Paper Planners: More Than Just a Schedule
A paper planner has the power to streamline your whole life all in one place
The reasons I love them so much are many, but I think one of the biggest reasons is that they help to keep every aspect of my life in order. I know I could do this on my phone with a wide assortment of apps, but I prefer to keep it all in one place with a planner.
Obviously the schedule is the biggest part of a planner. Without the monthly and weekly calendars I would be completely lost in my own life. But everybody knows that planners are schedules. What not everybody realizes, is just how versatile they can be.
Here is a list of all the ways you can use a planner:
- Budgeting
- Keeping track of thank you notes
- Christmas and Birthday gift lists
- Menu planning
- Holiday planning
- Goal setting
- Note taking (I take notes at board meetings, church meetings, planning meetings, etc.)
- Inspirational quotes
- Keeping track of children’s and husband’s schedules
- Writing (and crossing off!) to-do lists
- Wardrobe planning
- Family Home Evening planning
- Weight Loss/Diet Tracking
- Memory keeping (I will write down funny things my children say, for instance. I also often glue in important memorabilia or photos.)
- Vacation planning
- Lesson planning
- Blog planning
- Music practice log
- Bill paying
- Reading log (I will write down thoughts for book club meeting, or keep track of my scripture reading.)
- Shopping lists
In order to do all these great things in my planner, I obviously need one that has enough of the right types of pages to allow me to do them! The Home Executive is a planner I used a couple years ago and really liked (you can see it in my great big post about planners, but it’s now been updated!).
2023 update: The Home Executive is no longer in business.
Try these planners instead:
I like that this planner isn’t hugely thick or unruly. It very easily fits into a purse (even a smaller purse) and isn’t heavy to carry around. The design this year is also so pretty!
One of the things I missed with this planner was tabs, but they have no been added! The monthly view leaves plenty of space for extra note taking as well as scheduling.
The weekly view is amazing! Each day has five blank options, plus a menu plan and shopping list. There are so many different ways to use the blank options! One for each member of your family, one for daily goals, one for daily task lists–the possibilities are endless! I like how it is formatted in such a way as to utilize space efficiently and let you use it in whichever way suits you best.
The Home Executive planner also has a nice section for note taking, holiday planning, gift lists, etc.
This planner also comes with two sheets of fun stickers for your scheduling.
There are dentist appointment stickers, music lesson stickers, parent/teacher conference stickers, and many more.
Finally, it has pockets in both the front and back covers to hold all those flyers and other important papers you need to keep at hand.
What is your favorite way to use a paper planner?
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I use my planner for my budget/bill paying too! Love a "paper planner!"
I use on to manage every day events, so I don't forget important things, like what I need to bring to events, etc, to manage my whole household (5 of us) & to manage my meal planning and my home day care service….it also is great for unloading my to do list & worries right before I go to sleep 🙂
I use mine for daily to do lists and journal keeping. But I haven't had one for a couple of years and desperately need a new one!
I love meal planning on my paper planner. I try using electronic planners but always go back to paper. Love this post!
I use a planner to track blog stuff and my "to do" list.
That's a really pretty one!
This looks like a great planner!
Need this so bad!!!
I have a daytimer; make my own sheets; but still not finding anything that works for me.
I use it for my to-do list.
I keep checks in it until I deposit them and keep my grocery list in there too
I use a Filofax and Erin Condren Life Planner at the moment.
I'm dying to win one of these
I just found your web site via Pinterest! How lucky! I am a huge paper planner; no iPhone app can do what a paper planner can. I have two young daughters, and so much to balance and organize. I just told my husband that I am now going to refer to myself as a "home executive"…I love that! I use paper planners for schedules, lists, ideas, plans, and even as a creative outlet, since I love to "beautify" them!
I like to use my planner to keep track of dinner menus and my to do list.
Mine holds everything… post it with notes, important papers, paper clipped tickets etc for that week. Would be a sad day indeed if anything happened to my planner. :~)
Tracking hours and recording calls, requests, notes/"to-dos"
Main to do lists, shopping lists, project lists, honey do lists, etc., etc., etc.
Love the 'thought of it all' feel of this Mom Tracker.
I love the new tabs and this year's design is so pretty!
I love that it keeps all our activities at a glance (differently than a phone can.)
I use them for a to-do list, notes, sometimes dinner menus
I sketch blog post/project ideas in the back
I use it for meal planning, thoughts, to do lists, church stuff…everything and my phone just isn't enough!!
So excited…Thank you very much. I cannot get around without a planner and I love the idea of having it all in one spot.