Awesome Purse Essentials & How to Organize Them

Every girl or woman has their own blend of awesome purse essentials. A busy, homeschool mom of four boys shares what things are in her purse on a regular basis and how to keep it organized.

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If you’re like me, your purse is your everything bag. But how can you feel prepared for whatever the day brings without lugging around a 30-pound saddlebag on your shoulder? I’ve put together a list of my favorite purse essentials (and bonus: how to organize them!).  Now you can have everything you need at your fingertips.

Since I tend to carry more items in my purse during the colder months, I decided to upgrade to a more heavy-duty bag.  While I love the small wallet-style purses, you just can’t fit everything you might need in them.  

The problem with a larger purse is that things have a tendency to get lost. 

This post was part of a campaign through Collective Bias, Inc. for its advertiser. Affiliate links to products may be included and purchases through them could result in some form of compensation to this website. All opinions are mine alone. 

Ever watch someone with a large purse start looking for something simple like a pen, stick of gum, or something else they desperately need?  Unless they planned ahead to keep it all neatly segregated, what often happens is a major dump of the bag.

Having a purse that suitably organizes all of your essentials is key to living life on the go without a hitch.

But what items should you make sure to always have on hand? Read on to find out!

Awesome Purse Essentials: What’s in MY Bag

For special occasions, I will downsize what I am carrying.  But, when running around town with the boys I want to avoid any surprises and end up carrying more.

I tend to use a medium to large-sized purse for everyday excursions. Between kids and my own health issues, I need to have a lot of things at the ready.

My allergist has me toting around an inhaler and epi-pen everywhere I go. Let’s just say those 2 “small” items can really add up!

My MUST haves items include:

Wallet

This has at least a little cash, my driver’s license, AAA card (in case I need a tow), medical insurance card, and one or two major credit cards.

I actually have a small wallet for travel and a larger one that holds the essential items plus library cards and store cards that I use all the time. As more stores have their own apps that store your frequent shopper card information, I need to carry fewer of those now.

Smartphone

Back in 2013, I finally joined the ranks of smartphone owners.  My phone holds so much of my life in it that I am lost if I forget to bring it.  I have a family calendar to access along with shopping lists or even searching for important information on the run.

It really isn’t a joke that misplacing your smartphone can cause serious panic. Many of us have our lives on that phone and rely on it for daily needs.

Medications (Over the Counter & Prescription)

Epi-Pen and inhaler as well as extra allergy meds are non-negotiable for me. I’ve had to set aside really cute little clutches for an evening out because of it. For you, my average reader not suffering from an overactive immune system that leaves you even allergic to exercise, the list of medications you must have are probably much shorter.

Headache relievers (over the counter) are another category of must-haves. You never know when the need to relieve pain will strike.

I carry both a homemade blend of essential oils in a roller bottle and an Advil tablet vial. There are times when the essential oils help to calm things down enough while I wait for the Advil to kick in and do its thing. For me, nothing’s stronger, longer-lasting, or better on my tough aches and pains than Advil, and nothing works on more pains than Advil (among OTC pain relievers.)

During a conference in humid Atlanta, I had strong allergic responses to mold in the hotel. This netted me a nasty headache that had me searching for the Advil I had on hand. That tablet vial is the perfect size for my purse, too. A bonus is that I can refill it from a larger bottle at home!

Makeup Essentials

If I am traveling light, this is most likely just a tube of lip balm which keeps the typical winter chapped lips at bay.  The argan oil and avocado butter and rose hip oils in the ChapStik Total Hydration I picked up help to instantly smooth and moisturize my lips.

Hey, a gal wants to look good AND have her husband give kisses!

When going out all dolled up, I’ll add in some powder and lipstick as well.

Health Supplements & First Aid Supplies

Whether you like to be prepared with supplements on the go or ready for emergencies, it never fails that I wish I had those kinds of products at the ready on busy days. 

Fall is a great time of year for me because I can finally get away from my desk and enjoy some fresh air. However, with fall comes an increased need to consider what items should be in your purse or bag if you’re prone towards respiratory illnesses. Because let’s face facts: there is no way around germs!

Emergen-C offers some great immune support for your body. Just add it to your water and drink up. I keep some in my purse for the first signs of illness around me.

Along with the supplements, there are a few first aid needs that I like to have on hand. 

Tweezers (for unexpected splinters)
Nail clippers & file (as your nails never consider your convenience when they decide to break)
Or get a set with all three.
Bandages in different sizes for when life happens. I often pull from a larger first aid kit at home. Or you can purchase a small kit for travel. Like this one which meets TSA requirements.
Small stash of tissues, especially during the cool months when colds and sneezing fits tend to occur more often.
Individually wrapped wipes or a small container of them. Or a small container of hand sanitizer.

Basic Office Supplies

While I do store a lot of information on my smartphone, there are times when pen and paper is the BEST way to record something.  So, I keep a small notebook and at least two pens in my purse.

I’ve often included a second small notebook and pen that I can give to my youngest son so he is occupied during an unanticipated waits. 

Business cards are a must have for anyone with their own business. They can also be used as a calling card for the busy mom trying to make connections in her community. This is something I missed in the past when people asked how to find me online or contact me about something.

I like to keep them in a small business card case in a bright color. This makes it easy to find and protects them from damage.

How To Keep Your Purse Essentials Organized

Staying organized encompasses two areas for me. 

First, I need to make sure I have all of my awesome purse essentials stocked.

With the change of seasons, it was a great time for me to visit our local Walmart to grab a few of these purse essentials.  There is nothing worse than realizing you forgot to restock your supplies when you simply must have something right then. (FYI, if you want the nice small Advil tablet vial, you most likely will find it in the travel section. )

Secondly, I do NOT want to be that woman who has to literally dump her entire purse’s contents in front of complete strangers digging for that ‘must-have now’ item. Instead, I want to be able to quickly find what I need when I need it.

I found a few smaller bags intended for make-up sitting in a box. So, I repurposed them to corral smaller items together in my big purse.

If you don’t have any, just check out the beauty section and see what catches your eye.  A little cash outlay for these smaller bags is worth your sanity in the months ahead.

For now, I have two smaller bags inside of my purse. My health-related items are in that one.

The other is my beauty & first aid bag including those all-important bandages for kids’ injuries and my much-appreciated tube of ChapStik.

Join the Conversation!

What do you keep in your purse for the winter months?
Do you use organizer bags to move key items from one purse to another?
What are your awesome purse essentials?

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This post was originally published on  Oct 29, 2015 and has since been updated.