I recently switched my planner size because I was doing a couple of short back-to-back trips, and although they were short, I didn't want to miss out on my planner routine. After all, it had taken me years to get to a stage where I was consistently using a planner every day and boy had that changed my life! I wasn't about to give it up by jeopardizing my routine and risk falling off the planner wagon, but...
...My main planner is kinda chunky! At the time I was in an A5 Moterm Luxe 2.0 with 30mm rings, that thing is weighty and big! No good for chucking in an overnight bag :-(
So I had a brainwave - just downsize for the week. I had a few smaller planners I bought so I could try out personal and pocket size, but never did because A5 is 100% my jam. However, this was the perfect opportunity for me to give them a test run so I could share with you these top things you definitely need to consider when switching your planner size.
Planner stack from bottom to top: My current desk planner a Moterm Luxe A5; My two choices for travel - a preloved Filofax Malden personal or a new Filofax Saffiano compact
Watch the video or scroll down to read the blog post...
One: Consider the why behind switching planner size
I know this may seem like an obvious one but I really do recommend you seriously consider the why behind wanting to switch sizes. Is it a case of S.O.S (Shiny Objects Syndrome)? I know when I originally bought my personal and pocket size planners they were totally S.O.S buys. I loved the look of something I'd seen on the socials or Etsy and thought 'yeah, Imma trying that!' but actually the why wasn't powerful enough to motivate me to actually try it once the planners arrived.
Based on my experience, motives with a powerful why behind switching planner size could be:
- You've noticed you're not fully using all the space available on your inserts, even switching from daily inserts to weekly or monthly hasn't reduced the wasted space.
- Your lifestyle or circumstances have changed, making your current planner too big for your daily requirements.
- You plan on travelling and need a compact version of your planning routine while you're away so you can stay on track (this was my powerful why).
If your motives are purely S.O.S then I would say sleep on it, for a few nights, before going out and splashing the cash buying all things next planner size down. I've heard many a de-stash story where someone is selling their nearly new personal or pocket size planner and inserts because they had wanted to try out something new but soon realised it wasn't for them.
Two: Consider inserts for your new planner size before you buy the planner
Again, this is another obvious one, but this was another mistake I had made when I'd bought a bunch of smaller planners.
The main reason I didn't actually try them out properly was because I couldn't - I didn't have any inserts that I wanted to use in them. Sure, my brand new Filofax Saffiano Compact came with an entire year of 2022 inserts, but I had found my jam when it came to inserts for my A5 planner and I simply didn't feel stoked to switch my insert format and layout along with my planner size.
Before your take the plunge and buy a smaller size planner my top tips for inserts are:
- Double check your current crushes for inserts are available for the planner size you're switching to.
- Consider buying a few key inserts. Monthly/Weekly/Daily would be mine recommendation. Then test them out for size before buying a planner! That way you won't have invest a ton of money if you discover that you simply can not write teeny tiny enough for a smaller planner.
- Opt for undated inserts just in case you choose to switch back and forth, you won't end up wasting paper.
- See if you can find freebies to test out or use in the your smaller planner, like these undated inserts I created for the Planner Fam.
Limited Run Freebie Bundle - Personal Printable Planner Inserts
Three: Consider the cost of buying a new planner when switching sizes and perhaps go preloved instead
Quality planners are EX.PEN.SIVE! I'm not going to lie, I've spent quite a lot on planners. At this point I could have bought a designer bag or pair of shoes! That is of course, if I'd bought every single one brand new or current season. So my third and final consideration when it comes to switching planner size is this: can you do it for less by finding a preloved or past season planner?
Great places to look are Ebay and Facebook. On Ebay I managed to bag a preloved Filofax Malden personal size, in very good condition. It was less than half the price it is new, and the colour is still part of the current line up at the time of winning the bid! I also snagged a small Louis Vuitton Agenda at an unspeakable price. It came fully boxed with dust bag and the original purchase receipt. What's more I paid even less for it than I did the Malden. Shocking!
Another good place to stalk are Facebook groups. Just search on Facebook for the brand of planner you're after, then look out for groups within the search results that state buying/selling. Request to join then browse through the feed. As I mentioned above in point one, there's always someone looking to de-stash a planner and inserts they bought because they thought they wanted to switch size.
I'll definitely be on the look out in the Facebook groups for a VDS when the time comes to add to my A5 collection.
And there you have it, the top three things you should definitely consider before you switch planner size.
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