Is the Simplified Planner Right for Me? (Your Questions Answered)

If you’ve been hanging around my little corner of the internet for a while, you know that I LOVE my Simplified Planner!!

I loved it back when it was a notebook with a monogram on the cover, when it was a bulky (but still pretty) binder with pre-printed paper packs you had to date yourself, and even more today with its gorgeous patterned covers and true gold wire-o binding. 😍

I honestly missed the Simplified life so much during my ✨ Goldilocks of Planners Era ✨ some years back, that when I picked up a Simplified Planner again in 2016, I never looked back.

I will be purchasing my TWELFTH consecutive Simplified Planner this year and couldn’t be more excited about it!!

(This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase using these links.)

IS THE SIMPLIFIED PLANNER RIGHT FOR ME? YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED!!

Because I share my love for and use of the Simplified Planner so much, I often get asked all kinds of questions about it—how I use it, what my favorite planner accessories are, how I keep it so neat and clean, etc.

(I never mind answering because hello, it’s my favorite thing!! 💁🏼‍♀️)

But I thought it would be fun to create a blog post that includes every question I’ve ever been asked about the Simplified Planner and all of my answers.

Sort of like an ultimate FAQ guide that is equally informative and fabulous to help you determine if the Simplified Planner is the RIGHT planner for YOU!!

MY MOST ASKED SIMPLIFIED PLANNER QUESTIONS

These are the most frequently asked of my frequently asked questions.

There are so many planners on the market—WHY the Simplified Planner?

Because it stopped me from making daily to-do lists that just weren’t accomplishable. To-do lists are NOT wish lists, and the Simplified Planner literally changed the way I manage my time and plan my days. The fact that it’s so well-made and gorgeous is really just a bonus!!

I also love that it’s super simple, not overwhelming, complicated, or demanding. It was designed minimally on purpose, so that every girl in every season could use it.

Related Post: Why the Simplified Planner is the ONLY Planner I Use (& Recommend)

What planner [edition] do you use?

I am a Calendar Year Daily girl forever and ever and always, amen!! There’s just something about starting the new year with a new planner!! 🤩

Do you *really* use it every day?

Yes, I *really* do. I call it my number one productivity tool for a reason. Because it’s the first thing I reach for in the morning, the last thing I touch at night, and the only thing I check in with multiple times each day. I honestly can’t imagine my life or business without it!!

I’ve bought other planners before, but never used them. What should I do?

Honestly, you have to COMMIT to using it. Whether you buy a Simplified Planner or another planner, you have to understand that “the planner” ISN’T going to change your life unless YOU actively and consistently USE IT. You just have to commit to it!!

Make checking in with your planner part of your daily routine. Set reminders (using the app on your phone) if you have to, until it becomes a habit.

In my experience, the more you use it, the more you won’t be able to live without it!!

How do you keep your planner so neat and clean? 🤪

Honestly, I treat it like a piece of technology.

It mostly stays on my desk in my home office or in my top desk drawer. If I take it with me somewhere (like to a coffee shop), I make sure it goes in my bag coil side up, and away from anything that’s wet or sharp. (And I make sure all of my pens are capped!!)

I use a magic eraser on any cover smudges, and white-out tape is my secret weapon because I can’t stand scribbles or cross-outs.

The planner pouches also make taking my planner places even easier and more stress-free!! Plus, they’re SO pretty!! 😍 (I still recommend you put the planner in coil side up, though, to keep it from getting smushed.)

Where do you keep your current planner?

In the upper right-hand corner of my desk with my pens (black for writing and pink for checking off completed tasks) and white-out sitting right on top of it.

You should always leave your planner in the place where you’re going to use it most. Not on a shelf or in a drawer where you’ll hardly ever see it.

And don’t you DARE leave it in the pretty box it came in!!

What do you do with your old planners?

Even though I hardly ever look at them again, I keep all of my old planners on a shelf in my office. They’re just so pretty!! I can’t bear the thought of throwing them out!! 🙈

How do you substantiate the price?

1. It’s the ONLY planner I buy.
2. It’s so well-made and gorgeous.
3. It’s my favorite business expense.
4. I actually use it every day and can’t imagine my life or business without it.

When it’s a product you’re going to use for 365 days, I believe it’s worth it to spend a little bit more. Besides, when you divide $64 by 365 days, you realize what you pay is totally worth it!!

Are you an affiliate?

Yes, I am and have been for several years now.

Being an affiliate means I earn a small commission from Simplified (at no extra cost to you) if you make a purchase through one of my links.

You should know that I will only ever recommend things I personally use, love, and think you will, too. And that I would STILL share my love for the Simplified Planner (and have done so in the past) WITHOUT an affiliate link.

Every purchase through my link is very much appreciated for all of the free content I LOVE sharing with you!! 🩷

QUESTIONS RELATED TO LAUNCH DAY

Simplified Planner Launch Day happens twice a year—once in the spring for academic year editions and again in the fall for calendar year editions. They’re honestly my favorite days of the year!! Team Simplified goes all out, and so do I!!

