Never Carry these in your handbag

It dawned on me, I am either reading about the "it" bag and what is hot this season or what "must haves" I need to put in my purse. And don't get me wrong, I love seeing the what is hot, and I am always looking for ways to organize or add to my handbag. We are always lugging around our purse that is filled with things like; wallet, cell phone, business cards, some hair accessories, a cosmetic bag with at least a lipstick and a lip liner, in my case my lucky rock {yes, I have a lucky rock}, keys, hand sanitizer, work papers and the list can go on.     Now, this number might astonish you, or it might seem a bit light but according to a study by StyleList, on average a woman's handbag weighs 6.27lbs. I have to say; there have been a couple of times I have weighed my purse when I have checked my luggage and my purse came in at 10lbs!!!   Let's get past the essentials and look at what we should never carry in our purse, especially when it comes to safety.  

• An Unlocked Smartphone -  I have to say that my iPhone is the most personal item I own. I know it can feel like an annoyance to always unlock your phone every time you want to read a text or check your Facebook likes, especially if you are in a committed relationship and have nothing to hide.  But what if your phone falls into dangerous hands?  It can be very dangerous. If a bad guy gets your phone, then he will have access to your contacts, your banks, your emails, social media and your dropbox or google docs.
• Handwritten Passwords - With all of the extra measures being taken to have a "strong" password they can become challenging to remember. We often think that if we keep our passwords on us, it is the safest place, but think again. Keeping your passwords in an unlocked place is pretty gutsy. I recommend trying to memorize the passwords but if that is not an option keep them in either a secure document or locked up.
• Social Security Card - Our socials are extremely valuable and they are not necessary for us to carry them around. I can not think of one time I have ever needed to show it. If the bad guys get your social then they can open credit cards, access your health records and do an insurmountable amount of damage.
• Passport - Unless your passport is your only government ID {you should look at other forms of ID} then there is no need to be carrying it around. Of course, this is excused for when you are actually traveling you need to show your passport when entering and exiting countries. If your passport is stolen from you while abroad, it really is like jumping through hoops to issue a replacement. To prevent this while traveling international always have a xerox copy of your passport in case you are robbed.  Always lock your passport in your hotel, it is much safer there than in your purse. When you are home, keep your passport in a safe or safe deposit box.
• Receipts - Receipts can have our signatures, credit card numbers and even our address on them, not to mention the obvious, the items we just purchased. This is an easy way for a bad guy to gain access to our accounts with the intention of stealing our identity or even rob our house especially it the receipt is for something good.  
• Checkbook - Our checkbooks contain a lot of personal information; Name, address, bank, account number and routing number. All that needs to happen is a forged signature, and the bad guy is in luck. Look at ways to pay with a credit card or use a money order.
• Debit Cards - Debit cards do not have the same protection as credit cards. If you cash is stolen then your bank has to freeze your account, and it can take days to have your cash returned. In the meantime, you are without cash. Consider an ATM card that requires a 4 digit password to take cash out and using a credit card for other transactions.

Now that all of "don'ts" are out of the way here are some top "it" bags for spring.

1. Shashi -Tatiana Clutch $57.00
2. Zac Posen - Eartha Grommets Iconic Accordion Crossbody Bag $350.00
3. Florabella - Muga Clutch $121.00
4. Forever 21 - Fringe Genuine Suede Crossbody $39.90