Bpath, not sure if you've seen me complaining about people posting a topic on two or more forums, and I also said there are always exceptions.

This topic is a great exception!

No. I carry the same neutral leather purse most every day. I only change purses if we are going out (someplace special and I dress up) and at the change of seasons (to a neutral summer purse). I do clean out crumbly tissues and long cash register receipts weekly.

Even when I was working, wearing suits and good shoes, I did not change my purse daily.

No - I only empty it out when I change handbags which is seasonal or when I go on vacation. My purse isn’t large enough to accumulate anything other than the necessities I want to have with me at all times.

And Oakley is correct, my purse is where I can grab it and go in the case of an emergency.

I change out my hand bag pretty frequently, though I would never take things out of one bag and then put them away before putting them into the next one. That is insanity. The things in my hand bag belong in my handbag. I clean out my bag once a week or so- getting rid of all the stray things that can accumulate in there. I do stuff my bags with tissue paper when I store them though. I still use one of my mother's bags from the late 60s. It's the predecessor to the Constance and looks brand spanking new and I wear it a great deal during winter.

ha ha Oakley, multiple postings bug me, too, but I hoped this would be appropriate for both! It's an organizing thing, but y'all are my peeps :)

I'm not really talking about changing your purse or giving it the day off, maybe it's like giving it the night off. I think my purse wouldn't get nearly so heavy if I did that. I don't carry a big bag, just so that I DON'T accumulate so much. But still...

What I should do is what my husband does: he empties his pockets (the male equivalent of a purse) onto his nightstand. He has a holder for wallet, cellphone, keys, and then he puts his receipts away in the office.

I accumulate receipts much faster, though: grocery, drugstore, the occasional coffee, post office, and so on. I used to put them in a slot in my wallet, but I always felt like I was holding up the line, so now they just get stuffed into the purse. blech.

But there is something to keeping the purse ready to go, especially with my parents in skilled and memory care. I should have a bag ready for that, with a pad of paper, phone charger, meds lists, POAs (I used to, when my mom was at home and going to the er or doctor every few weeks, but their care is so good now that I've gotten lax). In my case, I'm ready for almost anything including Let's Make a Deal!

I would never take things out of one bag and then put them away before putting them into the next one. That is insanity. The things in my hand bag belong in my handbag.

Exactly. I have a mini makeup bag that belongs in my purse, nowhere else. My wallet lives in my purse. If I have to take it out for any reason, it has to go back right away.

Yesterday I couldn't find my car keys. I started looking in drawers, etc., thinking I was losing it. I finally retraced not my steps but what I wore the last time I knew I had them. They were in the pocket of raincoat I rarely wear. So easy to do, so dumb.

Oh heavens, no. The only time I clean out my bag is when it has too much stuff in it or when I’m switching bags. Those paper receipts are beyond annoying. Since most transactions can be duplicated with the use of my card, unless it’s a gift for someone, I usually toss them as I’m leaving the store.

Bpath, I like your idea about having a purse ready to go. That’s a pretty nifty idea.

I change purses frequently depending on my activities for the day. However I don't carry extraneous things so my purses seldom need to be "cleaned out" - If I've been shopping I put receipts in my desk when I come home.

My purse is always organized and ready to go. There have been too many times when I've had to leave quickly due to an emergency and I can't spend time trying to remember what I might have removed. Like Oakley I too was a girl scout - I always have extra cash, pen and paper, a typed list of important phone numbers (in case my phone suffers a mishap), a list of DH's medicines and physicians), and an external battery charger for my phone.

I just can't see the point in emptying my purse and putting it to bed for the night.

As Maire_cate said, "I just can't see the point in emptying my purse and putting it to bed for the night." Oakley's point about needing to leave in an emergency hits home, too. I have an emergency suitcase packed because I live in an area where fire or earthquake could mean a quick evacuation, so why wouldn't I have my purse ready to go, too?

If I cleaned out my purse every day, what then would I do while in line at the McDonald's drive-up window? That's when the purse cleaning happens for me.

The other day I removed a massive amount of coins from my purse and put them in the self-checkout machine at the grocery store. I can't believe how much lighter my purse is.

graywings, come to think of it, now that I'm not waiting in car pickups for kids at school, lessons, confirmation, practice, etc, my purse isn't as tidy. Kind of like when we stopped walking to school, or they stopped taking the bus, I wasn't walking as regularly and gained nn pounds.

Well, glad to know I'm not a slacker. Well, I am, but not in the purse department.

I change purses fairly often, and when I go into the city to my office I carry on my briefcase, not a purse per se. Whenever I switch, that is my opportunity to throw things out and make sure everything in there is sparking joy, like my Amex.

