Words by Ann De Guzman
This is for all of the students, bujo enthusiasts, and beginners who need supplies for bullet journaling this quarantine. Most people are hesitant to get into journaling because of the intimidating amount of supplies that are enough to make both you and your wallet cry. The key to bullet journaling on a budget is being creative and resourceful! Here are just a few must-haves that you don’t need to break the bank for.
1. HIGHLIGHTERS
Among the bujo community, the Zebra Mildliner Highlighters carry the appeal of having numerous colour options that are not too harsh and are nicely shaped for a compact fit that is portable in a small pencil case. The highlighters have two sides: one chiselled tip used for highlighting and a nub tip for underlining and this feature makes it a favourite product for bujo enthusiasts. The only downside is that a single pack of five highlighters is quite pricey, let alone collecting all 25 colours.
One recommended substitute is the Stabilo Highlighters of the pastel variation, both the original model and the new Swing Cool models. They come in shades that are relatively similar to the Zebra Mildliner colours though there is no current model that has a dual tip. It is relatively cheaper than the Zebra Mildliners but is sold separately without a pack. The original model also lacks the compact design of the Mildliner model but the new Stabilo Swing Cool Pastel Highlighters compensate for the design flaw of its predecessor. A substitute that has a similar colour range and model to Mildliners are the Dong-A Twinliners that come in packs of 5 with a range of about fifteen colours.
2. BRUSH PENS and CALLIGRAPHY PENS
The bujo community are fond of two primary brands of brush pens: the Tombow Dual-Tip brush pens and the Tombow Fudenosuke brush pen. The dual-tip brush pen, as the name implies, has two tips: a brush tip for calligraphy and blending and a nub tip for writing. This product is very favourable among artists and bujo enthusiasts because of its versatility, but it is a bane for buyers because of its price for both an individual piece and the set for certain schemes such as black and whites, earth tones, and skin tones.
A substitute for brush pens could be markers such as the Crayola washable markers. It is a popular dupe for calligraphy pens and brush pens for both its versatility and price range.
3. JOURNALS
How do you bullet journal without a journal? There are tons of brands out there that sell journals of different kinds. Moleskin, Buke, and Leuchtturm journals are popular among the bujo community but are notorious for being quite hefty in price.
For cheap journals, Comix, Veco, and Prism have a wide range of designs that suit different tastes. Some journals have dotted pages, grid pages, and most even blank as a variation of the usual ruled journal found in most brands.
4. WASHI TAPE
Washi tape is perfect for decorating and adding pictures or scrap paper into journal designs but can get expensive depending on the complexities of the design or how large the roll is. When it comes to sticking paper and other decor in a journal, your local Elmer’s glue stick is the way to go. Strips of coloured paper can be doodled on and stuck to pages to imitate washi tape designs and it is much more affordable and fun to do. Simple, easy, and cheap.
5. PENS
Gel pens are incredibly popular when it comes to journaling for their clean look on doodles and writing. Popular pen brands include Muji, Pilot, Zebra Sarasa, and Pentel, but all have the same problem: price. Some dupes include Dong-A and Monami gel pens that are available in both click pens and capped pens. Both brands are not limited to gel pens however as they also sell ballpoint pens and metallic gel pens.
(ALSO READ: Portable Instant Photo Printers That Every Bullet Journal Junkie Will Love)
What other tools do you recommend? Let us know in the comments!
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