What Is The Difference Between a Day Planner and a Weekly Planner?

If you've never used a planner before, the choices and options can seem somewhat daunting. Whether you go with a day planner vs weekly planner depends on the kinds and number of things you must (or want to) keep track of from day to day.

Day planners consist of either a one-page or two-page per day format, usually with increments of time set out on each page. Individuals who have a large number of appointments that occur every day will find a day planner indispensable. Besides people whose jobs are defined by meeting with people all day long, students find it easier to keep track of their class schedules and extra-curricular activities with a day planner. You can also find day planners with to-do lists incorporated in each day, as well as room to keep track of mileage, expenses, meal-planning, and grocery lists. But if your typical schedule contains only a few appointments here and there, or if you like to keep things short and sweet, the day planner can seem more like a heavy, cumbersome brick to lug around than a helpful assistant.

Weekly planners generally show you your entire week on two pages, typically from Monday through Sunday, with Saturday and Sunday sharing a smaller section of the two-page format than the other days of the week. No time increments are marked, so you can write whatever information you want in the section designated for that particular day, from appointments, to to-do lists.

As an example, you could write "10 am - doctor appointment," as well as a reminder to call your sister, get your car's oil changed, and pick up your dry cleaning. The weekly planner also helps you see what you have planned for the entire week at one glance, so you won't inadvertently schedule lunch with a friend on the day you're supposed to take your kids to the zoo. Weekly planners are also smaller and lighter than day planners, so they can often fit more easily into a pocket or purse.

If you're uncertain, it's a good idea to experiment with both styles before you invest in an expensive planner binder meant to last for years. Once you've decided whether a day planner or a weekly planner will work better for you, however, it pays to get a decent binder to protect those pages, especially one that you can use over and over. No matter which planner style you go with, you can find add-in pages to help keep you organized. For instance, if you like the idea of having a separate to-do list in your planner, but a daily planner seems too bulky, you can find to-do pages that you can add to your weekly planner binder.

Choosing a planner that works for you is a very personal decision. Don't be afraid to experiment with different types until you find "the one." Luckily all of our planners have functionality so that you can use one planner, "To Rule Them All"!