An iPad may be a good journaling companion but I wonder, what happens a decade or two down the road if the author dies. Family are unlikely to come across their entries as they would a notebook, blog or even a social media account. Does anyone worry about this? We live in an impermanent world, paper journals can be damaged, digital files deleted. How do we save who we are before we’re gone. Does it even matter? Who would care to read this fifty years from now when I’ve turned to dust? As it is someone would need my passcode, the battery and software work. That’s very unlikely. My iPod from 15 years ago probably doesn’t function. The fact I don’t know is already evidence of the impermanence of thought.
Archives: Now
YNAB on Paper
During the month of December I signed up for the 34 day free trial of YNAB and though I love the App, the You Need A Budget (YNAB) system is simple enough to track on paper; though most prefer the YNAB inspired spreadsheet from Blooming Finances.
If spreadsheets work why pencil and paper?
Today, I’ve got some downtime at work as the holidays approach, so I pulled out my under-utilized Laconic Gantt Chart and began to reflect on the first half of the month as well as looking forward to January and as I wrote each category down followed by, assigned dollars, account activity dollars, and remaining available, I discovered that even if its nowhere close to as efficient as a spreadsheet or app, YNAB on paper is not just possible, its relaxing; all my hard work of uncovering the real expenses in my life was done while I read the book and began to apply the system, keeping a paper and pencil record is not just doable but almost as easy.
In the last two weeks my anxiety for budgeting nearly disappeared and though YNAB’s current pricing at $109 per year isn’t cheap, it’s worth $9.08 a month for that peace of mind.
Revisiting the Kokuyo Campus 20 Ring Binder
My 20-ring binder hasn’t seen use since early August of 2025. I have been using a Traveler’s Notebook (TN) daily for the last few months, and that’s a shame because I tend to use it more like a to-do list and planner, while any longform free writing becomes infrequent due to unfounded concerns about archiving meaningless crap alongside valuable ideas. For me, a bound insert makes me feel less free than loose sheets of paper, which I can compost moments later with the morning coffee grounds and move on with my day.
About the photo:
- Kokuyo Campus A5 20 ring binder, clear.
- Paper: A5 Kokuyo Campus 20 hole “Biz” Loose Leaf paper, blank.
- Pen: Kaweco Sport with an extra fine nib.
- Ink: Pilot Iroshizuku Ama-iro (sky).