Items That Should Be In Your Bag / Purse
Before I step out of the house every day with a purse in hand, I always check to make sure certain items I might need have made their way into the purse.
Still, I sometimes find myself putting unnecessary things I have no use for in it, worrying that the purse is unnecessarily heavy.
If you have found yourself in a similar predicament, don’t worry, you are not alone.
So, I came up with a checklist I will now share with you. This checklist ensures that every item that goes into my purse is essential to my outing.
Wallet, Phone, and Keys
Even when you aren’t going out with a purse or bag, these items should always be on you outside your home. Your wallet should always have some money or some credit or debit cards. While your phone might be optional, given your proximity to your home at the time, I don’t think keys should be optional; you should have them on every time you go outside of your home.
Travel Pack of Tissues or Wipes
Somehow, I would say I prefer wipes to tissues, but it’s not every stain or dirt you can use wipes for. I recommend using antibacterial wipes instead of the floral or baby kind, as it can save you money on hand sanitizers.
Hand Sanitizer
If the last pandemic has taught us anything, germs and infections are everywhere. This is why I always carry a hand sanitizer with me and use it every time I remember I have touched a door, window, or surface outside my home. I also use hand sanitizer after hugging or shaking hands or touching cutlery.
Hand Creams
I don’t know about you, but I never go anywhere without my hand cream as it needs constant reapplication. You can get one of those empty travel-sized bottles, so you don’t have to carry the entire pack every time.
Small Pill Box
You guys also know I love bringing personal experience into my writing. So, a couple of weeks ago, my partner and I had to leave town to sort some things, and we couldn’t make it back home the same day as we thought we would. I was on some medication at the time, but thanks to my checklist, I had extra doses put into each bag, which saved me a trip to the nearest pharmacy.
Chewing Gum or Mints
You never know when you might run into your crush or that investor you have been after. You don’t want bad breath to be why they don’t choose you. If you don’t want to be seen chewing in public, I recommend mints; they are easy to pop in and roll over with your tongue until freshness spreads.
A Small Notepad and A Pen
If you work in the creative industry, you know ideas can hit you anywhere and at any time, so yes, you want that little notepad and a pen in your purse at all times. However, with the introduction of apps like notepad, notion, and google planners, notebooks and little pens have been quickly replaced.
Headphones
I currently live in a foreign country, and while they might want to talk to a foreigner all the time, this foreigner is an introvert, so to keep the conversation away, I usually would go out with some headphones, plug them in and plant on my face a look that says, ‘I don’t want to be rude to you, don’t talk to me’ It doesn’t always work, but at least I make them work for it.
Chapstick
My skin is the combination type, which means that my legs and lips can dry while my face and the rest of my body shine. While not much can be done for my legs, I usually carry chapstick, lip balm, or clear gloss for my lips.
Packing bags of any size can be a nightmare for me, so I make sure that all my bags have similar items like tissue, coins, and a Chapstick; the only things I need to switch around are the credit cards and house keys. It takes away the stress of thinking about how to pack them while ensuring I do not forget anything.
Originally published at https://shamelesspen.com on November 17, 2022.
