For years I carried a small purse in my pocket or handbag to house my cash, my cash card and my credit card. Those were the only things you needed when you were out and about and just about any purse would do. How life has changed!

A Mountain of Cards

The chief challenge these days is the sheer number of cards that you need to carry around with you. Few people have only one credit card and then there is the mountain of loyalty cards that you find yourself signing up for. Every time I approach a check out I find myself searching for the right card because there is something inside me that just can’t bear the thought of missing out on those precious points.

More Cards

Of course shops are not the only places that you need cards for. If you are a member of just about any club, organisation, gym or other leisure facility then you need a card for that too and then there are coffee shops and those little pieces of card that you can get stamped after a purchase to eventually benefit from a free beverage. Talking of stamps, certain supermarkets are in the habit of issuing stamps or stickers which you apply to cards and then redeem for goods in special promotions. This naturally means that you have to carry said cards too because otherwise you will lose those precious stickers and miss out on the opportunity of buying yet another saucepan!

Other Necessities

No wonder I reached the point when my purse was literally bursting at the seams and that was before I tried to accommodate both parts of my driving licence and my Oyster card for travel in London. I was also trying to keep receipts in my purse but they just wouldn’t fit.

A New Purse

I started to look around for a larger purse but there are no styles which will accommodate the enormity of my card collection. I now use a small Kipling shoulder bag instead of a purse which I can carry separately or inside a handbag when I need one. This is not the most elegant fashion statement but there is room for everything in the bag.

I have Issues!

I marvel when I see other women producing smart little purses from their pockets or bags. These are a far more elegant choice than mine but where are all of their cards and other bits? They must keep these in their handbags but if I did that I fear that it would take me all day to find anything. I would cause huge queues wherever I went as I fumbled desperately for the right loyalty card. I would love a neat little leather or Harris Tweed number but first I clearly need to solve my handbag issues. My chief problem here is that one handbag is never enough. I use different bags and so I would have to remember to transfer all of my things every time I went out. I doubt if that is going to happen!

What does everyone else do?

Article by Sally Stacey