5 Quirky Uses for a Filofax

5 Quirky Uses is a new periodic feature for Strange & Charmed. For each post, I will select an everyday item and suggest five alternate uses or ways to upcycle the item in a fun or unusual way. Keep up with these posts with the Quirky Uses category!

True story, everyone! For some reason or another (all completely legitimate in my mind) I own four Filofax style planners. Two are actually Filofax brand name, one is my lovely Kikki K Time Planner (discontinued) and one is my personal sized Kate Spade! Now, the thing is, although I bought each planner with some grand idea of how I was going to use it in a slightly different way, I have recently woken up to the idea that these planners need to be repurposed or sold. Since, I like many other Filofax enthusiasts own more than one planner and refuse to sell any of them (are you kidding me, they are each beautiful and unique!) I have opted for repurposing the extra three I never use. So, I came up with a list of very useful ways to use a Filofax style planner, so we can all justify our obsessions and have them all!

1. A Home Binder: This would be perfect for any extra A5’s lying around because you can store documents folded in half and punched! A home binder is a place where you can keep all the important information for your home and items in it. Warranty information, insurance paperwork, schedules for regular maintenance and even home decor information (like the color paints and types of flooring used in case of repair). Anything that refers to your home (owned or rented) can be stored away inside in case it needs to be referenced.

2. A Dedicated Blog or Business Binder: If you run a side business or a blog from home, having an extra binder around that stores all your important information and schedules is a great way to repurpose a Filofax. Yes, some of your business information may also be important in your day-to-day planner, but having a dedicated place for business information, projects you are working on and specific business contacts means that you don’t have to cram it all in your daily carry and I think giving your blog or business its own binder that you leave at home and only take with you when needed is a great way to actually help you “switch gears” throughout the day.

3. A Gratitude or Happiness Binder: I am a major proponent of the importance of gratitude journaling and I think that it’s an awesome idea to repurpose a beautiful planner or Filofax into a place where you can store and write about all the things that make you happy and thankful in your life. In a way it could be like an inspiration board but instead of posting things on a single surface you have pages and inserts to decorate and theme out for each element of your life that makes you happy and grateful. You can keep gratitude lists, lists of your favorite things like books, movies, people and places. You can include pictures, sketches, or collages; the possibilities are endless, and at the end of the day it can be your happy place to help you lift your spirit and find joy in your life!

4. A Personalized Devotional: No matter what your religion or spiritual status, many people like to find peace and solice in a daily devotional. You can use a Filofax style planner to create your own with your favorite verses, prayers and inspirational stories and create your own schedule for private study. There are so many people out there who are trying on a daily basis to create a closer bond with their religious or spiritual side and creating a personal devotional is a wonderful activity that would give you time to both create and reflect on the subject.

5. A Health & Wellness Binder: If you are struggling with a health issue, trying to lose weight, or just want to keep a closer eye on your health in general, having a dedicated binder for your Health & Wellness may be a great way for you to track your day-to-day condition, the foods you’re eating and even your mood. I think a Filofax would be a wonderful place to store information like healthy recipes, exercise routines and important information about your physical and mental health so that you have all that information with you when you visit your physician. I think even expectant mothers would find this sort of binder useful as they track and almost journal their experience of pregnancy into motherhood that can then be something of a keepsake for them and their family.

I hope you have enjoyed these tips and if you currently use a Filofax for any of these purposes, please let us know in the comments below and be sure to leave your tips on getting started or elements that would be helpful for others to include if they were to start one of these binders for themselves! As always, if you have any additional uses for a Filofax, please leave those below so we get even more inspiration from the community!