We need to talk about Planner Consumerism.

[@RachelleinTheory]

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[@yatshie8717]

Here's what I did: I saw a planner I liked and before buying it for the new year, I drew the layout in a cheap notebook and try it for a few weeks. This is how I found out that I'd probably hate the hobonichi weeks

[@countryfrau8328]

Kinda same here. I look and think about designing pages and add sections. I found out that I do best just making my own pages. And basically no to decorations other than a piece of washi where the holes are punched and colored pens. What did you find that worked for you?

[@gh0st.with.the.m0st]

This is so clever. I've never read or heard anyone doing this before. Genius!!!

[@kayleighisbell1396]

That’s actually brilliant. Thank you so much for this idea!

[@cozycasasmr4510]

I do the same!

[@sakumina]

Did the same and am actually more productive

[@AllTheArtsy]

To avoid planner envy and the need to planner hop, having a "minimum viable" planner is necessary- just what feature/s is a must-have? Vertical weeks? One page a day? Then if you already have that in your planner, what is the point of getting another? Sure, the Weeks covers are cute, but you hate horizontal weeklys. Then don't buy it. You love the Cousin, everyone loves the Cousin, but you never journal or do daily logs. Then don't get it. Looking and enjoying but not wanting and buying is a skill that should be cultivated in this hyperconsumerist, heavily marketed-to world.

[@rinyamashita]

I agree. I tried out the layouts for the hobonichi cousin as I was thinking of getting it or maybe the sterling ink one but Hated it and was out of it within 3 days. I also had to learn that with my Bullet journal and I did took me 1.5 years now I am back to it. still next year I decided to use the night owl planner as that weekly layout worked out in my BuJo. Also have enough pages to continue my journaling.

[@Saturdays.Script]

Well said!!

[@michelleadams5609]

So many great options but building from your needs first is a great idea ❤

[@RachelleinTheory]

Ooooh I love the idea of "minimum viable" planner. But also, some sort of "unsolvable negative"... Like for me, it's the cousin's daily pages that mean I'm never going to buy it, even though I do feel like I NEED a vertical weekly in my system somewhere. Much to think about! Great comment!

[@dorothyevans3864]

Took me a while and much consumerism to figure out what suits me for work and then what works for my personal (mixing them is not allowed). Have finally figured it out for 2024 from what’s out there, but I keep looking though - I’m on the lookout for a weeks layout but in A6 or B6.

[@ungluedmom]

My rules: 1. No pre-orders 2. Nothing over $30 regular price 3. No shipping cost 4. Local store shelf whenever possible I like watching what people are doing and I enjoy all the things available, but I don't buy it anymore. It doesn't make financial sense, and it doesn't keep me organized if I buy multiple planners.

[@RachelleinTheory]

Loooove the rules. Having boundaries for yourself on planner purchases sounds like it really works.

[@forkyfork]

Love these rules. So what usually is your planner of choice?

[@ungluedmom]

@forkyfork I don't have one. Right now I'm using a $.98 monthly from Walmart. My main planner, it failed for the year, was $12 from Target (I think).

[@acaratbee8532]

Ooh .. these are like my rules for fountain pens..they really helped me stop at like one pen a year .. or sometimes even do a no buy

[@DisPrincessJen]

@@forkyforkThe planner I’m trying right now is Clever Fox and it would fit these rules.

[@catcreme]

I feel like all of my hobbies have undergone a deep consumerist approach in the past five years - books, planners, stationery... things that I used to do for fun people see as good content and engage with it based on what is going to get views and without much thought into why you actually do these hobbies.

[@katfujioka212]

Same, but it helps to remember that this stuff is an online thing - people are much less obsessive in person. Most of my friends and I use planner apps or a random cheap notebook to organize things; we don’t have the time to stress about layouts or expensive materials! It’s the same with fitness, diet, fashion, you name it; only on social media will these things make following trends and having expensive stuff a life or death situation…

[@tiffanymo3683]

our beloved planner influencers do what all other influencers do - they influence us to set unrealistic or unattainable goals because it's their job to show us all the great stuff they have. I get why my favorite planner influencers have many perfect planners, journals, stickers, etc. They get paid to do their hobby so they invest in products or are sponsored or even own the companies themselves. My only "planner community" is online. I don't know anyone in my personal life that has a planner lineup or planner fomo or even a paper planner for that matter. Just like beauty/fitness influencers who have more time and money to devote to their appearance, our favorite planner influences do such a great job of influencing us to have what they have by creating such informative content. If my career or even part time job was to do my hobby, I'd have a lot more of what I want too. So let's enjoy the content and stop comparing ourselves to our wonderful professional planners.

[@elisac447]

And what they're planning in their planners is their planner content! It's a self-feeding system that most of us aren't living. Of course you need multiple planners when your literal job is to do things in planners--a single planner doesn't produce enough content!

[@Mindyhartwick]

I find that the older I get, the more important it is to keep things simple. I got caught up in the whole planner craze and I have a whole shelf of travelers notebook covers to prove it. I have found that it is too much pressure to have to make your planner esthetic, so I keep my planner simple and get my creativity on in my art journal. It disgusts me how much money I have spent on planners over the years. For 2024 I am using a $10 budget planner that I found on Amazon and I think it will suit my needs of tracking appointments and tracking my budget. Do I love to look at other people’s planners? Yes. Do I have any illusions that my planning is ever going to look like that? Not anymore, and I’m okay with that. It’s just not that important.

[@MoreCoffeePlease.]

Hi! Are you able to share the link to the budget planner? Thanks in advance if so.

[@sfoonsfo]

Right on target. The industry took what kids did decades ago with folders, book covers, etc... and created hype over their "all new, life changing design and layout". Franklin Covey (then Franklin Quest) did this decades ago but with their planners, they created a system and theory on how to get things done, put things in perspective and priorities of life. The best planner is one that you create and design yourself that works for the way you are. All of us are individuals who learn, maintain and process ideas in our own way. Some will share similar methods but at the end, we do things our way and may incorporate other methods. Now in all fairness, I too was caught up in this decades ago (many decades ago). I now carry a $3 per notebook as my daily. I use fountain pens and this inexpensive notebook from NIRMIRO uses quality paper that doesn't feather or bleed. I've put in what I learned from Franklin, DayTimers, DayRunner, Outlink, etc... and created my own system. I would ask that one just sit down, think about how you like to record things, note things, schedule things and come up with your system. It's fun, economical and a thrill to itself.

[@valeriehayne]

Listen, I'm poor and I also live in a South American country (shipping is absolutely expensive) so when I started on the bullet journal community i used literal old notebooks. A few years later I got interested in making my own notebooks because I had a lot of leftover paper that I didn't know how to use and I ended up in the junk journal community (that's other consumerism monster despite the name of the community). I use my "junk" journals for everything: my commonplace book, my actual planner, my reading journal, my writing journal. It is sorta time consuming in the sense that you have to make your own journals but I also have reused really old planners into different things like art journals and writing journals. Right know, for example, I'm using a 2018 planner that my sister gave me (cuz she barely used it) as a reading journal and I'm just covering the top and bottom pages with washi, stickers and old book pages. I think you can be ethical about planning but you have to overcome the capitalist anxiety, select the type of content you see on the planning community and learn to let go the perfectionist you have whispering in your ear. It may be hard but it's possible (this coming from someone who has never bought any of those fancy planners and often uses cheap blank notebooks and thrifts old planners). Also I forgot to mention that you can reuse your old planners every 7 years, the distribution of the days will be the same and you only have to cover the year 😂.

[@cherylbalmas4901]

Just love this! Smartest thing I’ve read!

[@DianeShugart]

"Know what you like" is the key as, more broadly, it means 'know what you need and what you'll use. This goes a long way to eliminating mental anxiety, which is also fed by the financial anxiety of being able to afford all these planners. (Another source of anxiety is "filling" the pages and "completing" my planner; a planner is complete -- blank pages and all -- when the dates run out.) And thanks for also touching on the environmental impact and waste (not to mention the huge environmental footprint of placing three or four orders).

[@RachelleinTheory]

As always you have a smart + needed edition Diane!!! Knowing what you will NEED AND USE in addition to what you LIKE... really true. I LOVE the messy, artsy collage aesthetic in planners, but I will just keep that up consistently myself, so I should really stop buying planner kits that I am never going to use that are designed around that aesthetic 😭 Thank you for commenting!!

[@DianeShugart]

@@RachelleinTheory Thank you. It's a joy to watch your channel and how it's growing (not just in followers but in content depth).

