Journaling on the Cheap

Just taking a side road to . . . journaling on the cheap.

I've been searching for a refillable journal for some time. Most are leather and are over one hundred bucks. The worst part is that you have to buy their custom inserts and they are not cheap either, sometimes costing $20 each. That's insanity. There must be a better way.

So I went to my local office supply store and found an interesting combo. As you know, comp books are ubiquitous. You'll remember them. They are the marbleized black and white notebooks / journals you used in school. The great thing about them is that they are stitched and so the pages don't tear out even when abused. But they are ugly and so . . . how shall we say . . . immature.

There are leather covers for them you can buy on eBay and Amazon but you'll drop fifty to a hundred frog skins on those things and they don't even come with a pen loop or bookmark.

Enter the Cambridge Limited Business Notebook.

This vinyl notebook holder comes with a double wire notebook inside, which isn't too bad in of itself. The pages can rip out though, so it's not my favorite type of notebook. Instead remove it entirely and slide a standard Composition Book inside. Pick your favorite comp book format: blank, wide/narrow lined, or graph paper.

Yeah, it's not leather, it doesn't smell like a western saddle, and it won't impress anyone but your wallet. But hey, you'll get a pen loop and satin ribbon bookmark plus a place to hold a few business cards. All for about twelve bucks. The other great thing about the vinyl is that you can bend the journal back on itself should you need to journal desk-less, that is, in your lap. It happens.

My local OfficeDepot had this CAMBRIDGE Business Notebook (9 1/2 x 6 5/8) for $12.49. The Composition Books happened to be on sale for a buck. Of course, you can get them for about the same price at any Walmart. But the great thing about OfficeDepot's comp books is that they carry not just the wide ruled but also the college ruled and graph books too. All for a buck each.

Buy one of these vinyl CAMBRIDGE notebooks and a stack of Composition Books and you'll be set to journal for the whole year. With a uni-ball Vision Micro (or any waterproof pen) in the loop you'll be ever-ready to journal anytime in your favorite bookstore, coffee shop, or restaurant.

Imagine, a cup of hot steaming black coffee, an endless supply of journals, and a jet black smooth writing pen . . . ah, life couldn't be better.

I'm outta here. See ya at the bookstore.

...dave
I just wish my mouth had a backspace key. - Author Unknown

(Note: I don't endorse products for personal gain. I just like to pass on what works for me. Your mileage may vary.)