For most people, buying a planner is as simple as driving to their nearest Target (because they have the best selection) and picking the one with the color scheme you like the most. There's nothing particularly wrong with this; these planners are cheap, they do the basic job, and they work for people who either aren't picky or don't particularly have a need to invest in a quality planner. But I'm here to tell you that having a good planner, and knowing how to use it, is essential to becoming an overall more organized, well-rounded, and better person.

Summer time is a prime time to look for planners, as many companies release their new school year planner and 18-month planners. But when it comes to up-scale planners, there are a lot of options, and sometimes it is hard to know where to start. Here is a guide to picking the best planner for you.

Passion Planner

Layout

Two-page, Month-at-a-glance. Weekly glance, Monday or Sunday start to the week, days begin at 6 a.m., 30 minute intervals until 11 p.m.. A space for a monthly, weekly and daily focuses. Space for to-do lists, split into "personal" and "work" and organized by priority. A section for notes and to track good things that happened that week.

Size/Style

Two sizes offered. Classic (8.5"x11') and Compact (5.5"x8.5"). Leather covers. Available in black and sometimes "limited edition" colors. Can get it in the 2016 year, 2016-2017 school year, or undated versions.

Other features

It comes with instructions on how to build a "passion roadmap." as well as monthly reflections to help you check in on your goals and progress. Not a lot of color, but that allows for you to personalize it anyway you want through color coding activities.

Who it's best for

Those people who have a lot of meetings, appointments, or time specific events. I have used this planner for the past six months, and have found it works wonderfully for my life as a full-time student. I use it to block out times I have class, work, meetings or other commitments. The to-do lists are nice, but if you are someone without a lot of structure, and where tasks can get done at anytime, it might not be the best fit. A free pdf version of it is available online. I suggest printing it out and using it for a week before you decide to purchase one.

Price

Relatively cheap. Depending on the size and style you get, it can range from $25 to $35.

Erin Condren

Layout

Offered in three layouts, all with two-page monthly layouts. The vertical layout has a weekly glance, starting on Monday, with three boxes splitting up the day. Room at the bottom of each day for notes, plus a sidebar for lists. The hourly layout starts at 6 a.m. and goes to 8 p.m. Horizontal layout is just a different orientation and offers a box to write notes in for the week.

Size/Style

Various "snap-on/snap-off" covers offered, personalization available (putting your name, initials, a quote on it). 7" x 9". The new 2016-2017 LifePlanner will be available in June.

Other Features

Comes with colorful event stickers, a ruler to mark your place, and a folder to hold extra paper.

Who it's best for

People who like to separate their days/lives into three categories (school, work, home or morning, day, night) or people who love color. Erin Condren's signature and identifying mark is her color palette, and these planners go the full rainbow and more.

Price

Expensive. The barest minimum for snagging one of these planners is $50, and further personalization will quickly add up. However, they are very well made and will hold up well throughout the year.

Plum Paper Planner

Layout

Too many to count. Plum Paper offers about half a dozen different layouts, including two kinds of horizontal planners, an hourly layout, and several different vertical weekly glances. All weeks start on Monday, and a standard, 2 page monthly glance is offered at the start of each new month. The note section is different depending on the layout, but each week is given room for to-do lists or notes.

Size/Style

7.5" x 9" and pretty sturdy interchangeable colors that allow for personalization similar to EC, but with a much wider choice of cover art and colors.

Other Features

Monthly highlights at the start of each month, giving room to put birthdays, events, track goals and put reminders. Like EC, Plum Paper has monthly tabs to separate months, as well as notes at the end of the planner. Special only to Plum Paper are the "add-ons". There are over 16 sections you could add, ranging from a "Wedding Planning Section" to and an extra 20 pages of notes at the back.

Who it's best for

People who love to tailor their planners for their exact needs. Plum Paper offers an enormous amount of customization and choices, so make sure you look through the entire website before deciding on a planner. Since it has some many options, Plum Paper can pretty much work for anyone.

Price

They start out at $31, but each add-on adds to the price. Still, you could add on several sections before reaching Condren's flat rate.

Other Planners

Here's a brief run-down of other planners to look at.

InkWellPress Planners

Available in two formats, hard cover, with beautiful color schemes and extras in the back. Only 2016-2017 planners are on sale now, and they come with a $54 price tag, but you support a small business and they are gorgeous and high quality.

Emily Ley's Simplified Planner

A bare bones, daily planner with hourly slots going from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., with room for notes and meal planning, as well as a daily to-do list. If you're someone who loves to write to-do lists and then schedule in the time to get those things done, this might be for you. Beautiful, hard covers and built to last. $58.

Hope this helped someone find their perfect planner. Happy hunting!