How to Choose Your Planner
Want to get into planning?
Or are you simply stumped on what your next planner should be? (Trust me, I know the feeling.)
I want to help you! Enjoy my top 5 tips for choosing a planner.
🍿WATCH NEXT:
• TOP 5 DAILY PLANNERS |...
• TOP 5 WEEKLY PLANNERS ...
• MY PERSONAL TOP 5 FAVO...
• ULTIMATE Planner Paper...
📸 Join me on Instagram - / amandasfavorites
🥳 Monthly Zoom calls on Patreon - / amandasfavorites
📲 Contact me to collaborate - amandasfavorites@whitleyspace.com
---🌟DISCOUNT CODES & LINKS 🌟---
*All codes are unlimited use unless otherwise stated
My Amazon Favorites (Affiliate): amzn.to/2PA2ab3
______
ERIN CONDREN (Affiliate): bit.ly/2sdBwrw
+ $10 off first purchase: bit.ly/2AykIRa
______
LAUREL DENISE (Affiliate): bit.ly/3Tufrko
+ 10% off code: AMANDASFAVORITES
______
HEMLOCK & OAK (Affiliate): bit.ly/3uNZclX
+ 10% off code: AMANDASFAVORITES
______
MäksēLife (Affiliate): bit.ly/afavmakselife
+ 10% off using my link ⬆
______
MOMAGENDA (Affiliate): bit.ly/2XNvyQl
+ 15% off code: AMANDASFAVORITES
______
(POWERSHEETS) CULTIVATE WHAT MATTERS (Affiliate): bit.ly/3LDKwAq
+ 10% off code: AMANDASFAVORITES
______
PLANNER PERFECT: bit.ly/2NNvvMW
+ 20% off code: AMANDA20 (1x use, excludes leather)
______
ASHLEY SHELLY (Affiliate): bit.ly/2IWKEsK
______
CLEVER FOX (Affiliate): bit.ly/3G26ozy
+ 10% off code: AMANDASFAVORITES
______
CURATION PLANNER (Affiliate): saintbelford.com/?aff=3
+ 10% off code: AMANDASFAVORITES
______
DAY DESIGNER (Affiliate): bit.ly/3iQ6kbc
+ 15% off code: AMANDASFAVORITES (1x use)
______
HANCANPLAN STICKER SHOP: bit.ly/42ZqHbC
+ 20% off code: AMANDA20
______
INKWELL PRESS (Affiliate): bit.ly/2mXhORz
+ $10 off first purchase of $50 or more: bit.ly/2vUFjM3
______
JMB LIVING JOURNAL: bit.ly/2J3hzzT
+ 10% off first purchase: AMANDASFAVORITES
______
PASSION PLANNER
+ $15 off first purchase of $50 or more: bit.ly/2FG3OVw
______
SHE PLANS (Affiliate): bit.ly/3TL8zyz
+ 10% off code: AMANDASFAVORITES
______
SIMPLIFIED (Affiliate): bit.ly/afavsimplified
+ $15 off first purchase: (leave a comment and I'll get you a link if this one is expired)
www.talkable.com/x/AO89jK
______
SPACES PLANNER (Affiliate): bit.ly/2YxWKRo
+ 10% off code: AMANDASFAVORITES
______
SPROUTED PLANNER: bit.ly/3zRoYHx
+ 15% off code: AMANDA15 (1x use)
______
WASHI TAPE SHOP (Affiliate): bit.ly/2BI78h3
+ 10% off code: AMANDA10
______
YOUR BUJO: bit.ly/49n8vNe
+ 10% off code (+ affiliate): AMANDASFAVORITES
__________________________________________
-🌟FAVORITE NON-PLANNER PRODUCTS 🌟-
JUST INGREDIENTS (Affiliate): bit.ly/40Pg76L
+ 10% off code: AMANDASFAVORITES10
BRANCH BASICS (Affiliate)
+ $10 off first order: bit.ly/38j4rPv
_____________________________________
WHO AM I?