I have a purse organizer which keeps everything neat and organized. When changing purses, it just lifts out and is dropped into the new purse. Love it!!

whatsayyou, I had a purse organizer but it fit in only a couple of my purses! Didn't spark joy, out it went.

mtnrd, ha ha! unfortunately, the cc can later spark shock...I spent HOW much?

Clean it out daily? Um, no! But for the "dedication space" I use a purse-it organizer and that keeps the essentials exactly where I can find them. This is especially helpful in my Longchamp Pliage tote bag, which is a real workhorse for my needs.

ETA, just saw whatsayyou mentioned an organizer. Yes!

As I age, I need less and less in my purse and quite often just put a credit card, i.d. and lipstick in a pocket of whatever I'm wearing. My purses have become smaller, as well. I do have some high end purses - I store them stuffed with bubblewrap and in plastic protectors but only use them on "occasions". I prefer a crossbody because of shoulder pain and am a fan of the Baggallini brand for everyday and for travel.

I usually only clean my purse when I'm going to fly, or when seasons change.

I tidy mine up right after I come home. I have two zipper little bags inside (from Ipsy) one for makeup/hair/perfume and vape stuff, the other for cash/cards and DL. They stay in the bag and I hang it right by the door. All I need to drop in are my phone and keys (keys are right by the door too, in the top drawer of the console).

When my children were growing up I went through their backpacks daily. With seven of them in school at the same time this was essential. When they became old enough to do this, they did it. Lunch or lunch money depended on it. Those backpacks only hung on the hooks by the front door. When you have to make seven lunches every day you make sure to check what may be left behind. Signing those permission slips, filling out cardsx7 EVERY YEAR was such a pain. We never moved, our address never changed, everything stayed the same. I didn't keep much artwork either. Bad mommy award ;-)

KonMari my purse each day and let it rest? Insane! It rests for the night on my desk, next to the phone charger and a tray that holds a bunch of odds and ends like extra pens, my portable charger, extra sunglasses, etc. I downsides my purse when I retired and seldom carry a larger bag any longer. I do change purses occasionally and I do clear out things about once a week, removing receipts, lozenge wrappers, and such. I pretty good about staying organized and down to just a few basic items, a small slim wallet, reading glasses, keys, and a few lipsticks and a lip balm.

When we travel, I reorganize the wallet and leave some cards at home and add whatever else I might need.

".... thank the purse for its service that day, stuff it with tissue, and put it on the shelf. To let it "rest". ...."

Oh he!! no. Talk about being owned by your stuff. I take receipts out of my wallet as needed (and I'll hold up the line for the 3.2 seconds it takes to put them there) when putting my card or cash back in after a transaction. Always have Tylenol/Advil, emery board, chapstick, pen, blank index cards (really showing my age here) small tape measure, tissues, reading glasses, a mini microfiber cloth to clean them or my phone, mints etc. When I get home keys go on a hook in my office next to my sunglasses, purse sleeps on the chair arm in there so I can grab all 3 and go.

I regularly clean out my purse. It generally has 5-7 things in it, so it doesn't take long. Almost all of my purses are machine washable "hobo" style bags and I often tuck my shopping in them rather than break out my reusable shopping bag, so the purse gets emptied pretty much every time i come home.

It's been quite a while since I used multiple bags on a daily basis. Right now it's a black Baggalini. I do try to clean out the odds and ends and the loose change. It can get heavy.

I do appreciate most of the KonMari methods. I have my sock and underwear drawers folded with her method. But.....this purse method doesn't make sense to me on many levels. It's almost as if she felt had to come up with a special "thing" for pocketbooks. Why would someone who uses one bag empty it out each day? Not an efficient use of time.

Oh, hell to the no.

In fact, last week one of those little plastic tubs of Mentos gum spilled its contents in my purse, and I still haven't cleaned it up; in fact, I'm rummaging around in the bottom and bringing up a piece to chew a couple times a day.

Keepin it real. (And gross.)

When I was a teenager, I was a little Imelda-Marcos-in-training. I had matching shoes and purse for every outfit (including 6 pairs of suede shoes and white suede sandals that had to be powdered!) so purses changed daily. Heaven forbid that I could figure out what I'd want to wear the night before, so I emptied my purse each night and put the contents in a specific place in my dresser. By the time I was a working adult, everything except the scarves was black and if it didn't fit in a carry-on bag, it soon went to Goodwill.

I do find animism appealing if for no other reason than it curbs my desire for more things. Now that I'm an old coot, I have 5 purses, one of which is used virtually all of the time. It's a small cross-body with barely enough space for what I need. I clean out receipts and such daily, but there is no reason to store the contents elsewhere. I clean the leather monthly, then empty the bag and clean the interior with a lint brush.

Marie Kondo seems to understand that purses are important to women. Probably because of my own history, her approach felt young and a bit naive to me. Life has taught me that, as others have mentioned, having the purse in a consistent spot, ready to go in an emergency is important.