[@cbjones2212]

Side note - Did you know that Tomoe River paper was first used to wrap catalogues for mail outs? It was made super thin to reduce weight and therefore postage costs. Someone somewhere found that it was great for fountain pens/ink that it started to become sought after.

[@LoveYouBeTrue]

And that lightweight is really nice when it comes to carrying an annual planner around ha ha

[@ryannredinger1]

My problem with Tomoe River paper was that my pen ink would take forever to dry and then it would smear everywhere. I tend to use gel pen; was that the problem? I'm now perfectly happy with my bullet journal, but I was curious if I was the only person who stopped using hobonichi due to the ink smearing.

[@thebluest_blue1145]

@@ryannredinger1 it's just the paper I think. The paper is coated in a way that makes ink sit on the paper and not absorb, which is excellent for fountain pens as it doesn't bleed or feather. Properties like sheen show really well. But the downside of ink not absorbing into the paper is that it takes forever to dry.

[@TheKatsMeow113]

I’m on a long-term stationery low-buy while I use up a bunch of stationery like washi and pens. Anything that I buy has to be held on a wishlist for at least a month, and I have to justify to myself how what I’m purchasing is different enough from what I already have, or how it’s replacing something I currently own. I’m also in my local Buy Nothing group where I’ve been gifting no-longer loved supplies to others who will actually get use out of them. It feels really good to rediscover favorites that you forgot you had because you just have too much stuff!

[@heyitz_rj]

Here’s my take on this. I also fell into the trap of planner consumerism. I also fell into the trap of stationary consumerism. What I think the cause of this was me trying to fit into an aesthetic. At a point in our lives (or maybe even still now) we all wanted to be that hyper successful and hyper organized person that we would see online who seemed like their life just sailed so smoothly. Also, and let’s be real, we wanted these things because it made us seem like we had it all together even thought we didn’t lol. We were sold an aesthetic that made us temporarily happy but long term made us embarrassed for wasting lots of money on empty books that kept our schedules lol. I do believe some people actually benefit from having a ton of stationary and planners. Some people even see it as a hobby which is also fine. However, the “planner industry” really creates this false image that if we “invest” in a companies expense planner you will be that organized person you are trying to be. I don’t know about anyone else but something I realized this year was that I did NOT need stuff like this to organize my life (shocker right). Also, it’s ok if you don’t have a billion dollar business idea by lunch. It’s ok if your entire life isn’t organized by the time you go to bed. It’s ok, if life is messy and you don’t touch your planner for several months. THATS LIFE! You are not a lazy or bad person for just LIVING LIFE. A planner is supposed to help you organize your life but what I’m learning is that it’s not suppose to be the law of how your day will go. Plans change, your priorities shift, or you just won’t feel like doing something. THATS OK. Sorry, long comment, but I feel strongly about this topic.

[@marietollett8323]

I agree with you! When we have the space for planning, we simply need to remember to begin again. 😊✨

[@asiazanders3842]

You are completely right! It is all based on an idea. No one fully knows how to be an adult. We weren't taught it in school, yet we were supposed to live this life full of unknowns perfectly. You shared the reality of life in a capitalist society. It isn't just be organized. It's a whole façade, an illusion we need to uphold to, in a sense, fit in with society's expectations. "If you buy this, you will improve your life" is a falsity that doesn't account for the factors of why life is difficult to begin with. Then, the cycle continues.

[@cherylbalmas4901]

No, if you use a large company’s planner or a small maker’s planner, and believe me I’ve used every one that’s out there, you don’t become more organized. You become poorer while the maker becomes richer. 😂. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I have no issues with large companies or small brands creating a product to sell. Let’s face it most of the products are very beautiful and enticing. I don’t have a lot of discretionary income to spend on vacations and what I realize is I am spending on hobbies (which I do enjoy) and funding other people’s vacations. How crazy is that. I’m not there yet as I’ve spent quite a bit on 2024 on notebooks and planners But less than I have spent in the past. I am slowly working my way to one planner and maybe even possibly just a spiral or composition notebook for notetaking, list making and appointments. No fancy templates just completely free form. I did it once before and then fell back down the rabbit hole. I absolutely love leather covers and travelers notebooks but I don’t need one to document my vacation. I can do that in a Moleskine or even a cheap dollar store notebook lol. Oh the things we do!

[@JosephDickson]

We’ve gone full circle; planners and systems led to the Bullet Journal Method and marketing brought us back to the planners and systems.

[@mendozasyl]

Ha! Yes. Something I love about BuJo is that it is undated and nobody knows if I skipped a few days, weeks, months, whatever. But I need to strengthen my Future Log muscle. I forget I have it, I don't use it, and if I do use it, I don't review it. 😩 I'm really considering a cheap dated planner without anything else, just so that I can use it as my future log. Really, I'd be using it as a calendar I guess. For some reason I haven't been able to use my digital calendar for work tasks/follow ups. For appointments and meetings, yes, but project due dates and such, nope. 😕 Cheap weekly from a big department store it is... 😅

[@ivpetrova]

Living in a poor Balkan country has helped me a lot. No access to most of the planners that everybody is talking about, no deliveries (or with astronomical charges). Just a couple of filofaxes, moleskines and leuchtturms in the local bookstore and that's it with the higher end of planners. ;) Quitting the planner community is also a big help. Watching other people just messes with my system and makes me want to change every month. The bliss of not knowing is a true award.

[@Joanna_Kelly]

Hobonichi covers are my Achilles heal….until I learned how to sew my own - game changer. I used interesting recycled fabrics to create unique designs. It’s really not hard as it’s essentially sewing straight lines and it helps use my creative skills!

[@ligli500]

Ouh you're one step ahead of me! I've been considering making my own Hobonichi cover and wondering how difficult it would be. I may not own a sewing machine but I AM used to sewing all my projects by hand and prefer that to a more mechanical process. It's great for repairing clothes, making pouches, pencil wraps, even binding my own notebooks, etc. but obviously it has its limitations when it comes to needing to work with thicker materials. Combined with the fact that I have zero formal training and no idea how to properly create patterns on my own, the project seems a little intimidating. BUT! It's encouraging to know that at least one other person has attempted it and found success (:

[@KatiesCraftStudio]

I've started sewing my own covers too and it has brought me a lot of joy so far

[@iluVioletLink]

I can see why they might have some downsides but the amazing thing about Hobonichi covers to me is that they last a while, so I always get confused seeing people who constantly buy and switch covers. I thought they were made to be reusable over and over again for the longterm.

[@ertolesaguidondule8097]

​@@ligli500😅

[@Toribell1928]

I can’t sew but bought a simple weeks and a clear cover. That way I just use scrapbook paper and put the clear cover over and can change to whatever cover I want!

[@kurisquare]

One thing that really surprised me is aaaall the people who get new Hobonichi covers each year...2024 will be my second year using the Hobonichi A6 as a daily journal, and as much as I loved some of the new covers, I stuck to just buying the notebook and reusing my cover (and cover-on-cover) from 2023. With the quality of the material they're really made to be reused multiple years, and I don't wanna shame anyone for getting multiple covers, but marketing and FOMO definitely play a role there 🤷

[@Jessica-xc6vn]

This is like being surprised by people who have multiple pairs of sneakers or more than one pair of boots. Or more than one pair of earrings or more than a couple of shirts. Why is it surprising that some people derive pleasure from switching out their covers, the same way others derive pleasure from having six types of tea or coffee in their kitchen?

[@cocop5058]

Well said!

[@Geekywitch]

Right? The first year in any system is a bit more expensive as you get it set up. But they're meant to be reused, just like any set of rings are. They'll only be replaced if they're damaged on my end.

[@Cre8tivelyJade]

I bought a hobonichi for the first time for 2023 and I’m disappointed because I spent over $40+ for this planner (I bought the midori plastic/clear cover though). It’s a nice planner, but would I spend that much on a planner again? No. And I love stationery! But that much for a planner I didn’t even use much this year??? No thank you. I used my $12 academic planner from school more than the hobonichi. So I plan to use this planner again for next year and just change the dating if needed. Maybe I’ll use it as a budget planner or brain dump.

[@theibecks]

Just have to mention that part of the reason for Sterling Ink’s preorder happening as early as it did was because Catherine was pregnant (that wasn’t public knowledge until after the baby’s birth, understandably) and wanted to get the preorder out of the way early to avoid additional stress. Even with an early preorder, due to paper shortages and all kinds of other issues outside their control, some of the planners have only recently shipped. That’s not to say that there’s no marketing aspect in an early preorder but I do think there were some extenuating circumstances here! What I found really interesting was seeing people saying “I couldn’t decide which planner to get so I bought nine…” on the day that the preorder opened. 🧐 I find it hard to wrap my head around that when there were two weeks to decide what you wanted.

