A few years ago in a fit of stream-lining I cleared out of my wallet all things I didn�t use on a daily basis, learnt to throw away ATM receipts and stopped carrying around giant everything-including-the-kitchen-sink satchels or bags wherever I went. After all, I�d finished school and had no obligation to continue ruining my posture by lugging text books or their equivalents.

Since the streamlining, I�ve continued very well in respect of my wallet in particular. To this day it only contains my driver�s licence, two credit cards, once debit card, organ donor card and cash. Everything else that used to live in my wallet � receipts, other credit cards, gym cards, video store cards, membership cards, discount cards etc etc � lives in my filofax. I take them out when I need them and return them when I�m done, and that way my wallet isn�t four inches thick and stretched to the point that when one thing is taken out everything else follows.

The size of the bags I carry has gone up and down, but that�s mainly been according to whim and fashion, not the necessity for carrying large amounts of crap.

That being said, the past couple of weeks my bag has been feeling kind of heavy. One part of me suspects it�s guilt. Guilt that I have been carrying around income protection insurance documentation in said bag for some time and haven�t yet made myself sit down and read it and fill out the forms.

Another part of me feels the need to do an audit of the contents of my bag and see if I need to streamline again. Also, to see what the contents of my bag say about me (in that ubiquitous web diary entry type of way).

First, the bag itself is a Coach Hamptons bag in black leather. Biggish, but not huge by any means. Also, coveted for some time and then bought on significant sale, so a happy bag on several levels.

So, here we go. The contents of my bag at this very moment:

Wallet. Thin, neat and streamlined.

Filofax. The �funky� kind with the zip all the way around, essentially so I can keep all my crap in there and not loose it.

Mobile phone.

One packet spearmint tic tacs, empty. I will be replacing this with a full version when I leave the office. Interestingly I am addicted to spearmint tic tacs even though I generally dislike anything minty except actual fresh mint and toothpaste. Also interesting, spearmint tic tacs from Australia are white in a green packet and taste substantially different to American spearmint tic tacs which are green in a clear packet. See, even bag entries come with bonus tic tac trivia.

Pens, 2. One, my fabulous Watermark fountain pen which Smurfette and Nathan gave me for my 30th. Two, regular liquid gel ink type pen.

Radio Walkman.

Abovementioned insurance paperwork, still in envelope (though the envelope has been opened).

Business card box/holder thingy containing a stack of my business cards.

Small make-up bag containing two kinds of lip balm, foundation, concealer, one lipstick, one eye shadow and mascara. At one point, when I was insane, I carried around my entire make-up collection in my bag. Granted, we�re not talking a whole artists case, but still too much. Now the little bag contains basically only what I�m wearing on any given day.

Half a dozen hair bands.

Micro-fibre cloth for cleaning glasses.

Harper�s Bazaar - July 2004 edition.

Deodorant.

Sinus tablets.

Two bobby pins.

One safety pin.

Aspirin.

Visa bill.

Anti-histamine tablets.

Notebook for making random idea and research notes and writing when I don�t have access to my computer.

Anti-inflammatory tablets. (Yes, I have arthritis. No, I�m not old. Yes, it�s a pain. No, they can�t tell me why I have it at my age.)

Umbrella.

Order confirmation for Six Feet Under Season 2 DVDs.

Gas bill.

Kleenex. Clean.

Keys.

I don�t think there�s anything particularly odd in there. Especially not when you take out random magazines and insurance paraphernalia that I don�t usually tote around. All pretty normal, cash, makeup, communications and half a pharmacy.

And I don�t really see how I can streamline it. What in that bag don�t I use every day? Well, not all the drugs, obviously, but I�ve certainly used all of those in the last couple of weeks. Not the umbrella, but I live in Melbourne and you�re just praying for a downpour if you don�t take an umbrella with you everywhere regardless of the season.

So perhaps I�ll just have to force myself to read and sign the insurance stuff after all.