Tuesday, August 11, 2026

Micro organization projects

When I was in Greece & Tokyo recently, I was gobsmacked by how messy my toiletries bag had become with medicine, and various travel antidotes (Tums, vitamins, cold medicine, etc). I really wish I would have taken some "before" photos, but you will just have to trust me that my old system (I had 9 ziplocks in my toiletries bag & then 5 ziplocks in my travel backpack) was ... not the best. 

I also knew that my habit stacking reminder of setting out all of my medicine at home each day & then putting it away when I'd finished taking everything was... also suboptimal. For home, I bought a larger medicine organizer at CVS using rewards, and put everything I need for the week in it, by day. This is particularly helpful as my lupus medicine is 2x as much on odd days vs even. That's the actual prescription, which seems strange, and can be difficult to remember. 

Here's my home solution:


 

For travel, I wanted a couple of options, so I could have one organizer in my toiletry bag (in my roller suitcase) & one in my travel backpack. I very rarely check a bag, but it does occasionally happen, and in case that gets lost a long the way, I want access to my medicine. 

Having a few pain relievers and the like in my back pack also means I can more easily access medicine on the actual flight, instead of trying to dig into my roller bag. This is more about organization than frugality, but all of my prescription medicine is quite expensive. M

My previous process was a bunch of ziplocks, medicine mingling in & I recently had something spill in the bag that got everything damp, and it all had to be tossed. I promised myself that I would invest in a better travel solution, particularly now that I take multiple medicines, and carry other things like sleeping medicine (if needed), as well as what I take if I get a mosquito bite, to prevent an outsized immuno response. 

Let's hope this saves me time & money in the long run. If nothing else, it's absolutely delightful to visually see what I have, vs the ziplocks  As you can imagine, this is a pretty big step up. 

Toiletry bag organizer. This came in a three pack set, and also came with labels. I haven't gotten around to adding those, as I typically recognize everything I take, and they are quite differently sized/colors, etc. 


Size reference of both organizers:



And, here's what I'll keep handy in my actual travel backpack. My travel purse is tiny, so no medicine is stored in there. 



This project cost me about $10, given I had the CVS rewards for most of the larger organizer. I also bought a travel jewelry organizer, as I was previously using a small bag. As you can imagine, there have been a lot of tangled necklaces. I haven't used that yet, but will report in if I like the organizer I purchased.

Have you done any mini organization projects lately? Sometimes it's the little things that put a smile on your face, or make every day or travel life easier!




13 comments:

  1. Yours looks so much better than mine!

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    1. I'm very pleased with it. You never know what you're going to get for a low price point on Amazon, but I really liked it, and it came with three, so one for next time if something breaks or I need an extra. - Hawaii Planner

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  2. Returning commenter from Canada. I had similar issue this summer when traveling to Europe: ziplock bags inside a total of 5 pouches, multiple items of tissues, bandaids etc. Coming home after unpacking, I am down to 3 but need some organizers like yours. I always keep all my meds in my purse, rarely in the carryon. I have a medium size purse as a personal item and a separate very small crossbody to access passport, glass... this I can always just put into the bigger purse and under the seat.

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    1. Sounds like we have a similar approach! I have a roller bag (almost never check) that I put into the overhead. Then a travel backpack that slides onto the handle of the roller bag. Inside the travel backpack is a cinch sack that I pull out (more common for long haul flights) with everything I need. The travel backpack has my Kindle, laptop, purse, and my medicine. If it's an international flight, the cinch sack also contains: a sleep mask, lip balm, additional hand sanitizer, a phone charger, snacks, etc. - Hawaii Planner

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  3. I was under the impression thar prescription meds had to be in their original containers to get thru airport security?

    I'd love to be wrong, btw!

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    1. Interesting! Most of the above are non-prescription (one is for lupus & the second is an HRT). That said, I looked this up after your comment, and it's not required for airport security. However, in California it is required! I've never been asked a single time. And, the workaround is to have your prescription easily available online (which I do).

      It also says that Japan & EU countries also require this. SUPER fascinating, as I've never been stopped or even asked this question before. If they took my HRT it would be no big deal, but it would be a hassle to lose my lupus medicine, as I would need to find a local pharmacy to fill it.

      BTW, it also sounds like specific medicine is highly regulated & monitored in some countries (Aderall, Ambien, etc). I don't have any of those.

      But, worth doing your own research for sure, depending on what you bring with you. - Hawaii Planner

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  4. It’s such a small change, but it makes travelling so much easier. Definitely better than digging through endless ziplock bags!

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  5. I always have the dual medicine packs. In fact, I have the identical small purse pack that you have. The larger one stays in my carry on overhead.

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  6. What matters is that now you have a real system! I bought into those organization containers, too. I thought I was on top of things until I had to spend two nights on call at the hospital and took a two night vacay in June. The compartments made the container a no-brainer. Whatever works, right?

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  7. Oh I love a good organized medications system! I have a system for our medications. I travel with a full "pharmacy" for me and some just in cases for PiC, and a full one for the kids with all the "if you catch a bug" type stuff because I don't ever want to be stuck waiting on trying to find meds when traveling.

    And oh yes! I have been stress cleaning and organizing my way for the past few weeks and will be doing so all the way til my last day (at which point I assume I collapse into a few days of depression and won't be cleaning.) I recently redid a section of my work closet, a few sections of the kitchen cabinetry and chipped away at the piles and stacks that had been growing like stalamites in the office. It still doesn't feel like I'm made progress in the bigger picture but it's nice in the little sections that I'm enjoying. I'm currently pondering a solution for how to better keep our tote bags and then I need to figure out how to manage SmolAc's books and all our craft supplies. Among other things. ;)

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  8. I love the pill toiletry bag organizer! I carry a mini first aid kit in an altoids tin, but it is in reality, too small. Any chance you remember the name of the organizer?

    PS So glad to hear you’re on your way to a phased part time work plan!

    PPS Have a fabulous time in Boulder!

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    1. Thank you! And, here's what I bought - amazon.com/dp/B0D6GF33WW?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

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