The Circa System

(Doesn’t “The Circa System” sound like something you should be guessing the price of on The Price is Right? I’m just sayin’.)

I’m an office supply junkie. I have been for as long as I can remember. I have a distinct memory of being about 8 or 9, riding to the Office Depot (which I pronounced de-pot at the time) and being ecstatic when I purchased a dozen legal pads. I’m not sure what the 8-year-old me had planned for all those legal pad, but I loved them. And let’s not talk about the dresser drawer filled to the brim with ink pens…

When I went searching for a new planner/organization system for my life, my office supply addiction definitely came into play. I looked at many, many different options and wanted to try them all. Thankfully, the frugal, more reasonable part of my brain reminded me that I’ve tried so many different types of organizers and that none of them really worked well for all areas of my life. What I needed was something flexible that could be adapted as my needs might change.

That’s when I ran into the Circa system. While you can see more on the Levenger website, a brief overview of the Circa system is that, when using their custom punched paper (or paper you have punched using their punch) you can easily add, remove or move pages within a notebook. The notebook you create is more flexible than a bound book and less bulky than a 3-ring binder. It seemed like the perfect option for my needs.

I started by ordering the Circa sample pack. This seemed like a no-brainer since the kit cost $40 and also came with a $40 gift card to be spent on Circa products. The sampler came quickly, even with the cheapest shipping. I was very happy with all of the different products they included. A great sampling.

Then I ordered the main event - the Circa punch. Now normally I am not the type of girl to spend $57 on a punch. Really, that is ridiculous. I even have a hard time recommending the product because of the price. I rationalized it because (1) I had $50 from my Discover Card rewards. I consider this “free money” and used it to purchase my sampler. (2) The reviews spoke highly of the punch and I believe it will last me. Again, a horrible amount to spend on a paper punch, but it does seem very well made. I also ordered another pack of rings.

I’m very happy with the Circa system. The pages hold well but are easily removable. The punch works well (although it will, at times, get stuck on my laminated pages). The pages move smoothly and I love that I can flip my notebook cover to cover. While I wish the system were a little more affordable, I appreciate their quality and am happy with my purchase.

(More on the planner itself to come.)