How much do you carry around?

Friday, July 09, 2010

There are countless articles and news reports about how women lug far too much stuff around on a daily basis in our bags, how it can throw our spines totally out of wack, and how we'll become some sort of sideways Quasimodos by age 35 unless we start leaving unnecessary stuff at home. Well, doctors, I am going to have to disagree. Carrying around granola bars in assorted flavours, 15 lip products in different textures and shades, and a selection of emergency tampons in various absorbencies is not negotiable.

Fabulously Broke shared an interesting post today about the value of what we carry around every day. The theory is that most gals are hauling hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars' worth around on the regular. She did an analysis of everything that's in her bag, including the bag itself, and tallied up the result. I decided to try it too.

Bag: $450. (Remember that Coach post from last week? And how I was going to go "look" at the bags?)
Sunglasses: $6. Yay Forever 21!
Phone: $150.
Wallet: $65.
Cash: $4.27. Big spender!
Sharpie: $3.
Burt's Bees lip balm: $3.
Camera:$150. I don't usually have my camera in there but I brought it along for the weekend.
Prescription glasses: $200.
Headband: $4.
Calcium chews that I overdose on because they're chocolate: Probably about $1 worth. I am going to have a BULLETPROOF skeleton.
Granola bar:75 cents?


TOTAL $1,037.02

I have never considered this before. Suddenly, I feel a lot more paranoid.
Please don't rob me.

How much are you carrying around?

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9 comments

  1. Life of a Doctor's WifeJuly 9, 2010 at 10:47 AM

    Love this! I am definitely one of those future hunchbacks - I always carry a huge bag jam packed with stuff.

    But nothing truly expensive... My cheapo sunglasses from Nordstrom Rack... About 25 bandaids... Some wet wipes... A pocket mirror... A tube of mascara... My wallet ($40 bucks in there - woo!)... A pen... Chapstick... And about three bottles of hand sanitizer.

    I'm pretty sure the purse itself cost under $100.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Emily JaneJuly 9, 2010 at 11:41 AM

    This is a really interesting post, not just for the value of what we carry around but for the pain we're inflicting on ourselves too. I'm guilty of cramming too much stuff into a small bag, then giving in and buying a bigger one and then subsequently filling it to its max with even MORE crap. Sore shoulder and back? Yep. But most of mine IS actual crap - about 20 lipsticks/lip glosses/balms, pens, old receipts and bus transfers,wallet bulging with EVERY store rewards card one could sign up for (I have a hard time saying no!), camera, phone, keys, tanning lotion... okay, point taken, I need to clean out my bag and decrease my burgle quotient :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. sarahJuly 9, 2010 at 12:26 PM

    Purse: 30$
    Wallet: 544$ (usually closer to zero though - and I actually don't have my debit card in it right now, but it still counts, right?)
    Cash: 50 cents
    Phone: is that what you pay monthly or what you spent on it? If bill, 123$. If not, 0$.
    Passport: 82$
    Headband: 4$
    Pen: 0$
    Lipgloss: 3$
    Lighter: 2$
    Total: 788.50

    Um....that's my rent. Weird.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AmyJuly 9, 2010 at 12:36 PM

    @Doctor's Wife...I usually have way more crap than I do at the moment. It's a new bag and I haven't had a chance to fill it with junk yet. Three bottles of hand sanitizer. Wow!

    @Emily Jane...It's like the bigger your house, the more stuff you get to fill it. The bigger your bag, the more junk you keep putting in!

    @sarah...I know, right? It's crazy the value of the stuff we just haul around every day.

    ReplyDelete
  5. KimJuly 9, 2010 at 3:15 PM

    I never thought about the value of the stuff in my bag, but I have thought about the value of my outfits and accessories on a regular basis - shoes, name brand this and that, wedding rings, jewelry, outerwear, other accessories - it adds up and most of us end up wearing at least a grand worth every day. Eek!!

    Http://haliwoodsaywhat.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. lindseyJuly 9, 2010 at 5:04 PM

    Use that camera to take a photo of that Coach bag, lady! We need to see it in all its glory!

    ReplyDelete
  7. hklover86July 10, 2010 at 9:24 AM

    ahhh you bought a coach purse for $450 when you were just "looking"!? ha ha ha

    ReplyDelete
  8. FB @ FabulouslyBroke.comJuly 11, 2010 at 6:36 PM

    $1000 doesn't sound so crazy when you think about the electronics *I* carry around on a semi-regular basis.

    Thanks for linking to me and doing the whole list!

    People think $100 is a lot to tote around but if you start adding that stuff up.. it's crazy.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Aubrey S.July 15, 2010 at 4:03 PM

    I hadn't thought about it like that. I may have to do an assessment.

    ReplyDelete