PLANMAS | HAPPY PLANNER FOR BEGINNERS | NEW TO HAPPY PLANNER?

Wish I'd had this info before I made my purchases...very useful info Reenie!

Great video! I just started with Happy Planner in the Spring and there are a few tips I wish I knew before starting out.
1) Decorating with stickers is huge, but if that's not your thing, that's okay! The Happy Planner sticker books can be crazy expensive. Dollar Tree usually has a massive selection. Cheaper stickers can be just as nice.
2) Etsy is amazing for finding anything for planners, from covers to dividers, discs and printables. You can even get custom covers made. If you're not sold on any of the planner designs or sticker books, you might find something more suited to you on Etsy.
3) The Arc line of planners/notebooks at Staples, at least the big size, is compatible with the big Happy Planner. Their paper, dividers, and even rings although different can be much more cost effective, especially if you want something either less fancy or more notebook-minded.
4) You can use just about any paper with discbound planners, even looseleaf. Bear in mind that the thinner the paper, the more fragile it is in the planner. 32 lb. paper is about the best for printing as if you use markers, it won't bleed through.
5) Check out some videos on diy covers or other planner crafts. You may find you prefer to make some of your own dashboards or covers, etc.. (My fave: making a clear frosted cover from dollar sotre placemats.) If you are the crafty sort, you might find that the DIY route works well for you.
6) The Happy Planner hole punch is not very strong. It punches about 3 pages at a time. There are stronger options like the Staples Arc punch, or, my favorite, the Crop-O-Dile Power Punch, which you can get with coupons at Michaels for big savings. It's great for making covers!
7) If you're not sure what planner layout you like, look on Etsy for a printable that is similar. You can buy digital printables for usually around $5 give or take. This is a good way to test out how a layout would work for you before you spend the big bucks on a planner. And then you'll also have printables you can use in the future, too.
8) It's normal to go a little crazy when you start out - you'll want to hop on every sale and buy every planner you like! This happened in my case. I am not a fan of vertical personally, yet that didn't stop me. Not knowing when the new planners release contributed to this. Though I love all the covers, I am sitting on some vertical pages that I don't know what to do with. So again, Etsy printables to learn which layouts you like ahead of time. It took me a while, and many purchases later, to find the layouts that work best for me.
9) Ask yourself what you need the planners for, and if you need a section in a planner, or a whole planner. Starting off with a section in a planner can help you figure that out and potentially save you money.

I'm still fairly new to disc-bound planning and am always seeking information to make better decisions when selecting products. The one thing I didn't know (but probably should have realized) is that the plastic discs will crack. I take my planners with me nearly everywhere I go, and the plastic discs have proven not to be durable for that. I'm switching to metal.