Bright Idea: 2-in-1 Journals

Notebooks and journals are expensive.  I mean, $0.50 isn't ridiculous, but if you multiply that by 34, then again by the three or four journals needed throughout the year for the various subjects that are taught...well, that is just a lot of money out of my pocket.  And usually, I spend it, grumble a little, then move on because I know it is good for my students and a necessary cost.

Then, the year goes on and, come the end, I realize that I haven't even filled half of many of the notebooks for whatever reason (I got lazy in my interactive notebook gusto from the beginning of the year, most things didn't require me to have the kids write it in the notebook, we didn't take that many notes....who knows)

So this year, I decided to try and cut down on both the out of pocket cost and the lack of filling the notebook space and try something a little different.  I combined two notebooks into one, by flipping it upside down.

The front of my notebook is for grammar.  All lessons that I am planning to do on all things related to grammar are going to go right here in the front half of the notebook.

Then the kids flipped over the book and affixed a label for my reading notebook on the back.  The back half of the journal will be for all reading genre notes (not response....just reading genre and skill stuff.)

I figure if I *need* more space, I can always give them a second journal later, but at least this way, I am saving a little money, and a few trees, for the time being.

What about you?  How do you manage all of the notebooks that you have?  Any money/space saving ideas for us?