My 2024 Paper Planner Situation

If you’re expecting a flat-lay of my 2024 paper planner tools on my desk right now, you’ve come to the wrong place. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of old-school technology. I’d pay a lot of money to go back to the my pink razor flip phone days. But over the last year, I inadvertently went paperless. I’ll get into more of how I landed here in another post. What I can say, is that over the last 10 years I’ve slowly been putting systems in place that gradually alleviated the need for a planner. There’s been a lot of trial and error in the process and finding the right platforms to replace my paper planner has been key. Today I’m sharing my top 5 paper planner picks for 2024. Don’t miss the one I’d chose if I were still using a paper planner today!

Here are my top 5 paper planners picks for 2024:

1. Simplified

Will this ever not make the list? A fan-favorite, I love the classic and preppy exterior design of this planner. I always look for spiral binding and this actually has a flat-lay and spiral option depending on your preference. True to its “simplified” calling, this is a straightforward planner. I really like the to-do list next to each weekday as well. The price point for the Simplified planner is on the high side at $50-$75 BUT there are versions available at Target, Office Depot and Amazon that cost less (and have fewer features). I will link those at the end too!

The Daily version of the Simplified planner has one page per day, is spiral bound and is “tote-worthy” or medium sized. It comes in both a professional and lively bright aesthetic. One of the great things about the Emily Ley series is her tips to stay organized throughout the year and this has prompts throughout.

The Weekly Version has 7 days on 2 pages, is flat-lay “book-style” binding and purse-worthy. It also has both professional or classic, as well as “Happy Stripe” aesthetic.

SHOP HERE

2. Day Designer Notes

Day Designer has a LOT of planner options. This particular planner option is the Planner Notes Calendar planner. Its the only one I’ve seen from them with the vertical alignement. It is spiral bound and medium size. I really like that it has tabbed months to make finding your spot easy. They have a spot for your top 3 goals for each day at the top of each column, as well as a tonight box which I like for meal planning. There is not a lot of room for notes outside of those buckets so if you are looking for a planner with more open writing space this might not be for you. This is the cheapest option at under $20.

I used this planner for most of 2023 and really enjoyed it (until I accidently went paperless).

UNDER $15

3. Erin Condren Life Planner

This is arguably the best planner for moms who are dedicated to paper and also want to keep memories in their planner throughout the year. If you want to customize your planner, I recommend this one. For the Erin Codren Life Planner there are so many options. It comes in 3 sizes. This year they added the A5 size which is the pocketbook size that I love so much. It also comes in a variety of colors and designs – including vegan leather. I can’t imagine that you wouldn’t be able to find something you like. Once you decide on the size and cover, you can personalize it to your liking. The planners are coiled so they lay flat and you even get to choose your coil cover.

For the layout, there are options for horizontal, vertical and hourly. Within the planner there are also monthly productivity pages to document your goals and to-dos. It also comes with stickers and a double sided storage pocket.

I’ll be honest, this one isn’t for me because it requires a lot of decisions to create the planner but I’ve heard from many of you over the last 4 years that once you figure it out, its so worth it.

SHOP HERE

4. Ink + Volt Ultimate Organization Suite

I stumbled upon this brand earlier this year when I was struggling to wrap my arms around a new workload. I own the today planner and the weekly desk-pad which are both part of this suite of 5 items. This is not a traditional paper planner but a series of pads and notebooks geared towards different productivity. For example, the goal planner allows you to set your 2024 goals and track progress throughout the year.

SHOP HERE

5. Laurel Denise MINI Horizontal Weekly Planner

This is the planner I wanted but didn’t exist last year! This planner is fantastic because you can look at the entire month as well as each week all in a single glance. Last year, they only had a desktop size but this year they have a mini size that can fit in your purse. If I was still using a paper planner today, this is the one I’d chose. This planner is also under $50 and spiral bound. It comes with the option of a Sunday or a Monday start and note taking space.

UNDER $50

I’m still figuring out how I will share all the systems I have in place that eliminated my need for a paper planner and lightened my mental load. In the meantime, I’d love to see which planner you landed on for 2024! Share in the comments below or send me a DM over on Instagram.

xo

Caroline