• HOME
  • Planning
    • Planner Newbie
      • New to planning? Start here
    • Planning Tips & Inspiration
    • 52 Planning Systems in 52 Weeks
      • My weekly spreads
    • Planner Reviews
      • Horizontal Weekly
      • Horizontal 1 Page Weekly + Notes
      • Vertical Weekly
      • Hourly Planners
      • Categories Weekly
      • Daily Planners
      • Discbound Planners
      • Teacher Planners
      • Planner Roundups
      • Happy Planner (MAMBI)
      • Budget Planners
      • Undated Daily Planners
      • Undated Weekly
    • Planner Index
    • Planner Comparisons
    • Bullet Journal
      • Bullet Journal Reviews
      • Bullet Journal Spreads
      • Bullet Journal Tips
    • Planner pens
    • Highlighters
    • Planner Stickers
    • Digital Planning
    • Household Binder
    • Stationery Shopping
    • Rachael’s Favorites
    • Blogging & Online Business
  • Graphic Design
    • Photoshop Tutorials
    • Affinity Publisher
    • Microsoft Word
    • Microsoft Excel
    • Canva
    • Silhouette Studio
    • PicMonkey
  • SHOP
    • Shop at Etsy
    • Online Store
    • Graphic Design Resources
    • ECOURSES
    • Ebooks
      • 54 Mistakes Etsy Sellers Make (And How to Fix Them)
      • 1200 Blog Post Ideas
        • 1200 Blog Post Ideas (Exclusive Download Content)
      • 200 Blog Post Title Prompts (For Any Type of Blog)
        • 200 Blog Post Title Prompts (Exclusive Download Content)
    • Feedback & Testimonials
    • Planner Supplies (my sister’s shop!)
    • Shop my favorite planner supplies on Amazon
  • Learn
    • ECOURSES
      • Free Graphic Design Video Tutorials Library
      • Printables in Affinity Publisher
      • How to Make Planner Stickers
      • How to Make Printables in Photoshop
      • Printables in Microsoft Word
      • Printables in Microsoft Excel
      • Digital planners and notebooks in Microsoft PowerPoint
      • How to Make Labels in Photoshop
      • Make Patterns in Photoshop
      • Party Printables
      • How to Write Product Descriptions
    • Ebooks
      • 54 Mistakes Etsy Sellers Make (And How to Fix Them)
      • 200 Blog Post Title Prompts (For Any Type of Blog)
      • 1200 Blog Post Ideas
  • FREE
    • FREE Printables
    • Free Printables Library – Subscribers Login
  • Travel
    • Travel Planning
    • Europe
    • Australia & New Zealand
  • About
    • Browse All Posts
    • FAQ
      • What is a Printable? What happens when I purchase a printable from you?
      • Printing Tips
      • Printable Planner Stickers
      • Downloading Files
      • How to Open Zipped File Folders
      • What does EDITABLE mean?
      • Monogram Etiquette

All About Planners

Printable planners to organize your home, business and life!

February 1, 2018

Review of the Ultimate Weekly Planner by Studio 331

After trying many different planners I’ve come to the realisation that I prefer planners that have the days of the week on 1 side of the spread and note taking, list making, meal planning etc. planning space on the 2nd page of the weekly spread. So when I stumbled across the Ultimate Weekly Planner I was keen to get a closer look!

Ultimate Weekly Planner Review

Quick Facts

  • Size: 7.75” tall and 6.25” wide (cover & inside pages)
  • Academic and calendar year start
  • Weight: 6.9 oz (very light!)
  • Approx 1″ thick
  • Coil binding
  • 2 Page weekly spread (starts on a Monday) – horizontal format + list making space
  • 2 page monthly calendar (starts on a Sunday)
  • Extra pages:
    • Dates at a glance
    • Notes
    • Goals for 2018
    • Personal information page
    • Grocery list pages
  • Various cover options to choose from (cover is thin cardstock)
  • Pocket folder

To enlarge the screen of the video, click the square icon in the bottom right hand corner of the video (it will say ‘full screen’ when you hover your mouse over the icon).

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more planner videos!

