To spend £300 on a calendar?

[PearTreeSally]

I would really like a digital family calendar for our home - mainly to stop all the arguing about who planned what first and who definitely didn't forget to tell the other about an important event. I like the idea of a physical, in-the-kitchen display, as I don't think a shared app on our phones would work. Having meal planning and joint shopping lists would be useful too.

I've come across the Skylight, which looks perfect, but nearly £300!! Cheaper alternatives don't have great reviews, and if I was techy I suppose I could buy a tablet and put a calendar app on it, then wall mount it, find a way to switch off the screensaver etc, but that seems a faff.

YABU - don't be daft, you must have more money than sense
YANBU - it's the best purchase you'll ever buy, it saved my marriage and sanity

How about a cheaper version of skylight

We use a normal digital calendar, then once a week I sit down and transfer that week to a weekly fridge planner. That then gets photographed and pinned in the group chat. If it’s not on the digital version then that person misses out. Eg they can’t expect a lift/ to not have the kids.

It does mean we have to be fairly strict about actually keeping up with it but we’re a large busy family. There isn’t any quick and easy solution.

https://amzn.eu/d/0COxQpf

Google Keep is good for shared lists; we have a shopping list on it that the whole family can access, and you can see it when you are at the shops.

I really want this too OP!

I looked at Skylight longingly once but it looked as if a lot of the functions are only available with an ongoing subscription which pisses me off as a concept so much that now i’ll never get one!

But how do you know if the date is even free? A good friend of mine uses one of those wall family calendar things and I silently scream when we're out together, hatch a plan for meeting up again, and inevitably she goes home, realises she's fucked the dates up and her husband is already booked to go out that night, and we have to go through the scheduling all over again. JUST PUT IT IN YOUR BLOODY PHONE!!

Genuine question, what is the advantage of copying it on to a physical planner and photographing it vs everyone just having a calendar widget on their phone?

And what happens if plans change midweek?

Not sure if it's helpful, but we use Google calendar and to get round the notification blindness I've got calendar notifications set to buzz on my Garmin watch / Fitbit. These are the only notifications I allow on my watch (apart from BeReal ) so I always notice them.

I think we have the same friend!!

I'm agreeing with every comment about paper Vs phone and can see the benefits of both, which is why I loved the idea of a digital calendar as it combines both - but as somebody has said above, the £300 isn't even all in - there's still a subscription a month if you want the extras! It's a stupid price and I'd love a cheaper alternative because I'm not justifying this currently

We use a Frigobloc calendar. Has magnetised back so sticks to fridge. Has a rip off weekly calendar section as well as a shopping list pad and sticky pad. Our current one has monthly tear off calendar with seasonal fruit/veg on the back and a recipe. It’s all in French too. I bought the first one in a French supermarket and second from eBay. Has place for pen/pencil. I think it’s great although I seem to be the only one who uses it. I also send invitations and reminders to everyone’s online calendars.

I think a PP is right, better off getting an EchoShow linked to a family Google Calendar for £89

I have been very tempted with those skylight calendars myself as we have 3 children and a very busy family life but I refuse point blank to pay that sort of price.

I have yet to decide what to do - we currently share a calendar but the kids (2 of whom are autistic) like to actually see this on a physical calendar. I'm torn between ordering an Alexa with a screen ( so they can access the calendar) and a paper calendar. I will probably buy a paper calendar and when our normal Alexa device stops working update to one with a screen. Won't buy one until then.

Some of the family are too young to have a phone/ to reliably check one, and having it on the fridge means the adhd ones amongst us will look several times a day. If plans change or get added then we update the one on the fridge.
Essentially, the digital is for the adults and longer term plans whereas the fridge one is where the kids/ teens add in where they are going to be on that particular day.

Get the cheapest android tablet. Sticky velcro it to the wall, near a plug socket.
just keep it charging all the time. Doesn’t matter that it hammers the battery as it’s only ever going to be plugged in anyway.

Load onto it a shared calendar ie Google
make the settings on the tablet ‘wake up’ when you are near so you can see what it says.

also use the reminders on appointments but change it to a timescale that’s useful, like 1 day before not 10 mins before.

you can then use it for shopping lists and meal plans too. Just use an app you all have access to

We use family wall app - everyone just adds their info and it alerts you when someone has added something and I like you can colour code it for each family member - and it’s free!

Look you'll spend 300 pound on in and they probably still won't use it.

What's the subscription for?
I was looking at one of these but I can't see much difference between using the Google calendar and then seeing it on the Google Nest I've got.

Good point, but then our diaries aren’t that complicated and I’d message DH to check
plans before committing to things.

ETA in response to@pastaandpesto (lost the quote)

I tried so many times with my lot, to use a shared calendar (Google cal) but I was consistently the only one to stick with it, so I gave up 😀

If you can easily afford it and it will work YANBU.

Somehow, DH and I have ended up with a shared online calendar for some things (we share an email), so I know when he’s going to fly somewhere or has gig tickets, and he knows when it’s time for me to change my HRT patch.

I must lead a really boring life as I can't imagine not bring able to manage a FAMILY schedule without all these devices . Can't you simply talk each morning and / or evening ? How many people are there involved ? It 's not a corporation you are in . Maybe I am too old .

If you have teenage children they won’t fill it in regardless of what it is or how much it costs. Maybe sometimes if you’re lucky.
Obviously younger children it’s up to you to organise the activities.
If it’s you and your husband just better communication is needed.

If you think it will make your life easier then go for it. But it probably will not. I say this as a lone, widowed parent who has invested in all sorts over the years to try and make stuff easier but ultimately everything comes down to old fashioned communication and clear expectations, a bit of a rigid routine when it matters and some outsourcing (for me it was a service wash).