Should I order on launch day?

If you have your heart set on a specific planner cover, then yes. Some covers are more popular than others and could sell out before a sale.

Accessories have been known to sell out, too. Planner pouches sold out faster than the Golden Snitch moves around the Quidditch Pitch, the first year they released them, and the pen clips were gone in the blink of an eye when they launched them a few years back.

Some evergreen products (aka products that don’t have one of the yearly patterns) will be restocked, and some won’t because they need to make room for new products. Either way, it takes TIME for things to come back in stock!!

If you want something bad enough, I suggest setting multiple alarms for 10am ET on launch day in both the spring and the fall!!

If you do place an order ON launch day (or even the week after), know that there WILL be a shipping delay. Simplified has their own shipping warehouse with a team ready and waiting to package and ship orders starting on launch day, but due to EXTREME VOLUME, shipping takes longer than usual. As long as you receive a confirmation number and email, your order will be filled and shipped to you as soon as possible!!

How should I prep for launch day?

Make your shopping list ahead of time, set multiple alarms for 10am ET, and plan to be at your computer at least 5 minutes before launch time.

You can also favorite products ahead of time and then pull up your favorites list on launch day to place your order even faster!! (Just hit the little heart icon in the upper right-hand corner of the product photo to favorite the product, and then click the heart in the upper right-hand corner of the main menu—next to account—to pull up your favorites list.)

Do you recommend buying a planner bundle?

If this is your FIRST TIME buying a Simplified Planner, and you want all the coordinating accessories, OR you’re low on accessories, then I absolutely recommend buying a bundle!!

The Starter Bundle comes with a planner and the essential accessories you need to get started, while the Ultimate Bundle comes with a planner and all the best-selling accessories you could want. Either bundle is a GREAT deal because you save money, get one of everything, AND you qualify for free shipping!!

How do you decide between all the gorgeous covers?

It really IS the hardest decision to make because Team Simplified OUTDOES themselves when it comes to the cover patterns every single year. I’m constantly telling myself I don’t need two, three, or four planners!! (One planner is plenty for me!!)

That being said, I try to go with the one that makes my heart eyes come out the most OR the one that matches the vibe I’m going for. When all else fails, I go with the one that matches my brand. #doitforthegram 😂

How do you decide between Academic Year and Calendar Year?

Let me first clarify this for any newbies that might be reading this…

Simplified launches two planner editions every single year. In the spring, they launch Academic Year planners, which are dated July of that year to August of the following year. In the fall, they launch Calendar Year planners, which are dated January to December of the coming year. Both editions launch with the same cover patterns.

Now, to answer the question…

It all depends on when you feel a new year starts for you. If it’s when the kids go back to school in the fall, you want an Academic Year. But if your fresh start comes in January (like me), get a Calendar Year.

How do you decide between Daily and Weekly?

This is a bigger decision than ever because Simplified now offers 9 planner formats:

Spiral Daily, Spiral Weekly, Bookbound Weekly, Dapperdesk Daily, Dapperdesk Weekly, Large Softcover Weekly, Small Softcover Weekly, Undated Spiral Daily, and Softcover Monthly.

Which means there’s literally a planner system for every girl in every season!! 😍

First and foremost, I would ask yourself what you need more of: space or portability.

• If you need a lot of space and like seeing just one day at a time, I would recommend the Spiral Daily or Dapperdesk Daily.
• If you have trouble using your planner consistently and want lots of flexibility, get the Undated Spiral Daily.
• If you need portability and like seeing your whole week at once, then I would say the Bookbound Weekly or Small Softcover Weekly.
• If you like the weekly view but want a bit more space, then I would go with a Spiral Weekly, Dapperdesk Weekly, or Large Softcover Weekly.
• And if you just want monthly views, the Softcover Monthly will be your go-to!!

In my opinion, it’s always better to have more space than not enough space. (I personally love the Daily because I time block my days in the hour-by-hour schedule and keep a list of related or miscellaneous to-dos running right alongside it.)

Have you ever tried Dapperdesk?

It’s funny you should ask that… because I did get a Lilac Dapperdesk for my 2023 planner!! But before you say I CHEATED on my Spiral Daily Planner 😂, let me explain!!

The Daily Dapperdesk is VERY SIMILAR to the Spiral Daily in that they BOTH have daily pages with an hour-by-hour section, to-do section, and notes section.

The difference is that Dapperdesk has daily pages for both Saturday and Sunday (which is why it’s so much thicker) versus the shared weekend page that the Spiral Daily has.

Dapperdesk also has gold foil monthly tabs and a bookbound (lay-flat) binding, while the Spiral Daily has happy stripe monthly tabs and a gold wire-o binding.

Another difference is that instead of a patterned cover, Dapperdesk comes in a solid-color leatherette that changes color every year.

