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?
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I’m 28 years old, and I’ve lived 99.86% of my life without a purse (that works out to about two weeks that I actually did have one). I’ve just never really understood the purpose of having a purse when you can get pants with perfectly good cargo pockets that hold a wallet just fine, or a backpack if absolutely required.
Then again, I’ve always been a tomboy, and people frown upon putting cool rocks, worms, and other miscellaneous fishing lures and outdoor things in purses. 😀
Lindsay @ The Notorious D.E.B.T. recently posted…Cooking Tips For People Who Hate Cooking: Making Cooking Suck Less
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!
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.
What’s funny is that I used to be just the opposite. When I was in my early 20’s I just refused to carry around a purse with me and instead had a small wallet that I would put in the side pocket of my jeans whenever I went anywhere. I would have friends that would always say to me “You don’t have a purse?” or “You should really get yourself a purse”. So I finally gave in one day and bought myself a purse. And yes, I too have been guilty of having the multiple lip glosses (because you just never know, right), the thumb drive, receipts and carrying around stuff for my husband. I have learned that by having a purse that things can get pretty out of hand if you don’t keep up with it, so I try to clear the unnecessary stuff at least once a week to keep it manageable.
Wow. I never even considered not carrying a purse. I do have one of those wrislets for when I go out to party. But on a day to day basis I like to carry things like headphones, a notepad, etc. So for now, I’ll keep my purse.
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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
All throughout college I didn’t carry my purse. Everything I needed could always fit in my id holder. I never had cash anyway unless we were going to a bar or something where I didn’t want to open a tab or to pay a cover fee and I loved it. I recently switched back to a purse because I just carry too many things.
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.
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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!
This is absolutely hilarious! I’ve literally been saying this for years…and I think it was the military that made me this way, but if I cant carry it in my pocket -I don’t need it! (Granted my daughter has been out of diapers for a few years, so I don’t have to worry about diapers and wipes…but you get my point. =] )
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!
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.
Hmm, I definitely could use less back and shoulder pain….
Came here from Little House Living.
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I have 2 epi pens I have to carry and an inhaler. they take up too much room to just use a credit card holder but I keep looking for the smallest purse.
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.
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.
years ago i used to have a bag, but since I start to work as a freelancer I used only for night clubs small bags , only for lipstick and keys.
When was pregnant, I was soo heavy feeling myself , that I refused to carry also a handbag, it was soo hard for me to move :)) the same happen with heavy jackets, in Russia, we used to wear something warm but when I’ve bought 1st time down jacket… with many pockets as I wished I feel now much freer and easy , and of course more organized with everything, as all I can keep in a pockets and lever forget anything
great article, thank you! Until the age of 20 I didn’t own a purse, then it was my boyfriend who said: well, you NEED to have one, and he bought me three…I started with a big one and got so frustrated not finding anything and today I don’t use them any more, I have a mini-wallett, quite similar to your’s and a climber’s backpack when out with my little one!
Great idea. Unfortunately this isn’t an option for me. Too many medical items that I have to keep with me. It’s already difficult to just use my downsized purse (5″ w x 7″ L x 5″ d) — everything has to be ‘in it’s place’ or it won’t zip closed…and these ARE just the bare essentials. 🙁
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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,
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? 😉
Never too late!