purse everyday.

You realize that you’ve been lugging around a bag of trash for 10 years.

Receipts, old mail, candy wrappers, and the kids snack wrappers. You name it. It’s embarassing how much junk we carry around in a purse every day.

You actually don't need 3 lip glosses, an eyebrow kit, a thumb drive, 5 spare diapers, wipes, binder clips, a bottle of water, moisurizer, sunscreen, a book, a journal and 8 pens to go to Target.

I wish I could say I made all of those things up. Unfortunately, they're still sitting in my unused purse in the closet.

Everything is easier when you aren't trying to keep your shoulder bag on your shoulder all the time.

Especially simultaneously trying to open the car door and hold your tantruming one-year-old. You never realize how ridiculous it is to carry around a bag for no purpose until you see how easy it is to live without one.

You’re no longer your husband's pack horse.

How many times has your husband asked you to stick things in your purse? For me, it was like every time we went anywhere together. Which means, I’m not just lugging around my own 10 pound back of trash and pens, but his too.

You feel like someone lifted a 10 pound weight off your shoulders (because they literally did!).

The neck and upper back pain that I’ve had for years suddenly disappeared. Now, there’s a proper way to carry a handbag that won’t cause damage but if you’re desperate enough to use this 9 step system to carry your bag without nerve damage from Prevention Magazine, you should just skip the bag and thank me later.

All in all, I realized that my purse days are over.

There are a few questions I get when I tell people about this system… So I thought I’d be proactive and address them here.

How do I buy one of these?

The easiest way is through Amazon. You can find tons of wallet keychains here. My favorites are from Vera Bradley. If you have a company you love the patterns or prints of then check with them directly… many companies started making these, including Coach. Vera Bradley is my favorite because they hold up well, are priced low and have a little more room than the leather ones. You can get them here.

What about feminine products?

You can fit one in the wallet for emergencies. It would fit in the bottom, underneath your cards.

What about chapstick?

They actually make a cute little key chain holder for that too (he got me one of these the next Christmas but over time I realized that I didn't need that either). You can find them here. If you don't plan on carrying an emergency feminine product, then you can fit one lipgloss or a chapstick in the wallet instead. Technically, you could fit both, but it would look clunky.

What about diapers and wipes?

We use a two-step system. For most things, we just leave them in the car. If we need to change a diaper, we just go out to the car to do that. In cases where we’ll be gone a while, we make our 3-year-old carry a “diaper bag” for the baby (I know… I’m a terrible mom). We got a kids backpack for a spare change of clothes for both kids, snacks, and a few diapers and wipes for his sister) and he carries the book bag around for longer trips like the zoo or the park.

I would bet that if you tried this out a while, you'd never go back. Plus, the keychain wallet fits right in your back pocket to make life even easier.

What’s the most ridiculous thing in your handbag?

FTC Disclosure of Material Connection: In order for us to maintain this website, some of the links in the post above may be affiliate links. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we use personally and/or believe will add value to readers.

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Comments

Brittany Ann says
May 8 at 8:57 am

This post made me laugh, especially the first one lol. I actually don’t carry a purse either. I had one a long time ago and I ended up just using the little change purse from it and ditching the rest. Now I have a wallet that’s just big enough to hold my phone and a couple cards. I’ve never missed a purse. Why would I want to lug it around? But I will take a small diaper bag for long trips.

- Amanda s says
  April 19 at 10:13 pm
  
  I think this is the wave of the future. I haven’t carried a purse in a few years. Mostly because it was just too much stuff to carry when you have kids. Just one extra thing! I have a cell phone wallet thing. I can fit my credit cards and some cash in it and keep my chapstick in the car. The gym has extra tampons and I also keep one in my car. This article was hilarious. I recently sold my expensive handbag on eBay because mine too was sitting in my closest unused still full of those pens and receipts. I “cleaned out my purse” one last time and sold that sucker. Freedom!!!
  Amanda s recently posted…5 Important Money Lessons To Teach Your Kids
  
Gina says
May 9 at 8:19 am

I disagree, I carried a purse since I was five and it was perfect for rocks. My mom used to actually stop and let me pick rocks in various places, lol!

