My Moleskine Notebook is in the Trash

[jpanarra]

A few months ago I decided I was going to be serious and start my business and I deserve a nice notebook that I'll use on a regular basis. Guess what, I hate it in comparison to what I've used in the past. It was so expensive that I felt like I had to be conscious of what I was writing down and instead of letting my thoughts flow freely and documentation quick notes and scribbles. The notebook was stressing me out rather than actually helping me.

What if I told you that there was an alternative for your moleskin notebook that was 1000% cheaper and just as durable. Also, you can easily order them in bulk on amazon and can arrive in less than a day. I have used this notebook since my school days and I have them everywhere in my house. I still have them piled up and with my notes from over 10 years ago with no major signs of decay. They are the old school Composition books, pages don't rip out you can write on the back of the pages easily, you can bring them everywhere. They go for 19.99 on amazon for a pack of 12!!







Now if you look at only ONE NOTEBOOK for a WHOPPING 17.99!! WHAT THE HELL!



I get why they're attractive, Hell I even fell for it. Nice paper with rubber bands and a string that keep you tabbed. But the truth is, I feel like I wasted my money on a hell of a marketing scheme. BUT IF I COULD HAVE 12 books with the same amount of pages for a price of ONE... its a no brainer!

The composition book is far cheaper, can take hell of an abuse (being a chemistry major, I've spilled acids and corrosives on those things and dried the cover with a paper towel.. I still have it in my garage and my notes are all there) As far as function goes, you can't beat the old school composition books.

Also awesome for quick sketches and notes, you can always grab legal pads and rip em off, I LOVE legal pads for writing "vomit". Get that shit outta your head and into the trash! THEY'RE EVEN CHEAPER than the composition books! $10.00 for a pack of 12!




Let me know if you have a moleskin and LOVE your moleskin, maybe you can tell me why they're WAY better the composition books. Maybe I'm using those overpriced notebooks wrong I'm really curious to see what people have to say.

 

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[jpanarra]

I didn't expect those pics to come out so big...

 

[akTwelve]

I have had a similar experience. The nicer the notebook, the less I want to fill it with incomplete thoughts. I love legal pads for getting thoughts out, graph paper for sketches, and OneNote for notes that need to last and evolve over time. I tried Evernote for a while, but OneNote better meets my needs for text formatting, and note organization.

 

[Digamma]

My room at my parent's house is full of empty notebooks.

Some of them are missing pages. I wrote on them then tore the page away because it wasn't good enough.

I see I'm not the only one with this disease.

 

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[Siberia]

A few months ago I decided I was going to be serious and start my business and I deserve a nice notebook that I'll use on a regular basis. Guess what, I hate it in comparison to what I've used in the past. It was so expensive that I felt like I had to be conscious of what I was writing down and instead of letting my thoughts flow freely and documentation quick notes and scribbles. The notebook was stressing me out rather than actually helping me.

What if I told you that there was an alternative for your moleskin notebook that was 1000% cheaper and just as durable. Also, you can easily order them in bulk on amazon and can arrive in less than a day. I have used this notebook since my school days and I have them everywhere in my house. I still have them piled up and with my notes from over 10 years ago with no major signs of decay. They are the old school Composition books, pages don't rip out you can write on the back of the pages easily, you can bring them everywhere. They go for 19.99 on amazon for a pack of 12!!







Now if you look at only ONE NOTEBOOK for a WHOPPING 17.99!! WHAT THE HELL!



I get why they're attractive, Hell I even fell for it. Nice paper with rubber bands and a string that keep you tabbed. But the truth is, I feel like I wasted my money on a hell of a marketing scheme. BUT IF I COULD HAVE 12 books with the same amount of pages for a price of ONE... its a no brainer!

The composition book is far cheaper, can take hell of an abuse (being a chemistry major, I've spilled acids and corrosives on those things and dried the cover with a paper towel.. I still have it in my garage and my notes are all there) As far as function goes, you can't beat the old school composition books.

Also awesome for quick sketches and notes, you can always grab legal pads and rip em off, I LOVE legal pads for writing "vomit". Get that shit outta your head and into the trash! THEY'RE EVEN CHEAPER than the composition books! $10.00 for a pack of 12!




Let me know if you have a moleskin and LOVE your moleskin, maybe you can tell me why they're WAY better the composition books. Maybe I'm using those overpriced notebooks wrong I'm really curious to see what people have to say.

www.bestself.co.

 

[MidwestLandlord]

I use an "action day" planner with a small legal pad inside for notes. That way I have a calendar, to do list, and note pad all in one place.

I also write down my daily calories, lifts, and meditation stuff in it.

