What Is a Purse Bowl and Why Do I Need One?

A purse bowl is a decorative bowl you keep near where you get dressed or near your entryway. At the end of the day, you dump the contents of your purse into the bowl. You may need a purse bowl if you change purses daily or several times a week, or if you carry different items in your purse depending on the day or event. There are also other perks of having a purse bowl. 

Key takeaways 

• A purse bowl is a bowl, basket, box, or other container where you keep the everyday items you carry in your purse. 
• A purse bowl makes switching purses easier because your essentials stay together instead of getting left in another bag. 
• Keep your purse bowl near your entryway or wherever you usually get dressed and change bags. 
• Empty your purse and pockets into the bowl when you get home, and grab what you need before leaving again. 
• Use the bowl to customize what you carry based on where you’re going instead of hauling everything around. 
• Clean out receipts, trash, and things you don’t use so your purse bowl doesn’t become another junk drawer. 
• You probably don’t need a purse bowl if you use the same bag every day and rarely switch what you carry. 

What is a purse bowl, exactly? 

It can literally just be a pretty bowl big enough to put the contents of your purse into. Or, it could be a basket or a decorative box. It doesn’t need to literally be a bowl. If you’re planning to put it by your entryway and don’t want people to see the inside of your purse-junk drawer, choose a vessel with a lid.  

6 reasons why you need a purse bowl 

To sum it up, real quick, a purse bowl helps you make sure you have everything in your purse you’ll need, even when you’re frantically running out the door. Here are some more specific reasons why you need a purse bowl: 

• You can easily grab what you need and throw it in your purse. 
• You’ll never say, “Oh, I left it in my other bag,” ever again. 
• All of your stuff stays in one place. You won’t need to go searching for your lip balm or breath mints before you head out. 
• You can curate what you need every time you leave the house. Just going to dinner and only need your wallet, lip gloss, and hand sanitizer? Gab it and throw it in your bag. 
• Purse cleanout is much easier. If things stay in the bowl and never get put back in your purse, that’s a sure sign you can get rid of them.  
• You can literally just dump the contents into your bag if you’re in a massive hurry. 

Who doesn’t need a purse bowl? 

If you’re the type of person who only uses one purse and carries everything with you everywhere you go, then a purse bowl probably isn’t for you. Your bag is your purse bowl, in a way. 

Rules for the purse bowl 

For a purse bowl to work, there are a few rules you need to follow: 

• Remove everything from your purse as soon as you get home and dump it in the bowl. 
• Empty your pants and coat pockets, too, if they contain things that should go in your purse or things that you often take with you when you go out. 
• Sift through and remove receipts and pieces of trash and throw them away. 
• Every couple of weeks, go through the bowl and get rid of stuff you never use. 
• When you think of something you need to take with you the next day, make sure to drop it in the bowl before you forget.  

Purse bowl FAQ 

What do you put in a purse bowl? 

Put the everyday items you regularly take with you in your purse. This could include your wallet, keys, lip balm, hand sanitizer, sunglasses, breath mints, earbuds, tissues, and other small essentials. You can also drop something into the bowl when you need to remember to take it with you the next day. 

Where should you put a purse bowl? 

Put your purse bowl somewhere convenient to both leaving and coming home. An entryway table, dresser, closet shelf, or spot near where you get dressed can work. The easier it is to reach, the more likely you are to actually use it. 

Does a purse bowl have to be a bowl? 

Nope. A purse bowl can be a basket, decorative box, tray, bin, or another container large enough to hold your everyday purse essentials. If you keep it near your entryway and don’t want the contents on display, use a container with a lid. 

How big should a purse bowl be? 

Choose a container large enough to hold the items you normally carry without everything spilling out. If you carry a lot of stuff, a basket or decorative box may work better than a small bowl. You don’t need enough room for the purse itself, just the belongings you move from bag to bag. 

How does a purse bowl make switching handbags easier? 

Instead of transferring everything directly from one handbag to another, you empty your purse into the bowl when you get home. The next time you leave, grab what you need and put it in whichever purse you’re using. This also reduces the chance of leaving your wallet, lip balm, or other essentials in yesterday’s bag. 

How often should you clean out your purse bowl? 

Go through your purse bowl every couple of weeks and remove receipts, trash, expired products, and things you aren’t using. If something has been sitting in the bowl for weeks without making it into your purse, consider whether you need to keep it there. 

What’s the difference between a purse bowl and a catchall tray? 

They’re similar. A purse bowl will usually hold more than a catchall tray.