I just think that is CRAZY. I clean out my purse frequently. My favorite purses are totes, so I tend to accrue miscellany. But, to put all this stuff away? stuff the purse with tissue? thank the purse? and then start all over? every time that I'm leaving the house? Who has time or energy for this? I think this is nonsense.

This idea was totally discounted as silly when I read "to let it rest". LIfe is short. Time is a premium. I swap purses at times and what I need is transferred at that time. To unpack/pack daily just 'cuz is IMHO a TOTAL waste of time.

But, to put all this stuff away? stuff the purse with tissue? thank the purse? and then start all over? every time that I'm leaving the house? Who has time or energy for this? I think this is nonsense.

I feel a bit out of order calling it nonsense, because I think perhaps I just don't understand the (spiritual?) belief behind the action, but I still think pretty much the same way as maddie. My belief tells me that it's a freakin' PURSE. It doesn't have feelings and can't absorb our thankful energy. It will, in fact, someday probably be in a landfill somewhere ruining the planet along with countless other inanimate objects. I believe our energies should be devoted to thanking the living creatures in our lives for the way they enhance us, not dorking around with a soulless pouch of leather that hangs from a strap.

hmm, I take it more as appreciating and caring for something that is useful and important in our daily lives. We tend to our clothes better than some of us tend to our purses, and we wear our clothes only a fraction of the time we use our purses. I don't think it takes much energy to have a thought that "this purse really meets my needs" any more than "I like that painting" as we walk past it in the house, or "so glad I got induction" when the simmer sets perfectly. I think I can express appreciation for an object without converting to Shintoism. But I guess if I appreciated it, I wouldn't let it fill with receipts and leaky lotion tube and saltines crumbling within their cellophane, or let it fall on the dirty floor of the car.

Anyway, with all the KonMari going on, I'm glad this is one area where I'm on board with most of y'all. I clean my purse out when it needs it, and it doesn't seem to need it every day. Besides, like pulling the spring jacket from the closet, I always find $5 in a pocket!

I like this idea. As to whether I could do it I don't know.

The reason I like the idea is because I always remember on gods must be crazy the actor was always thanking the animals for the meat he got from them. I thought it was very moving and lovely.

I'd have to make it a habit. Once you do that I'm pretty sure it would be very quick to empty your purse and put it away. And lay all your things where you can easily grab them.

I empty my handbag after every use. I wasn't going to but as I continued decluttering a large drawer opened up in my dresser. It's working for me and unless I carry through with my crazy plan to remove the dressers from the bedroom I'll continue doing it [using about 1/4 total dresser space for actual clothing].

I use keys, wallet, sunglasses and a 3 zip case daily. Add Ikea fold up bags for shopping trips and my movie pashmina blankie when needed.

All but one of my bags fits in the drawer and I like getting those receipts out daily. Makes it easier for me to switch bags too. I've still got 20 bags and much enjoy switching them out.

I detest having lots of change and love that Marie feels the same way. I'm the one in front of yyou counting out $.74 in change.

@ Kathy Yata

My father was the same way about change. When I was a barely a toddler, Tinkerbell (Dad) started leaving coins on the coffee table for me. I had no concept of money, but was happy to put to coins in a glass jug. Those coins eventually bought a swing set for me!

Doing this every day would yield me negative joy....

so, nope.

Most of what many women carry in their purses, I carry in the glove compartment of my car. When I'm out and about, I wear a very small cross-body purse that only holds credit cards, a pen, my keys, and my phone. I keep other occasionally needed items like hand cream, aspirin, tissues, etc., in my car. I tidy it up once in a while, but, no, I don't do it after each use or thank my glove compartment for its service. I've not watched Kondo and am not familiar with her method, but from what I know of it, it's not something I would benefit from.

I learned a long time ago that the majority of my daily activities didn't require that I lug a big purse-full of stuff around. When traveling, that changes. But on any given day, I only carry the basic necessities because it frees up my arms, shoulders and hands.

I feel a bit out of order calling it nonsense, because I think perhaps I just don't understand the (spiritual?) belief behind the action, but I still think pretty much the same way as maddie. My belief tells me that it's a freakin' PURSE. It doesn't have feelings and can't absorb our thankful energy. It will, in fact, someday probably be in a landfill somewhere ruining the planet along with countless other inanimate objects. I believe our energies should be devoted to thanking the living creatures in our lives for the way they enhance us, not dorking around with a soulless pouch of leather that hangs from a strap.

I get it, and that was my first reaction. Based in Shintoism or not, I think it has a practical side.

I think the point of thanking your purse, or whatever, is not for the purse's benefit. I think it is to make us more grateful and more mindful, with the hope that if we were those things, we would make better decisions about stuff, and take better care of it, waste less of it, waste less money and time on it, and stop letting the storage and organization of it take undue resources.

