I’m the girl with nine bags. When I go to work with my handbag and nothing else, I feel a bit like I would if I wasn’t wearing any trousers. Or had no legs. Why? Because I go to the gym after work, I often stay out late or at friend’s houses and I can never fit anything into just one bag. Minimum two, usual is three.
When I see a woman carrying a tiny box bag that you see in magazines, I want to ambush her with questions about how she’s got to this stage. This luxurious stage of One Bag Heaven. So I took a load of people who only need the one bag, and asked them all of those questions, then collated the answers for you, my multi-bagged friend.
Buy a massive backpack
This is the answer I got from most people. A big, sturdy bastard from Nike or any other sports brand (there are others) with big thick straps and so many pockets it feels borderling arousing. Put things in the pockets. Separate your gym clothes from your regular day-to-day stuff with bags inside the backpack. Those material drawstring ones that are supposed to be for shoes but nobody ever really uses them, for example.
You will fill the bag you buy
So go for a medium, square-shaped bag that fits some Tupperware, your make-up bag and your purse in. Try it out in the shop, so everyone thinks you’re really normal, and then take a deep breath and buy it. You won’t be able to fit excess in, and that’s a good thing. Excess is bad. A smaller bag will force you to be ruthless.
Leave things at work
If you can’t buy a backpack, don’t want to buy a backpack, or things still won’t fit in your backpack, then start leaving things at your place of work. If you’re between your flat and your boyfriend’s flat then have stuff at his. Or have stuff at your work so you’ve always got spare knickers (I keep spare knickers in my stationery cupboard), a dress and tights, deodorant, shampoo and some small toy chickens for when the need arises.
I haven’t had any need for the small toy chickens, but perhaps one day they’ll come in useful.
Make decisions
If you’re going out after work the next day, pick what you’re going to wear the night before and wear it. Don’t cart about loads of different outfits. The best way to pick, is to go with whatever clothing option doesn’t make you want to ask people if it’s ‘too much’ or ‘too casual’. Go with an old faithful. Pick a go-to outfit (here’s how to get one) for this sort of circumstance and opt for that – mine is all black with big statement necklaces.
The fact I just wrote ‘big statement necklaces’ makes me want to vomit, but that’s life.
Condense your make-up bag
This is a great one. I cart round about 50kg worth of make-up with me wherever I go, when actually – even though I wear make-up all the time – I only need the following:
Foundation, concealer, eye liner, mascara, day lipstick, get sexy with it lipstick, blusher, highlighter.
OK that’s loads. But still, less than what I’m lugging around at the moment. Pick what you can’t do without for the day and stick it in a pencil case to keep space to a minimum.
Buy a small purse
Whatever size your purse is, you’ll fill it. If it’s huge, it’ll be bursting with receipts and mad shit that you don’t need. If it’s tiny, then you’ll have your cards, your money, and – if you’re freelance and need to keep receipts for tax reasons – will be forced to regularly take your receipts out and put them in that filing system you have. You know, the big bin bag.
Either way, your purse won’t be taking up space because it physically can’t, due to it being so small. Why not buy one in the shape of a strawberry? That’d be fun, wouldn’t it?!
Utilise your pockets
Not the ones on your amazing new backpack (see above), but the ones in your coat. You’d be surprised how many people wear coats and trousers and don’t use them as the Lord intended. The Lord being the person who made your clothes. Keys in left pocket, phone in right pocket, think of the space you’ve already saved. I’m crying just thinking about it.
Only read small books
Erm.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.