Is It Bad Luck to Put Your Purse on the Floor? [Really!]

Have you ever been in a restaurant, and suddenly a stranger tells you not to keep your purse on the floor because it is bad luck?

Also, you might have heard it from your folks, grandparents, or even your school or workmate. It is a widespread money superstition.

This superstitious belief states that if a person places their purse on the floor, they will bring bad luck to themselves financially.

It seems absurd to many because, logically, there is no relation between financial ability and a floor. However, it is a strong belief that many people have, and it is sure to make you think twice before placing that purse on the floor.

It has been repeated in many cultures that it almost seems like a fundamental truth.

But where did it all start? First, let’s begin by looking at a famous Chinese proverb regarding the same.

Purse on the Floor Money Out of the Door

Purse on the floor meaning

A Purse on the floor is money out the door” is an old Chinese proverb.

This proverb means that it is generally not good to place your most valuable items on the floor. And when we say valuable, we mean value in the sense that we keep our most valuable items in a purse—for example, money.

When you keep your money on the floor, you are not respecting it, and hence you will suffer the repercussions of experiencing financial misfortune or “money out the door,” according to the proverb.

But where did this proverb originate?

Purse on the Floor Superstition Origin

We can trace the origin of this superstition to Feng Shui. Feng Shui is an ancient practice that traces its roots in Chinese culture. Scholars have classified it as pseudoscience.

According to Feng Shui, energy forces synchronize people with the environment. In simpler terms, it states that how an individual chooses to arrange their environment affects how much prosperity and peace they have.

Purse on the Floor Superstition Meaning

In many cultures worldwide, the floor is considered a lowly place. In ancient China, the ground carries negative energy.

So, with this in mind, when you set your purse on the floor, you’re setting it in a space filled with negative energy. And putting your valuable items in such a place means that you do not respect or value them that much.

A purse on the floor could also mean relinquishing control over your important stuff. And because we tend to keep our money and credit cards in our purses, you are surrendering financial control. 

According to this superstition, you are setting yourself up for bad luck when you do this. You will lose whatever financial gain you had.

Apart from this superstition, other superstitions related to financial gain or loss include;

  • If you feel your left hand is itching, you will soon come into money.
  • Wallets are always gifted to someone while they have money in them. This is because money attracts money.
  • If you find a penny lying on the ground with the head side facing you, you should pick it up for good luck. However, if you find one with the tail’s side facing you, you should give it away for good luck.

Where to Put Your Purse at Home?

Well, we shall refer back to Feng Shui on this. Ancient Chinese culture requires keeping your purse at waist level or above.

You can place it on your desk, chair, counter, or inside a closet at home. You could also hang it on a hook on a wall. Generally, anywhere where your valuables will be within eye contact and safe.

Feng Shui recommends putting your valuables on the southeast corner of your house. This corner is associated with wealth and financial prosperity.

You can locate this wealth corner with a simple compass. Locate 135 degrees southeast on the compass, and you will land in this corner.

You should also make sure that this area is always clean and organized. After all, it is responsible for bringing you good fortune. So you might as well take care of it.

Can You Put Your Purse on the Bed?

Right on the bed, right next to you. It seems like the most secure way to protect your purse, right? But first, think about it.

You have been up and about with your purse the whole day, placing your purse all over. It’s easy to pick up dust, dirt, and germs and transport them to your bed.

So I don’t think this is the way to go. You could place your purse in your closet, either on top of your clothes if your closet has such a compartment, or hang it on the inside door of your closet.

This is an ideal place to hang it because when you pick out your outfit for the day, you will combine it with a matching purse.

Other places to place a purse in the house include a shelf or your bedroom wall. You could mount strong wall hooks and hang your purse.

Remember that all these places have one thing in common. They are elevated. They are far from the negative energy of the floor.

What Coin Do You Put In Your New Purse?

The law of attraction states that like attracts like. So, in this case, money attracts money.

When it comes to money, if you want to get lots of it in your purse, you can put a specific coin in your purse that will grow your fortunes. This is the silver coin.

It may be because silver has been the basis for monetary value from ancient times in many civilizations. So the more silver you had, the more financially successful you were.

Try putting a silver coin in your purse to carry around even if you are not going to use it.

Final Words

Superstition aside, putting your purse on the floor exposes you to bad luck and misfortunes, especially if you live in a big city. You risk getting your valuables stolen easily without knowing since the bag is out of your sight.

Thieves can affect your financial situation when they target that purse of yours. Nowadays, they have become very crafty. And they have been there since ancient times.

It could be why this superstition came up in the first place; to teach people to care for their belongings and be mindful of their environment in the true spirit of Feng Shui.

But superstition or not, I recommend you don’t put your purse on the floor next time you are at work, out for dinner at a restaurant, or just hanging out at a party.