Are you a “weekend warrior?” If so, maybe you’ll enjoy tackling an organizing project today. We are beginning the second week of “Select-an-Effort: Organizing Tasks for 2023,” and today is all about your collection of bags.
Most people have many different types of bags in their home. You might have any of the following:
- Grocery bags (disposable and reusable)
- Shopping bags (the ones with handles from stores)
- Carry-all bags (e.g., canvas bags)
- Insulated and lunch bags
- Purses and clutches
- Backpacks
- Briefcases
- Computer bags
- Work/tool/supply bags
- Gym bags
- Duffel bags
- Overnight bags
- Luggage
Depending on your interests, you likely have more of one type of bag than another. For instance, if you love traveling, you may have a wide variety of luggage. If you love fashion, you may have a large collection of designer handbags.
Our goal today is to work a bit on removing the bags that you aren’t using. Here are three options to consider:
Low Effort
Do a quick sort of bags you have on your primary living level. These tend to be grocery bags, take-out bags, shopping bags, etc. Get rid of any that are torn, have broken handles, etc. Then, decide how much space you want to allocate to these supplies. Establish a home, and then replace the bags.
One easy way to corral bags is to use a large bag to hold the smaller ones. Bags also tuck well into rectangular bins or baskets, which might sit well on the floor of a closet or in a mudroom cabinet. Since these types of bags are not sensitive to climate, they can also be kept in a garage. If you still use plastic, disposable bags, they can be stored in a small trash can.
Medium Effort
Review your collection of nicer bags. These include backpacks, purses, briefcases. Remove any that you no longer use. If they are nice condition, these may great donations. If they are designer bags, consider selling them through a reseller like The Real Real. Always remember to check through all pockets and zippered compartments to make sure you don’t accidentally get rid of something important.
If you need a little help with storing your bags neatly, there are some products to help. For example, this one is good for bags with handles, and this one is helpful for clutches. Of course, investment grade bags should be stored in their original containers, filled with acid-free paper, on a shelf.
High Effort
If you have the energy, this is the day to examine your luggage collection. This might take more effort, as luggage is often stored in a remote location that might require a bit of crawling or hauling.
Pull out all of the bags you use for traveling. Group them by size so you can see what you have. Select the luggage you like the best and donate any pieces that are still in good shape but that you don’t use.
When it comes time to replace them, consider nesting smaller pieces into larger ones if you need some extra space.
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Do you love bags? Are you happy with how they are organized?
Love this. We have a lot of bags with six people. We recently did a luggage overhaul where we donated some, and carved a space to hang some and even place some inside the others (they’re meant for this). As for the endless bags, we usually put all paper bags folded into one large one, and one large canvas bag holds a bunch too!
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Sounds like you guys have this all figured out. Way to go!! Nesting luggage is brilliant. We forget that they are designed for this.
I find that I tend to keep those free cosmetic bags I get free from various purchases. I finally took charge of the problem and donated the extras to a woman’s shelter and another charity that can profit from the sale. Every little bit helps.
What a wonderful way to declutter. I often do the same with the toiletry kits my husband gets on international flights. Those bags can be handy in the right setting!