March 2024 Bullet Journal
The month of March has already started and with that we have a new bullet journal spread. As I've done with my past bullet journal videos I have done this tie in blog explaining what’s going on in my monthly set up, but I have to say I think this is the soft spot of functionality and ease of set up. Grid spacings are listed at the bottom of this blog.
This spread took me about an hour and a half, I actually cut out about 30 minutes of blank space when I was editing, because I just let the camera roll. So there is the first thing about this month's spread, I used stickers and I think the longest part of the stickers was to decide which ones to use. I ended up going with similar colored planner stickers, from family and friends that don't use the complementary stickers that come with day planners, and my pack of Harry Potter stickers that I have had and used in spreads before. When your looking to do a quick bullet journal spread, stickers and stamps and stencils are great. They are something you don't have to invest in, especially when you start, but are nice to have later on. I last bought stationary supplies which included the Harry Potter stickers around 3 years ago, this month I bought new supplies to add to my collection and I can't wait to show you all when I get them.
When looking to buy stationary supplies don't discount the dollar store and hobby stores, sometimes you can get stationary at cents on the dollar when you find good sales and also if the company has coupons. We love saving money right friends. Speaking of saving money, those free stickers I mentioned above from other planners are a thing. For me, people around me know I do the bullet journal thing and they end up asking me all the time why they come with the planners and since they don't use them would I use them. The answer to the free stickers is both marketing and even ease of use. Your bound to buy a planner with some freebies, even if it's for a gift to a friend. Your more inclined to purchase that verses a planner that is the exact same color, same size, same set up, same page count, same notes and more. The only difference is that little set of stickers, your going to buy it because it's more bang for your buck. I'm not against that at all, the alternative is this exact same journal getting tossed in the garbage when its not bought in the next calendar year (unless you have the foresight to buy for the future, hello 1996 nostalgia. )
That reason above, the planners being obsolete and getting tossed, is a reason why I enjoy Bullet Journaling. If your not above taking that extra few minutes to pen or pencil in the dates, you don't even have to use that in the year you bought it. Or when gift giving, the person may already have a planner (or student planner) they are using and won't be able to start in January with a new planner. Heck my planner didn't start in January, my current planner actually started in July of 2023 and I will probably make it last until June at this point.
March 2024 Cover Page with Harry Potter Stickers. That Mom Mercedes.
The point above all is do what functions best for you. If your looking to get pre set up pages or if your looking to customize your calendar, do that. If your going to use only the week days of your calendar and not touch the weekends, don't put them in there. I put this nice little grey footer on my weekly page (which is essentially just a bigger calendar page) that indicates the weekend. It helps me know visually because it's not at the end caps of the week. I've used the standard weekly spread but I've been enjoying having everything on one page so it works great for me. Plus it saves me space in the long run.
In the end, do what works for you. Do what will be the best functioning spread for you. Don't be afraid to use stickers, stencils, washi tape, and more extras if they give you a quicker set up. It's your calendar after all.
The Rulings of the pages are as followed in a Scribbles That Matter A5 size dot grid journal.
Calendar Page- 6 x 6
Garden Page- 3 x 4 and 4 x 4
Weekly Spread-10 x 6 and 10 x 7
Dashboard- 38 x 13
March Calendar Page. That Mom Mercedes.
I hope you all have a fantastic week and an excellent March.
