23 February 2010

What else do you keep in your Filofax?

The joy of Filofax is the customization. You choose the binder, and everything that goes into it. Every single thing you put into your Filofax, or not, is your choice. It's glorious.

Here on Philofaxy we talk a lot about calendar insert formats, tabbed sections, etc. But let's talk about what else you keep in your Filofax.

I think Filofax has done a pretty good job of offering accessories to go into the binders, but of course there could always be a larger selection.

In my Filofax(es) I like to have maps of anything relevant (and I wish they would expand their map selection to include more city maps, and PLEASE an updated map of Europe!). I use the Sticky Notes accessory in every Filofax I own, it is so handy to have. I love the stickers, and even better that they are on a page that fits on the rings. I keep stamps in the zip pocket. I use the Business Card holder pages to keep cards in the back of my binder. I also use the clear pockets that fit on the rings to hold ticket stubs and maybe a photo.

Things I don't keep in my Filofax are money and cards. I keep those in my wallet. It would be too fiddly for me to sift through all my papers and random scraps in my Filofax at a checkout. I also don't have a portable hole punch, although I know many people do, and I think it would be very handy.

What do you keep in your Filofax? What DON'T you keep in it? And, what accessories do you wish Filofax would add to their selection?

10 comments:

  1. I just received my pocket Siena Expresso. It's so lush! Feels and smells good. Even comes wrapped in cloth with the F on the button.

    It's supposed to be my wallet so I've added the Filo's zipped plastic envelope for coins.

    Feels a bit daft carrying two Filos though since my pocket red butterfly is still my main Filo.

    I carry another zipped envelope in my butterfly for my thumbdrive.

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  2. As well as a diary, I use my filofax as my wallet as well. For this I have a lovely leather credit card holder (5PCL) which I bought off of ebay. It holds my cards as well as paper money & receipts.
    I have the measurements for our beds & rooms, as well as our Health insurance information for when we're overseas. I also have some home-made shopping lists.
    Finally I have preference files for the surgeons that I work with.
    I would love filofax to start making the leather add-ons they used to; such as the Credit Card holder, Change holder & Jotta.

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  3. Hi Simon. Would you mind telling me a bit more about how you use your filo as a filo cum wallet. Which filo do you use and what size? Do you find you have to remove some pages to fit in the credit/ATM cards/ID etc? What about coins? Thanks.

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  4. I use my filofax as a heart of GTD system. It holds the usual set of list like actions, projects and calendar. The biggest section is my inbox .
    I also keep some reference material like bus schedule, GTD workflow diagram as handy reminder & inspirational quotes.
    Lastly I keep few used bus ticket that make perfect bookmarks in case if forgot one.

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  5. Let's see...

    Frequent flyer card, Starbucks card, and a local coffee shop promotion card in the inside flight. On my older Kensington with horizontal cuts for cards in the inner flap I had a little Snopake holder of strips of post it notes like bookmarks (one inch wide by 1/4 inch thick)... gorgeous idea!

    Business card holder at the back, but one pocket is actually sheets of Moo stickers (www.moo.com)

    I;ve also got a full page wallet for holding things like flight tickets and boardin passes when I travel, and because I know I'll have it with me at all times, i'll put the passport in the back full length pocket while on trips

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  6. Besides keeping my calendar, I keep track of my husband's medical bills, his medication, our budget, gift ideas, business cards, etc..

    I want to know how does everyone keep track of birthdays? I thought about purchasing the birthday page, where you write each birthday down. That way I could keep it each year.

    I'd like to purchase the sticky notes too.

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  7. I have 6 Filo tabs that are for Notes, Goals, Home (shopping list, budget, home measurement info, school info, dog info) Diary, Information and then Ideas. Some of these sections have home made top tabs that further divide each section. For example in my Goal section I have another top tab for projects and another for to do's. My Diary section has 3 top tabs - Birthdays, Christmas and Magic Moments. Ideas has 3 tob tabs too - iPhone, Web and one that is empty right now. I also have 6 more sections - parenting, books, wishlist, movies, quotes and products.

    I would love Filofax to look at making some of their pages like this

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/25983610@N07/2987975693/

    These are ones that I made, but I think there is great potential for them to be made en masse. I would love to see them make pages with the tabs down the side too. I don't think the size of the top tab matters too much, but to keep things Filofax-y I think if they were to make them vertically on the page they should only be about 5-6 mm wide and the 'tab' should be blank, without lines. I have tried making my own but it is very tedious and hard to get all the pages to match up evenly.

    Having pages like this would allow Filofax users a great way to organize their information. If pages like this were sold like regular note pages then one could have sections as thick or as thin as they like, knowing they could buy pages pre-cut.

    Would you use pages like this and if so, how?

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  8. @Dilaila
    I have a 7/8" Winchester into which I have my diary (Week on one page with notes); my addresses & preference sheets; Notes; projects (book & music lists, gardening, "someday/maybe" list) & information sections.
    The Credit card holder has a full length, lined, pocket in which I can keep paper money & receipts.
    I don't remove pages but I can take out the CC holder & go into a shop if I wanted to. I rarely do. Coins go in my pocket. The Winchester has a section in the front page for ID (or in my case, driving licence).
    I refer to my filofax as my Brain & I try not to go anywhere without my brain!

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  9. Thanks so much Simon. Alas, my Filo is a pocket and I'm not sure how much I can fit in. But I can see carrying two filos can be a nuisance. Hmm...i see myself tweaking stuff this weekend.

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  10. MelissaJ, I use the Birthday lists and they are great. As you noted, I can keep them in my Filofax year after year. I keep adding to them as babies are born, people get married (for anniversaries) etc. I write the person's name, event (b-day or anniversary) and the date (of birth or wedding). It's an excellent reference.

    The Birthday lists are a page per month, with the days down the page, one line per day.

    http://www.filofaxusa.com/images/products/refills/line/132608.gif

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