The Cover

The cover is cardstock. There is no clear protective cover so not sure how well it’ll hold up after a year of use

ultimate weekly planner review pros cons small horizontal spiral notebook made in the usa minimalist

Love the gold effect on the cover.. It’s not foil but more like a gold foil digital paper effect. Black and gold is one of my favorite combinations! <3

ultimate weekly planner review dream big small mini minimalist size sunday start 2 page weekly spread horizontal monthly calendar

Dates at a Glance

Calendars for the current year and next year

ultimate weekly planner review sunday start dates at a glance calendar student mom meal planning blogging sunday start bullet journal alternative

Goal setting and personal information pages

The planner is small so the lines on the goals for 2018 page are quite close together

minimalist weekly planner small a5 ultimate weekly planner horizontal day to a page meal planning checklist

Weekly Spread

The weekly spread is the main reason I wanted to try the planner. After trying so many planners I’ve found I prefer those that have a 2 page weekly spread with 1 page in horizontal format and the other with note taking space, list making or meal planning. This weekly spread ticks all those boxes!

I’m not sure about the background on the pages though – the faded picture effect is a nice idea and something different (I haven’t seen another planner do this) but it does make the page a bit ‘busy’

Weekly spread starts on a Monday.

The weekly layout is one that could be customised in multiple ways.

That menu sidebar could be used for:

  • Assessment due dates if you’re a student
  • A mom could use this space for journaling a memory of what their kid did that day
  • Most important task

The to do list column is quite wide so you shouldn’t need multiple rows to write 1 task like some planners (especially vertical planners). The line spacing is quite small in the checklist so if you write large you may need to write your letters over 2 lines of text.

ultimate weekly planner review pros and cons video walkthrough horizontal lined meal planning small mini size

Monthly Calendar

The monthly spread starts on a Sunday and includes a dates at a glance calendar for the following month as well as a large lined sidebar.

I like that the weekend boxes are shaded, although it would be good if the monthly spread started on a Monday (same as the weekly spread)

National holidays are pre-printed.

For being a small size planner there’s still a fairly decent amount of writing space – each daily box is approx 1″ high x 1.5″ wide.

A con of this planner (in my opinion) is that months where the last day of the month falls on the start of a new week, a new row is added to the monthly calendar (making all of the boxes on the page smaller) rather than re-starting the date numbering on the top row.

ultimate weekly planner review pros and cons video walkthrough horizontal lined meal planning small mini size sunday start minimalist

Extras Pages

I really like when planners include list format style pages.  I tend to use a sticky note for writing grocery lists so I can peel it out and take it to the shops with me, so when I use this planner I’ll use a header sticker and convert the columns into to do lists. Love that the columns are already lined!

Related:  How to make your own custom header title section planner stickers (step by step video tutorial)   

ultimate weekly planner review pros and cons video walkthrough horizontal lined meal planning small mini size grocery list meal planning

Tabs

The planner doesn’t have tabs 🙁 but it does have the months printed on the side of the pages to make it easier to find the month you’re looking for when flicking through the planner

ultimate weekly planner review pros and cons minimalist black and white horizontal lined notes simple small mini

Pocket folder

The pocket folder is built into the back of the back cover:

ultimate weekly planner review pros and cons lined notes minimalist simple mini black and white portable horizontal bullet journal bujo

Pen Testing

I tried various gel, ballpoint, needle tip and marker style pens as well as highlighters and stamps. I was pleasantly surprised that only the stamps bled through the page. The marker style pen (Stabilo Pen 68) didn’t bleed through the page – one of the very few planners I’ve found where it hasn’t!

ultimate weekly planner pen testing papermate inkjoy gel ballpoint pen review mini small planning highlighter stamp

ultimate weekly planner review lined notes page pen testing bleed through ghosting ink gel ballpoint needle tip highlighter stamps

Pros of the Ultimate Weekly Planner

  • Affordable – only $17.95USD
  • Light – doesn’t weigh much more than my kindle
  • No pens bled through the page – even marker style pens
  • Lined sidebar for the monthly calendar
  • Minimalist – black and white
  • Compact size – very portable
  • Choose from academic or calendar year start
  • Very functional weekly spread perfect for list making

Cons of the Ultimate Weekly Planner

  • No tabs – although the months are printed on the side of the pages
  • No clear protective cover or laminated cover – the cover is cardstock which will likely get damaged from wear and tear over time
  • The picture printed on the back side of the pages is a bit distracting
  • The monthly spread starts on a Sunday but the weekly spread starts on a Monday

Would I use this planner?

