Besides providing space for jotting down your schedule, a day planner often includes extras, such as notepaper, an address book, city maps, and a restaurant tipping chart. Try these tips:

Write down how much you’re spending on groceries or other budgeted items on the planner’s notepad. It’s the ideal place, because you can dash off updates no matter where you are, says Kerul Kassel, author of Productive Procrastination (Echelon Press, $16, www.amazon.com).

Plot out vacations according to the school year. Standolyn Robertson, president of the National Association of Professional Organizers, suggests an academic calendar (available at office-supply stores), which runs from August through July.

Use business-card slots to sort receipts — tax deductibles, big-ticket items, and work expenses — so you’re not wading through a purse full of paper every day.

Shown: Each month of the Datebook 2008 features a different color scheme.
To Buy: $28, www.paper-source.com.

Real Simple Picks

Filofax Domino Pocket Organiser, $22
Elastic strap. Penholder. Refillable.
To Buy: www.filofaxusa.com.

Graphic Image 6-Inch Personal Pocket Journal, $31
Can be embossed (for $7.50 per line). Has city maps.
To Buy: 800-232-5550.

Foray Weekly Planner, $23
Removable, reusable vinyl cover. Fits in a tote.
To Buy: www.officedepot.com for locations.