Natalie @ Financegirl says
May 9 at 9:14 am

I am a minimalist by nature, but I always carry a purse! With my job, sometimes I’m gone from my house for 12 hours at a time. But, on the weekends, I could definitely see using a purse less often.
Natalie @ Financegirl recently posted…Which Student Loans to Repay First

Ramona @ Personal Finance Today says
May 10 at 6:52 am

Still don’t have a ‘normal’ purse and I’m almost 40 😀

I have a very small rucksack (runner type) and it’s got the stuff I need for our daughter: diaper, wet and dry napkins, water bottle, a banana and a snack.

Pretty simple and easy to carry since it’s on my shoulders.
Ramona @ Personal Finance Today recently posted…How to Avoid Freelance Burnout

Jamie says
May 12 at 9:30 pm

I literally laughed out loud reading this! I had surgery a few years ago and couldn’t carry my purse for a few weeks until I healed. I never carried one again. It was amazing all of the crap I could go to town and somehow survive without…then I had kids and discovered diaper bags. I’m now back to my old ways – carrying empty wrappers, way too many pennies, and about 3 outfits that don’t fit anyone. I’ll recover again…I hope!

Lucy says
June 1 at 8:14 pm

I haven’t carried a purse in 20 years. I kept forgetting it. The final straw was returning to Illinois from Wisconsin to retrieve the thing, on a trip from Illinois to Minnesota. Oy!

Jennifer Smith says
June 2 at 11:27 am

How do these wallet things work if you pay cash for things in envelopes? Say for groceries/medical how big are they? This is why I feel I can’t give up my purse and full size wallet because er psi cash for different categories and I carry some of those envelopes with me.

Holki says
August 7 at 2:07 pm

I have been trying to ditch the purse. Of course we ,meaning Hubby and I are one of those couples now,I carry his reading glasses. I do take some meds with me that are used when certain symptoms hit and really don’t want to be without them. Will have to think of ways to carry them without the bottle. But it is scary to think what a police or someone might do if incident have proof of what the meds were. Hmmmm.have to think on this a little more. Feel free to offer ideas.

- JD says
  July 10 at 3:03 am
  
  Maybe you could take a picture of each medication bottle making sure to have the name and date on the bottle showing. Save pictures in photo album on your phone and label it “Meds”. Then you could have a tiny pill box instead of bulky medication bottles.
  
Thomas Madinson says
June 9 at 1:25 am

Great article post sharing, thank you! Until the age of 20 I didn’t own a bag, then it was my friend who said: well, you require to have one, and he scored me two. I began with a big one and got so frustrated not getting anything, and today I don’t accept them any more,

Jill says
June 9 at 8:40 pm

I love this! I recently downsized my purse and noticed a huge difference but I never considered totally giving it up. Is it too late for New Years Resolutioms? 😉

- The Busy Budgeter says
  June 12 at 10:39 am
  
  Never too late!
  
Tammy says
January 31 at 3:28 pm

I never used a purse my whole life. But getting older, I needed diabetic pens and an accucheck machine and diabetic supplies. I also wear contacts and need to have my glasses as backup if a contact falls out for any reason or gets uncomfortable. Because I’d be blind! I think not having a purse is fine if your young. This can’t apply to all of us. I wish it could. But when you get older, some of us need a purse. I bought a nice designer purse and I love it.

Margaret says
May 16 at 11:45 am

I am a very active ( yoga,Pilates,walker) 70 year old whose life long love of vintage and designer bags has waned. For the last year I have been using a small wallet on a chain ( or without chain). The wallet holds phone,change,notes 2cards ,a slither of lipstick and pair contact lenses. Freedom.bliss,love it. ! If out for along day andreally have to take more stuff I take alight weight shopper and drop the wallet inside.
I am never ever going back to handbags.