I Took TikTok’s Advice and Got a ‘House Purse’—Here’s How Carrying an $8 Caddy Improved My Daily Routine

The right bag, basket, or bin will change your life—that much I’ve learned from years of interviewing professional organizers. A diaper bag with ample storage space helps me stay organized as a parent; a small basket at the bottom of the stairs reminds me to return items upstairs; and an emergency kit in the trunk of the car keeps me sane (and never without jumper cables). And now I have a new “house purse” to keep me prepared at home. 

I first discovered the idea on TikTok, and users attest that it ensures you never misplace your go-to items and saves you time from walking back and forth from room to room. I’ve been carrying one for weeks now, and it has actually improved my routine, changed my habits, and made me a more organized person. I went from never knowing where my water bottle or AirPods were to now never misplacing them since.

No more settling into the couch with a book only to realize I didn’t have my glasses. No more wishing I could stick an AirTag on my chapstick. Now, everything’s in one place thanks to my $8 shower caddy-turned house purse.

Attmu Mesh Shower Caddy Organizer

The house purse hashtag on TikTok shows people using everything, including Bogg bags, totes, plastic shower caddies, and belt bags. Through my personal journey to find the right house purse for me, I found this $8 shower caddy at Amazon—and it’s perfect. It’s inexpensive, relatively compact, and can fit a ton of stuff.

At 10 x 8.67 x 8.67 inches, it has a large interior that’s spacious enough to fit a rolled-up towel (because remember it’s designed to be a shower caddy) and eight outer pockets. Those pockets come in handy for all sorts of random things that I find myself needing as I go room to room: my phone, chargers, lip balm, stain remover, hand sanitizer, a hairbrush, wipes, pens, etc. In the main center compartment, I like to store my water bottle, iPad, the book I’m reading, notepads for to-do lists, and The Artist’s Way Workbook for longer journaling sprints.

I’ve also seen others on TikTok use it to bring cleaning supplies from room to room, too. In a word? Genius. I love that it’s all there, whenever I need it. My daily step count may have suffered (just a little bit), but having such a convenient house purse makes it so worth it. 

Below, you’ll find nine items I always make sure to keep in my house purse.  Plus, keep scrolling to check out more house purse options, including medium-sized totes, belt bags, and more.

10 Things I Keep in My House Purse

• Apple AirTag, $24 (was $29)
• Owala FreeSip Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle, $30
• Charmast 4-Cable Portable Charger, $21 (was $30)
• Apple AirPods Pro 3, $200 (was $249)
• Ddaowanx 3x5-Inch Pocket Spiral Notebooks, $10
• Touchland Ultra Soothing Sanitizer, $16
• Kleenex On-the-Go Facial Tissues, $3
• Forvencer 2026 Hardcover Planner, $20
• Ddaowanx 6-Piece Quick-Dry Gel Pens, $10
• “The Artist’s Way Workbook” by Julia Cameron, $20 (was $23)

Apple AirTag

With my beloved house purse on my arm, it’s much less likely that I’ll misplace my items. But I always keep a handy-dandy AirTag in there as an insurance policy. With the help of this little Bluetooth tracking device, I’ve quit wasting my time looking for whatever it is I need. With all that time bought back, I can do the fun stuff, like catch up on my Bravo shows, write my three Morning Pages for The Artist’s Way, and outline my day in my planner.

Owala FreeSip Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle

If I had a nickel for every time I asked my husband “Have you seen my water bottle?,” we’d both be rich. I just upgraded to this super cute Owala water bottle that’s been purchased more than 20,000 times recently, and I’m not letting it out of my sight. It accommodates up to 24 ounces of water, so I fill it up about three times a day for daily hydration. Plus, my go-to house purse is made of dry-fast mesh, so even if I spill a little water (which I often do), the bag’s easy to clean and air dry.

Charmast 4-Cable Portable Charger

This charming little portable charger was a lifesaver on my last international trip, and instead of packing it away for my next vacation, I decided to keep it on hand for everyday use. It’s leagues above other portable chargers because it actually comes with its cables built in—and there are four of them. It features six outputs and three inputs, meaning you can charge up to six devices at a time, whether that be with its lightning, micro-USB, USB-A, or two USB-C ports. It also has a digital display that shows you how much remaining battery power the charger has left. While it’s great for life and travel outside the home, it’s also convenient for when the house outlet is just a little too far from the couch, too.

Apple AirPods Pro 3

I’m always listening to a podcast or an audio book—no matter what I’m doing—so it’s safe to say my Apple AirPods Pro 3s come with me everywhere. But in the past, I lost (or misplaced) them at least four to five times a week. Now, I keep the Pods case in the house purse at all times, and when they’re not in my ears, they’re safely tucked away in the case in the purse. No more pinging them from Find My Phone and running all of the house listening for them.

Ddaowanx 3x5-Inch Pocket Spiral Notebooks

As a writer, I always have a few notebooks on hand. In fact, I’ve been known to use several of these pocket spiral notebooks at a time: one for work meetings, one for general work notes, one for creative writing, and right now, I’m using a fourth to take notes about Greek mythology (just for fun!). But these pocket notebooks are also helpful for making little lists, too. Especially as a recovering unorganized person, these books let me conveniently dip into my house purse and write something down almost immediately. I’m much less forgetful now that I’m writing everything down 24/7 (and thank goodness!).

Keep scrolling for more items I always keep in my house purse, including my planner, writing utensils, cleaners, and more.

Touchland Ultra Soothing Sanitizer

Kleenex On-the-Go Facial Tissues

Forvencer 2026 Hardcover Planner

Ddaowanx 6-Piece Quick-Dry Gel Pens

“The Artist’s Way Workbook” by Julia Cameron

Need more house purse inspiration? Continue scrolling for more house purse options from Amazon. I’ve included totes, belt bags, plastic caddies, and more—starting at $10.

Blue Ginko Multipurpose Caddy

Bagstellar 17-Pocket Corduroy Tote Bag

Fioretto Canvas Tote Bag

Pander Large 2L Fanny Pack

Anyoifax Portable Shower Caddy

Perabella Diaper Caddy Organizer