If this is your first time watching-Hi! 👋I’m Amanda. I’m a teacher, turned stay-at-home mom, turned KZheadr, and I review planners and journals so you can make educated decisions with your purchases.
You help me keep this channel going every time you watch a video, use one of my affiliate links, or share my channel with a friend-so, thank you!
🕒Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
01:02 Tip 1
02:50 Tip 2
04:13 Tip 3
05:44 Tip 4
08:11 Tip 5
10:11 Let’s talk :)
#plannertips #plannercommunity #planners
🍿WATCH NEXT: kzhead.info/sun/hcaNe5yQhmaFhWw/bejne.htmlsi=sAijDtfdi7gi84x2 kzhead.info/sun/oKqiqttrf32QZ4U/bejne.htmlsi=KumnGu_7EDqtF1IX kzhead.info/sun/i5eSmq1xsH5qpa8/bejne.htmlsi=zEByasD_DOkSQTg1 kzhead.info/sun/hs6jnr5-eYOoq6c/bejne.htmlsi=iXkM7Sp4KBiYmrkF
When you love pen and paper planning its so hard to choose only one!!! I love trying all the new things but then reality sets in. I am not as busy as when I had kids at home so I cant justify multiple planners anymore. I enjoy watching your content so I can get my planner fix without buying them all!! Thanks Amanda :)
I am glad my channel helps you to window shop and enjoy them all and not make you feel like you need to buy:)
When I decide on what to do for a planner, I get a blank notebook and then draw out a month of the format of the planner I’m looking at! That way I can see what works and what doesn’t BEFORE spending money. This has saved me so much.
YES! that is so smart...and I recommend that too in an upcoming video that is a spin off of this one:) good for you:)
I would definitely recommend a regular notebook from a local store to start out. That and watching videos like this help me figure out where I was going wrong with picking planners in the past. Plus I discovered daily planners existed which I didn't know before entering the planner world. I currently use a Hemlock and Oak daily and likely going back to journal and have a weekly in a tn set up next year. (Both set ups I have heard of through Amanda's reviews)
This is how I started too - I was using a notebook to make several kinds of plans and lists so when I was feeling like I needed a calendar view - I really wanted to be able to see upcoming things better I was looking for set ups that had or could have what I was drawing out in a notebook every week. I love having a paper planner again and am on my 5th year of being very consistent.
Good tip Susanne! Notebooks are so underrated IMO:) thank you for sharing your current system and what you are thinking about;)
Jen- that is so smart! drawing it out is something I mention in an upcoming video that is a spin off of this one;)
I was introduced to these kinds of planners in 2017 when I bought my first Erin Condren planner. Since then, I’ve tried just about everything. For 2024, I’m coming back to Erin Condren and I think I’m going to stay with them for a while. My planner switching has become counter productive and has caused me to lose things instead of keeping track. 😅 trying a bunch has been fun too though.
Hey Kat:) Thank you for sharing your planner journey with me. Trying a bunch is fun...but like you said it can also be overwhelming and throw us off track! Enjoy your EC!
Wow I didn't know passion planner gave the whole planner free! That's so generous! Thank you for this video!
Yes! I feel like it's such a gift!
Great video, thanks! I echo the idea to try out planners from cheap stores. I did this with Walmart a few years back. The last 3 years, i try out different things. With the Happy Planner disc system, that allows frankenplanning. I started with undated in both vertical and horizontal. I added notebook pages, other special pages, etc. Now, where my life is at, a simple vertical style works (any brand). Large college rule notebook is sufficient for bible journaling and scripture writing. I use dot grid (A&O) to track coloring and reading. Thats it
Thanks for sharing your system Barb:) I love it!
Love your hair down and curly. Looks really cute! The only planner I am faithful to is the EC daily duo. It’s perfectly for my work and personal planning. I play with others just as a hobby but that’s the one planner per year I splurge on. It’s worth it to me plus you get two coupons that they allow to stack with their sale prices which comes in handy. 😊
I agree about the coupons! And totally worth it since you love it and use it:) And thank you for the kind compliment on my hair;)
Excellent video for anyone to stop and think about what they want a planner for. Good for you! I also love the changes and how we get to see your face more often! You have a lovely face and GREAT expressions! I especially noted that in the EC top 10 that aren't planners vid too!