[@katcross8810]

This makes me feel better about Catherine’s health, I was worried about how she wasn’t able to catch her breath in videos.

[@RachelleinTheory]

Oh absolutely! I should have put two and two together on that one. But as with most other stuff with Catherine's preorder, I think the real circumstances that made her do the preorder the way she did still created the circumstances that benefited marketing. Thanks for the comment and the reminder :)

[@DianeShugart]

Without knowing the company or the owner, I assumed the pre-order is because she uses a print-on-demand model like many small print/book businesses. (On a similar note, people often complain about Hobonichi not offering additional sizes. One factor may well be the printing press they use and the paper sheet size it handles.)

[@theibecks]

⁠surely it’s the opposite? If it was print on demand there wouldn’t need to be a pre-order because the printing company would be able to print single copies/small runs. Their planners use Sanzen Tomoe River Paper, like Hobonichi so it’s a relatively niche product that I would assume requires a minimum size of print run. Small businesses whose inventory revolves around products with dates on them can’t afford to get stuck with excess stock so pre-orders get them over the minimum order number and give them an idea of demand for extra copies. Until these smaller planner companies reach the same level of global popularity as Hobonichi they can’t afford not to do a pre-order. But, as Rachelle said, that necessity is also not a bad thing from a marketing perspective.

[@DianeShugart]

@@theibecks Our comments aren't contradictory; indeed, small companies need pre-orders so they're not stuck with extra stock. Print on demand as a term has broadened; it's not just single copies but also small runs by large print companies for clients, especially those requiring special paper or other custom specifications.

[@codenamekidsnextdful]

My rule is one fancy planner (the Hobonichi cousin since it works), no new cover unless it's literally falling apart or you've used your current one for at least 3 years and thought about the new one for 2 weeks, and I keep a catch-all notebook that I use for lists/random stuff that I don't need in my planner. That way I can justify the cost of the Hobonichi by really using it every day for a year without feeling guilty about purchasing multiple fancy planners that will definitely not be used every day. Highly recommend a set of 5 Muji notebooks (they run about $4 in person) and using those for catch-all purposes if you need a really cheap option that still feels good quality!

[@brigidconnelly9707]

Yess I do the same! I love the Muji notebooks for a catchall, they've been my go-to for years. I will often brain dump in that notebook and then use my actual planner to prioritize, assign a task to a specific day/time, etc.

[@dropslemon]

Incredibly bold of you to post a video about consumerism a week before Black Friday lmaooo I dig it. I feel like the planning/productivity space has been heavily consumerist for a long time--I ended up with a planner stack for 2024, but each has a very clear purpose and intent. I think the key is ensuring that you have a, uh, plan for a new planner before you buy it. I know, for example, that I like to keep my goal planning separate from my overall daily planning so that I can reference goal plans while I plan my day, so having a separate goal planner was good to have for me. But if I wanted to try a Hobonichi weeks, I need to approach it with a reason to use the weeks, and justify it against other potential layouts. It's... about the only time I can keep my head level with potential impulse buys lmao.

[@michelleadams5609]

Establishing a needs list first helps. A budget definitely. It’s a hobby and I’ve acquired more than enough Washi, pens and accessories to last me years. I’m not new to planning but the KZbin planner community was eye opening. 😂 I bought one take a note planner, a few hobonichi notebooks, one cousin and the planners I had from the 18 month happy planner. I’m all set. Sterling ink was beautiful but I’d rather spend that money on cultivating a life worthy of recording it.

[@RachelleinTheory]

YES on spending money on cultivating life first - I love that idea. I totally have enough supplies to last me through a nuclear winter too lol

[@tyresseferguson2462]

Good video, thank you for touching on the psychology of consumerism because we as humans have a habit of putting blame elsewhere. We also need to learn that social media has played a huge part in consumerism because now we have access to planner companies all around the world. I learned this year that undated planners are best for me so I enjoy watching these videos but know that I will not purchase anything. I stay in one planner for the entire year and just play with different ways to use it. Then I also consider my budget for this hobby and the other ones I have. I watched a bunch of hobonichi, common planner, and other planner videos for 6/7 months this year to what I liked or dislike about each then chose to go with an undated common planner for 2024 and a B6 Stalogy.

[@LittleKikuyu]

Up until this October i had basically never watched planner videos. I had NO idea what hobonichi for example was 😂😂😂 I don’t regret discovering your and other people’s channels at all but let’s just say, I wanted ONE planner for 2024 and now I have FOUR 🙈🤣

[@janiekcarney5482]

I have more than five plus undated ones. I know I’ve wasted money. I won’t be able to use them all.

[@rinyamashita]

They are undated so you can use them whenever you want. I bought one undated one but it's for 2025...maybe but it could be used for just about anything. So I'm not worried.

[@itsacarolbthing5221]

You thought you were buying a planner, when you've actually joined a cult!! Welcome!

[@BurgessTaylor]

Same thing happened for many of us when we fell down the KZbin rabbit 🐇 🕳️ hole. 😂I love the Hobonichi Cousin and the A6, but no matter how much I’ve tried the Weeks doesn’t work for me for a number of reasons.

[@ashdondondon]

This year I really sat down with my past seven years of planners and looked through each of them to find what brought me joy. When I was in the middle of planner hopping I didn't realize I was essentially replicating the same basic system in all of the different planner books I had. Realizing that I was trying to reinvent the wheel when I didn't need to made it easy for me to let go of a lot of the stress and just get the planner that suited the system I've been using for years. I'm going into 2024 with more intentionality and understanding of how I like to plan and journal and what makes me excited to use and look back on. That said, I still get FOMO sometimes. Along with my ADHD which demands new things, I did buy a backup planner with the same basic setup, with the knowledge that I WILL be swapping between them and that's okay with me. 😂

[@ayanarandolph5778]

This was a good video. I like that people are being more mindful of their system and purchases. And although this was a rough year for a lot of people in the planner community. This was my best year ever. This year I spent the least amount of money that I have had in years. I used what I already had. I set guidelines for myself and I didn't charge my purchases. I think a lot of people blame the planner community for why they can't stay on track, but you cannot blame the community. It is good that we have variety in products so there is something for everyone. What people need to do is to set guidelines for themselves. If you don't like bound books, don't go buying 10 hobonici planners because you see everyone else using them. If you have a tendency to stock pile stickers and then not want to use them because they are too beautiful, maybe don't buy the stickers or buy pet tape that gives you the same feel but is more economical instead of sticker sheets. What I wish the community would stop doing is to encourage people you to and use all of the things, because how can you buy something and use it for a week then decide it is not for you. If your purchases cause you to stray away from your goals whether financial or otherwise you have a big problem and need to evaluate and that was the boat I found myself in and decided to change what I was doing. Now if I want something it needs to be thought out and saved for. Everything that I want for 2024 how be meticulously planned and budgeted for and that is what I need right now. I need boundaries and guidelines or I will lose my ever loving mind.

[@tiffanystanton9509]

I’m not big into the planner world but two years ago I got a preloved Louis Vuitton agenda and fill it with the Filofax inserts yearly. $15 a year and done. I keep a simple cute journal for bullet notes and to do lists. It’s been a really practical yet elevated options!

[@menm_91]

I had this exact conversation with another KZbinr more than 6 mos ago. I am so over the rampant consumerism in general, but especially in this community. It boggles my mind that people are buying and switching planners and leather covers every month. How on earth can they afford it, and how do they ever know what they're doing?? And never in 7 lifetimes can they use 87 different covers in 9 different sizes. It makes my head spin and gives me anxiety. So much so that I've unsubscribed completely from those types of channels. I appreciate those who are consistent and know what works for them, and don't buy ALL. THE. THINGS. just to increase their views.

[@thestationeryjunkie]

This is why I stay clear of haul videos. 😅 A lot of planner KZbinrs say they have no idea how to use all the planners they've bought. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Haul videos have no value for me and just promote fomo. I really go for YT channels that have practical tips and advice to be better users of these goods...like this channel. 😊

[@10FingerPlan]

@@thestationeryjunkie I like haul videos if I'm trying to research my choose. So it can be useful. This is the first time for me using a Hobonichi. So I watched a lot of Hobonichi Haul videos. After I made my purchase I skip the haul videos. The reason I researched it so thorough is because I really had to be sure I was gonna use it for a whole year. I do not have the funds to just buy something on a whim.