As the weeks go by, I let my kids color on the used sheets, so I can flip back and get reminded of them when I am sitting alone in a hotel haha.

It gives me both a place to scribble on with the notepad, and a place for permanent info like appointments and such.

 

[rollerskates]

I use unlined Moleskines for sketching and watercolors and I LOVE THEM, my artistic side loves the quality. For writing and business planning, I use spiral notebooks, the kind that go on sale for 17 cents at the beginning of the school year. I love notebooks and sketchbooks and Moleskines and I might possibly have around 40 of them.

Seriously, though, for just straight writing business stuff, plain old notebooks are good and you don't have to worry about wasting paper.

 

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[jpanarra]

As the weeks go by, I let my kids color on the used sheets, so I can flip back and get reminded of them when I am sitting alone in a hotel haha.

Best Motivator in the WORLD! Maybe I'm a bit emotional but those scribbles get me teary eyed and makes me want to pound my chest and work harder!

 

[eliquid]

You just gotta do what fits you.

You'll kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince. In this case, you'll go through a lot of moleskins or apps, before you find what works for you.

I've tried a lot of moleskins, planners, apps on phone, etc. I even tried to code my own SaaS for it.

In the end, napkins and back of used envelopes just works for me.

I'm being 110% serious here.

 

[Andy Black]

An Ode to my Moleskine

I LOVE my Moleskine and Parker pen.

They cost a bit more so I feel a bit special using them - I'm happy meeting someone for coffee and putting them on the table.

They cost a bit more so I don't lose them - I don't end up with 10 cheaper notebooks dotted around the house, all started but mostly blank.

They cost a bit more so I fill them up all the way to the end - my previous one had notes in from every single day since 18th of April 2016 till early January 2017.

No more starting a new notebook, getting 5 pages in and wanting a "fresh start".

No more chasing shiny new first pages.

No more siren calls from fresh new notebooks after I've made a "mistake".

I just keep going to the very end - *relentlessly* moving in the one direction, in the vehicle I've chosen.

Pages can't be torn out. Mistakes are part of the story.

Coffee stains welcome.

Dog-ears preferred.

I use one notebook and pen at a time so I figure I'll treat myself.

It's my little pleasure. It's cheaper than that car I can't afford, or that laptop I don't need.

I scribble in mine. It's one of those classic black, unruled, softback ones. I feel like Leonardo Da Vinci doing my mind maps, doodles, to-do lists, and daily ONE Things.

Except my doodles are messy - and not in the artistic way.

I'll add a screenshot of mine later. Guys on Snapchat see me doodling in mine often enough.

Digital nomad? Apple laptop? Pfffttt... Give me my Moleskine, Parker pen, and smartphone any day.

Quality over quantity.

(And bollox to Trello.)

 

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[Marc B.]

I like the 8.5x11 Mead spiral notebooks (college ruled). Plenty of real estate for writing and sketching.

I've used leather-bound notebooks and legal pads too. If you're the type of person who likes to go back through their scribbles, make sure you get something durable. The cheapest notebooks like to drop their pages after you flip through them a few times.

 

[TeaEarlGreyHot]

I have a ton of those black three ring binders that I use; one for each field. This allows me to add more paper and change the order or add other documents and folders etc. I also have some random spiral and composition notebooks where I write things spontaneously when I don't have my binders. It's a little disorganized, I suppose. I also use notepad on my iPhone 4 and take screenshots for lots of things. I only write things of of high value down because I feel guilty about 'wasting' paper ._.

 

[jpanarra]

I'll add a screenshot of mine later. Guys on Snapchat see me doodling in mine often enough.

@Andy Black you really have your writing down to an art! You almost made me want to buy one . Looking foward to that screenshot!

 

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[jsk29]

I felt the same way when I had my Moleskine - kinda like buying an expensive pair of shoes and not wanting to wear them too often.

All I need are a pack of legal pads and my G2 pen.

Also +1 on OneNote > Evernote. Evernote's refusal to add larger text sizing features on their apps was tilting.

 

[jpanarra]

Also +1 on OneNote > Evernote. Evernote's refusal to add larger text sizing features on their apps was tilting.

Yup, they were the first ones i switched over to, with my surface pro it was a no brainer.

 

[TonyStark]

F yeah!

 

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[Andy Black]

@Andy Black you really have your writing down to an art! You almost made me want to buy one . Looking foward to that screenshot!

Thanks. I could shorten the copy with more time.


A page from last year's trusty Moleskine. This was over coffee with a guy who ran a hand-made kitchen design business...

 

[SparksCW]

I'm big into technology, I have MacBooks, PC's, iPads, iPhones etc.

