The Cranking Widgets Blog

Having “found the light’ only somewhat recently, I’m still working the kinks out of my trusted system. Having said that, I thought I’d share where I’m at so far. As I am not rich by any means, this list will be a good example of “budget GTD”. I give you the current contents of my GTD toolbox:

• Hipster PDA – The brainchild of productivity black-belt Merlin Mann, this has become a staple in my system. This holds most of my context-based lists (@Home, @Work, Waiting, Errands, Calls, Emails), as well as a dandy calendar and GTD reference card from diyplanner.com. Bringing up the rear is about 10 or so blank index cards used for quick notes and the like. Bound together by a stylish mini black binder clip, this puppy would probably cost about $3 (since you’d likely have to buy index cards by the hundred and binder clips in packs of 6-100).
• D-Ring Binder – A plain jane, heavy duty black binder. This holds my project lists (Home, Work, Someday/Maybe), some support materials and some of my Read/Review items. My only criteria for keeping supplemental stuff in here is that a) it has to fit and b) it has to be somewhat pending, in the case of support material. Divided by super-bargain tab dividers, this guy will run you about $8 (including tabs).
• Dymo QX50 Labeler – I grabbed the Office Depot catalog from purchasing at work and picked the cheapest labeler I could find that still had a Qwerty keyboard layout. Works great and I use it often. Not many frills, though (extra fonts, etc.), but it definitely gets the job done. It also fits reasonably well in my rather-large backpack. Cost: $30
• Quardille Tear-off Pad – This fits nicely into the inside pocket of the binder, and I keep everything but the top cover clipped to the binder cover. This makes it painfully simple to tear off a new sheet and start writing when sitting at my desk. Cost: $4
• Pilot G-2 – I haven’t tried many different types of pens, but I really like these. They write very smoothly and don’t skip, even on the crappy index cards I use. I have some of the full-size and some of the mini (especially good as a stylus for the hPDA). A set of two full-size pens will probably run you $4 or so.
• PolyPocket – This is my “mobile in-basket” which I keep in my backpack (unless it has something in it, then it goes in my regular in-basket at home or at work). A nice, small plastic folder that binds closed using a nylon elastic strip. Opens on three sides for easy adding/removing of stuff (especially nice for index cards). I can’t say I’ve used this thing a ton, but it’s proven worthy of the small amount of space it occupies and the $3 I paid for it.
• Hanging File Folders – You’ve all seen these, the pendaflex-style hanging green folders. These, along with the accompanying manila folders, hold all of my less-frequent project support materials, read/review items and any records I want to keep. I’d love to have the permanent stuff separate, but I’m somewhat spatially challenged both at home and work. I basically went and found the most inexpensive set I could at OfficeMax one afternoon, as well as a box of manila folders. I got 2 boxes of hanging folders (on clearance or something – I think I paid something like $7/box of 25) and a box of 50 manila folders. I already had a place to hang them, thankfully. Total Cost: around $22
• Google Calendar – As much as I try to imagine a paper-based calendar being easier or more effective than Google Calendar, I simply can’t do it. Since I can easily add new events and get reminders on my cell phone and computer, I’m always able to deal with my calendar effectively (without needing to carry around another paper-based item). The interface is super slick without getting in your way. Cost: Free

That’s pretty much it. Based on my (admittedly rough) calculations, you should be able to put together a pretty solid setup for under $80 (assuming you have a filing cabinet of some kind and a computer and cell phone). The best advice I can give you is this: have your employer pay for it. Productivity doesn’t stop when you darken the door of your office, so why should you foot the entire bill for your necessary supplies? There’s really nothing superfluous or extravagant here, just about everything is as inexpensive as I could get by with. So, if your employer either reimburses you for expenses or has a Staples catalog lying around and some blank purchase order forms, I say go to it.

As I mentioned earlier, I’m still a newbie and my system is hardly set in stone. I’m still toying with the idea of a tickler file and I’ve got some higher-end paper products on my wishlist – so we’ll see!

Next time, we’ll delve more into how I personally organize things like the binder and the hPDA. If you found this interesting, please subscribe!

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