Bulging handbag

My bag was once weighed by colleagues - 10 kg -took out loads of paperwork I carted around to do off duty then -5 kegs. Still ridiculous. A young colleague only ever used a very small bag and it worked ! I use washable healthy back bags in the large baglett size - perfect . Use cross body . Every few weeks no more than 4 I completely empty it only printing back minimal like lip balm , phone with case and cards , a couple of coins in the bottom., a couple of individually wrapped wipes , spare folded tissue , one tena pad and very small pen and diary . It eorks for me . I have 4 of these wonderful little bags that I bing inthe wash at 30 deg . Has an anti microbial silver lining so light you can see what’s in it. That’s my solution . I sometimes hang on the strap a fold up nylon shopping bag anx have a holder for water bottle . Never going back to huge , heavy bag again !

Well, I have most of what rosemarigold carts around in my bag if I or we go out for the day, plus plaster, as I get blisters on my feet very easily, a nail-file, DH's pills, safety pins and probably one or two other items I have forgotten.

I think it comes from a) being a mother, b) a school-teacher and in both capacities being used to escorting children around.

And as we all know, it is easy to get into a habit, and well nigh impossible to get rid of it again!

Well if you don’t drive. The handbag full of “crap” does get used more often than not.
So it is a matter of searching for a waterproof, big enough one for a compact umbrella. Then look for useful dividers with good closures and strong zips that don’t let you down and room for an adult sized hand rather than a pixie 🧚.
Next is a good strong adjustable strap and no jingly-jangly bits of chain, clunky rings and generally unnecessary adornments
If it is also a very nice colour other than black, that is my ideal every day bag
Proper pockets in women’s clothes would be good too.
There should be a choice. With or without.

My bag was once weighed by colleagues - 10 kg

That is half my suitcase!!

I just carry purse …keys….tissues. If I’m with the grandkids …a very small first-aid kit ( always needed) and granddaughters inhaler.
Everything else can be bought if needed.
Phone is always in my back pocket of jeans !

StacyAnna - I didn't know it was under the heading of "food"!
It's the first time I've put up a post of my own before so I don't know what I'm doing! (although I've been with Gransnet for many years and have responded to others posts)

Rosie'sMaw - I have a crossbody bag as well...yes I know - I'm incorrigible!

Juicylucy

I think the clue is in “ might” need.

Ha! Quite right! (at least MOST of the time!)

On top of the things already mentioned, I have a stoma, so need a change kit and a cross body bag is not practical, a radar key (why are they so big and heavy?) and medication. I use a walking stick and find that a small rucksack is the solution.

Kipling bags are great. Light with plenty of pockets

I have a crossbody bag that has rings where the strap meets the bag. I attach my keys to the ring using a small carabiner clip - easy to find.

Otherwise bag has the usual - purse, phone, tissues, first aid kit - and also a pack of cards, a pair of dice and a ping-pong ball, all have been very useful in entertaining Gchn on various occasions. I hardly ever take a bag, preferring to use pockets, but the bag comes when I'm out with the Gchn.

i don't carry a bag.
i put what i need in my pockets.
if it doesn't fit in, i don't need it.
why weigh yourself down with all this luggage everyday, like a beast of burden.
travel light.

I do know that many people nowadays carry just their phone + credit card + maybe a fiver.
Okay for a quick run to the shops, I suppose. But for a proper day out, I would need, in addition to phone and purse/wallet:
comb, lipstick, tissues, ibuprofen, individual cologne wipe(s), pen, mini pad, a book, water, polo mints, a folding shopper, umbrella probably.
I love my big bag!

No matter what size my handbags are, I seem to have a “black hole” in all of them. I can never find anything when I need it!

I may have to resort to clothes with pockets, like a kangaroo.

I remember when the girls were tiny and I used to carry a spare pair of knickers (for them)
Then they started bag checks at exhibitions and galleries .
Nuff said

Of course it goes without saying all of op’s necessities plus an anapen, ventoline etc.

No handbags for me. Phone has credit cards, paid for funeral card, £20 note for when making no cards accepted payments, bus and rail cards. If I need anything else then why?

Sadly, I'm another who has a handbag packed with all manner of things. I carry a purse (large) packet of tissues, phone, folding shopping bag (in it's own pouch), small diary, cheque book, hand sanitiser, reading glasses, emergency blanket (also in its own pouch), pen, 5 pieces of paper (used to wrote down hymn numbers at Church because I can't see the display board (I'm partially sighted), passport (so I always know where it is, and I don't have a driving licence), a flat plastic magnifier (back to Sight issues), plus a metal container with lots of other cards in (donor card, NI card, etc.) nail file. Obviously, my house keys go in there while I'm out, as well!
My husband always used to complain about the things I carried in my handbag - but anything he was given or had to take with him (appointment letters etc) he would give straight to me to keep! He would not carry cash, either!

Use the Stocard App on your phone - saves you carrying the physical cards around in your bag!!

I have had a variety of bags for different reasons. Was a professional singer in portugal and the rules about keeping your car documents on you would cost you a fine if you did not have them to hand. I kept an evening bag, with all the various things I needed and just swapped the day bag for that when going to a concernt, but forgot to transfar the car documents and it nearly cost me 1000 escudos fine! My biggest problem these days is that whatever I do with my larger bag- with sections zips etc. I am foiled by my need to carry glasses. Have recently had to change glasses and so now have reading glasses , distance glasses and prescription sunglasses. At the price they cost these days all my glasses are kept in their own cases (different colours for each and on a day out at this time of year with low sun in the afternoons I can need to use all three during the day. If I am in the car I can leave some in the car, but if out on public transport or walking I need to have them all with me, so finding a suitable bag to accomodate them all plus the rest of stuff is a real problem. However I have mobility problems and my main thing is to have whatever I need close at hand. Just to have a smart bag would cost me time and pain in having to keep going back to the car or whatever to change things. Ah well as my husband used to say, "I could be done by the police for having an offensive weapon" i.e. my shoulder baga. I am very streetwise, and normally would wear the bag across one shoulder. If I ever saw a group of people I did not like the look of, I would put the strap just on one shoulder and if there was any need would have been ready to swing the bag and it would just catch an assailant at a vunerable level and they would be singing soprano if they tried any nonsense. Never had to actually do it , but knowing it was there gave me the confident to stride on in whatever way I wanted to go and the body language told them not to mess with me. Will never look stylish but I will get to wherever I want to go !!

I have stopped carrying a large bag. All my cards for supermarkets, bus pass etc. are on my phone on an app. (Stocard). I don’t need a wallet because I pay for almost everything with my phone. I have a debit card in my small bag in case shops want to charge me more for using a credit card. I have a small hairbrush and a notebook and pen in there too and that’s it. I’m not sure if you are able to do this in the UK but here in NZ we generally don’t use cash these days.

Also in Aus, I only use my phone with wallet app and stocard app for rewards points. Never carry a bag anymore.