When I was a kid, my mom’s purse was like one of those magic Mary Poppins bags. Need a Kleenex? A baby wipe? Gum? Scissors? Needle and thread? A copy of your birth certificate and immunization records? No matter what we needed, Mom could usually produce it from the depths of her gigantic purse, which was more like a tote bag.

Naturally, this preparedness for every possibile emergency has made my mom’s purse the object of jokes within the family. She would ask us to go get her purse from another room, and my sister and I would groan loudly as we struggled to drag it down the hall. Carpal tunnel references were popular for awhile, then replaced by claims of back pain and threats to call an injury lawyer. We’ve always said that Mom could protect a small country with only the contents of her purse - I won’t even talk about how much stuff she can fit in a 13-gallon trash bag. (We refer to this talent as organized hoarding.)

A few months ago, Mom told me she’d found a solution for her overcrowded wallet, which I swear to you had rubber bands wrapped around it to prevent all the receipts, envelopes, photos, and other junk from falling out and getting lost in The Purse. She’d ordered one of those “unbreakable” aluminum wallets as seen on TV, and she was so excited about all the pockets that would help her get organized.

That is, until she called me and told me she broke it. Oh yes, the unbreakable wallet lasted less than a week, and not because it was such an inferior product. Mom was totally serious when she said, “I guess I should have ordered two.”

Get Rid of Your Clutter!

Few people carry around as much stuff as my mom, but I’ve seen my share of overstuffed purses, wallets, pockets, and glove boxes, even from people who don’t tend to hold onto much. For some reason, many of us feel compelled to cram 500 items into an object meant to hold 10. After growing up with my mom, my rule of thumb is that if things fall out of it when you open it, you need an intervention.

Here are just a few ways you can take back control of your wallet or purse:

1. Cull the cards. Is it really necessary to carry every credit card, debit card, membership card, and discount card you’ve ever owned? Do you foresee a time when you’ll save a life with that CPR card that expired in 2004? If you don’t use it on at least a weekly basis, leave it at home. Better yet, for things like membership cards, take a picture with your phone in case you ever need to show it while you’re out.

2. Stop holding onto paper receipts. I understand the need to keep records of the things you buy, especially when you purchase something expensive. And I totally get stuffing the receipt into your wallet when you’re trying to get out of the store. But do something with them when you get home! Whether it’s a smartphone app like Shoeboxed or an actual shoebox, there are better ways to keep track of receipts.

3. Return photos to their albums. In the age of smartphones, NO ONE needs that plastic accordion of the kids’ school photos anymore. I couldn’t even tell you the last time I handed someone a physical picture of my son to show them how much he’s grown - why do that when I have hundreds of recent pictures on my phone? Not to mention pics of my niece and nephew, my dogs, my house, and the hilarious cartoons people text me.

4. Carry less cash. Not only does cash take up a lot of room in your wallet, but it’s also dangerous to carry around with you. Unless you’re utilizing the envelope system to budget your money, I wouldn’t recommend carrying more than $50 in cash. A twenty, 2 tens, a five, and 5 ones are more than enough for most people. Obviously there may be times when you need more than that, but how often do you really use cash, anyway?

5. Schedule regular decluttering sessions. If you’re like most people, you’re too busy to keep track of the contents of your wallet or purse at all times. That’s fine; just spend five minutes every week getting reorganized. When you make it a regular part of your week - clearing everything out on Sunday night before work on Monday, for example - you greatly reduce your risk of becoming an “organized hoarder.”

What’s in YOUR Wallet?

Growing up with my mom has turned me into something of a purse and wallet minimalist. I carry only the things I could reasonably need in a given day - keys, wallet, phone, lip gloss, and maybe a small notebook. Okay, and I’ll admit that I ALWAYS have gum and Kleenex.

Right now, my wallet contains the following: two debit cards (one for personal, one for business), one credit card, my driver’s license, my son’s Ident-a-Kid ID, auto and health insurance cards, and $3 in cash. Every time I buy something, I take a picture of the receipt as soon as I get to the car so I can throw the paper receipt away. I may be a little obsessed with clearing out the contents of my purse and wallet on a regular basis, but I know my back and shoulders will thank me someday.

Confession time - what’s in your purse and/or wallet RIGHT THIS MINUTE? No cheating! How do you keep things from getting out of control? Do you know any organized hoarders?