Yes, I’ll be trying out this planner in 2018!

Overall, this planner is compact, simple and functional.

This planner would be a good fit for you if you like the style of Plum Paper horizontal lined with notes but want a meal planner built into the weekly spread (which the Plum Paper doesn’t have) and need something smaller and lighter if you’re taking your planner with you on the go.

There’s also a kraft cover version of the planner if you want a gender neutral planner, or you know of a guy that needs a planner!

More Planner Reviews:

This planner is similar to the Plum Paper horizontal lined with notes.

  • Favorite places to buy planner pens (online)
  • Highlighters vs. Highlighter Pencils: Are they worth the cost? 
  • Ultimate Comparison: Erin Condren Life Planner versus Plum Paper Planners – Which planner is better? 
  • Creating a custom, personalised planner with Agendio

Planning Tips:

  • How to color code bill paying in your planner (7 different ways) 
  • Monthly blog post planning using sticky notes (my 6 step process) 
  • How to organize small planner stickers using a reciepts folder
  • Ultimate list of the best planner pen brands and how to choose colors for color coding 

Disclaimer: The creators of the Ultimate Weekly Planner were super nice and sent me a copy of the planner for this review after I reached out to them – I was going to purchase the planner anyway. As always, all opinions are my own!

subscribe to allaboutthehouse blog to recieve access to free printables library

You may also be interested in...

  • Graphique Weekly Planner Review (Pros, Cons and a video walkthrough)Graphique Weekly Planner Review (Pros, Cons and a video walkthrough)
  • It’s That Kinda Day Weekly Planner Review (Pros, Cons & Video Walkthrough)It’s That Kinda Day Weekly Planner Review (Pros, Cons & Video Walkthrough)
  • Ombre weekly spread in the Life Inspired Plans PlannerOmbre weekly spread in the Life Inspired Plans Planner
  • Trialing the Sugar and Type Rule the World PlannerTrialing the Sugar and Type Rule the World Planner
  • Using the Dabney Lee for BlueSky Landscape Weekly PlannerUsing the Dabney Lee for BlueSky Landscape Weekly Planner
  • Color coded weekly spread using highlighters in the Pretty Simple PlannerColor coded weekly spread using highlighters in the Pretty Simple Planner

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Posted In: Horizontal 1 Page Weekly + Notes, Planner Reviews · Tagged: 2018 planner review, 2018 weekly planner review, cheaper alternative to erin condren, cheaper alternative to plum paper, cheaper alternative to plum paper horizontal, horizontal planner, horizontal weekly planner, mini planner, planner review, small planner, studio 331 planner, studio 331 planner review, ultimate weekly planner, weekly planner horizontal, weekly planner review

Welcome

Welcome to All About Planners! I’m Rachael, a 20-something Aussie addicted to graphic design and all things planning. On the blog you’ll find more than 1,000 posts about all things planning including planner reviews, tips, favorite supplies and some of my past weekly spreads.

Subscribe and join 60,000+ others on the quest to find planner peace!

Follow Me

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Search

Subscribe

free printables library sign up all about planners blog image graphic subscribe

Shop At Etsy

The photos and content on this site are the property of All About Planners. They are not allowed to be used without permission from All About Planners.

Categories

Recent Posts

  • Sprouted Planner Review (Dashboard Layout Weekly Planner)
  • Which discs are compatible with Plum Paper’s disc punched planners?
  • Hacking the Dabney Lee for Blue Sky Horizontal Weekly Planner
  • How I make my travel photobooks using Blurb (Detailed Tutorial and Review)
  • My 4th Plum Paper Planners Haul! (weekly and daily planners, financial planner, goals planner)

Disclaimer

All About Planners is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Popular Posts

  • Quick and easy weekly meal planning using sticky notes
  • 50 Tips for writing a better to do list that will make you more productive
  • 130+ functional ideas to use blank notes pages of your planner or an empty notebook
  • Sprouted Planner Review (Dashboard Layout Weekly Planner)
  • After trying 52 planners, these were my top 7 favorite weekly planners

Printables

  • Learn How to Make Printables
  • How to Make Planner Stickers
  • Resources & Tools I Recommend

Follow Me

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
Privacy

Copyright © 2022 All About Planners · Theme by 17th Avenue