A Planning Update

I've posted a few times previously about my Filofaxes, my most popular post being A Tour Of My Filofax Crimson Malden which I wrote back in 2014. I found a binder I love in my Malden and a planning system which works for me so little has really changed since then but I thought I'd do a little updated tour anyway.

I actually use two Filofaxes and I also have an A4 size journal so I'll show you around each of them.

My Malden is personal size and has been in constant use since 2013. I wrote about buying it in my It's Here post. As you can see, six years of constant use is now showing, it's more bashed about and worn in than in either of the two previous posts I've mentioned. I've used leather cleaner on it but it doesn't really lift the dirt, I don't know what else to try.

Inside the cover are slots for credit cards, though I don't keep any bank cards in here myself, I use these pockets for business cards, stickers, notes, etc.

The diary I use is a week on two pages. I always buy the lined version, it keeps my writing neat and tidy, though there wasn't much going on during that first week of the year. I use a Bic four colour pen and colour code my diary, black for general, red for appointments, green for holidays and blue for birthdays. I used to use a second pen with a further four colours when Daniel and Eleanor lived at home as I had more categories to keep track of but I've managed to streamline things since then.

These are the tabs in my Notes section. My To Do list consists of little things that I'd forget about if I didn't write down. I don't list everyday jobs, just the things which I don't ordinarily do. The same for Shopping, I don't write a shopping list but I keep a note here of anything out of the ordinary that I don't want to forget to pick up whilst I'm out. I also keep a note of things I've ordered that I'm waiting for here too. I don't speak to Daniel and Eleanor every day so I keep track of anything I want to ask or tell them when I do speak to them. I also keep some sticky notes in the Notes section, I use these a lot if I need to jot something down, they're really handy as I can lift them out and move them to other sections.

The Project section contains notes about my blog, I don't really plan posts but I jot down ideas here. I often set myself little challenges and keep track of those here.

The Information section is quite busy, there's everything here from holiday planning to information about holidays I've already taken, the books I've read this year and books I want to read, even a list of the charms which Eleanor's got on her Pandora bracelet so that I don't duplicate any.

I use a different planner for household finance so the Financials section is more about personal spending and Eleanor's student finance and accommodation fees as well as information about Archie's vets fees.

The A-Z Address section speaks for itself but I also keep lists of books in this A-Z section too. I have a list of all the books I've read during the current year in my notes section but I keep lists by author's name of all the books I've read since I started keeping a record back in 2012.

I have a clear pocket right at the very back where I used to keep coupons but I don't take my Filofax out and about with me any longer so I don't use this any more. There's two pockets in the back of the Filofax where I keep bits and bobs.

I've left out the personal information but you can get an idea of how I use this Filofax.

On to my Chameleon which is A5 size, I use this for household and financial information.

The credit card slots inside the front cover hold business cards from people who have done work on the house for us, it's good to have their numbers handy.

The first section is banking. I have a list of everything I need to pay each month, either by direct debit or an amount I put aside for things such as petrol, Christmas or housekeeping. I keep a running tally of what's coming in or going out of the bank accounts.

The next section is where I keep a note of which utility suppliers we're with, the deal we're on, when it ends, how much we're paying etc. I also keep notes here of household appliances we buy, the model numbers, how much they cost, where we bought them from and the date etc.

I also have a Christmas section in this Filofax where I keep my Christmas card and present list. I keep a record of what we've bought, when, who for and what it cost.

There's a credit card wallet at the back and a pad, though I don't use either of these.

Again, there's a lot of personal information in this Filofax so there isn't a lot I can show of this but it will give you some idea of how I use it.

I've been using an A4 notebook as my journal since 2006.

This book is undated so I write in it as and when the mood takes me but I've been reconsidering the way I journal just lately and have come to a decision. More on that at a later date.

Nikki from Notes of Life blog made this beautiful leather Traveller's Notebook for me last year. You can read all about it in my Traveller's Notebook post. I must confess that I still haven't started using it, I'm still considering the best way to add this into my current planning system.

I've got a Homecube which holds some of the pens and stationery I use.

It doesn't hold everything though, I could definitely do with more storage.

I hope you've enjoyed this little tour of my planner system. Tell me, do you use a planner? If so, what type of planner do you use?