[@thestationeryjunkie]

@@10FingerPlan To each their own. 😁 Haul videos have a different effect on me so I try to stay away. If I do research, I go for KZbinrs who show how they use their stuff vs displaying what they bought just for kicks. But I understand some videos serve people differently. 😅

[@mysharyna1741]

So there is a youtuber that takes a different approach. She takes low cost notebooks and customizes it to fit her needs. After all of the planner wormhole that I've admittedly been guilty of being engrossed in, I find her refreshing and have done the next 6 months for the cost of a notebook for less than 2 bucks, and b/c i loved her example so much, i bought 1 leather cover for around 60.

[@menm_91]

@@mysharyna1741 Oooo, yes! Please share who this unicorn is!!

[@romanticegotist1]

I think that the conceit of utilizing multiple planners or planner-hopping or whatever kind of gives away some of the things about this little universe of influencers/commentators that nobody wants to confront, but ends up being a real-world problem: it shows that the actual planning and organization systems and methods people describe on youtube etc. are (1) not that robust, (2) not actually all that usable for a busy person that needs a flexible but strong system and (3) generally require a lot more *activity* than they do help promote *productivity*. a very very small % of people would accrue any benefit from a multi-planner system because of how costly it is from a time and complexity perspective; and probably 80%+ of active consumers of this content barely need any kind of true planning "system", just a well-kept phone calendar and a notebook within reach during the main working part of their day....so when that person is bombarded w/ a dizzying array of planner and systems that are mostly smoke and mirrors (to disguise a life that is not actually that complex) they feel the FOMO or whatever, and they likely end up going backwards

[@shamidkpzd]

Yeah I was always baffled when people would have like a 4 planner system. I have no use for 4 planners and I have 2 jobs, go to school and do work in the community and I still can't imagine why I would need that many...Currently I have one planner/calendar, a work notebook and a separate journal/commonplace book for everything else.

[@batwytch]

I agree 💯 part of me wonders if having multiple planners is just a way for them to make extra content for social media? If your life is that plant busy just get a planner that has a page per day! If people didn't waste so much space in their planners putting stickers they would actually have room to fit their entire scheduling/tasks inside the planner. Don't get me wrong I like some decorations here and there but I fell down the sticker rabbit hole with happy planner and I spent more time decorating than actually planning and using the HP in a functional way to help me accomplish things and stay focused.

[@romanticegotist1]

@@batwytch oh yeah all the decorations is exactly the kind of thing i'm talking about. big time 2015 Bullet Journal tumblr vibes on that one

[@woofytron]

i agree. i am someone who, tbh, has very little going on so a multi-planner/book system never appealed to me. my money-making job is a regular office job, in which i work remotely for 2 days a week. my tasks are so minimal that i don't even include them in my planner. and then, on a personal level, i really don't have enough going on to require several books. i use 1 notebook, where i draw out the monthly calendars myself at the front of the book, then the rest of the pages i use for daily to-dos, notes, and journaling. you've hit the nail on the head in that, and this is true of a lot of communities on KZbin/IG/Twitter, most of the content we watch is made by influencers who get things for free from companies, and then they're promoting that stuff to people who would have to actually pay for them, who then end up spending a bunch of money.

[@renee.the.librarian]

Completely agree! I actually find it difficult to watch planner content from people who don't have jobs/school. That might sound mean but their lives are vastly different than mine and I need planner/productivity content about actually completing projects and goals not memory keeping and sticker kits. I also realized that compartmentalizing in different books doesn't always make sense because our lives don't really work that way

[@SharaMcBride]

The marketing tactic that companies use to generate “FOMO” is called “fear of loss”. I have been in the “planner community” since ROUGHLY 2011 (and by community I mean, I was in like MAYBE 5 planner groups TOTAL). 😂 However, I’ve been paper planning since I can remember back when they used to give us paper weekly planners in school. I had a solid system working for me and as soon as I discovered Hobonichi, not only did I fall of my very secure wagon, I rolled downhill and into the next town. My goal for the upcoming year (and honestly I kinda of started to wean myself off the planner community) is to go back to basics and see what effect it has on my productivity.

[@PwnageFury]

This is a really well timed video. I spent hours looking for another planner to go with my Weeks next year. Then I realized I had all the blank pages at the back that I barely touched this year and I could use those instead of getting a 2nd planner! The lure for one more was strong yet now I have everything I need and one less thing to keep track of. :)

[@RachelleinTheory]

Yes the back pages of the weeks are SO good for experimenting. Thank you for commenting!

[@lily57]

This video really made me think about my planner needs and wants. Sometimes I truly need a reminder that those are two different things. Planner World is one huge rabbit hole and there’s no way out of there. FOMO is not making it any easier. These kinda videos are really needed to remind us WHY we are actually even planning.

[@PleasantRevolt]

Thank you for the reminder that you have TIME and there isn’t a need to rush buying the perfect planner to make this the perfect year and if you don’t do XYZ…. It was really nice, subscribed and looking forward to more thoughtful topics

[@moniques.journal.corner]

I completely fell into the planner/accessory consumerism in 2023, but in doing so I actually learned a lot about what I do and don't like and what I do and don't need. I'm hoping that this keeps me more aware going forward. I just think of the money I can save in 2024 and that makes me happy.

[@countryfrau8328]

I started with Happy Planner in z023 and bought stickers and various specialized ones like the budget planner. Then I figured out that I don't like to decorate more than using colored pens

[@countryfrau8328]

And a piece of wash tape where the holes get punched.

[@mallowpuff5]

The first planner I used after becoming aware of a planner community was the free 2015 passion planner download, and I think that is still available every year. Some of us have inbuilt limitations like living on an island at the bottom of the world...most things in my life involve “now how can I do that with what I have at home?” Shipping is a killer

[@melissabennett6571]

Two things helped me this year. 1) not having a cover on my main planner at all. I made peace early on that it would be messy, get stained, have crumpled pages etc. because of this, I was not afraid to use the absolute crap out of it. since I didn’t treat my notebook as precious, it served me better and there was less pressure to get the “perfect” notebook this year. It won’t be perfect when I’m done with it! 2) I tried out several versions of the small notebooks that slip into covers. Once I found ones I liked, I labeled them based on my needs and keep them with me as part of my system. (Commonplace/memory keeping, meeting notes, permanent notes, project management) I slip them in and out as needed and because I use them so heavily, my main planner doesn’t have to carry so much emotional weight. It’s simply a planner. I use it to plan.

[@halmond8713]

I jumped in the planner community through happy planner and with all their releases that they have throughout the year you can end up spending a big buck. The plus side with them is that you can easily go in one online store and add everything you want from them in your basket and check how much you will end up spending if you get all that. Specially with their sticker books. I did that and it really made me stop to think that if I want to tie that kind of amount of money into those products or could there be better use for that money. Because that amount with the basket I had was was just....wheewwww. After that I have limited how much and what I watch with planner videos. It has also helped that I have now pretty much learned what I want from planner and what layout suits best for my needs. I'm discbound girl and with happy planner I love that they have different options that you can purchase as extension pack first if you want to try something new. That has saved some money for me. I went back to school this fall and was sure that I need student planner section to my planner and was trying to order their student planner. I was that much late that I didn't end up getting it, but while I was waiting to my order go through I used one of my extension pack that I already had for a month. Good idea but I found out that I can not live in two weekly planners at the same time even if I have them inside same covers. So now I'm back with one weekly planner and happy planner's monthly layout where I collect all assignments. That has worked well so far. While I would love to try different brands within the discbound world the EU has done it easy for me to stick with happy planner since that is what I can purchase in European market. Ordering outside EU is slapped currently with such a big extra fees with customs that those doesn't fit into my budget. But some of those that I have seen so far are on my list to purchase if I travel to US at some point. But yeah, I have started to dislike little bit of that consumerism in planner world. I have just experienced it mostly through happy planner that is super good with hyping up their new releases and promoting their product through influencers. All of them seem to have multiple planners that they use and it is made easy if you are part of their squad and get them free. The hype can really pull you in and then you have purchased a lot of things that you don't necessarily even need. It is good thing that this is talked about though. I think it helps people to be more critical with what they are buying and what they are supporting with their money.

