Reader Under The Spotlight - Deborah-Jane

Today I would like to introduce you to Deborah-Jane. Deborah often appears on the monthly Skype chats and she is always great fun to chat with. 

I am an Accounts technician, and I work for my Husband. We have been working in our garden office since 2008.Up until then I have done many jobs in and around the catering trade. I then had an epiphany did I really want to do this job until I was 65 plus. The answer was simply no. So in 2009 I went back to college to study AAT and I am one of the last of the 25 + Apprentices. I also have two daughters who both own paper planners.

Up until 2012, I never really used a planner apart from a calendar on the kitchen wall, never needed to use anything else. I did have bound diaries to track hours worked but that’s about it. Every year I would get a diary promising myself I’d actually use properly but never really did.

Then I almost forgot two doctor’s appointments in a row 12 weeks apart. My husband effectively said but you have so much to remember in your head. I also knew that electronic gadgets were never going to work for me like they do for my husband. I use that for more of a tickler file of sorts but that’s it.

That is when I knew I had to start rethinking my planning recording everything. My planners are basically at the ghetto end of planner’s price range. I knew bound just wouldn’t work when clients would ring me and ask what information did I need yet again just when I would switch my computer off or try and remember when their visit was so I could find the information. So I looked up Filofax on you-tube and Imogen’s you tube video came up, she also mentioned a group called Philofaxy...

The rest you can say is history.

1. When did you buy your first Filofax and what was it?

Two years ago I bought an A5 identity after watching a certain Ms Imogen Calloway.

2. What other brands have you used or considered using?

Any brand that designs a planner that I like, for the price I’m prepared to pay and so you could say I like my planners on the Ghetto end as opposed to the posh and expensive..

3. Out of the organisers you own which is your current favourite (Style and Size)?

I love A5 purely because I can have week on two pages. I also have man size hands so I don’t find the A5 size that big to carry really.

4. How many Filofax organisers do you own?

Many have come in and out of my collection. But I currently own 3 A5’s two are Paperchase, 1 Identity, 1 personal size unknown brand and a pocket Collins Debden.

5. What is the oldest Filofax in your collection?

Probably the Collins Debden...

6. What do you use your Filofax for?

My black A5 Identity has always and will always be my work Filofax; I use it to plan record and keep client info in and very rarely leaves my desk unless I’m away on audit.

My A5 blue planner is storage for work. My Blue grain Paperchase planner is for personal until about November when it then becomes my study planner because I will be back studying ATT. There on in I will be using my charity find for personal use and my pocket to keep the notes of the formulas and revision cheat notes or something of that ilk.

7. What was the feature about Filofax you like most?

The fact you can take out, put in as much as you like.

8. If you could design your own Filofax what would it feature?

I would love if personal came with 30 mm + ring size, with a full length pocket front and back and maybe a secretarial pocket, nothing more. I wish the Identity came in more colours.

9. How do you carry your Filofax?

My A5 Identity sits on my desk or gets put in a rucksack. My Paperchase gets the rough end of either being carried around by hand or is sometimes kept in a cosmetic style weekend bag, but generally gets thrown around a lot and makes a great coaster for my coffee. (Now, you guys understand why I don’t buy expensive planner.)

10. Which Filofax in the current range do you like the most? Are you going to buy it?

There’s a lot I think that are nice, just not any that really, really grab me. I guess you could say I am in Planner peace now so I don’t feel the need to purchase

11. What is the most you have ever spent on a Filofax? Which model?

The most I have spent is £22.50 on an A5 Identity.

12. What's your favourite Filofax tip or hack?

If you want to try and print your own pintables first learn how to cancel the jobs on your printer so if you make a mistake you don’t waste both ink and Paper. Also read the instructions on Philofaxy at least twice. The A-Z is a perfect filing for all those itty bitty info … but extremely important. Also magnetic bookmarks make extremely good pen holders.

13. Turning to Philofaxy, what do you like the most?

I love the community spirit… Oh and the Skype chats.

14. And what do you not like about Philofaxy?

I’m not a fan of question 16, apart from that everything’s fab

15. What was the last music track you downloaded or bought?

Marilyn Manson’s album “Lest we forget…”

16. Brad Pitt or George Cooney?

Neither

Thank you Deborah-Jane. And if you would like to appear in this feature on Philofaxy. Please email philofaxy at gmail dot com