Aw, thank you so much Cie:) Have a beautiful day:)
PS-your functional real life spreads are the best!
Thank you Wendy:)
Thanks as always Amanda! Something I do that Amanda did not mention is I buy the end of year versions as companies get ready to launch their new products. I can either write over dates or just ignore the dates. I save lots of money this way. And Amanda gets support. Also, Michaels has planners too in case you are looking for a store bought option.
Yes! I just did that with a MomAgenda, it’s a great way to see if a planner works for you.
That is such a good tip that I left out! Thank you Elizabeth! Thank you for sharing that;) And thank you for supporting me through my affiliate links!
I’m going to show this to my daughter next year- she’s starting high school and I’d like her to be more self aware of what works for her!
That is a great idea! She will be so ahead of the game by College! I am glad this will be helpful in that way:)
I found a little (about a month and a half) undated A5. daily planner at Staples on clearance, and decided to give it a try. The left side has four horizontal spaces labelled: goals (which I use for my top 3), morning, afternoon, and evening. The right side has an entire page of graph grid for notes. There is so much room for flexibility and for capturing those fleeting ideas. I'm loving it so much, I went back for more, but there was only one left. Not to worry, a notebook would work, too. Thank you, Amanda, for showing us that different styles suit us at different times and that it's ok to change if something isn't working and to experiment. I appreciate you so much.
What a great find:) And now you know you love that layout! Thank you for the kind comments:) xxx
Thank you so much for all your informative videos 🌸 They're great for ideas of planners & planning.
I'm so glad this was helpful:)
Great video!! Loved watching it. I'm in a "weekky" stage of life. Prefer horizontal. Wish I could get a daily too!! The cover design is really important to me and prefer paper with a little tooth. It's awesome you promote all price ranges of planners.
Thank you for sharing what's important to you! Cover design is important to so many;)
Fantastic information for someone new to planners! Thank you.
Thank you Vickie:) I am glad you think it is helpful too:)
I am not new to the planner world but i LOVED this review video!!! And, not planner related, LOVE your hair!!! 🥰
Thank you so much Ruthanne:) I hoped that this would be a good video for those not new also:) And some days are good hair days;)
Thank you so much for all you do for us! I love your enthusiasm!!!💗💗💗
You are so welcome:) Have a beautiful evening:)
I love the thumbnail photo! About to watch the video
Thank you! That's all my son! He's away at college but has become my new editor and Thumbnail designer:) He will be happy to hear you noticed this one;) I hope you enjoy the video and find it helpful!
Thank-you Amanda. You always do such a good job of educating on all things planners!😊
Aw, Thank you:) I am so glad it was helpful:)
Great video. Loved all the tips. Portability is definately a big factor for me personally. Its the reason I didn't go for Simplified daily after 3 years of using it consistantly. I'm went with hobonichi weeks and a6 instead. It was a difficult transition.
That is is BIG transition. But I understand 100% needing portability and needing to make your decision based on that.
Great video. I started looking at so many planners....that I wasn't sure what I really wanted. So, I've gotten two~Laurel Denise and Erin Condren. Why two? I know I'll love Erin Condren~I've had it before. And I really wanted to try Laurel Denise-the bigger planner....and the layout to be able to see the full month...when you're also looking at the week. I just love that. So...we shall see how Nancy does with these two planners. :) And...because of the cost.... I have to make them work. 😂 I hope to catch up with you soon as part of your Patreon. Blessings....
Well that is understandable:) The LD is one you really have to have in hand to try and see if that unique layout works for you:) Have fun with the Patreon videos;)
I love all of your videos! Thank you for making these!