[@clairefromonline]

RACHELLE!!!! You are an incredible gift. I want it on the record that I do absolutely LOVE my common planner, but at least half the reason why I went for it in June is because I “missed out on” the 2023 launch last year. Thank you for showing your lineup & true thoughts as you discussed this!

[@RachelleinTheory]

CLAIRE! ♥️✨ This is exactly the feeling I'm talking about lol. Thank you for the comment!!

[@VictoriaLyman]

As someone who used to adore planners I stopped buying them after 2020 when I had a whole planner go to waste with covid cancellations. This year was me re-learning how to plan my life which ended up being incredible in learning what I wanted/needed for 2024, because I had a whole year of just trying things out with digital systems and a plain old notebook. And while I love that there's so many different types of planners for every person, I weirdly found it difficult to even find something simple on the shelves of my local Target & Staples. Lots of planners make decisions for you (sections denoted as Goals or Gratitude or Shopping) and sometimes we don't need all the bells & whistles. It was weird to come back to planners and realize how much the market had changed in the past few years since I bought one.

[@binarytrash]

imho knowing what you like is the only thing that really matters. I get more anxiety from not using the things I bought than what I’d get from the fear of missing out on them. Yes I see all the beautiful spreads with hobonichi cousins but I KNOW I’d feel too much pressure writing so much every day and filling up the space and making it beautiful that I’m definitely not gonna be able to handle it for more than a few weeks. For a personal planner, I can live with minimal info on weekly glance with some trackers and to do lists, simple things that help me figure out really fast what has been done and what still needs doing and a monthly spread so I won’t get overwhelmed by what’s coming in later weeks/prevent me from forgetting. But I also KNOW a weeks would never work out for me as a work planner. I need much more space that shouldn’t be predetermined for every day as some days are busier than others so I wouldn’t need to buy 2 weeks for one year for example or a cousin just because I like the looks of them, I got an a6 notebook for that instead where I’d be making a simple monthly page and keep the rest of the month as a daily notebook.

[@julieslovelyworld]

I think that having a cheap bullet journal can help you recreate some layouts to understand if you can function in any style you are interested. I love my bullet journal. Nothing compares to it, cause I use it as my personal tailor-made planner (so many things in the planners I watch don't make sense to me). I have a vertical weekly setup, with space for general notes across the upper side of the right page, which i thought I could adapt to a cousin. I got a spare notebook and somewhat recreated it. Nope, nope, nope. My brain can't function with a vertical notes space on the lower left page. Now, I don't want a cousin anymore 😅

[@dalishrogue3621]

Ikr. I’m so upset I can’t dedicate the time or desire needed to make even the simplest spreads

[@julieslovelyworld]

@@dalishrogue3621 I hear you. I have super simple weeklies. And almost anything else is printed and pasted on my bujo. I can't make anything remotely as cute as I envision it, so I just find things that I like and incorporate them in my bujo. This is why I prefer a September start. August is always slower allowing me to make the spreads for the upcoming year.

[@10FingerPlan]

True, I have had a bullet journal for years. Unfortunately it gets physically too straining for me to make those layouts. After one page, my hand is in a cramp. So I made the choice this year to get into planners. I was so into bullet journalling, I hadn't even ever heard of Hobonichi before last month 🤣

[@moniques.journal.corner]

I love love love a bullet journal. For me I don't care to transfer all my info every time so I like to have one pre made small planner for future plans, months, weeks, budget, and main tracking on hand and then all my dailies and other spreads or whatever I want go in the bujo. I love how something different works for everyone. I've been using a weeks for the last two years, but I'm thinking about going into a standard for 2024.

[@PerpetualHope]

I agree! A great way to prototype. But unfortunately I feel like sometimes you need a few months to try something out fully to figure out whether or not it works for you, and I don't have the patience to draw out months worth of layouts 😅

[@someundeadtalent2016]

That’s the reason I’m starting a Filofax clipboard for daily planning next year, a physical photo album for memory keeping and a more intricate scrapbook for fulfilling my aesthetic pleasures. I just realized having beautiful weekly spreads isn’t something that’s realistic for me, and if I hold myself up to that standard, I’m not going to actually plan my weeks at all.

[@torionpaper]

such a great video to articulate planner consumerism. I always appreciate your wisdom!

[@tammygant4216]

"The mental and emotional weight it costs you is never ever worth it" (24:05). That was the mic drop for me. This video has helped me so much I may just listen to it again (just did). I have a stack of old planners, notebooks and traveler's notebook covers. And I just to have each one. But I've only finished a scant handful of them--if that. And yet the siren song of the Hobonichi Hon in Liberty has haunted my waking days for about a month now. But thanks to this video, I'm reminding myself: it's ok to miss out. It's ok to long for something you don't get. It's ok to make do. And I know I have something or several somethings in that stack downstairs that will work just as well (perhaps after a little bit of creative tinkering with the dates and layouts and maybe some pretty scrap book paper--which I have a ton of -- for the cover). Gonna watch the video on planning in a regular notebook looking for tips on how to make my old planners work. And gonna return something to Amazon that I love, but know I won't / can't use. And gonna ignore the Hobonichi site for at least a year. Also, I never connected FOMO with anxiety before. That was thought provoking.

[@lav1073]

Thank you for making this video. I think these things are important to remember about everything we buy, not just planners.

[@LoveYouBeTrue]

Preorders make good business sense. It enables the seller to order the correct amount and estimate stock for the rest of the year. Scarcity tactics are used in most all marketing campaigns. Most people in business know that people often buy based on emotion. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it LOL. Just look at the signs next time you’re in the store. There’s so much that goes into a launch behind the scenes that people don’t understand. A smaller company may need to launch earlier because of limited company resources. If you’ve got two people fulfilling orders and mailing them out then they need some time to get the job done so the customer can have their product in enough time to set up their planner. Not to mention raising money to meet quantity minimums and being able to plan their own time. I, for one, appreciate a good pre-order. If I know it’s a product I want I would rather just get the order placed and get it out of my mind than to have to carry the mental weight for months. Having said that, I missed Sterling Ink’s pre-order because it was such a short time frame and I don’t frequent the group and am not on the mailing list. In the end I just bought a different planner that I do know I like. So my money went to another company who would just take my money right then and there as a pre-order 🤷‍♀️. I think Catherine has done an amazing job managing so much while also being pregnant. 🤰 I hope she’s got staff helping her and that she doesn’t burn out. What she has managed to do with her planner line is unprecedented. I’m in awe of her action and follow through, tbh. She doesn’t strike me as a dishonest person. She strikes me as an incredibly smart business woman.

[@lindseyb9267]

I’m using my unused Notes in my 2023 Weeks as my work planner in 2024. I’ve got some major financial goals in 2024 and I want to also limit my environmental waste. This video was fabulous, thank you!!

[@RachelleinTheory]

I LOVE the use of the back pages. Thank you for sharing!!

[@madeleineteh4748]

Rachelle, I absolutely love your take on the environmental factors. Paper and covers are not the only waste products in planner consumption. You explained shipping and peripheral consumer goods with so much nuance and also brought up the greatest conundrum of sustainability today: "to not participate in the waste economy is to not live at all."

[@youvegotwings]

Great video :) Had to trim my following list cause some KZbinrs are definitely guilty of that and I feel like they encouraged me to order way too many planners this year (stationary is one of my special interests so I always have a big budget for that but still, this year was too much). Decided to use 2024 as a "find out what works best for me" year and be more mindful next year

[@youvegotwings]

Oh Hi obvious spam account@Niecgram_Me_Rachelle_in_theory

[@lesliewells-ig5dl]

This is one of the reason I like the disc bound planner, i use the Happy Planner, and if i want to use a certain feature, like daily pages or whatever, i can add that feature, i don't have to buy another planner. I don't think i could keep up woth more than maybe 2 planners, which is another reason I like the disc bound.

[@countryfrau8328]

Yes! Me too. Very useful.

[@annacbrown1986]

For years i got caught up in the launches and stickers but we were students and newlywed with no money. I took a several year break and unsubscribed from all planner KZbin channels and Instagram accounts etc. i bought my first planner in ages and I'm very selective with the channels i follow (it's literally yours and one other.) I am focusing on functional planner systems only. Btw I'm using the Sprouted Daily because i love starting with a blank slate each day.

[@Thisreadingcorner]

Nothing about the SI releases gave dirty marketing and I agree with the others that it was a really brazen choice to call her out this way without the context of both her pregnancy and the absolute tantrums customers had last year when they reasonably had to navigate printing slowdowns, supply shortages, and customers doing chargebacks on orders they knew weren’t arriving until x date. She simply made the version she wanted, this idea that she was running a scam really irks me because she’s been such an easy target since this planner dropped.