No. And I don't tell the stuff in it "thank you" either.

It should be thanking me for the privilege of being in there to begin with, and not home stuck lost in a junk drawer. ;-)

LOL, I rarely do. My dedicated purse cleaning time is almost always when I am on vacation, or staying at a hotel on business. Then I empty everything, sort, reorganize. But I do use a purse organizer that holds commonly used items in the same place from purse to purse. And I do sort/remove receipts, etc., probably weekly. Never occurred to me to make it a part of my daily routine, although . . . there is something quite satisfying about those occasional empty-it-all-out and put it back days.

I have recently started doing something different with my purse. I had been carrying around one large purse all the time and just got tired of it. So what I began to do is that I have one large very organized (lots of divider pockets and compartments) purse that sits on a shelf in the bedroom with all my "purse stuff". I then have a much smaller, cross body purse that I am carrying to the store etc. with a lesser amount of "purse stuff" for just that trip. I have found that I almost never get anything else out of the bigger purse though but it's there when I need it. I'm a clean as I go person so I take out the receipts when I get home. I usually throw away the purse trash as I'm entering the store as they usually have a large trash can at the entrance. The trash would be tissues and cough drop wrappers, that sort of stuff. In my daily purse, I have my wallet, a small clear cosmetic bag, my phone, reading glasses and my keys and that's IT.

Mtn, I understand what you're saying. And I agree that this is by and large all about being mindful of the items we use day in and day out. Last year I "invested" in four very nice (to me) purses that cost more than any other purses I've ever bought. I just figured at this stage of my life, it was high time for my handbags to be a testament to my career and I owed it to myself to stop carrying around junky stuff. To that end, I HAVE found myself being much more mindful of how I handle and store my purses (well, the spilled Mentos in the bottom of a Kate Spade notwithstanding), and there is some small "something" that is triggered in my mind whenever I reach for one of them on the closet shelf that is quite satisfying and causes me to have a momentary (tiny) rush of gratitude. Perhaps that's similar to what Kon Mari suggests, although I'm still not going to unpack a purse nightly and tuck it in for beddie-bye. (Not yet anyway. If I ever get a really, really, REALLY nice purse, then I may change my tune.)

I have carried a very small LV crossbody for probably 10 years. It's big enough to hold a small wallet, keys and cell phone and a lipstick. It goes with everything, and I mostly carry it 90% of the time. If I need to carry more, I throw it in a bigger purse, and away I go. I noticed the other day, it has seen better days, so I'm going to make a trip to Dallas tomorrow to shop and a concert, so I am going to look for another small designer purse-not LV-tired of LV, but just a little bigger this time to hold my sunglasses, too. I rarely by purses, and a small designer purse just dresses up even jeans and a T-shirt imo.

So, I am forced to KonMari my small bag pretty often of mainly just receipts I throw in there.

I've always been very organized and loved purses but since breaking my wrists last fall I have switched to carrying a wallet and my keys into most places and leaving the bag in the car. I often just carry a debit card and keys. The bag is there in case I need it though. Very little in it however!

Not only do I not do this, I perversely do something quite opposite, which brings me great joy. After I use a bag for a special event, I deliberately leave a small reminder of that event (ticket stub, program, etc) in the bag. When I use the bag again, I am happily reminded of the last excursion. Not sure that could fit with the KonMari system.

jo, I love that. I have a small beaded purse from my grandmother's house. A faded slip of paper inside reads "I received this as a gift at the ball in New Orleans" Now, I didn't know she'd ever been to New Orleans, let alone gone to a ball there. Looks like it might have been in the 20s or 30s, but who knows? I wish she'd left the invitation or some other evidence in it. If it brings you joy, it's totally KonMari!

Someone needs to start a thread about what we have in our purses...I'm having shoulder issues and I'm a mom so naturally everything but the kitchen sink MUST be carried or else the world will come to a complete standstill. I would like to get past this way of thinking...

OMG Jo, I do the exact same thing. I love finding those small momentoes in my handbags.

bpath, I love that your grandmother put a note in the bag. It's a doubly sweet find. Talk about provenance!

One can appreciate a purse and what it took to be in your possession but letting it rest, emptying it each night and thanking it is purely idiotic imo. Don’t you have more important things to do?

Jojoco, when you said, "I perversely do something quite opposite," I thought maybe you drop-kicked that sucker across the room and told it to shape up.

Speaking of pretty, beaded purses, my MIL’s brother died and a woman I spoke to at the funeral told me this story. They had worked together as teenagers but she hadn’t seen him since then, and he died at the age of 78. Back then, he gave her a small, beaded purse for her birthday. She was a farm girl and had never received anything so thoughtful and beautiful. She still has the purse, the box it came in, and the card from him! When she saw the obit she had to come say goodbye. How sweet. I hope she used the purse and didn’t just store it for 50+ years.