10 Must Have Planning Essentials

With so many planner supplies out there, it can be difficult to know which ones you ACTUALLY need. From washi tape to highlighters to memo pads, most supplies are designed to enhance productivity, while giving you an array of choices based on your personal style and needs.

But what happens when you’re trying to choose one pen out of thousands, or stuck pondering between dozens of paper options that (if we’re honest) all look the same? As many of us know - sometimes the more options you have, the more confusing the decision is.

Luckily, I’ve been down that rabbit hole more times than I can count and came out with a select few that land slightly above the others in terms of necessity. Below is a look at 10 essential planning tools that are must haves in any planner collection.

Not in a mood to read? Check out my Top 10 Planning Essentials video here:

Without further ado, let’s hop in!

1. Sticky Notes

The first essential needs no introduction to the planning lineup. Sticky Notes serve so many purposes, even if you aren’t a planner. You can use them to jot down quick reminders and appointment information. You can use them to pre-plan or add comments to your planners or notebooks. You can also utilize them as bookmarks, gift tags, and page markers as well.

I like to use mine in my inbox. This is where I’ll list soft deadlines or follow-ups that I may need to revisit later. Once I get confirmation on anything pending, I will either move it to my permanent section in my agenda, or throw it away if I no longer need it.

Of course you can also use them for what they were originally intended for which is mainly note taking.

I also find them super helpful with quick notes. You can use them to write down phone numbers, measurements, confirmation numbers, and passwords. I like to utilize them in meetings if I need to mark a quick memo. It keeps me from having to mess up a piece of paper and is a much more discreet way to take notes in a conference or meeting room.

Ultimately, there are so many ways you can use sticky notes which is why I love them so much. I’m a huge fan of products with multiple uses. The more versatile something is, the more longevity you can get of them, which saves time and ultimately money.

If you are you looking for my favorite sticky notes, be sure to check out Kel’s Picks (Sticky Notes) to see a list of my top favorites!

2. Page Flags

Second on my list of essentials are page flags. Similar to sticky notes, you can also use these for a variety of things, however they are most commonly used to mark a certain spot on a page.

I like to use these on task cards to list placeholders reminders or items I need to reference on a regular basis.

Using task cards as reminders | In this method, as the date to complete the task gets closer, I move my page flag from my task card to my scheduling spread. This is great for things like weekly deadlines, bills, and monthly events.

Using task cards as reference cards | This method works great for recurring tasks that change frequency often or those that don’t have a designated action date - think exercise classes, tutoring sessions, or after school events.

Another way I utilize page flags is to highlight certain areas in my planner. You can block off those dates on your spread without having to physically write the dates in.

What other ways can you use page flags?

As dividers or in place of dividers (especially if you tend to overstuff your planner).
As bookmarks to mark your place on a page.
As labels throughout your planners or notebooks.
As an editing tool to mark where corrections or revisions are needed.
As a way to organize documents or files.

There are so many shops that sell awesome page flags in a variety of different styles, sizes, and colors. For a list of my faves, head over to Kel’s Picks (Page Flags)!

3. Writing Utensils

The third must have planning essential is really a collection of items, and those are writing utensils, specifically: pens, pencils, highlighters, and markers.With so many writing tool options out there it can be a bit overwhelming to know which ones are the best for you. There are A LOT of factors that can determine the best tool for you, but for planner purposes we’re going to focus on the big three - writing style, personal preference, and trial and error.

Pens

With pens, the first thing to consider is your handwriting. Do you write large or small? Are you a fast writer or do you tend to take your time? If you write really tiny for instance, a thinner tip may work better. Your letters will be much more precise and you don’t have to worry as much about legibility. If you write really big you could use a .7mm tip or larger which may cause less stress on your hands - especially if you’re writing a lot at one time.
Secondly, you should consider types of pens, and this will largely depend on your writing style, type of paper you’re writing on, and the overall look that you’re going for. There are several styles of pens out there, but most planners will opt between ballpoint, rollerball, and gel pens (a lot of planners use fountain pens as well, however those tend to be a lot more nuanced so I’ll save that for it’s own post).