[@fnwytc]

I agree. I actually commented about this exact issue on this video here and it seems *someone* deleted it... I only came back to this video because people had liked the comment, but then in my notifications it had disappeared. Did not see that coming, but honestly not surprised.

[@user-KK812]

many other companies also did their preorders around that time , but no one targets them. I feel bad for catherine she did her absolute best and she is being so heavily criticised. If people didn't want to buy planners in june they just could've waited. catherine did mention there would be a launch further in the year and we know bst groups are filled with extra planners.

[@LP-ck6qx]

If we allow the planners and accessories to become the end game, then we always "need" more. But if we look at planners as a means to the end of becoming more organized and remaining on track to achieve our goals, then once we have found what works for us, the race to acquire is over and we have crossed that finish line. Perhaps for those whose job it is to review planners, multiple types are needed. However for me, I have found my work planner and I have created the Franken-planner I like for my home use. I would prefer to see much more focus on how to move from planning to action than being stuck in the endless planner search.

[@thenubianreview]

I’m using an old planner I didn’t use this year…🤷🏽‍♀️ we all are guilty of over indulging but I realized more planners didn’t make my life easier and I’ve been using planners since I was 16, I’m now 50 years old. I’m really trying to retire and planner hopping will not do! I support everyone in their decision…🙏🏾

[@genier7829]

Really fascinating to find a new subculture on KZbin. Not sure why you popped up in my recommended, but it is all news to me. I am a real minimalist, but old enough to remember Dayrunner etc, before Blackberry and cell phones. I still like paper over digital.

[@eriswriterforbadastra]

I used your video about notebooks as planners video as an opportunity to switch up formats as I used it to find my planner personality. So my set up has been a bookmark I had lying around, accent pens I got for deco, a cheap notebook, and some washi tapes/stickers I already had as an incentive to use it. It has been super helpful to figure out what works for me, so I got a nicer dot grid journal for 2024 that is higher quality so my washi tape doesnt have to hold in the pages. My experiment notebook is now shifting towards just a work planner vs the new nice notebook for my life with more ideas of how to keep memories in 2024. Turns out I like changing things up when they don't work anymore too frequently to warrent a proper planner.

[@nicole6331]

Wisdom supply company - female run, 100 percent recyclable planners and school supplies Greater mission is to encourage less waste in schools Great video, so topical!

[@emme.writes]

I love this so much -- It's so easy to get caught up in "needing" to be like everyone else that you lose sight of what you loved about doing planner stuff. I've wasted so much money unintentionally chasing trends but shifted last year to investing in what works for ME. Doesn't mean it works for my planner bestie though, or from my favorite influencer that makes such pretty layouts. At the end of the day, most people's aim is for this to be productive AND fun and pretty.

[@woofytron]

thank GOODNESS for this video. i am a longtime bullet journal person, but as more people have moved to pre-dated planners, i've been watching more hobonichi/common planner/take a note/etc videos and been tempted to buy one.... but the thing is. i've tried pre-dated planners. i briefly tried happy planners in 2021(?) and i did not like them - mostly because of the vertical weekly layouts, but also because it was way too big for me, who does not have generally have enough going on to fill a a whole happy planner-sized page. i really wanted a common planner, but i didn't get into planners until after the pre-order period ended. i ended up ordering one of her b6 notebooks and i've been using it as a bullet journal since. and i LOVE IT. and i have a lot of pages left! and i know i don't even like weekly layouts! ...and yet. when i got the email last week that Ready-to-Ship common planners were going on sale, i felt like i HAD to have one. i talked about it with my partner and best friend and they were both like, "uh? you have a journal that's not even halfway used! and you hate weekly layouts! & you love the customization of a bullet journal!" i'm so glad they talked some sense into me but that compulsion to buy buy buy any and all planners is REAL, especially because i'm watching videos of people who pre-ordered 4+ planners and all these covers. & don't get me wrong, i love watching planner videos! but it's good to remind myself that i can appreciate what someone does with their planner without wanting to buy it myself - and that's why i love your videos! i know that a weeks would never appeal to me (i also don't like horizontal weekly layouts lol) but i still love watching your vids and seeing how you use yours! thank you for this awesome video and important reminder to stay true to my minimal, bullet journal self!

[@ladyflimflam]

For neuroatypical people it is often beneficial to have two or three planners. Because those of us with ADHD have an interest-based nervous system it is often better to say, okay, I’m going to become disaffected from this planner sometime because that’s how it works, and it’s okay to have another planner I know how to use so I can simply switch planners without the wheels falling off the bus. So it’s definitely okay to have more than one planner, and the more mindful we can be about that, the more we know that the things we buy have a real job to do other than acting as a talisman of a fantasy self, the better off we will be.

[@SarraCannon]

❤

[@katfujioka212]

At the same time, for some of us it’s exhausting juggling multiple planners and we want to have one book we can use as a talisman when we forget dates! I trialed multi planner systems but just got overwhelmed and ended up using generic scraps of paper instead. It’s all up to the person!

[@anap2916]

fro 2023 I bought a daydesigner from target for both personal and professional. I tend to write down what I want to do for the day but I ended up doing something else. or not doing the task at all. I decided that it was not worth it to pay for expense planners when I won't be giving it the love that it deserved. 2024 I bought an A5 Muji horizontal planner. I do trying to change my relationship with my planner, but babysteps. Thank you for your videos.

[@Paperemm]

I love this video! There lots of concerns for consumerism sure, but the hobby does give a lot of us joy. In my case too, if I end up not using one for the sake of actually planning, I use the Tomoe River paper to play with my fountain pens! Then it’s given a second life.

[@kedeeky]

Before I got into a Cousin this year, I was caught up in Stalogy notebooks. The problem was that the blank slate didn’t keep me consistent in planning. The Cousin turned out to be exactly what I needed because I can kinda do what I want, but there’s a built in structure. For me, too much freedom = planning paralysis. I think it’s important to remember what your planner means to you and the relationship you have with it. I use my daily pages to talk to my planner like it’s my bestie. I’ll be using missed pages for extra journaling and to test ideas for my 2024 Cousin.

[@adelinerivero]

Oh my god, I needed this video when I was 14 when I got started!

[@elizabethbriggs492]

Buy what you use, use what you buy 👍🏻

[@planningwithjohn]

I started a series years ago on my youtube channel, 2017 or 2018, where i started tracking how much i was spending. I called it No Spend Low Spend. I've been talking for finding ways to use what you have and creating systems without having to spend lots of money.

[@jom6829]

Very much enjoyed your thoughts on all things planners and agree whole-heartedly. I went down the Hobonichi route and got a couple of accessories but also kept a look out for cheaper alternative accessories, such as a cover or case and that's worked nicely. Also budgeting for next year will be something I'll do too.

[@superplannergirl]

I have used an a5 hobonichi avec for over 3 yrs now. Every time I think about straying, I just remember that I never like anything as much. That helps a lot. That being said, I did kickstarter back a new planner this year. I will likely still use my hobonichi but this one actually has a unique layout which is what prompted me to get it.

[@lucist3098]

I started bullet journal in 2017 using an A5 200 pages notebook. Later I realised A5 was too big for me, so I switched to traveler’s notebook and buy normal cheap refills from online shops that are not traveler’s own refills. Saves me tons of money.

[@js4637]

I think your video hit on a lot of good points. A good advice that I appreciate you gave is 'waiting 2 weeks'. I am new to using planners to better organize my life/goals. So I am still on a journey of planner discovery. I did discover that I can't just use one planner and that having a different one for each of the important parts of my life was needed. A main catch-all, health/wellness, and major long term goals (language learning and career oriented). I do agree seeing unboxing makes me feel like I want what they are showing me but knowing what I need and what I have stops me from making purchases that weren't well thought out.

[@RubyCoughDrop]

At the beginning of the year I had some gripes with my Molang diary but forced myself to stick with it and ended up loving it and not craving others

[@migenteyoga7136]

Ok so, I bought more than I needed, but I have plans for my planners. The only guilty pleasure was two Hobo weeks that I have no planning use for so... I'm turning them into undated journals. Yes! I'm using corrections tape to erase the dates on the weekly pages and now I have the best little carry-on notebooks for the next 3 years 🎉.

