A New Day Planner for 2021

 

I decided back in August to get started on my new dayplanner for 2021 when I needed to add my daughter's next dentist appointment for February to the calendar.  Like last year I printed out my blank templates I had downloaded from The Scattered Squirrel (thank you very much!), dug out all of the fun dayplanner stickers I'd acquired from Dollar Tree last year and the year before.  Then grabbed my bag of colored gel pens and I got to work!

 

Inside the front cover I keep my running grocery list, coupons I want to be sure and use
& my gratitude journal.   On the right are extra sheets of paper for making lists
and the envelope has postage stamps, address labels and stickers tucked inside

By starting early I was able to take my time and work on each month's page making sure I had the right dates written in on the correct days, adding important reminders like my favorite "Pay Day", the holidays, birthdays and of course the most fun part which is to decorate each page with my stickers and colored pens.  I'm officially a dayplanner nerd!

 

My weekly housekeeping schedule

My dayplanner is essentially my lifeline.  Nearly everything about me and our days is catalogued here.  I jot down our appointments, the important things and the mundane things that happen each day, my thoughts, my goals, our menu plans, my grocery lists and coupons, other shopping lists, my Christmas plans, etc.  I carry it with me everywhere I go and I heavily rely on it.

 

A simple monthly calendar and a goals & monthly planning sheet

Dayplanners can be quite costly and there are as many varieties out there as there are people who use them, I'm sure, but for me I keep it pretty simple with a month at a glance template, a monthly goals and task sheet and some extra sheets for making my plans and lists.  I use sheet protectors for each page and keep a zippered bag of assorted pens plus a mechanical pencil and a Clic erasure to go with it.  And because I make my own pages out of plain sheets of paper and free templates my cost to make my dayplanners is extremely low.

 

A section for grocery shopping, meal planning & food coupon storage

I use a small three ring binder and sheet protectors I purchased at Wal-Mart a few years ago.  They are also available on Amazon.  I have been able to reuse it now for a third year with no problem and I wouldn't be surprised if I can use it again next year as it seems to be holding up quite well.  The cover is simply decorated with a piece of pretty scrapbook paper cut to size.  I really don't need anything fancy so this setup works perfectly for me.

 

Christmas planning too!

Do you use a dayplanner?  Is yours ready for the coming year?