Aw, thank you so much! this means so much to hear:)
Right now im using the a6 hobonichi and ec a5 daily and the daily grind. I use all three. Dg is great for goals a6 is easy to carry and a great weekly with some journals. Ec i just love the paper
Love hearing your system and what you are using each planner for;) Thanks for watching and sharing with me:)
Great video!! It’s all about the paper!😁👍🏻💖📚
So many of us feel that way!
Thank you for your efforts in the planner world! This is a great video and should be shared with high school students, if not younger! I have been a planner my entire life, and I'm 71 years old. I started with Daytimers and then Covey. Since watching your channel, I have tried Erin Condren, Laurel Denise, and a few more. It's great to see how this subject has evolved and improved.
Aw, thank you so much for that compliment. And I loved hearing your planner journey and where you started;)
Love your reviews and planner advice! Your functional planning is great and reminds me of the whole point of having a planner. I love all the paper, pens and stickers too so it’s easy to get distracted with some many great and fun choices!
I am glad seeing my functional planning is helpful:) I like to see real functional planning too:)
Thank you for the great video!!! When will your simplified planner review be up ? I am itching to see her new spring planner covers!! 😊
Pierce just got that edited...he was sick and so it got delayed. It is coming out this next Tuesday, April 23rd! I am glad you are excited for it and sorry I couldn't get it out sooner:)
This was such an informative video! Thank you for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it Taylor:) Thanks for watching even though I know you could come up with all these ideas and more! The video we worked on in my Zoom call is still coming up and will be different than this one;)
@@AmandasFavorites okay!!
I am not new to planners, but since 2020, I've been following your approach and have evolved through different stages of planning. The hardest part for me was choosing the right planner to use. I also LOVE my stack of planners. I tend to buy more than I actually use, but that’s okay because it allows me to keep exploring. I use a digital planner for hourly scheduling, but I love Erin Condren's (EC's) vertical weekly planners. However, I really wish they would introduce a 5x7 vertical planner. I also LOVE EC's dashboard for goal planning. Thank you for the amazing video.
Hi! thank you for sharing your history with planning & planners;) there are not very many compies making a 5x7 vertical bound. I don't know why!
Fantastic video!
Thank you very much!
Another great video!! This is great guidance. I had always used a horizontal layout...and this year i went to vertical and wow it has been such a struggle to adjust.
Hi fellow hockey mom! I was always a horizontal layout user as well and didn't like any vertical I tried until the MomAgenda. I'm not sure what it is about that one but its been so easy to transition into and I have really been loving it.
@vickithurber7972 😀 my son is no longer playing but I sure loved it during that season of life. I think part of my struggle is the small amount of space to write. I'm using the Monk Manual which I really got because I loved the reflection pages and intentionality of it. I loved the momagenda planner too and was tempted just because I loved the owner interview Amanda did. She seems like an amazing person.
@@hockeymomWA My 3 boys are all grown now, but once a hockey mom always a hockey mom!!! I also struggled with writing in the smaller spaces so never felt happy with a vertical. I am not sure why the MomAgenda works for me but it does. Maybe because its just plain white lined paper with no colors or noticeably large divided sections. I got mine last summer on a good sale and thought what the heck I will try it. I ended up loving it and just ordered one for next year. I found the brand through Amanda's channel and I finally have planner peace for this stage of my life. Good luck :)
I am glad this was helpful:) Well that is a big change. How do you feel now a few months in?
I love hearing this momagenda testimonial!
I love my LD vertical, but think I would like the mini size better. Waiting for the mini vertical to release in May! Thanks for sharing things to consider when buying a new planner 💛
Well it's good you know now:) I will be reviewing that academic launch for Laurel Denise too! I can't wait to see it all!
Would love to know how you feel about monthly planners? Also more about stickers and layouts when doing your own
I LOVE monthly only planners! I use one every year (the Ashley Shelly Monthly Notebook Planner) I do a collab with her on that monthly planner every year because I love it so much! ShePlans makes great monthly planners too as well as Sprouted planner. If you want a smaller monthly notebook planner. And of course EC makes a great monthly planner on a coil. I am not sure what you want to know about sitckers and layouts. I am happy to answer if you can be a bit more specific:)
Great video. ❤
Thank you!
