(Part 2) Top products from r/bujo

Background: My girlfriend (22F) doesn't have a lot of hobbies, but the one thing she LOVES is bullet journaling. I've seen her get so excited when she talks about about her spreads, future layouts, journaling materials, and BUJO youtubers. I (boyfriend) literally know nothing about journaling, but seeing her get so happy about it is adorable.

I already bought her a more practical and expensive Christmas present, but I wanted to get her another present that she'd really get excited about. Getting her BUJO pens would be the best since she already has a journal for the new year. My price range is under $35.

I also know that she's really specific about what she enjoys and what materials she uses for BUJO'ing. If I did research on my own or went to a store, I know I'd get something she wouldn't like. So I figured I'd ask a community that knows what they're talking about haha

Does anyone have some suggestions or links to good pens? If you recommend something in-store, like Michael's, can you post a picture of the item so I make sure I get the right one?

Maybe helpful? She was interested in this blendpen. But after she got it, she said it was 'a dud'

For what it's worth, I think the LT1917 has become a standard because the original Bullet Journal web page sells them under their brand.

As mentioned here, LT1917 is 80gsm, which is relatively thin and makes a lot of pens bleed through and ghost. For more information about bleeding, ghosting, and general comparison between notebooks I recommend watching Which Notebook is the Best for Bullet Journaling?! (skip to 11:00 to see the comparison chart). I prefer Scribbles That Matter which is thicker (100gsm) and feels smoother to write on. My next purchase will probably be a Midori with 120gsm or a Rhodia to try them out.

One of the core principals of Bullet Journalism is that there are no hard rules. While it comes with some guidelines, you are free to use it however you see fit. Which means that there are no predefined pages. So for the most part you are going to be drawing the layouts. And this is why a Dotted paper helps because you can use the dots to draw your own layouts. You can checkout Pinterest for inspiration. The community uses the term "spreads" to signify two-page layouts used for all sorts of things.

As for pens, many recommend the Sakura Pigma Micron for good reason. While I use them for more "serious" work, when it comes to EDC I would highly recommend the Muji 0.38mm Fine Point Gel Pens. Unlike the Microns, they are not felt tip (which is why I wouldn't use them for EDC) but very sharp ball point pen with great consistency. A lot of people swear by the Pilot G2 0.38mm Ultra Fine Point but personally I wasn't pleased with them.

Finally, regarding the things you want to track, as I mentioned earlier, you can simply define the layouts of each page and track whatever you wish. A lot of the spreads you see from the community are really intricate. You can find a variety of them from very crazy daily layouts to minimal ones. It's all up to you.

Having said that, if drawing your own layouts daily seems like a lot of work (a lot of people actually spend a few hours planning them beforehand), then you might want to consider a more traditional Planner instead. As mentioned ITT, the Nomadic Planner has good paper (125gsm), weekly and monthly pages as well as lined and blanks for notes and the rest.

There is a whole universe of things to consider (and I'm more than happy to geek out about it), but I'd say just start with whatever. Don't think about it too much. Most of the negatives are personal, so while LT1917 doesn't work for some, it might for you. You'll figure things out as you go.

For me, the fineliners of any brand that are actually metal nibs do get a little scratchy but you just rotate the pen in your hand, like you do with pencils as they get blunt. You can't use too much pressure on them or use them up against rulers too hard because it cuts into the tip (and no metal rulers at all!). For me, the Papermate Flairs actually drag on the page compared to my fineliners which flow really nicely when you're on the right part of the nib. I actually like the Artline 200 Fineliner in black for my usual writing. Or the Papermate Inkjoy gelpens in the 0.7mm tip.

The Staedlers are a much finer point, I think they're 0.3mm when the Papermate Flairs are 0.7mm. So they're good for writing and small detail but you might want to stick to Flairs if you like nice bold lines for boxes and stuff. The Sharpie Fine Point that I use is 0.7mm but I know there's a Sharpie Permanent Marker that's fine point so I thought I'd link the exact one. The Artline 200 is a 0.4mm tip. So based on what you use and their tip size, the actual Staedler Fineliners might not be best for you but there might be some that are more what you like based on tip size.

