Planner Supplies I Regret Buying (and Why I’m Keeping Them)

In my last post, I shared the planner supplies I bought during the first half of 2026 that I’ve been genuinely happy with and using regularly. This time, I wanted to look at the opposite side: the stationery purchases I was excited about but still haven’t fully worked into my journaling routine.

I wouldn’t call these bad products, and I’m not ready to declutter them. They simply haven’t fit my workflow as easily as I expected, so I’m giving them more time before deciding whether they deserve a permanent place in my collection.

Shachihata Shachiiro Calendar Stamp

You might find this one a little surprising, but the first item I’m going to talk about is the Sachiiro Calendar Stamp. It’s a pretty popular stationery item, and for good reason—the design is genuinely clever. Rather than stamping boxes or a full calendar grid, it stamps just the days of the week and dates in a clean, minimal arrangement. The individual blocks can be rearranged to match each month, so you don’t need a separate calendar stamp for every possible date arrangement. It’s compact, simple, and gives you the basic calendar information without taking up much space on the page.

A Planner Accessory I Wanted for Years

This stamp had been on my stationery wishlist for quite a while. Whenever I was ready to buy it, it seemed to be sold out at the online shop I usually use, and I also had trouble finding it during trips to Japan. I finally came across it on last year’s trip and bought it right away. The only thing I hadn’t realized was that, during all that time, my planning style had changed—and the way I imagined using the stamp no longer fit my routine quite as well.

Why the Calendar Stamp Didn’t Fit My Hobonichi Weeks

I currently use a Hobonichi Weeks, which already gives me the monthly and weekly structure I need. Because of that, I rarely find myself needing to add another set of calendar dates somewhere else in my planner. The stamp works exactly as intended, and I still really like how clean and minimal it looks. I simply don’t have as many opportunities to use it as I thought I would.

I had spent years thinking about finding and buying the stamp, but not much time reconsidering how I would actually use it once I had it. By the time I finally found one, my planning routine had already changed.

Using the Calendar Stamp as a Habit Tracker

My second plan was to use the calendar stamp as a habit tracker. Since the stamp gives you all the dates in a compact format, I thought I could simply circle, highlight, or mark the dates when I completed a habit. I tried it for a while, and visually, I actually liked how simple it was. The problem was that the tracking method itself didn’t really work for me.

I usually care more about how much I did than whether I did something at all. For exercise, I would rather record the number of minutes or the type of workout. For reading, I want to know how many pages I finished, and for drawing, I want to record how long I practiced. Simply marking a date tells me that I did something that day, but it doesn’t capture the amount or effort behind it.

That doesn’t mean this type of habit tracking isn’t useful. It makes much more sense for habits where the main question is simply whether you did it that day. The habits I’m currently tracking are more quantitative, so this format didn’t quite work for me.

Is the Sachiiro Calendar Stamp Worth It?

I still think the Sachiiro Calendar Stamp is a clever and useful planner accessory. Being able to rearrange one compact set for different months is much more practical than owning multiple calendar stamps.

For me, the issue is simply that I haven’t found the right place for it in my current planning routine. The Hobonichi Weeks is already compact enough that I rarely feel the need to add another calendar section. I’m not ready to give up on it, though. I still like the product itself, so for now, I’m keeping it and giving myself more time to figure out how I actually want to use it.

Die Cutting Machine for Journaling

The second item on my regret list is a small manual die cutting machine. It uses metal cutting dies and pressure to cut paper into different shapes, such as labels, frames, speech bubbles, and small boxes. I bought it because I wanted to add a little more dimension to my journal pages and make decorative pieces using paper I already had. I liked the idea of being able to choose my own colors and patterns instead of always relying on premade stickers or paper embellishments.

More Effort Than I Expected

The first surprise was how much pressure it takes to get a clean cut. The machine itself is simple to use, but I still have to put a decent amount of force into turning the handle, especially when I want the edges to come out cleanly. It isn’t difficult enough to stop me from using it, but it is definitely more physical than I expected.

The setup also takes up more space than I had imagined. I thought I would be able to pull it out as casually as a paper punch, but the machine itself takes up a fair amount of desk space, and there are also the cutting plates, dies, and paper to deal with. Once everything is out, it feels less like grabbing one quick journaling tool and more like setting up a separate activity.

Another thing I underestimated was how much time I could spend simply looking for the right die. There are so many shapes, sizes, frames, labels, and decorative designs available that finding exactly what I have in mind can take surprisingly long. I started with only a few basic dies because I could already tell that searching for the perfect size or shape could become endless very quickly.

Die-Cut Labels and Photo Frames

I started with a few basic shapes that seemed easiest to use in my journal, including labels and photo frames. They are not dramatically dimensional, but even a simple extra layer of paper can make a page feel a little more interesting.

The labels are easy to imagine using for dates, short notes, or small captions, while the photo frames can add a little structure around printed photos. I also like being able to choose the paper myself, since the same die can look completely different depending on the color or pattern I use.

These are probably the types of dies I will get the most regular use from because they are simple enough to work with many different journaling styles. I deliberately started with basic shapes instead of buying lots of highly specific designs, since I still want to see which ones I actually reach for.

Speech Bubbles for Journal Pages

The speech bubble die is probably my favorite of the journaling dies I have tried so far. The shape is simple but really cute, and it adds a playful detail without taking over the entire page.

I liked it enough that I already bought colored paper specifically so I can make speech bubbles in several different shades. I think they will be fun for short quotes, little comments, or anything that I want to make stand out from the rest of the writing.

Tiny Matchboxes for Flake Sticker Storage

The most unexpected success so far has actually been a small matchbox-style die. I did not buy this one for journaling at all—I mostly bought it because the tiny finished box looked cute.

Once I made one, though, I realized it was a really good size for storing small flake stickers. Those tiny loose stickers can be annoying to keep organized, and the little paper box keeps them together while still being easy to open and use.

I liked the result enough that I am planning to make a few more soon. This was definitely not the use I had in mind when I bought the die cutting machine, but it ended up being one of the projects I have enjoyed the most so far.

A More Practical Die Cutting Workflow

I think the biggest adjustment I need to make is how I use the machine. My original expectation was that I would pull it out whenever I needed one small piece while journaling, but that does not seem realistic for me. The setup, desk space, and amount of effort make more sense if I am making several things at once.

Instead, I want to prepare batches of basic labels, photo frames, and speech bubbles ahead of time and keep them with my other journaling supplies. That way, I can still get the benefit of choosing my own colors and paper without interrupting a journaling session every time I want one small piece.

The die cutting machine may never become the quick, everyday tool I originally imagined, but I am not ready to give up on it. I think it just needs a different workflow—and possibly a little more time for me to figure out which dies are actually worth keeping around.

Planner Supplies Worth Testing Before Decluttering

I bought quite a few planner supplies during the first half of 2026, and looking back, I probably didn’t give myself enough time to properly test everything. Personal life got busy too, so some of these products ended up sitting around before I had really figured out how I wanted to use them.

I think even a well-planned stationery purchase needs a testing period. Before I declutter either of these, I want to give them a little more time and see whether a different workflow makes them more useful.