Monday, 30 September 2013

My Filofax weekend problem and solution

Since I moved into my personal size Filofax ten weeks ago I have had a problem with the layout of the week on two pages diary that came with the Original.  I really dislike how small the weekend is!  I kept looking at the inserts and thinking "What can I do to make this work for me?" because I didn't want to have to buy a replacement diary.  I think it was especially problematic because I was downsizing from an A5 Filofax so my planning space already felt small without the teeny tiny weekend I was faced with.  I'm not saying that I'm really busy every weekend but sometimes I can have more to do on a Saturday or Sunday than I do on a week day.  

Filofax week on two page diary

The Original came with a small notebook tucked into a slot on the back pocket so I decided to use these sheets of paper to make my weekend section a bit bigger.  It is the perfect width for me to place it on the page horizontally, stick it down with a thin piece of washi tape and then trim the excess paper off.  Doing this does make my Friday space smaller but it is hardly noticeable.

My solution

I then turn the paper over and punch new holes over the old ones.

What I am left with

I did realise that after I had decorated the pages with washi tape that I probably hadn't  given myself a lot of extra room so I decided to measure the preprinted weekend and my own version just to check.  Taking into account the line that separates the two days, the names in five languages and the monthly calender you get less than 4cm of blank space in total for Saturday and Sunday on the preprinted pages.  Doing it my way gives me between 5 and 5.5cm of blank space depending on which washi tape I use.  It may not sound like much extra room but it feels a lot bigger to me!  I also prefer how it looks and as it only takes me a couple of minutes to do each week I will carry on doing this until the end of the year.

 Does you diary have a smaller space for Saturday and Sunday or is it the same as the rest of the week?
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8 comments:

  1. Angel Jem30 September 2013 at 19:19

    I love cotton cream inserts so my pages have 4 equal sections with a notes part at the top of a page. It works for me!

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    1. Amanda Carter30 September 2013 at 19:35

      Thanks Angel Jem, I will remember that when I need a new refill. I know the Original came with a 2014 diary with a different layout but I can't remember which it was and I took it out to create more room so I'll have to dig it out to check if it's any good.

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  2. Anonymous30 September 2013 at 19:28

    That's a good idea! I've always hated the smaller weekends... My weekends are usually the times when I plan things!

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    1. Amanda Carter30 September 2013 at 19:37

      Thank you! I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't like this layout ;)

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  3. Keshia30 September 2013 at 20:40

    I just recently discovered Filofax organizers online. Once I save up some money, I plan on heading to a store and buying myself one for Christmas. Preferably a personal size. Online I've been eying the Metropol (though there only seems to be black and red now), the Finsbury (though I don't know if I like the pattern on the outside), the Saffiano, and the Original (also in yellow).

    I was wondering how you like your personal Original filofax? Do you have enough writing room? I drew the dimensions of all 4 organizers on a paper and the Original is the shortest and least wide. I know I have to see them in person, but I wanted to get a feel for their sizes.

    Any insight/advice you could give me would be great.

    Thanks!! :)

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    1. Amanda Carter30 September 2013 at 21:11

      Hi Keshia, if you are thinking of getting a personal size Filofax all the paper inserts are the same size even if the binders vary slightly. The pages are 95mm x 171mm (or 3.74" x 6.74") if you want to plot that out and get a feel for it. I found it a bit small at first but I got used to it pretty quickly. There was a sale on the Filofax website just after Christmas if you wanted to wait and see if anything you like goes on sale? Or eBay is a great place to look for a bargain.
      Let me know how you get on :)

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    2. Keshia1 October 2013 at 00:07

      Thanks for the advice. I think I will plot out the page inserts too. Unless I come across a to-die-for Filofax before Christmas I think I'll wait for the sale. :)

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    3. Amanda Carter1 October 2013 at 09:42

      You're welcome :) There is an Autumn sale on at www.filofax.co.uk at the moment with some of the organisers reduced but if you're not in the UK it might not be worth the shipping costs. If you go to www.filofax.com and select your country it will direct you to the correct site and you could see if the sale is on there too.

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