• 83 things to carry

What Should I Carry in My Purse

Phone, keys, cards, lip balm and tissues first: what to keep in your purse, part by part.

What Should I Carry in My Purse

  1. Card holderThe cards you use every week, not every card you own.
  2. Keys on a bright tagA tag you can find by feel ends the digging.
  3. PhoneIt is the map, the ticket and the way home.
  4. Driver's license or ID cardKeep it in the same slot every time.
  5. A few small billsFor the tip jar, the parking meter and the card machine that is down.
  6. Tinted lip balmBalm and a little color in one tube.
  7. Pocket pack of tissuesFor a sneeze, a spill or a seat that is not quite clean.
  8. Hand sanitizer on a clipClipped to the lining, it cannot sink to the bottom.
  9. Pen that will not leakSomeone always needs one, and often it is you.
  10. Hair tieKeep it round the brush handle so it does not vanish.
  11. Sunglasses in a hard caseThe case is what keeps them from being sat on.
  12. Reading glassesFor the menu in a dim restaurant.
  13. Tin of mintsA tin, so they do not turn to dust.
  14. Compact mirrorFor spinach checks and a contact lens gone wrong.
  15. Small tube of hand creamThe smallest size. A big one leaks and weighs the bag down.
  16. Earbuds in their caseFor the bus, the waiting room and a call on the street.
  17. Zip pouch for small thingsBalm, hair ties and mints live in it, and it moves between bags in one grab.
  18. Transit cardKeep it in an outside pocket for the turnstile.
  19. Tote bag that folds smallFor the groceries you did not plan to buy.
  20. Cloth for your glassesA shirt hem only moves the smudge around.

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All 83 things to carry

Every day 20

  • A few small bills For the tip jar, the parking meter and the card machine that is down.
  • Card holder The cards you use every week, not every card you own.
  • Cloth for your glasses A shirt hem only moves the smudge around.
  • Compact mirror For spinach checks and a contact lens gone wrong.
  • Driver's license or ID card Keep it in the same slot every time.
  • Earbuds in their case For the bus, the waiting room and a call on the street.
  • Hair tie Keep it round the brush handle so it does not vanish.
  • Hand sanitizer on a clip Clipped to the lining, it cannot sink to the bottom.
  • Keys on a bright tag A tag you can find by feel ends the digging.
  • Pen that will not leak Someone always needs one, and often it is you.
  • Phone It is the map, the ticket and the way home.
  • Pocket pack of tissues For a sneeze, a spill or a seat that is not quite clean.
  • Reading glasses For the menu in a dim restaurant.
  • Small tube of hand cream The smallest size. A big one leaks and weighs the bag down.
  • Sunglasses in a hard case The case is what keeps them from being sat on.
  • Tin of mints A tin, so they do not turn to dust.
  • Tinted lip balm Balm and a little color in one tube.
  • Tote bag that folds small For the groceries you did not plan to buy.
  • Transit card Keep it in an outside pocket for the turnstile.
  • Zip pouch for small things Balm, hair ties and mints live in it, and it moves between bags in one grab.

For a long day out 17

  • Flat shoes that fold For the walk home after the heels have had enough.
  • Folding fan For a train platform in August.
  • Folding hairbrush Wind happens.
  • Hat that packs flat Roll it; do not fold it.
  • Light scarf For a cold restaurant, a sunny bench or a sudden wind.
  • Paperback or an e-reader For the line, the train and the friend who is late.
  • Pocket notebook For the name of the shop you want to find again.
  • Slim power bank and a short cable A long day of maps and photos empties a phone by late afternoon.
  • Small bag of nuts They last all day and do not mind being squashed.
  • Snack bar For the hour when lunch is late.
  • Sunscreen stick A stick cannot leak, and it goes on without a mirror.
  • Travel pack of wet wipes For hands after street food.
  • Travel toothbrush For a day with a dinner at the end of it.
  • Travel-size deodorant For a day that runs from morning into evening.
  • Umbrella that folds to hand size It weighs little and saves the whole day.
  • Wall plug for your charger A cafe may have an outlet when your power bank is empty.
  • Water bottle with a lid that seals Test it upside down over the sink first.

