Tuesday, August 30, 2016

12 Uses for Spiral Notebooks (besides the obvious)


FTC disclaimer:  This post may contain affiliate links.

I absolutely love notebooks.  I have always loved this time of year because school supplies go on sale, and a new notebook is so full of potential.

Here are some ways I have used notebooks over the years, besides the obvious for school.

1. Journal.  Seriously, who would think someone would keep a journal is a notebook, even more so if you write "MATH" on the cover.  My mother even used one to write a letter to a friend.  The. whole. notebook. A letter!  Wow.

2.  Savings Tracker.  I used to take a notebook every year and write down everything I received in the mail -- this was when all mail in rebates were through the mail and not through Ibotta.  I would calculate how much I spent at the store, how much I saved
in coupons, and at the end of the year I could see how much my couponing actually saved me.  In the early 1990s, I usually saved $2500 - $3000 a year with my coupon hobby.  I keep saying I want to do this again, but I never seem to get around to it, but I love reading through my old notebooks.

3.  Blogging.  I have a blog notebook where I write down ideas for future posts.  I have a page for posts that I do regularly, such as the monthly sponsored post I do, what I have planned for my Christmas without debt series, and more.  Since I primarily blog about three topics, I have sections for each of those topics.

4.  Taking notes of things from the Internet.  I have taken different online courses about blogging, and while this is much like the school application of notebooks, it also applies to other areas.  I am on a number of eBay message boards and I have a notebook where I write down ideas and tricks and advice people give that I want to remember.  In a similar vein, I have a completed notebook and another one started where I have taken notes on books I have read and quotes.  (Complete with book title, author, and page number in case I ever want to quote them in a blog post.)  I also used to use them to take sermon notes in church.

5.  Pet Health Record.  Guinea pigs should be weighed once a week.  Any changes in their health should be noted.  Even though I'm a guinea pig person, this would also work for any other pets.

6.  Budgeting book.  My mother used to always write down her expenses and her income in a notebook every month.  This is really important to me because I have so many different streams of income that I really need to track things really well.

7.  Important notes keeper.  I use one as a password log.  I also include important phone numbers, both ones that I don't want to program into my phone as well as numbers I wouldn't know if I lost my phone or it lost its memory.  It amazes me my husband doesn't even know my phone number, but I'm sure he's not the only one who would be lost if his contacts would accidentally go missing for some reason.

8.  Record of ______.   I keep a notebook of all the books I have read.  I have a friend who keeps a record of every board game he plays, who he played it with, and what the score was.  You could keep track of movies watched, or whatever your hobby is, you could document it.

9.  Home and car repair / replacement record.  Anytime you do anything to the car or house, record it, as well as when you purchase a new item.  It's an easy way to see if warranties are still valid, or if it's time to change your car's oil.

10.  Lists to discover yourself.  Places you would like to visit.  Favorite songs.  Top ten people you would like to meet.  Favorite memories.

11.  "One line a day" inspirations.  A blessing you received each day.  An opportunity that came your way.  Something that made you happy.

12.  Write a story with another person, possibly even your child.  Write a paragraph and the other person writes a paragraph, and so on until you have written a whole story.  My best friend and I did this in high school and we decided to call our notebooks (so we each would have something to write each day) our Hermans.  Don't ask me why.  We were just weird, okay?  But I still have my Herman -- I mean my notebook.

These are just a few ways I have used spiral notebooks, and I'd love to hear the unique ways you use yours!  So be sure and stock up this time of year when they are at their lowest price, because if you are like me, you'll look forward to being able to buy new ones next year!


1 comment:

  1. Oh you and I would get along just fine! I have so many notebooks - one for blogging stuff, one for my other work, one where I track my weight and workouts, one for my budget and tracking spending ... the list goes on! :)

    ReplyDelete