I was having a little look at my
filofax New Year's resolutions and am delighted to say that I've easily stuck to each one! It seems that using both A5 and personal size together is the best of both worlds for me, and I'm feeling pretty content with my filos. Are you using the binder that you'd planned to use so far, or are you still on the hunt for the perfect one?
And as always on Fridays, please feel free to discuss anything Filofax or ring-binder related...
Hi all, I am currently running on a personal hearts filo, but sometimes I want it to be A5 so that I can haul more stuff around with me! I am a stay at home mum with two primary school children, no business or work paperwork etc.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone recommend the best smallest footprint A5 please?
Or just feel free to ask "why do you need so much in your Filo?"
Also does anyone know if its been possible to buy a "kipling" (as in the bags with monkeys) Filo type binder?
Okay I will try to stop obsessing now, thanks in advance x
Filofax does fabric binders - 'Songbird' (in Green and Purple) and 'Swift' (in Green only from memory) but only in personal size. They are quite pretty and have pastel coloured dividers to match.
DeleteThe Graphic was, I think, the only fabric type one they did in A5 and I don't think they do it anymore. This was a nice binder also.
The A5 is a LOT heavier to carry around - depends really on what else you carry and the size of your bag I suppose!!!
For a Kipling like binder, you should really check out the Tom Bihn Field Journal. It's awesome! It has pockets and a detachable shoulderstrap. Tom Bihn sells a slim wallet, pouches and keystraps. The binder itself has two small o-rings, so you can securely attach a pouch or wallet to them. Then you have all you need with you. It's A5 btw.
DeleteAlso, Eastpak sells an A5 fabric binder, the Forganizer. But I highly recommend Tom Bihn. Great customer service and the items are so well thought out and impeccably made; the bag I have for 2 years still looks brand new.
joannebu, the Filofax Boston A5 is slimmer (20 mm rings) and has a smaller footprint than any other A5 Filofax I know of. I reviewed it here:
Deletehttp://philofaxy.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/a5-boston-filofax.html
Ling you enabler you! Thanks for sharing this awesome info! There are too many cool things on this website and that field journal would make a great gift for someone I know!
DeleteThe Luxe is also 20mm and is expensive but is much reduced in City Organiser at the moment. It looksvery slim next to my A5 Osterley despite having the same internal layout design.
DeleteLike the sound of the Luxe
DeleteYou can check the database on philofaxy and get size info on the various binders....
ReplyDeleteAs for me, I went from a personal to A5 and glad I switched...as much as I would like to carry around a small light binder during the workday, it's just too small for my needs at work.
Very happy with the A5 Malden I have now...set it up with David Allen's GTD headings on the tab sections....using mix of filofax inserts and TimeSystems...
So, all is good right now... :-)
I need some advice as I have just won a(eBay) brown Amazona, but the seller listed it as an A4. Did it even come out as an A4 or would it be the A5?
ReplyDeleteI'm chomping at the bit to stock up on refills!!!!
A4 equals two A5s in size.
DeleteAh, thanks weirdrockstar! But I already knew that!! =)
DeleteIm trying to find out if the Amazona was released in an A4 size as I havent found anything from searching online.
Hmmm....I saw that listing on ebay (a stock picture of an Amazona with a sparse description stating a brown A4 filofax)... but I don't know if Amazonas were ever A4. I wouldn't jump the gun of buying inserts before you know what you've really bought.
DeleteI've never seen an Amazona in A4 and would be very surprised if this was an A4 (although would be awesome of they did!). People often list the Personal size on ebay as an A5 as there seems to be a lot of confusion over sizes, so I'd definately wait and see!
DeleteNo they have never made an A4 Amazona. Only A5 and downwards in size. Another Ebay hiccup happening far too often these days.
DeleteDid they show an internal photo? 6 rings or 4 rings? 6 rings it will be A5, 4 rings A4
DeleteSteve
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DeleteThanks for the responses. I suspected so much, but a girl cant be too lucky right?
DeleteHowever, like MTMTE mentioned, it was a stock front cover photo with minimal description, Im still trying to get information from the seller.
If I get an A5 out of this i will be more than happy, otherwise I will stick to the Philofaxy adspot from now on :) I just couldnt pass up a bargain to get an Amazona.
Lesson learnt!!!!
I've stayed with personal size with the occasional switch between my personal & compact Holborns. I've found a great system in the Franklin Covey 2PPD inserts: there's plenty of space, lots of colour (and frankly were so expensive that I can't justify NOT using them).
ReplyDeleteI tried to use an A5 for work but as my workplace deals mostly in A4 papers and the holes can look pretty unsightly on the short edge/in the middle of A4 pages I just couldn't make it work. So the A5 is back to being a household binder (I love it and glad to have it back for that purpose) and I bit the bullet and grabbed an A4 metropol for work after an exhausting search revealed that it's the smallest A4 portfolio/binder. The stars aligned and a cheap one turned up on ebay - I'm really excited by it as it's a simple design and it hugs the pages closely (ie not excessive desk space taken up in comparison to any other A4 folder).
So far so good in 2013.