For work 16

  • Business cards A few in a case, so the corners stay sharp.
  • Desk or locker key On its own ring, apart from your house keys.
  • Floss picks For after the salad at your desk.
  • Headphones with a microphone For calls taken away from your desk.
  • Laptop charger The one thing nobody at work can lend you in the right shape.
  • Laptop in a padded sleeve The sleeve keeps keys from scratching it.
  • Lunch in a box that does not leak Stand it upright, and test the lid at home.
  • Mini lint roller For the cat hair you notice in the elevator mirror.
  • Notebook for meetings Paper does not need a password.
  • Planner For the dates that get said out loud in a hallway.
  • Reusable coffee cup With a lid that locks for the walk in.
  • Spare pair of tights A run at nine in the morning makes for a long day.
  • Stain remover pen Coffee finds a white shirt just before the big meeting.
  • Thin cardigan For an office that runs cold.
  • USB drive For the file that is too big to email.
  • Work badge or door pass Clip it to the bag's handle the night before.

For an evening 13

  • Bobby pins Two, slid onto a card so you can find them.
  • Cab number saved in your phone Set it up at home, not on the curb at midnight.
  • Earplugs for a loud show For the band that is louder than you expected.
  • Fashion tape Holds a neckline or a hem where it should be.
  • Folded bills for the coat check Small ones, tucked behind the phone.
  • Gel cushions for your shoes For the third hour of standing.
  • ID and a single card Leave the rest of the wallet at home.
  • Lipstick for touch-ups The one you are wearing, not a second shade.
  • One key off its ring An evening bag has room for the short list only.
  • Pressed powder compact Mirror and powder in one flat case.
  • Rollerball of perfume A rollerball cannot spill the way a spray bottle can.
  • Tickets, saved as a screenshot A picture opens faster than an email at the door.
  • Wrap or shawl For the walk between the door and the car.

Just in case 17

  • Adhesive bandages For the blister a new shoe starts.
  • Clear nail polish A dab can stop a run in tights from climbing.
  • Coins for a cart or a locker Some still take nothing else.
  • Dental floss Small, and it doubles as thread in a pinch.
  • Emergency contact card A name and a number on paper, in case your phone is locked or flat.
  • Keychain flashlight Finds the keyhole, and the earring under the seat.
  • Mini sewing kit A needle, two colors of thread and a spare button.
  • Nail file A snagged nail catches on everything until it is smooth.
  • Pads or tampons For you, or for the friend who asks quietly.
  • Safety pins For a broken strap, a lost button or a hem that drops.
  • Spare contact lenses and a case A torn lens should not end the day.
  • Spare earring backs The smallest thing in the bag, and the one no shop sells at midnight.
  • Spare phone cable Cables fail without warning.
  • Tracker tag in an inside pocket So a bag left behind can be found.
  • Tweezers For a splinter, and for the tiny clasp of a necklace.
  • Your bank's lost-card number Written down and kept apart from the cards.
  • Zip bag For a leaking pen, a wet umbrella or half a sandwich.

How it works

What should I carry in my purse? Five things every day, and the rest by the kind of day. These 83 things are sorted for every day, a long day out, work, an evening and just in case.

Read the full guide

If you carry only five things

Phone, keys, a card holder with your ID and one payment card, lip balm and a pack of tissues. Those fit the smallest bag, and everything else on the list is for a particular kind of day.

Sort it into pouches

One pouch for small daily things and one for just-in-case things, with the card holder, phone and keys loose where your hand finds them. When you change bags you move three things and two pouches, and nothing is left behind in yesterday's purse.

  • Empty the purse once a week. Receipts, wrappers and extra pens are most of the weight.
  • Keep your keys in the same pocket every time, so you can find them without looking.

Questions and answers

What should I put in my purse?

Start with what gets you out and home again: phone, keys, ID and a payment card. Then add comfort, such as lip balm, tissues and hand cream, and a fix or two for a bad moment, like a safety pin and a bandage.

What should I carry in my purse for work?

Your work badge, a notebook and a pen, a charger, headphones for calls, lunch in a box that does not leak and a thin cardigan for a cold office. A stain remover pen earns its place the first time coffee spills.

What should I carry in a small purse?

ID, one card, one key taken off its ring, your phone, some folded bills and a lipstick. The wallet, the full key ring and the just-in-case pouch stay at home.

What should I not carry in my purse?

Papers that are hard to replace and not needed today, such as a passport or a birth certificate, every card you own, a full ring of keys and anything that could leak.

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