Thursday, 26 December 2024

Planner Trends 2025: Meal Planner

2025 has trended back to having a meal planner in your planner. Using a planner to manage your meal plan can streamline cooking and grocery shopping. Here’s how to set it up:

Setup and Organization

  • Create a Master List: Jot down meals your family enjoys, categorized by type (e.g., pasta, salads) to simplify planning

  • Weekly Themes: Designate theme nights like Taco Tuesday or Meatless Monday to make meal selection fun and easy

  • Grocery Lists: After planning meals, compile a grocery list based on ingredients needed, ensuring you check your pantry first
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Example Meal Planning Section

  • Monday: Chicken Stir-Fry
  • Tuesday: Taco Night
  • Wednesday: Pasta Primavera
  • Thursday: Leftovers
  • Friday: Pizza Night
  • Saturday: Family BBQ
  • Sunday: Meal prep for the week
In 2025, more women are embracing meal planning for its efficiency and ability to reduce stress around cooking, making it easier to balance busy schedules. Combining this into their planner makes it easy to pick up groceries on the fly or know what to thaw for dinner. Just as an FYI I did buy the Happy Planner Meal Planner sheets a couple of years ago and I was not impressed. If you are looking for a more tailor made meal plan, Etsy has many choices for you.
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Sunday, 22 December 2024

Planner Refresh 2025

Refreshing your planner for 2025 is a wonderful way to kick off the new year with renewed energy and organization. Here are some friendly ideas to help you revamp your planner, including DIY options, Etsy finds, and commercial products.

 DIY Options
1. Create Your Own Planner: Use a binder to customize your planner. Gather monthly tabs, weekly layouts, and notepaper from stores like Walmart. This allows you to tailor it to your needs while keeping costs low.
2. Printable Inserts: Design your own planner pages using free printables available online. You can create sections for goals, habit tracking, or even a brain dump area.
3. Scrapbook Elements: Incorporate photos, stickers, and mementos into your planner. This not only personalizes it but also enhances your planning experience by creating lasting memories.
 Etsy Options
1. Custom Planner Stickers: Look for unique sticker sets that match your style. These can help you visually organize tasks and add a fun element to your planner.
2. Printable Planner Pages: Many Etsy shops offer beautifully designed printable pages that you can download and print at home. This is a great way to get professional designs without the hefty price tag.
3. Planner Accessories: Consider purchasing decorative washi tape or themed dividers to liven up your planner layout.

 Commercial Options
1. Luxury Planners: Brands like STIL and Full Focus offer high-quality planners that combine aesthetics with functionality. These planners often feature sections for goal tracking and daily tasks, making them ideal for serious planners.
2. Quarterly Refresh Workbooks: Consider the 2025 Quarterly Refresh Digital Workbook from Get Organized HQ, which prompts you to reassess your goals every three months—perfect for maintaining focus throughout the year.
3. Minimalist Planners: If you prefer a clean design, look into The Daily Planner by The Productivity Method, which provides structured layouts for both daily and long-term planning[3].

 Reflecting on 2024
As you think about what worked in your planner this year, consider which sections were most useful and which felt cluttered or unnecessary. Perhaps you found that monthly overviews helped keep track of important dates but daily tasks became overwhelming. Use these insights to guide your refresh—eliminate what didn’t serve you and enhance what did.

By combining these ideas, you can create a planner that not only meets your organizational needs but also inspires creativity and joy as you navigate through 2025!

Friday, 20 December 2024

Planner Trends 2025: The Budget Planner

As a Canadian woman who handles the bills, I’m excited to share the latest trends in 2025 planners, particularly focusing on budgeting sections. Here’s how you can elevate your financial planning game this year.

Page Titles for Your Planner
Monthly Budget Overview
Savings Goals Tracker
Debt Snowball Payments
Cash Envelope Challenges

Savings Trackers
Incorporate savings trackers to visualize your goals. Use colorful charts to mark progress towards specific savings targets, making it both engaging and motivating. Sometimes these trackers may include no spend challenges.

