My 2026 Planner Setup: Switching to Discs, DIY Dividers, and “Franken-planning”
The annual planner setup video is my favorite video of the year to make.
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For 2026, I am doing something a little different. I’m moving into a disc-bound system (8.5 x 11 size) because I need the flexibility to move pages around. I’m taking the Passionate Penny Pincher Home Planner, mixing it with the Money Planner and Work Planner, and creating one master system.
It wasn’t a perfect process (wait until you see my “failed” cover attempt), but it is real, and it is ready.
The Supply List
Here is every single tool and supply I used to build this planner from scratch.
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The Base
- The Planner: Passionate Penny Pincher Home Planner (2026 Printable Version)
- The Paper: Hammermill Premium 32lb, Bright White – This is the secret to soft, high-quality pages!
- NOTE: I have also used CheaperCopies.com to print for me and I found the pricing to be slightly less than printing myself at home. I would recommend them. They were wildly less expensive than ordering from Staples.
- The Discs: Plum Paper Metal Discs (Silver)
- The Punch: Happy Planner Punch (Big size)
- Money Planner: 2026 Printable Version
- Work Planner: 2026 Printable Version
DIY Dividers & Covers
Subscribe to my YouTube channel to see a video tutorial on how to make big 6 tab dividers for an 8.5×11 planner (coming soon!). I’ll use the supplies listed here (and the disc punch above) and show you step by step how to do it.
- Paper: Echo Park “Our Happy Place” (12×12 sheets)
- The Tool: We R Memory Keepers Punch Board (Essential for making custom tabs)
- Laminator: Scotch Laminator and 5mil Laminating Pouches
- Stickers: PlannerKate Month Stickers (for labeling tabs; grab 2 sheets if you want to label both sides of the tab)
Pens & Planning Tools
- Pens: Passionate Penny Pincher Gel Pens / Daily Grace Co. Pens here & here / Cultivate What Matters here & here
- Highlighters: Passionate Penny Pincher / Daily Grace Co. here & here
- Stickers: PlannerKate (Week numbers, “No School” scripts*), Passionate Penny Pincher Home, Faith, and Holiday Sticker books
- NOTE: My “No School” script stickers are custom scripts using Jack Font
How I Set Up My 2026 System
The “Franken-Planner” Approach
- The Goal: To have my home, work, and money management in one brain.
- The Setup: I printed selected pages from the PPP Work Planner (like the cute notes pages and checklists) and the Money Planner (bill trackers and grocery budgets) and inserted them directly into the Home Planner.
- Why it helps: I don’t have to carry three books. If I need to check my grocery budget while meal planning, it’s right there!
The DIY Dividers
- The Goal: Aesthetically pleasing navigation.
- The Setup: I used 12×12 scrapbook paper (Echo Park) and cut them down to 9″ wide x 11″ tall so the tabs would stick out past the 8.5×11 paper. I used the We R Memory Keepers punch board to space them evenly.
- The Reality: My cover attempt was a fail! I tried to laminate three layers (2 paper, 1 cardstock), and it was too thick for my punch and too flimsy for the discs. I swapped back to my old DIY PPP covers for now. Real life > Perfection.
- NOTE: I’ll use these clear covers when they arrive with some cute scrapbook paper behind it until I can find a cover I like. Feel free to suggest small shops that make big Happy Planner covers!
Visualizing the Year (The “Out of Sight” Fix)
- The Goal: Not forgetting annual tasks because I can’t see them.
- The Setup: I moved the Spring Cleaning Checklist to March and the Christmas Checklist to December (instead of keeping them in the front of the planner).
- Why it helps: I am very “out of sight, out of mind.” With the disc system, I can move that cleaning list to the current week I am in, so I actually do the work.
The Yearly Overview
- The Goal: Seeing the “School Rhythm” at a glance.
- The Setup: I used highlighters and Planner Kate transparent dots to mark every “No School” day, and Early Dismissal for the entire year. I’ll add every Formula 1 race weekend when I get that schedule!
- Why it helps: We use my son’s school schedule and the F1 schedule to help us coordinate when my husband should be in town (he works away from home, but can thankfully set his own schedule).
Ready to “Move In”?
I know this supply list might look a little intimidating (especially if you are new to the world of “Franken-planning”), but remember: you do not need all the things to get started. You just need a system that works for your brain.
If you want to see exactly how I set up my planner (and that failed cover attempt) grab a cozy drink and click play below. We are going to set this up together, step by step.
Note: If you can’t watch this video, it may be currently only available as early-access or as an exclusive for my channel members. Please consider joining! More details here.
Your turn: Don’t wait for the perfect uninterrupted afternoon (because we both know that isn’t coming). Grab your planner, print those pages, and just start moving in. Imperfect action is better than a perfect plan that never leaves your head.
Let me know in the comments: Are you team Coil or team Disc for 2026?