I firstly want to apologise for the cheek of this comment. I went back to usuing Filofax last year and I'm loving it. I've recently got my fourteen year old daughter interested, and after using a personal size since Christmas, she's saved up and treated herself to an A5 Domino. She's finding that using a Filofax to plan her homework and revision is really working for her. Unfortunately, it's come with an eighteen month diary which doesn't actually start until July, so she's now without an A5 diary for the start of this year. I know that many of you buy a binder which has a diary included which you never use as you don't like the format, so I wondered if anyone has any spares which you no longer require. She's not fussy about format, anything will do. In fact, she's now so 'in to' Filofax, that she's looking for other inserts too. If anyone can help would you please drop me a line at joanne9919@aol.com letting me know what you've got and how much, including postage, you'd like for them. I'm in the UK, so I think owing to postage costs (which are so expensive even within the UK now) I'm appealing to those in the UK too. I hope it's ok to post this, and thank you for reading.
ReplyDeleteI have several of the standard ones that come with a5s and I would be glad to have her use them. I will email as suggested.
DeleteJo - have you looked at the free diaries you can download and print from this site? See under diary inserts above. As it is an A5 diary you want it would be easy to print out onto standard A4 paper. Also you only need to print March to June. I'm really surprised they haven't included a current diary - but I suppose it depends on where you bought it from.
DeleteThank you so much, Helen. I shall reply to your email shortly. Alison, I bought it from Filofax UK. I have to say that she was quite disappointed really. It was advertised with this diary starting in July, but it came totally unboxed, it was just sent in a Jiffy envelope, and it took longer to arrive than my recent purchase from Filofax Italy.
DeleteThat is disappointing Jo. When I have bought direct from Filofax in the past they have been quite quick - although their packaging does seem to vary significantly depending on which binder you buy. I guess a planner is not much use without a diary and it surprises me that for the cost to them, they don't include a current one as well.
DeleteDomino's all come unboxed. Likewise a lot of the lower priced ones do.
DeleteIf you don't get any luck with getting a diary please let me know and I'm sure we can create one for her.
Thanks, Steve. Helen has very kindly offered to send her one, so she'll be very pleased. I'm sure I've seen Domino's for sale in shops in boxes, though I may be mistaken.
DeleteHey Anita, I'm glad your sticking to your resolutions! I was on track for the most part, but have forgotten them in the last month. I'm using a personal red Metropol but I'm looking for a Classic or Cuban in A5 and work them in together like yourself!
ReplyDeleteI have a pink A5 Classic I am toying with selling if thats of interest. Email studioconway (at) gmail (dot) com
DeleteOh will do, thank you.
DeleteI started out using my Holborn personal that I was still using from last year..I used it for all my thngs and had it stuffed. I was using a Holborn slim for my wallet and tried to use it for just things to jot down and checkbook. it didnt work as I was tired of forgetting to look at it and rewrite it all in my personal. I recently brought a used FC (compact?) same size as FF personal I forget what FC calls it lol. I totally love the size and used it for everything. But wanted to carry it with me so I wouldnt go through the same chaos as with my FF slim and personal. I so wanted to keep using the FC too, so I came up with a great set up that I am loving! I am using the FC for my budget/ finance binder with passwords and websites, addresses, etc.
ReplyDeleteTo carry with me I went back to my Holborn pocket as my everyday planner and use it for my wallet as well. Its so cute and little but still get tons of stuff inside.. I love it. I ordered page markers and stickers off of Sachiko from JapanCorner on Etsy . She uses a FC pocket and her whole set up is wonderful! The pocket stays in my bag so I have it with me and can write to my hearts delight , anywhere I am lol. I think I will be scouting Ebay for some used FF pockets!! You know I will have to have a color to match each purse LOL
I have a FF petal never used with all new inserts inside I would love to trade for a used pocket anyone interested??
oops Sachiko uses a FF pocket not FC lol sorry. I just reread my mistake!
DeleteDoes anyone know if the pastel dividers can be purchased? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteNo you can't. :-(
DeleteShouldn't be too hard to make them? Get some suitable card from an arts and crafts shop may be?
DeleteThanks. Yes, Steve, I can make them. I just get lazy at times, lol.
DeleteI've been sticking to the same set up that I started with at the beginning of the year: filofax personal Adelphi for all my info, notes, and daily to-do lists. Then the plannerisms planner for weekly, monthly and goal planning. Wrote a post about it that is up on Laurie's Plannerisms site right now!
ReplyDeleteOh Brilliant - as she whooshes off to Plannerisms to read it...
DeleteStephanie's excellent post about her Filofax and Plannerisms system is here: http://www.plannerisms.com/2013/02/guest-post-how-stephanie-uses-her.html
DeleteHi
DeleteI am a huge lover of all things paper, pens, planners and calendars! I got my first filofax a c couple months ago. I bought the a5 finsbury. I really like the set up but I would like a softer planner, something that opens flatter. Any suggestions? Where should I look for used ones?
Thanks!
Tracy
Tracy,
DeleteYou mght try the Malden or Holborn ranges. Look on Adspot on this site or Ebay.
I have just been to Basel (Switzerland, and found some rare(r) Filofaxes in THALIA, the bookstore: their Filofax selection is pretty impressive : they had a red pocket Balmoral (!), and black pocket Piazza with gold pearls as the horizontal "band", and almost all the leather pockets I could want to see : Luxe, etc. They also had the full collection of A4 folder, zip or not, in leather or not : Malden, Luxe, Holborn (OMG, the A4 wine Holborn zip is SOOO sexy !)
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to resist, even with the (much) higher price tag (Switzerland *is* expensive...) but I remembered I am happy with my current system that works for my (very simple) needs, so...
But still, I might go back just to check them out again, and touch them all again :)