Well,leaked celebrity sex videos it's eight days into the new year and I'm already dropping the ball on one of my resolutions: to start using a paper planner. It's not for lack of initiative, either. I simply can't find one that fits both my requirements, which are 1) not too expensive and 2) not ugly.
I loved using a paper planner in college, mostly because I didn't have a smartphone and my laptop could only hold a charge for about an hour and a half. I usually opted for a spiral-bound paper option from Target, which was always both affordable and a little cutesier than I'd have preferred. They also came loose from their spiral bindings after only a few months.
Some of my peers went the same route, but many more of them opted for Erin Condren LifePlanners™, which retail for $55, are enormous, and feature a slew of earnest motivational sayings and customizable covers. I hate these planners, which says more about me than it does about the planners, but it doesn't change the reality of the situation.
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Now as I dip my toe back into the paper planner world, I'm finding that a lot of planners have Condren vibes. Cursive script, pastel headers, vaguely encouraging phrases like "she designed a life she loved" ... not for me!
SEE ALSO: A decade of New Year's Eve glasses, ranked by how dumb they lookedIf these are good things to you then that's fine, and please stop listening to me now. But these things make me feel like someone is screaming at me to finish my $7 matcha like a girlboss when all I really want to do is not forget my doctor's appointments and keep track of the oatmeal brands that make me feel queasy.
$55 is also too expensive for a planner.
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Unfortunately, when I veered too far into the slick and professional side of planner world, I ran into even more issues. A sleek, beautiful Smythson agenda can cost up to $440 — a hilarious amount — and while Papier's planners are indeed gorgeous, I don't want a planner with French on the cover because I don't speak French and want to remain honest. (This might seem nit-picky, bit I have to carry this thing around all year!)
Luckily I found a few options that fit most of my troublingly specific requirements (12-month, weekly format, affordable, streamlined design, not flowery in appearance but also not boring, at least fairly practical) though each still has pros and cons. Maybe one of them will also work for you — or maybe you're sold on that $55 Erin Condren. To each their own planner.
And no, I have not made a final decision. I hope to make one by mid-April.
1. Moleskine 12-Month Weekly Notebook Planner (pocket size)
It also comes in five other colors. Credit: Moleskine Moleskine notebooks are very good and a little bit pretentious, so it makes sense that its planners would be the same. This planner has my ideal format: a week on the left, with space for each day, and a notes page on the right. It also has a side pocket for postcards or receipts.
For durability, I suggest getting a hardcover version. (A hardcover version is also heavier, which means it will lie open flat earlier in the year, when you've only used a few pages.) For fun at its bare minimum, I'd opt for a bright Scarlet Red.
Price: $17.95 at Moleskine
2. Ban.do 12-Month Annual Planner in Carousel
A very pleasant design. Credit: Ban.do This planner from Ban.do, a generally cheerful brand, is bright but not garish, with a pleasing rainbow pattern. It's spiral-bound, so it'll lie flat on your desk easily. Its interior fonts are fun but not patronizing. And the stickers are the two things all stickers should be: wholesome and optional.
Yes, it does feature some "fun" "quotes," but I'll let that slide because the cover is so pretty. Can I get it in a rug version?
Price: $20.99 at Ban.do
3. Paper Source 2020 Peacock Medium Planner
Paper Source 2020 planner Credit: Papersource This option from Paper Source is remarkably practical. It features both calendar and weekly pages (the weekly pages even have lines!) as well as lists of holidays, anniversary gifts, and birthstones for some reason. The "2020" on the cover is a little too large for me, but that's not a reason not to buy a planner. It's just something I feel like I have to say.
Its pages are also "silver gilded," which sounds extremely cool. If you're giving this as a gift midway through January for some reason (messy!) you can also add a lovely sequin gift bag for your recipient.
Price: $20.21 (lol) at Paper Source
4. Big Weekly Planner
Everyone will know you have a planner. Credit: Big Weekly Planner To be honest, this probably isn't the one for me. It doesn't provide enough structure. But if you're a true planner minimalist — that is, you want a list of days of the week and lots of space to write — then this is the (dateless) planner for you.
"Big" not your thing? The planner also comes in small and medium sizes. "Weekly" not your thing? There's also a monthly version.
Price: $12.76 at Mochi Things
5. Muji Weekly Planner A5
Start it whenever! Credit: Muji Muji has long been my favorite place to acquire an inexpensive, minimalist notebook. Their planner selection is similarly alluring. The A5 is 8.3 x 5.8 inches, comes with both weekly and monthly pages, and is dateless — perfect for control freaks and sporadic planner users alike.
This might not be the best option for people with messy, chaotic work bags, though, since it's pretty flimsy. If you pick this one, it's best to just keep it on your desk.
It's also not available on the Muji website, so either visit an IRL store or pick it up on Amazon.