advantages of printable planners

Advantages of printable planners: The Top Three

Did you know that printables can be your planner’s best friend?  Do you know what the key advantages of printable planners are? Whether you prefer daily, weekly, or monthly planning, read on to find out the top three reasons why you should consider printable pages for your planner even if you already have another system in place!

advantages of printable planners
advantages of printable planners

Advantage #1: Perfectly Personalized

Imagine walking into a store and picking each individual page for your planner, and then putting it all together just for yourself.  And being able to go back to the store year after year and duplicate the planner at no additional charge.  If you decide you need a random weekly planner page in addition to your regular monthly pages, or you want to add a second gift tracker when the holidays come around, simply being able to add individual pages as you need them. Want to try out new mood trackers? Go ahead!

I even keep my travel printables right in the month of the trip. I simply print one out for each trip when we’ve locked in the dates and start making my notes right there.

Being able to add any page you want (I admit that I have several fun coloring pages in mine), and not being “stuck” with pages you don’t need.  Like a beautiful eyeshadow palette with that one weird shade.  Who wants that in a planner that you are going to use every day for an entire year? No one!

Planners are so personal because they are truly your life on paper.  And why shouldn’t it work for you instead of the other way around?  If you mess up a page, no need for whiteout, simple re-print and replace. Personally, I love this particular feature!

Advantage #2: Completely Customizable

Individual printable pages allow you to customize the layout and combination in your planner itself.  But in addition to the individual printables that are available, you can also find beautiful blank templates.  These templates are terrific because you can add your own colors and pictures, or even type in special dates to remember directly into the calendar.

For example, the gift tracker that I use has everyone’s birthdays printed right onto the page. It’s so handy not to have to recreate that every year (since rarely do people’s birthdays change, ha!) Not to mention the templates are yours forever so you can update and reprint year after year.  Or if you need to add or change something, make the edits and reprint just that page!

Advantage #3: Entirely Economical

I mentioned it above, but I wanted to highlight the fact that printables are actually very economical.  That is the world of printable planner pages!  Being able to pay upfront just once, and print as many as you like!  There is the initial cost for the files or templates, however after that purchase, you own those digital files and can re-print as many pages as you like.

Need 5 gift trackers?  Go ahead and print them all out!  Made a mistake on the week of April 9th?  Reprint and replace it! Wait, do you need to insert more Notes pages in June? Do it!

No matter whose system you use or where you find your printables or templates, they are a great economical option for a truly personalized and customized planner that’s all about you!


Frequently Asked Questions

What are printable planners?

Simply put, printable planners are digital pages and files that you create or buy, and then physically print out to put in a holder such as a binder or a discbound system. You can buy individual pages or entire planners, whichever you are looking for.

What can I do with a printable planner?

Anything you want! It is yours to personalize and customize any way you see fit. And you can change it as you go through your year. Do you currently have a spiral for this year? No worries, if you want to start testing the waters with printables, go ahead! When I started my first bullet journal, I found some lovely printable trackers I wanted to use. I made my purchase, printed it out, and then glued it into the pages. You can start today!

Why are paper planners better?

I’ve really tried to get into some of the electronic planners but they just aren’t the same. I like my paper planners because I like the tactile aspects of putting pen to paper. I like using my colored pens and pencils, I like doodling in the margins, and I love my stickers. My current planner is a discbound system, full of so many wonderful printables, and I love the fact that I can truly make it my own. I’ve added spreadsheets, calendars, schedules and more.

Do paper planners even still matter?

Just ask Erin Condren whether paper planners still matter! I think there is something special about a beautiful paper planner. Think of it as the difference between a Happy Birthday email or a Happy Birthday card in the mail. Which would you prefer to receive? The card of course, that has a loved one’s handwritten note and signature.

I also like the fact that even if I don’t hole punch a page and insert it, I can stick things into the discbound holder such as bills that need to be paid or cards that need to be mailed. If you’re planning only in electronic formats, where do you keep those things???


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gift planner

Do you plan out your gifting – for the holidays and for the year?

Is it just me, or does everyone plan gifts in advance?  Not every gift is planned out; every so often I come across something that I just have to get for someone.  But I love my gift tracker pages!  It comes in so handy for planning when I need to get the nephews’ gift cards or the mother-in-law’s scarf.  Not to mention how wonderful it is during the holiday season.  Especially if you tend to buy gifts throughout the year, it’s terrific for keeping up with what you’ve already bought.  You can also take advantage of sales when they happen throughout the year and just mark down what you’ve stashed away.  (Erin Condren seasonal surprise boxes, Paper Me Pretty stationery subscription, and Current Catalog card sets, I’m looking at you!)  Whether you are planning for birthdays at any time during the year or the holiday season specifically, the whole process is so much easier when you plan ahead!

Within the first five pages of my planner, I always include these Year at a Glance and Year in Color pages.

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2022 Year at a Glance and Year in Color
holidays - gifts

The holidays are coming – Gifts (part 1)

I know, school just started back and it’s only September.  I mean, it’s still in the 90s here in Dallas.  But the holidays will be here before we know it.  I’ve already started stockpiling the gifts I will need for my loved ones.  In an ideal world, I like to buy them throughout the year whenever something strikes my fancy for someone.  But life doesn’t always work like that.  So advanced planning for the holidays can really save time and headaches (and possibly even money!).

Our first topic is Holiday Gifts.  We’ll get to meals and travel later.

Planning the gifts you give

Truthfully, this is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season – giving gifts to my family and friends and coworkers.  Sometimes I track ingredients if I’ve planning handmade gifts, but mostly I track what I am giving to whom.  I love this gift tracker.  I usually have at least two in my planner, one for birthday gifts throughout the year and of course one for the holidays.

Organizing the gifts you receive

This part is a little harder for me.  Sometimes I don’t know what to do with the gifts that I receive.  I love that someone thought of me and wanted to give me something, and I never want to hurt anyone’s feelings.  But what to do with it now?  It needs a place to call its own, not to mention any maintenance that might come with said gift.

I’ve tried to shift some folks to donations in my name or “experience” gifts but not everyone accepts these shifts.

I’m a big fan of experience gifts — a day trip somewhere, a special meal out, or tickets to an event.  Some of these gifts are not available right now in light of the ongoing pandemic, but it can be done.  My mom and I like packing car picnics and taking drives in the area where she lives around Austin.

However you want to plan your gift-giving and organize your gift-receiving, make sure you have the right tools at your fingertips!