The world of planners can be intimidating. There are so many different brands, different types, and different layouts of planners. Some people use one planner for everything, and others — like me — use multiple planners.

Bear with me, this post will be a long one. I will go through the new Erin Condren Monthly planner, some accessories, and all the details you need to know about customization options and launch details.

Three quick notes: First, The new Academic Planners are launching June 11th and you can find out more information here. I’d also like to thank the Erin Condren team for sending me these products prior to launch to use and review! Additionally, this page contains affiliate links. If you choose to use these links, there is no additional cost to you and I will make a small commission that allows me to keep producing content. If you choose to use them: Thank You!

The Erin Condren Monthly Planner

Let’s start with the Erin Condren Monthly Planner. An important note: The Monthly Planner was known prior to this year as the Deluxe Monthly planner. The guts of the planner haven’t changed, but the name has. I know this can be confusing when selecting which planner is the right fit for you, especially with so many planner layouts. I hope to provide some clarity.

The Monthly Planner gives you 12 monthly spreads with notes pages in between the months. It does not include weekly spreads. This is a great layout for someone who may not need the nitty-gritty of a weekly planner, or who wants the ability to customize the pages that could be used for a weekly spread.

I should mention that my deluxe monthly from last year was colorful; this year, I have the neutral monthly planner. The colors in the neutral are more pastel and muted as opposed to the bright layers in the colorful version, which you can see in my Daily Duo review here. Many of the changes to the Monthly Planner are the same changes that were made to this year’s Erin Condren Life Planner.

The details:

Launching: June 4th, 2020

Price: Base Price $40 (Additional customizations will add to price)

Size: 7×9 or 8.5×11 (additional $5 charge for the larger size)

Design: Layers

Colorway: Colorful or Neutral

Coil Options: Platinum, Gold, Rose Gold, or Black

Gut Options:

• Gut option 1: 12 month (July 2020 – June 2021)

• Gut option 2: 12 month (Aug 2020 – July 2021) – the option I am reviewing starts in July!

• Gut option 3: 12 month (Sept 2020 – Aug 2021)

• Gut option 4: 12 month (Jan 2021 – Dec 2021)

Additional Pages that can be added:

• 40 additional pages (lined, dot, or productivity)

• 80 additional pages (lined, dot, or productivity)

Planner Layout

The planner starts with an opening page. Does anyone else love writing their name at the start of a fresh planner?

The first spread (two full pages) of the planner are beautiful quotes. This year’s layers theme resonates with me for its message of rebuilding and growth — these quotes embody that spirit!

Then, you’ll find a year-at-a-glance page. This is a great space to mark important upcoming dates, such as due dates for bills/maintenance and to anticipate pre-planning needs.

We then move into this spread, which I call the 12 boxes page. Truthfully, this is a spot of endless possibility. It can be used for pre-planning by month, reflection, goal setting, or anything you can think of!

When entering into each of the months, there is a quote page that signals the start of a new month.

The tab then opens directly to the start of the month (yay!)

This next page is one of the biggest changes. The dashboard page has moved. There is a lined page to the right and a dashboard section to the left. I love using the dashboard page as a way to keep up with essential content tracking, but again — there are many possibilities and your ideas may vary.

We then move into the notes section. If you order the normal planner with no additions this will look identical to last year. But, this year you have the option to receive your additional pages as additions to your monthly notes sections. What does this look like? In the simplest form of the planner in between each month you will receive two full pages (front and back) to write on. However, the planner I was sent has an additional 40 pages and with this new option , in my version of the planner you are given four full pages monthly (front and back) to write on, and you can use the back of the dashboard page as an additional notes page. This leaves you with nine pages to write on. As well as 20 pages of notes in the back.

You then start at the beginning of a new month. This format is repeated 12 times to complete the year.

The back of the planner either moves into the sticker or goes into notes if you opt for that edition, (The planner I’m reviewing includes 40 additional lined pages (20 pages front and back)!

And finally, we are given two full pages of appointment box stickers and a folder.

I went page-by-page through the planner and here is what I noticed:

• On the year-at-a-glance page, the dividing lines have been eliminated and a header is the only feature running along the top

• The 12 boxes at the front of the planner have been simplified and leave more room for creativity

• Tabs open to the month

• The mini calendar on the month has been taken away

• The hexagon has been removed from the headers of the lined pages (oh, thank goodness)

• The dashboard page (between the monthly spread and the notes pages) has been simplified by removing the headers of “birthdays” and “monthly goals”.

