People who know me know I LOVE PLANNERS, so I get asked for recommendations every so often. I think there are several things to consider as you're looking at planners, and the first is do you want spiral-bound or ring-bound.
I've used spiral bound a lot in the past, as it's nice to have everything together in one spot. However, I found it hard to add in things that I needed, so I've moved to a ring-bound planner. I'll give my favorites in both categories below.
Spiral Bound:
The classic is Erin Condren. Although it's a little pricey, I loved mine while I was using spiral bounds because of the customizability. Having my name on a cover that I loved made planning fun. She has several different options for internal layout now, so you might find something that you need.
Another spiral bound that I like quite a bit is Plum Paper Planners. These are little more reasonably priced, and unlike Erin Condrens, you can customize both the inside and the outside. One thing I like about the internal customizability you can structure it according to different tasks or people you have to keep track of. Lots of options here!
Another I'll mention in the spiral bound category is the iBloom planner. This is larger (8.5" x 11") than the other two, but it provides a really helpful organizational structure. It allows you to identify major tasks to complete for the week by category, and then assign them to different days.
Last one: Michael's currently has the Recollections planner on sale (in store only). It's set up a lot like the Erin Condren planners (enough that there's a copyright infringement case against it!). It can be a good entry point to that type of planner, although a little harder to find if a store has already sold out.
Ring Bound:
For ring bound planners, you need both the binder and the inserts. The plus here is that you can use the binder for multiple years, and can also add different inserts for different purposes. I've found ring bound to be very flexible and adaptive to my changing needs. One thing to consider before purchasing is what size you want, and whether you want to use it primarily in one place, or if you want to carry it with you in a bag. Obviously, smaller planners are more portable, but I use an A5 size (one of the largest available) and carry it every where without problem.
You can purchase binders for these types of planners at multiple places, including Michael's. Another popular brand is Filofax, with a variety of price points. You can also find these binders at other retailers. These come with inserts, but there are also lots of inserts for sale on etsy. My binder came from van der Spek and was a huge splurge for me, but it's extremely durable and goes everywhere with me.
In terms of inserts, my current favorites come from Life is Crafted. I've been using these for two years, and I love how they help me think through the most important things, down to the daily tasks. The photo here are my week-at-a-glance inserts from last year. This year, I'm using day-per-page inserts from Life is Crafted. They're great, but I'll be going back to the weekly, as I miss having that overview.
I've used spiral bound a lot in the past, as it's nice to have everything together in one spot. However, I found it hard to add in things that I needed, so I've moved to a ring-bound planner. I'll give my favorites in both categories below.
Spiral Bound:
The classic is Erin Condren. Although it's a little pricey, I loved mine while I was using spiral bounds because of the customizability. Having my name on a cover that I loved made planning fun. She has several different options for internal layout now, so you might find something that you need.
Another spiral bound that I like quite a bit is Plum Paper Planners. These are little more reasonably priced, and unlike Erin Condrens, you can customize both the inside and the outside. One thing I like about the internal customizability you can structure it according to different tasks or people you have to keep track of. Lots of options here!
Another I'll mention in the spiral bound category is the iBloom planner. This is larger (8.5" x 11") than the other two, but it provides a really helpful organizational structure. It allows you to identify major tasks to complete for the week by category, and then assign them to different days.
Last one: Michael's currently has the Recollections planner on sale (in store only). It's set up a lot like the Erin Condren planners (enough that there's a copyright infringement case against it!). It can be a good entry point to that type of planner, although a little harder to find if a store has already sold out.
Ring Bound:
For ring bound planners, you need both the binder and the inserts. The plus here is that you can use the binder for multiple years, and can also add different inserts for different purposes. I've found ring bound to be very flexible and adaptive to my changing needs. One thing to consider before purchasing is what size you want, and whether you want to use it primarily in one place, or if you want to carry it with you in a bag. Obviously, smaller planners are more portable, but I use an A5 size (one of the largest available) and carry it every where without problem.
You can purchase binders for these types of planners at multiple places, including Michael's. Another popular brand is Filofax, with a variety of price points. You can also find these binders at other retailers. These come with inserts, but there are also lots of inserts for sale on etsy. My binder came from van der Spek and was a huge splurge for me, but it's extremely durable and goes everywhere with me.
Thank you! I am going to take a look at the ring bound. I like the idea of a spiral bound over the disc system (which seems like it would break easier).
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