My all time favorite is the UniBall One Signo Gel Pen. It has a .38 mm nib and is the only one I use in my planner. I love the look of thin ink on my spreads. I can write a lot more in condensed spaces and it really looks nice and balanced. My handwriting is on the smaller side, so thinner tips make my writing much easier to read.

If your handwriting isn’t super tiny or large, a good choice of thumb is a pen with a .5mm tip. A really popular pen in the planner community is the Pentel Energel Liquid Gel Ink Pen. They write really smooth, have consistent ink flow, and dries pretty quickly as well. They are also great for right-handed folks and all of you lefties out there!

If you have large handwriting, you will not want to use any tip that’s less that .5mm and probably something around the .7 or 1mm range. A great pen for those with large handwriting is the TUL Gel Pens. These pens have a .7mm nib and write like butter! The ink is really thick and writes super smooth. Like most thicker nibs, it takes a little while for it to dry, but if you have large handwriting or if you just like ssthe look of thicker ink, this one is a must have pen for your collection.

I don’t currently use any rollerball pens, but the ink looks similar to gel pens with a couple of key differences. First, since rollerball pens have a ball at the tip, the ink tends to transfer extremely easy with a smooth application that may out-smooth many of its gel pen competitors. Second, because rollerball ink is heavier than gel ink, it can take a very long time to dry and also has a tendency to bleed. That being said, if you are writing on thicker paper or really like highly pigmented dark ink, then a rollerball pen may be the perfect option for you.

And then there’s my least favorite…ballpoint pens. I do like ballpoint pens for some purposes, but when it comes to planning many of them just don’t hold up in comparison to their gel and rollerball siblings. I like clean precise sharp lines, and a lot of ballpoint pens tend to lack consistent ink flow - especially if you have tiny handwriting. In their defense though, I haven’t really tested a lot of them so there may be better options on the market.

Stabilo Fineliner Pens — Stabilo Point 88 Fineliner Pens

Lastly, I do want to mention colored pens. I don’t use too many colored pens in my main planner, but I do use them in my wellness section and periodically in my supplemental planners. My favorites are the Stabilo Fineliner Pens. These are felt pens with a .4mm nib and come in a huge range of colors. The thing that I love about these is the size. They’re really narrow which gives you a lot of flexibility and control of your design.

If you aren’t a fan of the slim profile, TUL has some nice felt fineliner pens with a .4mm nib that are similar to the Stabilo’s but with a much wider barrel. Pentel and Sharpie make some nice gel pens as well, just make sure that you always do a pen test to ensure you like the way it feels in your hand and to make sure it doesn’t bleed through your paper.

Pencils

I don’t use pencils too often except when I’m sketching or bullet journaling. When I do need one, the only ones I use are these old school Papermate mechanical pencils. You can buy these pretty much anywhere - I think I got a pack of 40 of these from either Walmart or Target, but they last forever and should serve you well as a basic everyday pencil. If you do a lot of heavy writing or sketching you will definitely want to choose a higher quality pencil - as the lead in the Papermate does tend to break if you use it excessively, however this should be fine for periodic use.

Highlighters

The primary highlighters I use are the Mildliner Brush Pens. These are perfect for key coding or marking the state of your tasks or to-dos. A few ways I use my highlighters for are:
- In my weekly spread to mark which meetings were moved or which one were cancelled.
- In my finance planner to color code the expense categories I’m tracking for the year - that way at the end of the month it’s much easier to total my tracked expenses when I complete my monthly summaries.
- To track my weight and mood in my wellness section and wellbeing planner.
- To highlight dates and events in my work notebook.
The cool thing about the Mildliner Brush Pens is that they are dual tip highlighters so you have your brush on one side and then a fine tip marker on the other should you need to use it.