[@CayleeGrey]

Not gonna lie, the thing I took from this video is that the Take a Note planner is awesome and now I've ordered it. 😬

[@michelleadams5609]

It’s the best. I bought one from Amazon a month ago. Then it went on sale for $32. 🎉 the paper and layouts are just gorgeous.

[@CayleeGrey]

You're totally right. I added the premium shipping, it arrived after 2 days and it's my FAVE BY FAR@@michelleadams5609

[@katsmith8263]

1. I could recreate any layout I want in a printable or in my bujo 2. Notion is finally advanced enough to setup exactly as I want and use it exclusively on my phone, and for free

[@fnwytc]

Can't believe my comment was deleted, but I'm going to post here again. I absolutely agree with people saying it's completely unfair to call out a single-woman owned operation and comparing it to a big company like Hobonichi. Also, someone else pointed out a lot of the smaller planner companies released around the same time as Sterling Ink because again, they are smaller companies, and I think this KZbinr should have done more research before calling Sterling Ink out in this manner. Especially since the SI founder was planning ahead and looking out for her own health as well as the health of her then unborn baby, as she was expected to give birth in October. It's literally just her, her husband and her mom running the shop. She's just trying to be fair while protecting her health, her peace, her privacy, and her family life. For these reasons I feel like this kind of message is more of an emotionally-driven claim than anything remotely fair or unbiased as this person is trying to purport. I normally stay away from channels that do this, but I only came back to this video because people had liked the initial comment I wrote, but then I noticed it had disappeared from my notifications. This whole thing, to me, gives off serious passive-aggressive vibes, scapegoating someone unfairly in lieu of just simply owning up their own inability to make their own choices, and I will not stand for someone calling out women in this kind of way that's unfair and under-researched. The way I see it Sterling Ink was upfront, honest (sometimes overly so), and straightforward in their marketing. They are not a big company, so their message might not have been as effectively widespread, but she worked hard to get the message out there while not announcing to the entire public sphere her own private matters. She wanted to give everyone a fair shot, as best she could, and I feel this kind of criticism against this company began to get exaggerated and went overboard, as the internet tends to do.

[@dianacostaph]

This is really helpful. I’ve been stressing myself out for not being able to purchase hobonichi this year because I realize that I prefer a planner with no other colors inside like how the weekends were colored red on the monthly pages. I also don’t like the extra words/quotes spread all through out the pages. I also don’t like the tabs. I just wanted a very basic one. Happy that I found one in my local bookstore for only $3! 😁

[@liliax9147]

Since my favorite planner doesn’t make the dated version anymore (which means the layout had to change to work for undated) I decided to just go back to an inexpensive but cute notebook and everything in one book. Writing the hours every week might get annoying but at least it will be exactly what I want

[@ExtrovertCandii]

Which planner did you enjoy?

[@liliax9147]

@@ExtrovertCandii it was the Lucky Life Tools dated planner!

[@julydaydreamer404]

So, just recently I have actually been into planner/bujo circles (for me, they are kinda the same thing) and it's been a good experience. The first time I tried was a reading journal and while at first, it was nice, after a month I just couldn't do the monthly thing and got frustrated real fast. Plus because I can't do all the fancy decorations and that. So I have been ogling the planner/bujo circles, until now. I decided to start a media journal, so I could write about all the medias, not just books, and I don't have dates on it, so I don't feel pressured to it, and honestly, it has been great! Meanwhile, I started using an old planner from my sister for daily things, and while I wasn't using much at first, I am using more now and being more organized, so I decided to buy a Hobonichi Weeks because it feels most right for me. I don't want to feel pressured from empty pages, so it just feels write. Plus, I plan to buy a Hobonichi plan for some writing and I am ogling one set from Notebook Therapy for personal writing. I may have got off track, but what I am trying to say it takes time for you to understand what you "need" and what you "want" and what actually work for you. Definily avoid buying too much or expensive stuff from the getgo, so you won't get overwhelmed and frustrated, but doing it on your on pace will do wonders

[@EdieBrown]

Thanks for addressing this subject. I watch a lot fewer planner videos than in past years. I focus on how to use/modify the planners I have rather than buying something new. Unboxings? Count me out!

[@Life_With_Lady]

I bought tul covers and discs for four seasons, I use tul weekly vertical pages and fancy plans inserts and just some plan old tul note paper. My planner works for me. The initial cost was a bit high, but now Im down to about what you pay for one of those 35-50 dollar planner. I buy inserts before the end of the year, so I have them on hand and it doesnt cost too much. Im on a widows pension and yes senior citizens use planners, (yes senior citizens use planners) a very under served market . I use mine to track medications and things I need to do health wise, stuff I might forget (another problem as we age) and just general day to day things. I find store bought planners just dont work as well for me. So a mismash of inserts does the trick for me.

[@ligli500]

I've been "building" my custom planners through BuJo'ing but have finally decided that that's too much work/time consuming (although as you say was incredibly helpful in realizing what does/doesn't work for me, what I do/don't want), and 2024 is the year I pick up a planner that gives me bare bones structure + page formats to work off of. At first I got swept up into the rabid enthusiasm for Hobonichi's covers, but then I realized... why would I want to keep the outside of my planner looking pristine and untouched? Who am I trying to kid? LOL the whole point is to use it to record my life and that can include the outside of it, not just on the pages inside. (: One less item to buy! This was a great video! It's interesting to see how consumerism is being talked about similarly and differently in the planner community compared to the tarot community (which I'm also part of) and to a lesser extent the makeup community (which I've long abandoned). I like how you talked about it here, looking at both sides of the story and as the system/industry as a whole. Great quality content!

[@tangerinefox]

I have planned envy since I was very young. I do like browsing through different ppl’s planner style and have be temped to buy new planners like Hobonichi. However, I have found a template that suits my needs. Obviously my style changes with my lifestyle ie. when I was a full time student I needed Day-per-Page to time-block to ensure I don’t double booked myself, whereas nowadays I only need a Week-per-View to mark down important info and appointments.

[@erin7770]

I love this!! Not enough people talk about this. I feel so sorry for the planner girlies out here posting piles of planners they didn't end up using. It is hard out here trying to fight the marketing and social media messaging. I get planner envy but I had also had SO much regret from the year I bought a Hobonichi because it was expensive and didn't work for me. I am a diehard traditional bullet journaler so I either use the official bullet journal or a Leuchtturm1917.

[@RachelleinTheory]

I love Hobonichi but I always like when people come to my vids and comment how Hobonichi didn't work for them because I think that's the case for a lot of people! Your voice is much needed lol. I love a Leuchtturm too!

[@ralphiesarch8980]

I had no idea the rabbit hole went this deep lol just the Day Designer planners from target with the to-do list, hourly layout, and quotes of the day have served me well each year since 2019. I literally just wrote in my planner a few months ago "new rule: one planner and sketchbook at a time" 🤭 freakin glitch in the matrix finding this video now

[@CraftyClosetCreative]

Wow, was a much-needed video topic in the planner community, I agree with you.

[@apronacres7292]

How about donating extra items to domestic violence/homeless shelters and food pantries/soup kitchens so women in need can use? Planner community people could re-date out of date planners to an upcoming calendar or school year. They can also decorate planners with stickers etc so the donated planners could look pretty. Planner community people who thrive on decorating planners would be able to feel good about decorating for someone who is unable to do so for themselves.

[@cherylbalmas4901]

The other thing that I wanted to mention is that for a short period of time I just used a notebook for my planner. A plain old notebook. Once it was bound and another time it was a spiral. I did not do any fancy-schmancy bullet journaling. I didn’t use any rhyme or reason or templates. I didn’t print monthly calendars and paste them into the notebook. Nope. My notebook have a date at the top of the page. The top half was for lists and appointments. And the bottom half was for notes or things I needed to keep track of. It wasn’t decorated except for the occasional fun sticker or piece of washing tape. It was messy. It had a lot of cross outs. It wasn’t necessarily pretty. But it was also functional and I think it cost less than five dollars! Probably one of the best “planners“ I’ve ever used. I am slowly but surely working back to that system. Basically getting all the popular and new planners out of my system even though I know from experience there’s always some thing about each and every planter that doesn’t really work for me. Also I’m at a point in my life where I’m not working but I still need to keep a planner. I also like to journal. We have many appointments, I go out to lunch a lot, I have wine tasting events and vacations i’m so I can’t ever see a time or I wouldn’t want a planner or a notebook to keep track of all of these things. When someone has asked me about my planner obsession and they want to get into planners I often advise them to just get a spiral notebook or a composition notebook and outline what they do in a day And keep this notebook for a few weeks before investing big dollars in planners that may not be useful to them. I’m telling you a plain old notebook is highly underrated as a planter! And I have nothing against the bullet journaling nothing but you don’t even need to get that fancy.