Snowball Payments
The snowball method helps you pay off debts by focusing on the smallest balances first. Create a dedicated section in your planner to list debts, their amounts, and monthly payment plans.

Cash Envelope Games
Consider cash envelope systems as a fun way to budget. Allocate cash for different spending categories and track your progress weekly. For a creative twist, check out the cute bumble bee money-saving game by YouTuber The Budget Mom. Anothet excellent resource. Is 2 Sister Bees. I love this channel and they have lots of new-bee videos to show you how to set up those cute mini planners you see everywhere.
If you are like me and choose to keep my money in the bank, I have seen several planners that use cards in the envelopes and write in deposits made to savings. I signed up for a Koho account and it has a built in function that lets you set different goals and keeps the money earmarked for you. It even lets you automatically contribute to your goals. I love this. Check to see if you can do this with your bank account.

Recommended Books for Budgeting
The Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey
You Are a Badass at Making Money"by Jen Sincero
The Budgeting Habit" by S.J. Scott

Top Budget Planners for 2025
-Erin Condren LifePlanner: Versatile with customizable layouts.
Happy Planner. Offers a range of budgeting stickers and accessories.
Clever Fox Budget Planner: Focuses on financial goals with guided sections. I really liked this one in conjunction with the planner itself. Buy the envelopes for the system as they are excellent quality and a good long term investment in your planner supplies.

Etsy Sellers for Budget Printables
Printables by The Budget Mom: Beautifully designed budget trackers.
Plan with Me: Offers unique budgeting printables tailored for various needs.
Etsy Shop: The Organized Money: Specializes in minimalist budgeting templates.She also has a great YouTube channel that I have found lots of great tips on.

By embracing these trends and tools, you can take charge of your finances in 2025 while enjoying the process! 

Happy Planning!




Wednesday, 18 December 2024

Planner Trends 2025: Undated Planners

The trend toward undated planners in 2025 is gaining momentum, especially among women seeking flexibility and personalization in their planning. Here are seven popular undated plannersto consider:

1. Hobonichi Day-Free
2. Papertess Undated Planner
3. Passion Planner Undated Daily
4. Sterling Ink Common Planner
5. Wonderland222 Undated Planner
6. Aura Estelle B6 Undated Daily
7. Grace Beverley's Productivity Planner

 Pros and Cons of Undated Planners

Pros:
- Flexibility:Start and stop anytime without wasting pages.
- Customization: Tailor layouts and sections to personal needs.
- Cost-effective:Use for multiple years, maximizing investment.
- Less pressure: No obligation to fill out every day.

Cons:
- Manual dating: Requires writing dates yourself.
- Less structure: May lack the guidance some users prefer.
- Missing holidays:Must add holidays manually if desired.

Women are increasingly drawn to undated planners for their ability to adapt to varying schedules and reduce the stress associated with traditional planning methods, allowing for a more personalized approach to organization.
Are there any specific goals or tasks that undated planners are best suited for

Undated planners are particularly well-suited for a variety of goals and tasks due to their flexibility and customization options. Here are some specific areas where they excel:

1.Goal Setting: Users can set and adjust personal or professional goals without the constraints of a calendar year, allowing for ongoing motivation and progress tracking.
2. Project Planning: Ideal for managing projects that do not adhere to a strict timeline, enabling users to plan as needed without wasting pages.
3. Fitness Tracking: Many undated planners include sections for workout logs and meal planning, perfect for those focusing on health and wellness.
4. Budgeting: These planners can be tailored to track expenses, savings, and financial goals without a rigid monthly structure.
5. Academic Scheduling: Students can organize classes, assignments, and exams flexibly, accommodating varying workloads throughout the semester.
6. Habit Tracking: Users can monitor daily habits and routines at their own pace, making it easier to cultivate new behaviors.
7. Creative Journaling: The open format allows for artistic expression, including doodling, scrapbooking, or writing reflections.

Overall, undated planners offer a versatile solution for individuals with dynamic schedules or specific planning needs.