It goes on clear but on BuJo paper (Leuchtturm, etc) it stays wet enough to see a word or two before it dries completely. During writing and when it is dry it remains UV reactive -- is is a 'bulletproof' ink.

Not sure of your budget or locale, but using Goulet Pens as a source, $13.50 gets you 3oz. $18 gets you 4.5 oz and a free pen. If you don't have a fountain pen already, a TWSBI Go in Med nib is $18.99. You can also get sample inks for <$2.

As for a UV light, try Nite Ize Radiant UV Microlight for $11.74 from Amazon.

I use a journal that has gridded sheets! Nitoms STALOGY 365DaysNotebook A5 I believe there’s a new version out now that’s available through prime.

I like gridded paper better than dots and much better than lined ☺️

They're great pens! I almost exclusively use those and 0.8mm Sharpie pens for drawing, the Uniballs are fantastic for lining and fine hatching while the Sharpies have a much more organic feel to the stripes they lay.

I use Blueline’s Miracle Bind notebooks for my work. (link) The movable pages are reinforced and can be moved multiple times without concern (an issue I had with Disc). I now use the full size, but got the smaller 9x7 first and loved it.

You’d probably enjoy learning more about behavioral economics!

Classics to start with are the book Nudge and the Freakonomics podcast.

This is an old episode, but it’s one of my favorites — #200 When Willpower Isn’t Enough

https://www.amazon.com/Lamy-Safari-Fountain-Pen-Charcoal/dp/B0002T401Y
$21.12 on Amazon. Apparently I purchased this pen back in 2016. Also, r/fountainpens would love you, if you're not already there.

It works pretty well. https://www.amazon.com/Stamps-Impression-ST-0999-Calendar/dp/B00HROKTAI/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=calendar+stamp&qid=1556043855&s=gateway&sr=8-4

This Leuctturm I love the red dots and edges of the notebook.

I also use these Pilot v5 pens - only black, red, blue, and green. Black for most words and lines, red for finished tasks, blue for changes, and green for finished days.

This journal has been my ride or die, the pages are super thick, the dots are closer together then on a Leuchtturm. No bleed through, it's amazing! Only $11 on Amazon, too!

Ah, I see now. That’s neat:) I haven’t seen anything similar though. Do you require a small monthly calendar frequently enough that you need a whole roll, or would a year’s worth of small monthly calendar stickers (dated rather than perpetual) like these work? I’ve seen them in various styles and colors.

I notice that you sleep 6-7 hours during week days and "catch up" on saturday and sunday.

According to the book: why we sleep, you can't really get back the sleep you lost. You might feel better by sleeping longer, but you lose some benefits of sleep that you can't get back.

I use these, you can write on them and they're infinitely removable.

Tūl gels are my personal go to. They are smooth, consistent, and quick drying. They are a little pricier, and as far as I know office max is the only brick-and-mortar store that carries them.

Helix 360 Degree Angle and Circle... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0044S5CZM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

The real problem here is procrastination on the PhD. You have to tackle that head on (I took ten years to write my thesis, so I feel your pain). You can do the pomodoro method or set firm goals for each day, whatever works. Maybe make some deadlines with your thesis advisor, and get them involved, so that you are committed to handing in drafts of parts of the thesis at certain times. There are a lot of books about beating procrastination, I like this one: https://www.google.dk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.amazon.com/Eat-That-Frog-Second-Procrastinating/dp/0792754840&ved=0ahUKEwixjNyf857WAhVEEJoKHQGNAXEQFghTMAc&usg=AFQjCNHJCbDakv70BnLQGaKMoM9BL160NQ

Perpetual Disappointments Diary