Hello Amanda! Love your videos (I discovered you through Best Laid Plans podcast)! Do you know of any daily planner inserts with thick paper (like EC) that are compatible with a Classic Franklin Covey binder? Thank you, Margo
Hello Margo:) Welcome in! I honestly haven't reviewed any ring planners other than Erin Condren- and they have great daily inserts. EC binders are the 6 ring...I thought those were the most classic...but I looked up franklin covey and it looks like they are 7 ring? Plum Paper makes unpunched inserts- and I think Sprouted planner does too. Both of those papers are thick and wonderful- but are not exactly like EC with the tooth- texture. I am sorry I am not more help! I have a friend that is very into rings- Dr. Alva Plans. She is here on KZhead and on Instagram. You might ask her- and you can tell her I sent you:)
Going back for my master's and looking for a calendar planner with notebook pages to work out math problems (math major). Only taking one class at a time so I don't think I need a whole academic planner. Any thoughts?
So do you just want a monthly layout or you want a weekly layout too? Erin Condren has their monthly coiled planner with lots of extra notes pages coming out in maybe a month or so...they haven't released the date yet. Erin Condren also has a new add one where can add 40 notes pages to the back. Passion Planner comes with a lot of notes pages too. And Golden Coil or Plum Paper allow you too add a lot of notes pages too:) I hope that helps! And good luck on going back! That's awesome:)
Hi! I'm so sure i saw you talk about a planner a while ago that was full of different lists, and used list making as the main way to plan, do you (or anyone that sees this!) have ant idea what that was?? Sorry for the random comment I'm just looking everywhere for that planner and cannot find it!
It's probably the Spaces Planner. She is about to launch a pre-order for 2025. I have a 10% OFF code: AMANDASFAVORITES here is the website: bit.ly/2YxWKRo Here is my latest review on Spaces Planner: kzhead.info/sun/a8hmdKWufF99YJs/bejne.htmlsi=brTBevq2gxoljRcO
@@AmandasFavorites ah yes that is it, thank you so much!! I'll get on their wait list for next year
Can’t decide betweeen the larger duo or the a5 which i am using now. Which one is the second one you held up with weekly and room underneath
This year I ordered the EC Inspire Daily Duo and next year I'm switching to the EC 7x9 Daily Duo.
The 2nd one is Ashley Shelly. We really should have named those planners on the screen and then linked them all below. I am still working with my new editor (my son) to teach him all I need to include;) If the A5 is working and you don't feel like you need more room than stay in what works;)
I personally like the 7x9 Daily Duo too:) I like more room to write longer sentences on the lines;)
Do you have a review of the Moleskin planner?
I don't.....at least not yet!
I think Ec stole that idea from Plum Paper. A sampler book is our freebie this year. I hope they will sell it later. It’d be great for new customers
I hope they will end up selling it later too.
Another paper issue is color. First, the color of the paper itself. Do you like bright white paper? Or would you prefer something more of a cream paper? Second, should the planner be very neutral, or do you want color and decoration?
Very good tips! I am adding them to my list to remember when we discuss these things:) Paper color is BIG!
Which was the first planner you showed in this video?
The first planner I held up is Simplified Daily. Next time we will make sure to list the planner on the screen and link them below in order;) Simplified discount code & my affiliate link is in the description:)
I suggest to try out a cheaper planner first. Maybe a widely made one with many options like Happy Planner. I personally love passion planner weekly and that works for so many people and has a very reasonable price. Don’t go for the most expensive, unusual one, just because someone made a video on it recently!
Such good advice! And yes- I love Passion Planner and recommend it all the time. Wait for a sale with them and it makes it affordable. or try out their printables for free first:)
Some people also like the flexibility of a disc-bound. And, more importantly, you are looking mighty pretty today. xo (patron Carla with a fake yt name :) )
Thank you so much Carla:) And really good point about a discbound!
Simplified $15 off
www.talkable.com/x/AO89jK Here is a new one:) Let me know if it works:)