Most notebooks worth using have a little pocket at the back. That pocket is part of the mystique of a notebook. A place to put mementos and other ephemera. I am always saddened to see the pocket go unused or worse filled with ticket stubs and receipts. We’re better than that. Here’s a few ideas of useful things that aren’t sad reminders of way back when you thought The Hobbit was going to be good.
Money
It’s obvious but true that sometimes you need cash. In this increasingly digital era it’s rare that you can’t use a card or even your smart phone/watch. However, when it happens you’ll be glad of that extra fiver for those farm stand strawberries.
Post it notes
Bear with me here, a long time ago I put some post it notes on an index card and slipped it into the pocket of my notebook. I had no idea how often a post it note is useful until I had them on me. And, when in doubt, they’re great for jokes. One of my favorites is to write, “DON’T MOVE THINGS!!” in angry scrawl and hide them behind things at other peoples homes. It may take someone a while to find them but when they do…
Stamps
Here’s another one that comes in handy rarely but when it does, you’ll be glad. In fact if your notebook is A5 or larger, you can also slip some postcards in there and bring back postcards as a thing. Let’s bring back postcards!!!
Blank check
Picture this: You’re out to dinner with a friend. You decide to split the bill. He says, “I’ll just put it on my card and you can give me cash.” Is he serious? Cash!? Even if you have cash, is he using you as an ATM? Teach him a lesson. Write him a check. So now, while he was planning on selfishly saving a trip to the ATM now he has to go to the bank to deposit your check! (Also, if you lose your wallet you could use the check to buy groceries. Which is good but less fun)
Reference sheet
Perhaps a cheat sheet of Strunk and White’s rules or a list of books to look for next time you happen upon a used bookstore. Shopping lists of any kind tend to change often and writing them in your notebook is a waste of pages and a really boring use of such a nice notebook.
Index cards
If your notebook doesn’t have those tear-away pages at the end and you want to write something down and give it to someone you have 2 options. You could tear a page out of your notebook like an animal or you could use an index card you insightfully placed in that pocket.
Bookmark
While a bookmark is a great and useful device, you could just use an index card, post-it note, or even a dollar bill. So, why a separate bookmark? Basically, this is just a chance for me to mention my favorite bookmark of all time, the Book Dart. These things are awesome. They’re small, they stay put, and they can even point to a specific line if you want. I just love’em! I suppose you could also use a paper clip which is possibly more useful but less fun1.
Wallet stuff
Nowadays, its pretty common to see people’s smartphones with cases that can hold cards, ID and maybe even a little cash. The idea being that you’re less likely to leave your smartphone at home than your wallet. While this might seem sad it is definitely true. Turning that logic on its ear, if you put that stuff into your notebook you’re more likely to bring your notebook with you. Which is good.
Bonus item: Box cutter blade?
Wait, wait! Don’t leave yet! Hear me out, this one is REALLY specific. If you do a lot of sketching there’s a good chance you sharpen your pencils by blade. Doing this allows you to control how much graphite is exposed and to shave it in whatever fashion is most useful for the job at hand. If you learned to do it with a box cutter blade, as is taught in many sketching classes, having a spare isn’t such a bad idea.