Markers

The last writing utensil that is a staple in my planning routine are markers - more specifically dot markers. The ones I use are the Kuretake Zig Clean Color Dot Markers. Similar to the highlighters, they come in several colors and are great tools for color coding and marking specific dates. I use these all the time in my fitness planner to differentiate between types of exercise on my main calendar spread and on sticky notes to highlight an appointment or list item.
These also make an excellent alternative to dot stickers. If you don’t use stickers in your planner or are looking for something that doesn’t bulk up your page, then dot markers are a really good option. Similar to stickers they can help you identify priorities and other focus points much quicker and they also add color and vibrance to your spreads while still remaining super functional.
They make a great option for those who don’t tend to change out their planner supplies very often. As many of us know, stickers do tend to run out quickly. and depending on how often you purchase stickers, it may be a bit more practical to opt for dot markers instead - especially if you are trying to minimize your sticker collections or cut back on planner supply spending.
One thing to note: These markers do tend to bleed through paper if you press down too hard, so make sure that you always press down lightly or choose a heavier weight paper if you have that option.
Lastly, with stickers you can always reposition them if you need to where with dot markers, you are pretty much stuck with where you make your mark. The only way to remove it is to cover it up in some way, which brings us to our 4th must have essential!

4. White Out/Correction Tape

If you use pens, markers, or any other permanent writing utensils then at some point a mistake is bound to happen and white out will become your new best friend! Like most items on my list, there are tons of options on the market, however one that I frequently use is the TomBow correction tape. I really like that the tape on this one is super thin so you don’t have to worry about it looking too raised off of your paper. It also has a mechanism at the narrow end that helps to release the tape a lot smoother than similar correction tape and keeps the line looking really neat on your page. The other great thing about correction tape in general is that because it’s not wet, you can write over it instantly.

The second option I use is just the old school brush white out by Bic. I’ll mainly use this one in my notebook or journal that I’m not using as often throughout the day. With liquid correction, you tend to get a more consistent spread of color over a much larger area. The downside to this one is that it can take forever to dry - even for the quick dry bottles.

I always have these in my planner bag and at my desk. It keeps you from wasting paper or having to do a bunch of rewrites.

If you don’t want to use either of these two options you can opt for a white paint pen or marker. Most are around the same size as a regular pen and don’t take up any extra space in your bag. You can’t really use these to correct large areas, but they work super well for tiny mistakes, such as making a line a little too long or putting a bullet point in the wrong section.

Lastly, if you don’t want to deal with pens or white out at all, you can always utilize stickers, sticky notes, or washi tape to cover up errors as well.

5. Label Maker

Brother P-Touch Label Maker — Brother Label Maker

So if you like to make your own labels or task cards, categorize sections, label your file folders or storage bins, or add text to just about anywhere you can think of, a label maker is a MUST HAVE accessory. I can’t tell you how many times this has come in handy for me. These are just a few of the ways I use mine:

On page flags in my weekly layout.
To label past year planner storage and boxes in the garage.
In my kitchen to label ingredient jars or pantry items.
On travel size shampoo, face wash, and skincare bottles.
In my car to label items in my emergency kit.

Of course you can always hand write labels, or print your own with Microsoft or Avery templates as well. I do like using templates, but they tend to be more beneficial when you’re printing in bulk. For single labels or if you need a few at a time, a label maker is going to save you a whole lot of time and (more importantly) ink!

My favorite is the Brother P-touch label maker. The great thing about about this one is that it has so many different styles and templates you can choose from. There’s a large variety of fonts and symbols and it even has an emoji keyboard. You can also purchase different label tape for it as well. I personally love transparent tape. It looks really great when labeling clear or semi-clear bottles or storage bins. The standard white tape that most label makers come with is perfect for labeling anything with a dark background like planner or sticker storage.

6. Page Lifter

Page lifters are one of those things that you don’t know you need until you have it. The intended purpose of a page lifter is to lift the back pages in your planner so they don’t curve or bend when you open and close your agenda. A lot of them have wider openings at the top and bottom and sometimes on each hole that are there to help keep your pages from pulling at the ring edge. Because it raises your paper at the rings, it keeps you back pages straight and in line with the other pages in your planner.

