Handbag inventory

Like most women, I carry a handbag. Like many women, I carry lots of stuff in my handbag. Like some women, my handbag gets a bit heavy from time to time. But I’m wondering if anyone else has a bottomless handbag like mine that threatens to gobble me up next time I am brave enough to blindly fumble inside it while searching for a single lost item?

As I was arriving home the other night, I had my hands full with things I was carrying then realised that my keys were inside my handbag. I shuffled some things around and plunged my right arm in. I felt around a bit, rustled a few things, grabbed at some more things … pretty soon, I was in up to my shoulder and in danger of being swallowed up completely when I finally heard the tell-tale tingle of my keys. I was getting close! I eventually put everything down on the doorstep so I could dive in with two hands and retrieve my prize. Woo hoo!

A quick inventory of my handbag that day revealed a treasure trove of sorts. Apart from the usual keys, wallet and phone, here’s what I pulled out of my bag:

• 2 travel packs of tissues (one opened)
• anti-bacterial hand sanitiser
• small notepads from various conference venues and hotels
• 417 pens*, each with insignia from workplaces, conferences and other organisations, some that I barely recognise
• 2 x iPods. I don’t usually carry both but can guarantee I'm never short of good music.
• headphones
• camera
• Kindle
• plastic money bag holding about 20 coffee loyalty cards
• 2 x business card holders
• plastic bags galore - big ones and small ones 'just in case'
• reusable coffee cup
• sugar replacements/sweeteners
• security card
• deodorant
• comb
• spearmint flavoured Eclipse mints
• receipts and EFTPOS stubs from 67 random places
• fold up umbrella
• 1 TB portable hard drive

Luckily I don’t wear makeup every day or use hair products, otherwise I could have probably doubled my handbag’s inventory!

I don’t understand how girls can go out with teeny tiny handbags containing just a phone, a key and an EFTPOS card. (I also don't understand how a fashion designer can charge $360 for a brown paper bag, but that's another story.) How come they don’t need stuff like the rest of us do? And why do I need to carry so much stuff? Well, if ever you need stuff while we're out and about, I'm pretty sure I'll have what you are looking for. Apparently the average woman's handbag weighs about 3-4 kg. The weight of women's handbags has risen over the years, causing potential health hazards, until technology and micro gadgets have seen them start to shrink again.

Are you brave enough to take an inventory of your handbag or – even better – weigh it?

* +/- 400ish