I am one of those people that have to know of events at least a week in advance. Some events, I can do two days. But more often than not, I already have things planned for the day you are asking for. I am also the person that hates last minute plan changes. So, if someone makes plans with me for 6 p.m. on Tuesday and then cancels at 5:30 p.m. on more than one occasion; let's just say they no longer get a permanent pen spot in my planner, now they are "penciled in." I even have had people just not show up for our meeting. So, those people are sticky-noted in.

When I graduated high school, I was looking for a planner alternative to the free one we got when we went to pick up our schedules. I stumbled upon the Filofax. I loved it! I loved picking out the cover and the pages. That lasted about a year. Because then I realized the company that made the pages I liked, was going to stop making the theme I liked. *heart broke*

I absolutely adored the monthly dividers with a different picture each month. But, since one side had the calendar month on it, there was no way I could reuse the dividers each year. HUGE DRAWBACK. So, then I decided I would make my own Filofax pages with a monthly divider that I could keep year to year. I spent near $50 on printing those out on cardstock at my local UPS. Then when it came to cutting each one and laminating them, I gave up. I didn't even make it to the weekly pages and already I was tired.

Then I discovered the Bullet Journal (BuJo). What a wonderful idea for a journal/planner. But here lies the kicker...I did wonderfully until April. I took my BuJo to church (to do during choir practice while I helped in the back) to draw my layouts for the month and I got annoyed real quick. So much lining up my ruler and drawing and deciding if I really needed a box that big or could it be smaller.

So, I just stopped that and turned to finding an app that would do what I wanted... I still haven't found that app.

This year, I discovered the world of Happy Planners and Erin Condrens. This was an exciting new world with stickers and Facebook communities. But, you could plan without the stickers, which I ended up doing after May because the kits were expensive and then I didn't want to write on the pretty stickers. (Even though I made a sticker binder...)

I love my Erin Condren Life Planner and I would buy a new one for next year... However, I quit using my ECLP when I got a full-time job because my life isn't as exciting. Yes, I have doctor/dental/vision appointments and appointments to hang with my friends but I can EASILY add that to my Google Calendar.

Also, this year (about September) I started using a BuJo as my finance journal. That is still going strong. It's easy because I don't have to draw layouts. Instead, I just make lists or maybe I draw a layout every 3 months.

Now, for 2018, I am looking to getting a Traveler's Notebook. They are very similar to a BuJo but I can organize my wishlists/projects/ideas much better. I like the concept of BuJo; I just wish there was an easier way to organize everything into categories AND where if I had to make a page two of one layout, I didn't have to put it 20 pages later. I feel like I can accomplish that with a Traveler's Notebook. I'd like to have an insert just for TV shows and movies I want to see. An insert for projects I am wanting to tackle. An insert for important information. An insert for my Quiet Times. An insert for doodles. The world is at my fingertips. AND I won't be using it as a planner, per se, but instead as a more functional BuJo. My Google Calendar will still be my planner for events and appointments.

Do you plan? Have you had a similar experience with planners? What have you found that works?