In terms of keeping your planner neat and aesthetically pleasing, page lifters are definitely a must have; but they also serve as extra storage space for page flags and sticky notes so you never run out in a pinch.

If you don’t want to purchase a page lifter, one alternative is to make one yourself. The one I have is from Poi & Hun, but you can use a heavy cardstock or flexi plastic - just make sure that when you punch your holes, you make them wider so it can adjust when flipped and not cause your pages to rip. A lot of people use extra dividers as page lifters and that’s fine, just keep in mind that there may be a time where you want to use that divider as an additional section. If it does get bent or damaged over time, it won’t look as nice in your agenda.

7. Functional Stickers

So I’ve spoken briefly about stickers and this one is certainly optional, however functional stickers are absolutely essential for those who do use them.I use these every single day when I’m planning. I use them on my wall calendar, overviews, monthlies, weeklies, supplemental sections, in my wallet - for me, aside from sticky notes - functional stickers are by far my most useful addition to my planning routine. It not only keeps me on top of my tasks and schedule, but it also saves time and energy when I’m using my planner during the work day.

I think when most people think of functional stickers, they think of dot stickers, icon stickers, or simple shape stickers, and those are definitely the most common. So many shops sell functional stickers. They come in all sizes and can be used for a number of reasons. I like to use dot stickers on my yearly overview to highlight birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates. I use them in my quarterly planner to mark deadlines and on my monthly spreads to mark holidays and bills. In my finance section, I use them to mark if something is a sinking fund, a reimbursable or business expense, or if I paid using cash.

I like to use icon stickers in my weekly spreads. They’re a perfect way to categorize a meeting or event without having to write out the name. I have several to mark birthdays, appointments, important meetings or phone calls, exercise days, vet appointments, and a lot more specific activities.

One of the goals of functional planning is giving everything a purpose and using your time and space effectively. That’s the thing I love about stickers - it’s an easy way to highlight something important without having to write it out. It also adds a decorative element to your spread while also keeping your layout clean and functional.

8. Printable System

So the 8th essential is a total game changer for those of us who print inserts from home, and that is a four part system all geared around printing your inserts from home. Those items are: paper, a paper trimmer, a printer, and a hole punch.

If you have a ring planner or a disc planner, you know that you have to purchase inserts to fill them with. While you can always purchase from planner shops, sometimes it’s easier and more cost effective in the long run to print inserts yourself. One of the main layouts I always reprint are notes or list pages. Since these are inserts that you use all the time, having a template that you can print whenever you want is going to save you time and money compared to purchasing a set number of notes pages over and over again from a shop - especially when you add in shipping.

Disclaimer: If you don’t have any of the 4 items I’ve listed, it will most likely cost quite a bit up front, so make sure you really have a good idea of how often you are going to be using inserts and your planning system BEFORE you go out and purchase these tools. Although it is pricey up front, overtime it can save you a lot of money, but only if you use/print inserts regularly.

Paper

Step one once you’ve downloaded your printable or created your own, is printing. Before you print however, you need to purchase the right type of paper. Typically you want a heavier weight paper for your planner so it’s more durable and you get less ghosting. The paper I use is the HP Premium Choice Laser Paper from Office Depot. It’s 32 lb paper and is my absolute favorite to print on. It has a nice smooth feel to it and has a crisp white finish. I’ve also used the Xerox Bold Digital 32lb paper as well. It’s a little more of an off-white color which matches the color of several of the popular planner shops. One thing I like to do is go to Office Depot or Office Max and test out paper before I purchase, but you can also purchase nice high quality paper from Amazon or online specialty shops.

