To want my handbag not to be a shit tip

[packofshunts]

Doesn't seem to matter what handbag I have they always seem to become a mobile skip.

Virtually have to tip the contents out to find anything and can't even use excuse of having young DCs anymore

Am so envious of women who have beautifully organised bags and know where everything is in a trillisecond.

Where am I going wrong? How do I tidy the contents so both purse and bag aren't an embarrassment?

Is it the bag? Is there a fail safe handbag that promises permanent organised lushesness or is there a top secret SOP I need to instigate

You need to get yourself one of these OP:
www.amazon.co.uk/Handbag-organizer-black-animal-lining/dp/B00BI1A86G/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&qid=1503504750&sr=8-22&keywords=handbag+organiser&tag=mumsnetforum-21

I can fit a water bottle in all my smaller bags. But then to me I can't go anywhere without a drink as I am a thirsty person!

Nora Ephron wrote a really funny essay called 'I hate my purse' about exactly this. Look it up, I think you would like it!

One big problem that I spotted in that picture was that you had a card loose in there. Cards should never be floating about. Travel cards and work passes in the card slot/pocket. Everything else in a wallet.

I used to have a long wallet like that and couldn't fit it into the inner zip pocket of my handbag (a cross-body bag which cannot hold enough to get too heavy and hurt my back). Now that I've gone back to a folding wallet, the inner zip pocket of my handback holds that (wallet), my keys and my powerbank. Diary and phone in the main pocket (with makeup - powder, mascara, lip stain - loos in the bottom). All travel cards and any parking tickets/ museum to
tickets in the card slot. Front pocket has comb, pens, crap.

What do you all do with the gazillion loyalty cards you own?
I have so many that along with random business cards there never enough room in my purse for 'proper' cards

Phone, purse and keys. Surely anything else can be left at home?

I have just invested in a handbag organiser as my new tote bag has NO pockets at all.
Life changing!

Are you "loyal" enough, though, that these cards make any difference? I refuse cards now, as I just can't stand re-directing everything whenever we move. In general, they're just not worth it!

At the very least I must get a new bag; it's ancient, filthy and the shoulder strap is on its last threads.

Have hankering for super stylish one with endless compartments that will only ever contain categorised essentials absolutely no point

Mine is the same and every bag I have ends up the same. Currently there are about 20 murray mints in the bottom

I have loads of loyalty cards, so many that I had to buy a Cath Kidston card holder. Another item to fill up my handbag!

What do you all do with the gazillion loyalty cards you own?

I have an app called "Stocard" on my Android phone (I assume it or something similar is available for iPhone) and you basically scan your loyalty cards onto the app and it saves having to carry your cards altogether.

It has a lot of the major cards already loaded up, so you just need to scan yours in and it will save it automatically (eg AA, most airlines frequent flyer programs, Costa, Ikea, Matalan, Morrisons, Starbucks, Tesco, The Body Shop, Waterstone's etc) and then there's also an option to add other cards which aren't pre-saved in the search function and you have to enter the details (eg my library card can be stored on the app but it had to be manually entered). Then, once your card is saved on the app, it will either produce a barcode or QR code that can be scanned in exactly the same way your loyalty card would usually be.

Phone, purse and keys. Surely anything else can be left at home?

If I'm nipping to the shop around the corner maybe but for everyday life, no way.

Headphones to listen to music/podcasts/drown out the screaming kids on the bus/train on the way to work. They live in a small pouch with my powerbank and usb cable.

Paper diary bc I am old school and need to write things down or I don't remember them

Make up bag with perfume/lipbalm/brush/bobby pins/concealer etc for touch ups during the day

Pouch with tampons/pads - if it's actually during my period I will have the pouch with more than one but I also keep a couple of emergency tampons in my make up bag at all times, both in case of surprises (I have PCOS so periods can surprise me at any time) but also in case a friend ever needs one in an emergency.

Water bottle - I always try to keep my water bottle in my bag so I never go thirsty.

Book for when I know I will be sitting around - waiting for an appointment, on the train etc - but don't want to be constantly satring at a screen

Small pouch with a personal first aid kit - couple of plasters, alcohol wipes, hand gel, paracetamol, my medications

And two glassses cases - one has my sunglasses (I have light sensitivity so even weak sunlight can sometimes make my eyes hurt) and the other has either my glasses or a set of my disposable lenses in.

Wow Melj... am impressed. Is your bag really big?

You need to empty it out every night a la Marie Kondo.

Also, I don't have anything loose in my bag: just small pouches for make-up, another for phone and keys, etc.

My handbag is pristine after reading too many articles about germs in handbags.

germs in handbags

Agree with pouches / pencil cases. I have one that is just big enough for a few pull ups and wet wipes, a very small one for make up and a third which holds 'useful shit' - plasters, tablets, hand wash, tissues etc. I put any small toys like cars or pencils in a freezer bag. When I leave the house and I'm changing bags I grab those, add purse, keys and phone and I'm good to go. Still lose receipts etc though...

pack My bag really isn't big because while it sounds like a long list of things a lot of them are small items that take up next to no space and things like my book/water bottle only go in my bag if there's room or I'm specifically going somewhere where I know I will need them (eg I don't take my book to work every day, but I would shove it in if I was going to the dentist because mine always runs late so I know I'll be there waiting for a while)

My handbag is the only organised thing due to scruffy disorganised dh and dc. Woe beside anyone who touches it. I have nail clippers, Vaseline, pencil sharpener (when helping kids with homework) so I don't have to hunt for theirs, headphones (punishment for borrowing =beheading). Still haven't recovered from the time I was on a train settled down yo watch my show and some * had borrowed them and not returned them so i couldnt watch my show. Also the usual keys wallet phone spare pens.

Mine is ok apart from a few old crumpled receipts at the bottom of it. It pisses me off no end though when my DH chucks his wallet, car and house keys in there.

If it's not my handbag it's my car!! The joy of having kids lol

punishment for borrowing =beheading)

A regular clean out and getting rid of all receipts and nonsense. Helps.

Someone has insisted I get a Kipling bag and my life worries will be over!