Ok planner people, I once again need some help. Although this seems to be an issue everyone faces, so I’m not sure quite how well you’ll all be able to answer my question. My newest planner problem is over my 2012 inserts. Surprise!
Honestly, I am doing alright with my lame familiar Filofax Day Per Page inserts. Yeah, the paper quality isn’t the greatest, and no, they don’t really have any type of format whatsoever. But they work for what I need.
However, next year promises some BIG changes. Between my upcoming promotion and planning my wedding, I’m just not sure if these pages are going to cut it. So, like most of us, I’ve been flirting with the idea of a whole new layout. So far, I’ve found these to be the most appealing:
These are the DayTimer 2 Pages Per Day. I like the fact that not only do I have a whole extra page, but also that the weekend days each get their OWN page, something that drives me crazy about FF.
So, true to J fashion, I’ve written up the pros and cons to both…
Pros for FF Day Per Page:
- Open layout- I can really do whatever I want with the space
- I can fit 6 months into my Malden
- Less expensive than DayTimer
Cons for FF Day Per Page:
- Lower quality paper (from what I’ve heard)
- Not enough space for notes, doodles, etc.
- Weekend days only get a half page
Pros for DT 2 Pages Per Day:
- Plenty of room for notes, doodles, wedding plans, etc.
- Higher quality paper
- Available at Staples so I don’t have to wait for/pay shipping
- Better layout- specific areas for to-do’s, etc.
Cons for DT 2 Pages Per Day:
- They may have TOO much room- I might go crazy if I have blank pages on slow days… what is wrong with us?
- More expensive
- I can only fit about three months in at a time. Which may not be an issue if used in conjunction with monthlies and a year planner.
So, what do you think? I’ve put a poll up top for you to let me know. Or, is there something out there I haven’t even thought of? For the record, I am miraculously pretty good at picking one insert and dealing with it for the year, so whatever I pick I’m stuck with!
Thanks for your help!
Hmm, quite a quandary and one I'm very familiar with. Just to throw this out there, the Filofax 2ppd give the weekends their own pages but without the to-do pages. I made do with mine by adding in regular to-do sheets for the weekend (I don't like having to do this, but it's a work-around). With the lines for the to dos, you may not feel that there is "too much room," though that's just a guess. You could also give the Filofax Day Planner sheets a try – two sided but with a different kind of layout, though maybe not one fitting for all of the things you'll have going on.
If it's between the two you have mentioned, I'd say the DayTimer. I feel like the lines are too close together for my taste, but I like the layout. Plus, they have monthly tabs that you can interfile with your daily pages so that you don't have to flip back and forth between one section and the next. I never mind paying a little more for something if I know I'll be happy with and actually use.
Good luck!
will your handwriting fit on the slots in the DT 2 Pages Per Day? mine wouldn't. that is a pretty big issue for a lot of us
Another way around the 'cant get enough pages in' problem… use an additional Filofax for all the other stuff and dedicate one Filofax to your diary insert. #justasuggestion
With the FF Page per Day format, Can you not use the left hand column for your appointments and the right hand one for your ToDo's and Notes? That is how I would use that format, but I know that doesn't suit everyone. #justanothersuggestion !
@Kanalt- Yeah, I thought about FF 2DPP, but I don't know if I'd like to have the to-do sheets all the time. At least with DT the second page is open for whatever- be it notes, quotes, etc. But I do need to see the line spacing, as I could see that driving me nuts!
@Justenoughsalt- Yep, I need to see the spacing before I buy. Before switching to FF, I was using FC and wasn't terribly bothered by the narrower spacing, but I still want to see before I buy!
@Steve- Enabler! Trying to get me to buy another Filo… haha! I would love to, but between a tight budget and the weird need to have everything in one place, I just don't think it'd work. I've also tried using the FF DPP as a two columned page, but since I use a personal the columns are only 38mm- too tiny for every day use! One to do might take up three to four lines!
We shall see…
Oh, and Steve, the FF DPP still faces the issue of having only half page per weekend day- I have a feeling next year's weekends will be full of dress fittings, cake tastings, and venue comparisons- I think I'll need that weekend space!
OK points noted… don't eat too much cake otherwise the dress will need adjusting!! I think you should recruit me as your chief 'cake taster' I like cake! 😉
Sharon used the DT pages earlier in the year, not sure if they are the same ones or not, but her blog post is here with pictures:
http://shazzastitching.wordpress.com/2011/03/21/filofax-setup-3mths-on/
Lol Steve! Something tells me cake samples might not last in the post to France! Otherwise, I'd definitely add you to the committee!
And yay! I checked out Sharon's blog- they are very similar, minus that I'd get the boring ones!
If I were you, and this is something I am going to do myself, use Filofax PPD and on busy days insert a blank piece of paper in next to 'Today' to use for extra notes! You need only have 1 extra sheet in your filofax at a time so doesn't bulk it out, is relatively cheap, and I think makes the best of both worlds. Also, you don't have to do this for not so busy days, so you won't go crazy with too much unused space; meanwhile you can spread over to the blank sheet for weekends where Filofax don't provide enough space!
The main issue I find with Daytimer sheets is that the paper is a lot thicker. I compared a months worth of 1DPP sheets FF v DT and the FF pages take up less space!
With a personal sized organiser having 23mm rings I find I need to save space! So FF wins!!
@TPS That has me thinking… I wonder if maybe it could work. Although even though I've received a lot of great suggestions, I think my biggest problem is that I am simply unhappy with the FF pages…
@timmo55– oddly enough, the thickness of the page is one of the things making me lean towards DT! I use a lot of different pens, mainly the Frixions for my daily planning, and I find that the FF pages are so thin then warp whenever I erase. I think if I can carry 3 months (previous, current, and one future) I'd be happy as long as I had the monthlies as well.
Hmmm…. more thinking to do!