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Oh yes, the wonderful world of stationery. In my younger years, the pencil and eraser reigned supreme only to be replaced by the glorious pen. Moving to a remote working schedule, a lot of us forget just how important stationery is for our home offices, so what exactly are some stationery that every office should have?
Every home office requires basic stationery which includes a set of pens (ideally in black, blue & red), folders, and notebooks. However, it is advised that the more comprehensive a set of stationery you own the fewer interruptions you face in your day-to-day work.
So, what are the 28 pieces of stationery I bought for my home office? and which of these can’t you avoid? Let us continue to find out.
Now whilst buying these items individually can be done (I’ve linked to quality items where I have found them ) In my opinion there is no better option than opting for a home office supply kit like the Deli rotating piece home office kit (link takes you to Amazon) it should cover pretty much every need you have and all the stationery comes in a little box which is easy to move.
(Just a heads up a lot of people reading my blog are in the process of designing their own home office. If you want to save some of the painstaking time I did in designing my office, you can find my recommended products here)
Pen
With the rapid rise of technology and many people preferring to take notes and work on portable devices such as the iPad, tablets, laptops, and phones some soothsayers made the bold prediction that the pen will find itself being redundant in the very near future.
Well, I say, Nay!
The pen has evolved over the centuries from its predecessor the quill to what we know today and still serves a crucial function in our day to day.
Granted 200 years in the future when we use our minds to write the pen might die then but for now, at least it is here to stay!
My recommendation ahs to be a quality Parker rollerball (link takes you to Amazon). A quality name you can trust that is a premium name in writing.
Red pen
Ok did you not just go on a whole soliloquy about the pen? Why are we back here again?
Well often a rookie mistake made by those setting off to College or University or in a professional environment is to buy a set of black or blue pens in a box but not red as they think well, I cannot write and submit notes using that red pen.
Oh Mankind, how do you forget we are a species with a very short attention span and thus get distracted easily when reading long written notes in black. This is why the red pen is so crucial – it lets you highlight key notes or write in red any important texts that you can skip to if needed. When used correctly the red pen can be an effective tool.
As you won’t use red pens ars frequently as other kinds any red pen multipack will do like this set I found on Amazon.
Stapler
One of the most frustrating things is when you have 100’s of pages belonging to different topics/files floating around and mixing up, with you constantly trying to peruse for the doc you need.
That is why a Stapler is so crucial. It allows you to be organized and efficient in your day.
Staples
Well, the Stapler will not have much use without its staples, will it?
Staple remover
For the stapler obsessed, the remover is here to help.
Many any occasion has happened to me where I’ve stabled the front and back of a piece of paper together so investing in a staple remover or something that
Highlighter
If your role required you to analyze data a lot then look no further than the trusty highlighter.
Similar to the pen as we have moved towards using technology for our note-taking etc the highlighter is not as loved as it once was but still a key component of allowing you to revisit keynotes hidden in pages of source material without you having to reread the whole section to find it.
Container for pens/highlighters etc
Wasting time trying to find your pens or highlighter is a consistent thorn in people’s side, so stay organized with a designated container to keep items such as pens, highlighters, batteries etc.
Folders
One of the key things to work from home is ensuring you stay organized and have a proper filing system.
This allows you to ensure confidential data is secured and also saves you so much time faffing around trying to find papers.
Plastic wallets
The fingers to the hand (folder), the sauce to my food. Without plastic wallets, folders really do miss that spice!
Filing storage/cabinet
Crucial for ensuring your documents are secured and out of reach of any prying eyes.
File cabinets are not just for old offices in the 1970s with many brands operating specifically for home offices.
My recommendation has to be the Lorell 4 draw (link takes you to Amazon) which offers plenty of room without breaking the bank.
To read up more about file cabinets check out the following blog posts below:
- Why are file cabinets so expensive?
- How heavy are file cabinets?
- How much weight can a file cabinet hold?
Notebook
Ideal for those shorthand notes or quick actions you’ve got to note down.
It’s not what I would use to store more long-term data to refer to but more on the go note making which I later transfer over to either a hardback notepad or Microsoft Word/Excel depending on its nature.
Hardback notepad
Ideal for noting down clean long-term information you can keep referring to, such as a quick update on company insurance information or how to access a particular file.
Whiteboard
If you have space it really can be a game-changer, for someone like me who is visual, allowing me to pin down my thoughts and ideas on a large canvas, or list key actions for the week/month and every time I look at the board it’s a reminder of what path I need to stay on.
To find out my recommendation check out my recommended gear page here.
Ruler
It is just an OG for essential stationery.
It has so many uses from measurements to sometimes just being handy for anything else.
Calculator
Have you tried to use the laptop calculator? Yep exactly my point.
A lot of the functions in traditional calculators might not cut it so if you are looking for something a little more complex, check out the Texas Instruments calculator which will cover everything you need link takes you to Amazon)
Sticky notes
Ideal for short keynotes or tasks you need to remind yourself.
Very useful in that you can almost stick them anywhere – e.g. the frame of your monitor or folder or wall wherever!
Post-it index flags
Ideal for marking key sections of a book or file.
Sticky Tape
It just is needed my friend, Sticky tape saves lives
Batteries
Essential must-haves for items such as your mouse or keyboard.
The worst thing that can happen is when you are in the flow of preparing a report and bang the keyboard/mouse dies.
Paper clips
If something is not quite ready to be stapled then a clip keeps the pages nice and tidy until such time you decide to file away.
Hole puncher
A necessity for filing away individual or sets of documents in a folder.
Calendar
Allows you to track and remind yourself of key dates and deadlines.
Also useful for remembering key dates such as birthdays and anniversaries!
Scissors
You might not use it a lot but it is one of those tools that when it’s needed can save you so much hassle running around the house or shops to find it.
Filing shelves
If your job is similar to mine, you need 6 or 7 books to consistently refer to.
I have found building a shelf by my desk has really saved time in terms of just reaching out and referring to the key data I need to read.
Alternatively, it’s also a good way to save space for any books, folders by filing them up there.
For my recommendation, check out my gear page here.
Ink eraser
In the event you have botched something up on paper and need to remove it then the ink eraser is the way to go.
Bulletin board
I find the board to be really useful for pinning key documents or notes and then picking it up the next day – it’s like a shortcut on the desktop – it saves you going through files.
Again you can find this on my recommended gear page.
Multi-colored pins
Ideal for using it as a visual separator can be done by way of priority colors or subjects, etc.
Screen protector
Crucial for those who deal with sensitive /confidential information and need to ensure that the family cannot just casually roll up and see it all.
There you have my insight into the wonderful world of stationery and what I find really helps in my day-to-day
Finally, a lot of people reading my blog want to know what products I recommend for a home office/remote working. You can find out my recommendations here and learn how I make money whilst working remotely on the side here.
The content on this on this site has been written by Fehed Nicass who has over a decades worth of experience in sales and has worked remotely for the past 2 years.