[@darlenemessenger618]

I enjoy all your content. This was interesting to watch. I must admit I don't understand the need for more than one yearly planner. Perhaps a work and home separation of planner but that's understandable. I started bullet journaling in July and have set up a simple Michael's dot grid notebook in the higher GSM. Its holding up perfectly with my Zebra mildliners and good pens. Also, price point determines a planner system for me. Archer and Olive planners are gorgeous but unobtainable for my limited budget. I cannot justify spending a week's worth of grocery budget on a notebook no matter how pretty it is. I came out of the Happy Planner six months ago like someone requiring an intervention. I want simplicity, personal creativity and ability to personalize my pages and add collections. I admire your Hobinichi spreads so will keep watching your content. You're informative and enjoyable to watch no matter what planned system the viewer uses. Thanks!

[@160p2GHz]

I used to use those At A Glance planners religiously after cycling through a bunch of pretty ones. The lay out was just so much better. I switched to digital for a few reasons 1) I don't have to carry an additional physical thing, it's in my tablet (obviously I'm lucky my work bought me a tablet in the first place) 2) waste... I mean it's not like as serious as many other things but if I find easy switches away from waste I take them 3) I can create my own layouts. So I'd say every 6 months my needs change or I get an idea and I will keep my last one or two styles and just design a new one. I keep them all up to date while trying it out and maybe another 6 months later I can retire the old style or the new style. It's just really handy that I can think "I really need to be able to have a layout with X Y Z", go make it in Notability, save it as a motif, and just reuse it.

[@itsacarolbthing5221]

I can't be doing with the multiple planner thing. One person, one planner works for me. I usually use Franklin Covey, day on two pages, either classic or compact. However, because I'm not currently working, I've decided to use a pocket, weekly Moleskine for next year. Appts and to do lists. Simple and clear. I'm looking forward to it.

[@susannek4546]

I had been having my eye on a travelers notebook set up for awhile and got a different one that was much cheaper on sale just to see if I will like doing it that way. I really believe I will and intend to use the other planner I had already bought for something else so that I won't be wasting it.

[@rizumary]

I used to collect notebooks/planner while I actually never finished one until now. This year I tried again but with only one book after years of not journaling. I choose MD notebook and Hobonichi new One Piece for cover after a lot of consideration. I hope I can finish the book this time 😅

[@patemmack7205]

I have one Hobonichi cover. I don’t even like the color, but I just slip a photo between that and the clear cover. I just wish I could get a Sunday start in English A6 techo. I don’t use weekly spreads. I like monthly and daily. The only other option that worked at all was the Traveler’s notebook standard, even though it is weekly. I just don’t like that it doesn’t like flat for writing.

[@the_ash_tree]

I've bullet journaled off and on for years. Before I had my son, I used to get really artsy with it, doing collages and painting and trying to do all the fancy doodles and trackers. Now, with my on and going back to work next year, I bought myself a cheap, dotted notebook and made myself a yearlong planner for 2024. It's not as artsy as I would like, it's pretty ugly compared to the bullet journal I see on Instagram, but, based on my years of bullet journaling experience, it will be functional and keep me on top of things. I think planners are great, but I think more people should get into bullet journaling. At it's core, it's a planning system that's supposed to be created by you, to work best for you, however that looks. Honestly, if more people took a few hours to set up a really simple bullet journal for a couple months, I think more people would understand how useless premade planners are for most people (I say most because I understand that these premade planners do work for some people, but my opinion is that they work for the minority, and a lot of people would benefit more from taking the time to create their own planning system).

[@atonbaradiete-koki]

For those of us who like to do some things digitally I think it’s useful into looking into how to make your own digital planners- you can edit it however you want and don’t waste any paper doing so.

[@LaundryFaerie]

I love a gorgeous planner as much as the next person, but sometimes I need something super basic and frugal. At those times I go out and buy a grid composition book ($2 tops, usually significantly less if I pick them up at back to school sales), cover it with some kind of pretty paper and use it as a bullet journal. If I want to get fancy I buy little stickers from places like Daiso and put them in the book as needed or to make things look fun. I prefer to write with gel pens, so I get one of those to write in the book, and if I feel like doodling or doing some calligraphy I have a square-cut felt-tip pen to do just that. All told I usually spend around 10 bucks, and could easily bring that down to $5. I need a planner for my executive function deficits, but I don't have to break the bank to get the organization that makes my life less chaotic.

[@amandas3804]

I make my own inserts at Agendio. I get exactly what I want (monthly, weekly, and daily pages), the exact layout I want (Monday starts for the months and weeks, monthlies mixed in, space specifically to track studio time for artmaking, etc), the important days (birthdays, anniversaries) are already filled in, I get to choose my colors and font, etc. I end up eith one robust planner system, made exactly as I want it. Honestly, I'm not sure why more people don't use Agendio. But I think it's because there's a bit of a wedge between planners-as-status and planners-as-function.

[@justcallmeivonne]

I’ve never heard of Agendio! Maybe it’s just not as well known or talked about? But i like the idea of full customization, though i will say that the Commonplanner is close to perfect for me as my EDC.

[@unobscuredtruth]

Plum paper is another that lets you do this. I’m a teacher, and am using one of theirs this year. Admittedly, I am going to pare down next school year because SO MUCH of teaching is digital (meetings, planning documents, etc). I don’t actually need weeklies, I just need a big monthly calendar and then lots of blank space for notes.

[@amandas3804]

@@unobscuredtruth I think when I looked at Plum Paper, they didn't have inserts. They had planners that had covers. That might have changed by now. I have a Franklin Covey binder I really like, and I also like only keeping three (possibly four) months of weekly and dailies in a planner at once (last month, this month, next month). I need that seven-hole punched style, and I couldn't find that on Plum Paper. (Again, that might have changed.) A lot of people seem to like the disc-bound systems, and I'd probably have more option if I went disc-bound. Instead, I rock Franklin-Covey like I'm a shoulder-pad enhanced, power-suit wearing, glass ceiling breaking businesswoman from 1991. When I was teaching full time, I did two planners. One school/lesson planner and one home one. Honestly, I was able to use pretty basic, cheap teacher planners. Eventually, I just made my own lesson planning inserts for a three-ring binder. I had a column for what I planned, a column for what we actually did, and a "notes for next time" column. I stayed in the same grade for a few years and those columns made my planning so much easier the next year! I love the idea of a big monthly calendar. There are pretty big desktop ones you can get!

[@nekopug]

Great video and great discussion. To address your question is pronounced ho-n (h oh n), which is "book" in Japanese. Although Japanese love word play, so I wouldn't be surprised if it also stands for something like Hobonichi Original Notebook or something like that too. Thanks for all your content!

[@RachelleinTheory]

HO-N. OK, i will try to remember that, thank you! 😂 And thank you for the kind words!!

[@staceyc9343]

Bought my one weekly planner 12 months. Thats it! It had what i needed and plan on using it as a travel buddy.

[@Katiedora122]

I think it worked in my favor that I'd been unaware of Sterling Ink before this year, and I'd tried a few other one off things instead, so I was more prepared for the 2024 planners. I've just been doing the same variations of bullet journals for the past 6 or 7 years and I never needed to incorporate work stuff into it, but then I started a new job, got diagnosed with ADHD, and worked with a professional organizer this year and it suddenly made me rethink all my planning tools, lol. But it also gave me that clarity I needed to avoid buying half a dozen cool planners that would ultimately overwhelm me. So I'm still committed to having my A5 bullet journal and an A5 Common Planner, and then I'm going to allow myself one fun planner purchase if I feel the itch next year.

[@lostwithoutaplan]

Such a great conversation. Thw weeks of lead up woth daily drips is the worst for consumerism. I was so worried about the tomo paper that I bought a notebook on Amazon with it and tried it for a few weeks before considering a planner with it. Now that I know my fave pens work I am less weary about trying it in planner form. Lol. I am excited to hear what you think of the take a note... I have my eye on it for either academic year or 2025

[@ladya1724]

I enjoy The Happy Planners for personal and work. It also gives me space to be creative. This year I've been burned out in general so i haven't been as creative with my planning/journaling and not making time for that makes me feel guilty. For 2024, I've been thinking of doing something more minimalist and have been thinking of getting the Sterling Ink. So this video shows up on my recommended at the right time.