I am SO proud of you. You just keep coming back and knocking each assignment out of the park. Even if you’ve gotten a little behind, it’s OK. We’re working toward improvement not perfection.
Each of the assignments should only take 10-15 minutes and you’ve only missed assignments to Clean Out Your Wallet, Clean Out Your Refrigerator Door, Clean Out Your Car Console, Clean Out Your Sock Drawer, Organize Your Coupons, and Clean Out Kids’ Backpacks.
Just a reminder, don’t forget to join the Financial Decluttering Facebook Group of over 1100 people for ideas and encouragement. You’ll love the photos of the clean wallets, clean refrigerator doors, car consoles, and coupon binders
Now, on to the challenge!
Day 7: Clean Out Your Purse or Bag
So some of you may have conquered this assignment as an extension of Day 1: Clean Out Your Wallet or Day 6: Clean Out Kids’ Backpacks. If you can, choose a bag – any bag – to clean out. Whether its your gym bag, your work bag, your purse, or your diaper bag, it probably needs a good look.
Why It Matters:
From carrying your essentials to becoming a catch all for trash, your purse or work bag seem to clutter quickly. Since you spend a lot of time with your bag, you need to truly value it. After all, it carries what you need when you need it. Is there anything worse than not being able to find your wallet or a pin. If you’re constantly digging through it, you’re wasting time and maybe even money.
How to Do It:
- Empty out the entire bag.
- Throw away trash or items you really won’t use.
- Don’t forget to check through old pens to make sure they work.
- Be ruthless about what you keep. This is valued space. Treat it that way.
- Add items you might need – hand sanitizer, tissues, chapstick, a granola bar.
- File receipts if necessary. Don’t forget to use Fetch Rewards to net some points! My referral code is XP4EV if you want to share the love.
- Repopulate your purse or bag. Be sure to add something to it that makes you smile.
- When you’re finished, take a photo and post it to the challenge post in the Financial Decluttering Group. We’ll celebrate your victory. And/or post on Instagram with the #FinancialDecluttering Hashtag.
- You’ll get bonus points and virtual fist bumps for interesting discoveries.
How to Keep It That Way:
It’s important to carry a bag you love. Do NOT misunderstand me. I’m not giving you permission to run out and purchase a pricey purse or laptop bag. But we do tend to take care of things that we love. So if your purse or bag doesn’t spark your heart a wee bit, you may need to consider purchasing something new. Again, if you’re running to the Coach website right now, knock it off. There are plenty of bags you can carry that you love that don’t cost much. Or even better, find an older bag you used to carry and breathe new life into it. Or swap one with a friend.
A Few More Thoughts:
I’m sorry this post is a little late today! Thanks for your patience. Mondays are so Monday-ey sometimes, right?!
As always, if you already have a clean purse, awesome. Find another small manageable job to tackle instead. Maybe it’s a desk drawer or nightstand drawer. Small, manageable difference makers every single day – that’s our focus this month.
I can’t wait to see all we achieve together this month. I’ll continue sharing my own journey in the Financial Decluttering Facebook Group and via e-mails. Be sure you subscribe for both.
Leave your purse/bag victories and tips in the comments! Help all of us be better managers of what we have.
Our new book Your Money, Your Marriage is now available! Be sure to check out videos on managing money together on Facebook.
My book is now available: Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After. You can also check out The Debt Free Devotional
This post contains an affiliate link. That means when you get a great deal, learn about a way to save, or maybe even something for free, I may end up making a small commission. All prices are subject to change.
[…] Each of the assignments should only take 10-15 minutes and you’ve only missed assignments to Clean Out Your Wallet, Clean Out Your Refrigerator Door, Clean Out Your Car Console, Clean Out Your Sock Drawer, Organize Your Coupons, and Clean Out Kids’ Backpacks, and Clean Out Your Purse or Bag. […]