I chose Dapperdesk in 2023 because purple is my FAVORITE color and I never in a million years thought I would see Simplified do anything with it (because Emily Ley pooh-poohed it for so long—never say never, I guess)!!

As much as I enjoyed my time with my Dapperdesk, I was very excited to go back to the Spiral Daily in 2024 because I really do love seeing just ONE DAY at a time, and being able to flip my planner over was something I very much missed.

FYI: Simplified does have a Weekly Dapperdesk that features a vertical weekly layout, which is vastly different from the Bookbound Weekly and Spiral Weekly layouts!!

I got my hands on a Weekly Dapperdesk just to give it a try, and liked it WAY MORE than the Signature Weekly Format (which I’ve tried several times). The columns are very narrow, though, and that was ultimately a no-go for me.

Truly, nothing beats the OG Daily Simplified Planner for me!! 😍

QUESTIONS RELATED TO PLANNER ACCESSORIES

Accessories!! Accessories!! Oh, how I love accessories!! 🎶

What are your FAVORITE planner accessories?

Honestly, all planner accessories are my favorite accessories… but if I HAD to choose, here are my top 5:

1. Color-Coding Dot Stickers are my all-time favorite, can’t live without planner accessory because I use them in my planner every. single. day!! Each color represents a certain type of task, so I know at a glance what I’m doing throughout the day. (I also love the Happy Stripe Flag Stickers and Triangle Stickers!!)
2. The Magnetic Page Marker is probably my second favorite. I love bookmarking the current day with a cute saying (like fresh start) and a splash of color. I also love that you can get them in the same patterns as the covers, so you can mix and match!!
3. The Planner Pouches and Pencil Pouches are so pretty and so well-made!! I’ve tried pouches from other companies, and NONE of them compare to these!! I also love that you can use them for more than just planner stuff. They’re great for everyday bag organization, and I especially love them for traveling (i.e., one for skincare, one for makeup, one for hair).
4. All the pens!! Simplified currently has 3 kinds of pens for sale, and I love them all!! The twist pens are lightweight perfection, the click pen is my new favorite, and the gingham gel pen set makes planning and note-taking way more fun!!
5. Last but not least, pen clips!! They clip onto your favorite Simplified or Dapperdesk planners, so you can keep your favorite pen with your favorite planner at all times!! (These keep selling out, so keep your eye on Simplified for restocks!!)

That was more than five, wasn’t it? Oops!! 🙈 #sorrynotsorry

Related Post: My Favorite Planner Accessories (And How I Use Them)

What other Simplified products do you recommend?

• Notebooks – As much as I lean into and highly recommend digital note-taking (because it’s searchable), I will forever be a paper note-taker. There’s just something about putting pen to paper that makes me so happy!! And I LOVE that Simplified has so many notebook sizes to choose from: mini notebooks, mid-size notebooks, top spiral notebooks, and large spiral-bound notebooks.
• Leatherette File Folder – You know how paper file folders can be a bit untrustworthy? At any given moment, they can turn on you, flop downward, and spill all over the floor. 😔 Simplified has SOLVED that problem with the Leatherette File Folder!! It’s so luxurious, yet sturdy, and currently comes in a beautiful French Blue. The legal pads fit perfectly inside, and you can also add a pen clip to it for a chic, put-together look for whatever is on your calendar!! It’s also the perfect accessory for your planner!!
• The legal pads really are fantastic!! The paper is so luxurious and WAY BETTER than the super-thin, flimsy paper on regular legal pads. I love that they come in a 2-pack and hope that one day they’ll make a PINK set!!
• Double-Ended Highlighters. I adore these highlighters for both the color and the design!! I love the fact that they’re double-ended and SQUARE so they can’t roll away from you (work smarter, not harder, am I right?!)
• Pineapple Pen Cup. I have the original Pineapple Pen Cup (which is very similar to the new design) and absolutely love it!! It’s my favorite thing on my desk and holds A TON of pens!!

If you could only order ONE accessory with your planner, what would it be?

Hands down, the color-coding dot stickers!! I can’t live without them. I actually think I need to order more of them… I think I have a problem 😂

BLOG POSTS RELATED TO USING THE SIMPLIFIED PLANNER

I get so many questions related to my use of the Simplified Planner and have actually answered most of them in blog posts already. So instead of making this post longer than it already is… I’m just going to link them here for you:

• How to Set Up Your Simplified Planner So You Actually Use It
• How to Use the Simplified Planner for Life AND Business
• How to Use a Digital Calendar and Simplified Planner Together
• How to Make the Most of Your Paper Planner

I also whipped up this awesome FREE guide 👇🏻

Click the image above, enter your email address, and I’ll send the guide straight to your inbox!!

Got another question about the Simplified Planner, planner accessories, daily/weekly planning, or launch day you’d like me to answer? Post a comment below, email me, or send me a DM on Instagram. I also promise to update this post with more frequently asked questions and my answers as they come in!!

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Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post could be affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through my link at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products and services I personally use, love, and feel make a difference in my business and could do the same for you.