Paper Cutter

The next item you’re going to want is a good paper cutter. This is definitely not a one size fits all - trust me! There are A LOT of lower quality paper cutters on the market that unfortunately just don’t cut that well and don’t hold up over time. Also, a lot of these aren’t cheap so you want to make sure you read the reviews on whichever option you decide to purchase.
A couple of things to look out for:
- Comments that mention frayed edges. These tend to happen on trimmers where the blades aren’t as sharp or the track is wobbly.
- Paper Limit. Some cutters only let you cut 2 or 3 sheets at a time before the edges will bend or fray, while others can hold up to 15 or 20 sheets. Cutters with chop arms can bend pages if you don’t hold it just right.
- Upkeep. You want to keep an eye out for what type of upkeep and how much it may cost to maintain your cutter - especially for those where you have to replace the blades.

My favorite is the Procision Rotary Bypass Trimmer by Fiskers. It is a bit of an investment, but it gives me the cleanest lines of any trimmer I’ve used. It also has a self sharpening blade so I don’t have to worry about replacing it. The only downside to this one is that you can’t lift the blade so you have to be really careful with crop marks. If you use the standard 90 degree outward facing marks, you’ll end up cutting the crop line on the third turn which may throw off your measurements. To combat that, one little thing I like to do is take a pencil and extend that line just a little past the cuff so that way when you cut you still have a guide.

Printer

The third item you need in a printing system is - of course - a printer. There are probably just as many printers on the market as there is paper, and tbh most printers will suffice for printing planner inserts, however if you don’t already have a printer there are a couple of things I recommend you consider before you purchase.

First, I highly recommend you purchase a duplex printer (can print on both sides). You can manually turn pages, but being able to print on the front and back of a page is a nice feature to have and saves a lot of time, particularly when if you are printing a lot of pages at once.
Second, I would decide between buying a laser printer or an inkjet printer. There’s a lot of differences between the two, but for the purposes of printing printables, there’s just a few key things to consider.
- InkJet Printers tend to do better with intermittent printing as well as graphics. If you are printing something with a lot of color a few times a week or so, this may be the better option for you.
- Laser Printers are designed for heavy duty printing and really excel with black and white print. They also print super fast and the ink looks really sharp on paper.

The laser printer I have is the Hp Color Laser Jet Pro M255dw. The print quality is really good and the lines print out nice and sharp.
Laser printers tend to be pricier than inkjets so timing your purchase around a sale will cut down your cost significantly. I purchased this one from Office Depot at a Black Friday sale.

I also have an inkjet printer. Mine is the Canon Pixma All in One and is a really great cost effective option. I also purchased this one at a Black Friday sale from Best Buy, and primarily use it as a backup or if I need to

print something with a lot of color. Ultimately, the difference will really show if you do a lot of heavy printing or if you print high quality graphics or complex text.

Hole Punch

The last item you need in your printable system is a hole punch. Ideally you want to purchase one that’s adjustable to different sizes.

This one is by The Happy Planner and adjusts to several of the most popular planner sizes. I purchased this specific one from Hobby Lobby, but I believe Michaels carries this one as well.
I also have a disc punch for my disc bound planners. This is the Arc System adjustable punch. I purchased this one from Staples a while back, but you can find some great ones on Amazon as well.

Unlike paper trimmers, most hole punches will suffice for your needs (even the lower quality ones aren’t horrible), just make sure not to put too much paper inside so it doesn’t get stuck or hung up after you punch.

9. Acrylic Ruler

Acrylic rulers are not only great for taking quick measurements, but they are perfect for bullet journaling and sketching as well. I use these in my wellness planner to draw lines and grid boxes and anytime I’m sketching a design or making lists in my goal planner.

The great thing about these rulers is that they’re transparent which allows you to see the start and stop of your ink under the ruler so your lines are much more precise. If you use washi tape, and use a snipping tool or paper cutter to cut the tape, you will definitely want to grab an acrylic ruler as a guide on your page. Because they tend to be more durable than plastic rulers, you don’t get those little nicks in the side that can throw off your alignment. I can’t tell you how many pages and designs I’ve messed up by accidentally cutting into the plastic when tracing.

Another thing I use these for is tearing washi tape. If I don’t have my snipping tool on me, I just lay this at the edge, tear the end, and it gives me a straight line without having to use scissors or a cutter.

You can buy these several places. The clear ruler came in a set on Amazon and the multi-color one came from Erin Condren.