Love Trello, it's amazing and it's used daily for goals, targets, communication between me and my staff, thoughts, planning, site ideas, everything.

But as much as I try to take my iPad etc out with me, it's just hassle. I can't type as fast as I can write.

Going back to the "moleskin" I think. And the cheaper pads are great for general ideas and stuff. No reason not to use both depending on what you're doing!

Now I just need a nice pen!

 

[jpanarra]

Thanks. I could shorten the copy with more time.


A page from last year's trusty Moleskine:

Yeah I've been digesting your post. I might go fish my moleskin outta the trash so I can have it handy for a client meeting. It's something presentable and makes a statement. It's half filled with some notes anyways so it looks like I'm using it.

But I don't see myself using it on a regular basis.

 

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[VDon]

I always wanted one of those super stylish Indiana Jones type notebooks.

I am not reading my notes, so it would be a complete waste.


Gesendet von iPhone mit Tapatalk

 

[eliquid]

G2 pen.

This. G2 is about the best pen ever. I have about 100 of them in a box.

Black ones, blue ones, red ones, etc.

I just don't feel right writing with any other pen unless it flows like the G2

 

[jpanarra]

This. G2 is about the best pen ever. I have about 100 of them in a box.

Black ones, blue ones, red ones, etc.

I just don't feel right writing with any other pen unless it flows like the G2

I've used the G-2 for a long time, but the only problem with the G-2 for me is the SMEAR... it smears so easily.. so when i tried the Uni-ball fine point. I never went back. it doesnt write as smooth, but it dries really nice and writes nice too.

 

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[rollerskates]

This. G2 is about the best pen ever. I have about 100 of them in a box.

Black ones, blue ones, red ones, etc.

I just don't feel right writing with any other pen unless it flows like the G2

I vote for Bic medium all the way. Although, like Andy, I use a Parker pen when I need to be fancy. I love that everyone here is notebook geeks. I have found my people.

 

[Invictus]

Hopefully I'll free up some time later to devote an entire post to this, cuz boy can I speak on moleskins and notebooks. But for now I'll reply to the G2 comment.

G2's are my soulmate. I love them to absolute death. Never had one fail on me. They work so well.

I've used the G-2 for a long time, but the only problem with the G-2 for me is the SMEAR... it smears so easily.. so when i tried the Uni-ball fine point. I never went back. it doesnt write as smooth, but it dries really nice and writes nice too.

There's a few different models of them, I think the most common are the .07 and .05. The .05 is a bit sharper and doesn't smear as much (maybe). I prefer the one that smears, simply for aesthetics, although the smearing is a pain.

 

[wade1mil]

I usually just use Google docs, but I prefer a TUL pen with a basic notepad if I write. The pens are amazing.

 

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[Kak]

I personally use Evernote but I'm playing with google Keep.

My business partner on one of my ventures LOVES composition notebooks. He's always taking notes in them. Probably has hundreds of them stashed from over the years.

 

[MidwestLandlord]

I personally use Evernote but I'm playing with google Keep.

My business partner on one of my ventures LOVES composition notebooks. He's always taking notes in them. Probably has hundreds of them stashed from over the years.

I used google keep for a couple of years. Then I started having problems with it not syncing correctly between my phone and laptop. If I changed a note in the laptop, it would transfer to the phone correctly. But if I changed a note in the phone, the laptop version of the note would write over it and change it back.

Hopefully you don't have the same issue, but something to be aware of so you don't lose anything important.

 

[DesignerOne.]

YES! 100% this. I especially love how a pen feels on a trusty legal pad. So smooth. Also another really good resource as an artist and designer I love using printer paper. 400 pieces of paper for 4 bucks. It doesn't bleed through easily and lasts you forever! No need for fancy sketching paper or spiral sketch books. Composition books and printer paper is just perfect.

you can go to targets and get the cheapest printer paper, because you're writing on it, not printing anything. I have a pair of desk organizers and several cheap folders that I separate as in "completed jobs" to revisit ideas and "current jobs" to stay on top of things and put the papers in there. It's cheap, efficient and easy!

Target : Expect More. Pay Less.

 

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[theag]

I bought about 50 of those yellow legal pads when @Vigilante recommended them here a couple years ago. Sometimes used them. Most of the time not. So they just sat on my desk and in a drawer. Currently selling / throwing all my stuff away, including the rest of my legal pads, to try out this minimalism perpetual traveller thing, so I'm back to Evernote. Need to implement a better system for using it though.

 

[G-Man]

Currently selling / throwing all my stuff away, including the rest of my legal pads,

All I hear from that is that Putin is destroying the evidence and leaving town.