• Additional x 2 notes pages in between months

I think the biggest change is the lined pages in between the months. Even beyond the design changes, we went from two pages (four total pages including front and back) to four full pages (eight total with front and back) in between the month. It does make the planner noticeably thicker, as you are adding 48 additional pages. But I know I can always use the extra room for ideas and brainstorming. I love the addition!

Comparison to 2020 Deluxe Monthly Planner

I’ve used an Erin Condren Monthly Planner every day for about 6 months (I’ve had one for longer, but wasn’t using it consistently). It is my content planner and has helped me stay sane and productive while creating content for you all. It holds my ideas, my goals, and my hopes for the next year. The idea of the planner has remained intact, with some slight changes, noted above, that I am pleased with.

Some Additional Uses for the Monthly Planner

Budget Planner – I have seen so many people use this to track their family finances. A quick youtube search will show you how many in the community use this.

Meal Planner – What a great tool to track what your family is eating. As someone with an autoimmune disease, I know the importance of needing to track what to eat for my health and for doctors’ appointments. You could use the monthly spreads to write exactly what you are eating, the notes pages to track inventory of your supplies, as well as recipes you want to try. The idea is easy to execute in this Monthly Planner!

Home-Management Planner – We all know that our lives are so busy, and a monthly planner can help track what has been cleaned, what needs to be cleaned, when repairs need to be made, scheduling renovations projects, etc. The notes pages could be used for brainstorming, budgeting, and reflecting on your home.

Planner to track children activities – I don’t have kids, so I won’t speak to the specifics of this application. But I was a kid once, too, and the flexibility of the monthly planner could be the perfect fit for members of the PTA or girl scout/boy scout moms. I used to coach soccer and would have loved to use something like this to keep track of practices, drills, games, and everything in between.

Work Planner – As a working professional this planner could be great to work through and plan events for the month, people to contact, etc. The notes pages are perfect for list-making, meeting notes, and brain-storming sessions!

Memory Keeping/ Journaling – Y’all know I LOVE memory keeping. This would be perfect to use the monthly spread to write something memorable, gratitude, daily win in the month space and then use the pages in between to journal about what happened in the month, things you are reading/watching, and adding some pictures that make you happy!

Main Planner – As I mentioned before, sometimes all you need is a monthly planner to keep track of everything. A simple space to track appointments and pre-plan for your best year!

Accessories

I’m so excited to see accessories as a part of my review package! While none of these accessories are new to Erin Condren, it’s always nice to see the little changes made to make them even better!

Metallic Monthly Deskpad – $30 | Available Soon

This item is a great accessory to be used anywhere in your house. I am currently keeping mine in our make-shift home gym, but you can put them in your office, on your fridge (you may need to trim it a bit), or to turn any space into a mini command center.

This new Monthly Deskpad starts in August of 2020 and run through December 2021. It includes different metallic accents for every month and over 300 stickers!

Vision Journal Notebook – $21 | Available Now

This journal originally made its debut in the Spring Seasonal Surprise Box. This Vision Journal has lined pages, dot grid pages, sketchbook pages, and prompted spreads accented with subtle hints of their Mid Century Circles to help you envision and dream.

Erin Condren does not offer a dedicated “goal-planner,” though in the past they have released the PetitePlanner Goal Setting Journal and the Petite Planner Weekly Intentions and Goals. Both are goal-type journals but this Vision Journal, in my opinion, most closely resembles a goal planner.

According to the website there are three cover options:

• Sapphire

• Turquoise

• Cherry Blossom, (featured here)!

You also have three options for the coil:

• Platinum (which comes standard on the journal)

• Gold (+$10)

• Rose Gold

Grey Pen Holder- $3.50 | Available Now

A very simple and understated accessory. The pen holder is a great option to, well, hold your pen! I typically do not put these on my interchangeable cover, but they work great in journals!

Three Dual Top Pens – $10.50 | Available Now

The Classic Dual-Tip Markers are my favorite pack of dual tip markers because I use the black pens constantly! I’d love for there to be an all black pen set. So much so, in fact, that I created one when I visited the Fairfax, Virginia store!

So there y’all have it — all the information on the new Erin Condren Monthly Planner launching June 4th! As I mentioned earlier, the New Academic Planners are launching June 11th and you can find out more information here.

I will be posting additional pre-launch on my Instagram and Youtube channel. Make sure to subscribe to follow along!