10. Storage

So the 10th must have planner essential is storage, and having proper storage can be the difference between finishing a task in five minutes versus an hour. Planner supplies builds up so quickly, and without a good storage system, you can easily misplace or lose things which inadvertently can impact your overall productivity - especially when you’re working on a deadline.

How and where you store your supplies depends on a number of things, but in general you want to store the things you use the most often within arms reach and the things you use less often further away. Storage option that have cabinets or drawers are always a good idea. It keeps your space looking neat and organized and is a good way to store excess supplies out of sight. Drawer organizers work really well too and are perfect for keeping all of your smaller items together like paperclips and page flags.

My storage system is compiled of a number of different things. I have acrylic makeup holders to store some of my smaller items like stickers, pens, memo pads and extra supplies.

For my larger items like notebooks and inserts, I like to use storage boxes from orders placed online as well as any decorative boxes that I may have lying around. Again it’s just a really good way to store things out of sight but still be able to access your supplies when you need to.

If you’re looking for a way to store excess dividers or dashboards, you can use extra planners or planners specifically for storage. I really like vinyl covers for this purpose. I like the transparency, and it’s easy to see what’s in each one on a shelf without having to remove it. The ones I purchase come in a two pack on Amazon for less than twenty dollars.

Home Office Setup — Home Office Spaceb- L-Shaped Desk

If you have a small office or setup like I do, it can be especially difficult to find space to put things without it looking too cluttered. My office is around 140 square feet, and I currently use it as my main office, studio, and a playroom for Luna Lovegood (my needy rescue kitty - and yes she’s a Ravenclaw).

Needless to say - I DEFINITELY had to get creative with the space I do have. My setup allows me to make the most of the area where I spend the most time, and I’ve sectioned off things based on what I will most likely need to use in that space. So first, I have two desks - both with storage.

I have a larger L-shaped desk that I purchased off of Amazon. The great thing about this one is that it has 3 pretty deep drawers where I keep a variety of supplies and then a shelf where I have my acrylic storage, receipt file, and printer. I also purchased a 3 file drawer system under the main part of the desk for additional storage as well.

Flexispot Standing Desk — Home Office Space - Standing Work Desk

The second desk is my ‘work desk’ that I purchased off of Wayfair. This is by far one of the best purchases I’ve made recently. This is a standing desk which has been an absolute God send ever since I began working from home. There’s one drawer in the middle which is where I keep my journal, some sticky notes, my blue light glasses, and other things I use on a regular basis.
The other thing I love about this desk is that you have charging ports on the side where you can plug in your phone, or iPad directly from the desk instead of having to find a wall outlet - very handy if your desk floats in the middle of your room instead of it being up against a wall.

With my office being on the smaller side, I can’t store everything in here so I repurposed my closet to store paper, stickers, folders, books, and other things that I don’t grab for as often. I also use one corner of the closet to store all of my filming equipment like my box lights, mounts, and supplemental lighting.

In addition, I use my hallway cabinets to store my paper cutters, specialty paper, hole punches, and other larger equipment, and I use the tv stand in my living room to house extra cords, binders, my laminator, and other things I reach for no more than once a month or so.

Bonus: Journaling Cards

So I have one bonus item, and that is journaling cards. Journaling cards (or planner cards) are decorative and they add a personal touch to your planner, but the reason I consider them an essential planner item is because they always bring a dose of positivity to your day. They often have great or funny quotes or affirmations and remind you to take a break, slow down, and focus on the things that are the most important to you.

I tend to struggle with anxiety and there are days where I wake up and don’t feel motivated or moments where I’ve finished a rough meeting and need a pick me up! Flipping in my planner and reading a quote on a journaling card may make me smile or laugh a little and my mood is instantly a little better.

It’s A Wrap!

That wraps up my top 10 must have planning essentials! Make sure to head over to the Aisles to explore more planner essentials broken down by the areas you find most interesting.

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Until next time, have a wonderful rest of your day,

xoxo, Kel

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