Hot take: my $40 stencil set was a total waste of money | Bullet Journaling

Oscar Hernandez · 2026-03-15T08:45:09.61295+00:00

I bought a pack of geometric shape stencils thinking they'd make my weekly spreads faster and cleaner. After three months, I've used them maybe twice because lining them up takes longer than just drawing a quick box freehand. On the other side, my friend swears her $30 mildliner highlighter pack was a game-changer for color coding her tasks without bleeding through the page. I'm stuck between thinking fancy tools are a trap and admitting some might actually help. What's one thing you bought for your bujo that either saved you time or just collects dust?

casey7876mo ago

The real trap is buying tools for the planner you imagine having, not the one you actually keep. I bought a set of fancy page flags for a complex indexing system I never built. They're still in the wrapper. My most used item is a cheap ballpoint that doesn't skip when I'm rushing. Sometimes the best tool is the one you already own and actually reach for without thinking.

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michael_wood326mo ago

My cousin got me a fancy brass ruler with a built in pencil sharpener for my birthday last year. It looks cool on my desk but I always just grab the plastic one from the kitchen drawer because it's lighter. I feel bad because it was a thoughtful gift, but the weight of it makes it annoying to use for quick lines. Some tools are more about the idea of being organized than actually helping you get things done.

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val_taylor5mo ago

Honestly, that's so true, we buy stuff for the fantasy version of our organized life.

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