Cheap Bullet Journal Supplies Under $5 – More Bujo for Your Buck

Having a beautiful bullet journal doesn’t have to be expensive! Here are five incredible cheap bullet journal supplies for under five bucks!

Budget Bullet Journaling

It’s so easy to go on Instagram to look at any bullet journal hashtag and immediately feel envy at the amount of stationery that some people have. I admit it – I’ve bought more than a few expensive art supplies off of the recommendation of someone I follow on Instagram. But it doesn’t have to be like that for everyone. Whether you’re tight on funds because you’re saving for a big purchase, working your way through school, or you’re just trying to pay off existing debt, there’s no reason you need to break the bank to have a beautiful bullet journal. Here’s a list of my top picks for cheap bullet journal supplies under $5.

Prang Watercolors

These are great quality watercolors at a fraction of the price of most art store sets. The cake style makes them perfect for travel, and you get an excellent array of basic colors that you can mix to your heart’s desire in the built-in mixing tray in the lid. You can purchase this set of eight colors, or you can splurge a little and get a set of sixteen for only a bit more. These are also commonly available in many stores around the US (I personally purchased mine at Target) where you can use coupons for better deals.

Crayola Supertips

I purchased my first set of Crayola Supertips a few months after I dropped (what felt like) major money on a full set of Zebra Mildliners. And while my mildliners are great, I rarely reach for them anymore after buying these Supertips. These are ridiculously great water-based markers. They don’t bleed through pages, and you can use them to do great faux calligraphy. I still find myself reaching for these on a daily basis. The best part? They come in a bazillion colors, and most of their sets are pretty cheap. Even the larger set of 50 markers is super affordable.

Washi Tape

Disclaimer: I’m not responsible if you get addicted to this stuff like I am. You do NOT, I repeat, do NOT need 200 rolls of this stuff like I do. (Please send help, I have a problem).

It’s super easy to find washi tape for under $5 if you know where to look. One of my favorite places to get cute seasonal washi is at Target’s dollar section. Craft stores like Michael’s and Jo-Ann Fabrics also have great discount bins where you can usually find a few rolls of cute washi for $1 or less. And of course, we can’t forget the dollar store! Where I live, we’re lucky enough to have Daiso which has a crazy array of stationery year round, but I have seen great deals on washi at other stores as well. If you want to order online, Amazon has a huge selection of washi and you can occasionally snag some super cheap sets like this one!

Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen

I’m sure if you’re a part of the bullet journal community, you’ve run into Tombow Dual Brush Pens at some point. The Tombow Fudenosukes are their cooler little cousins. The tips make brush lettering SO easy and they are perfect for brush lettering beginners. They come in a hard or soft tip – I personally prefer the hard point. They both allow you to have great control over the pressure of your writing. I use these for basically every spread. The ink is beautiful and black and I cannot emphasize how much easier brush lettering is with these pens. These are a must for my bullet journal supplies! You can see an in-depth review of these pens here. 

Stencils

These templates have become such a great tool when designing spreads in my bullet journal. They offer the benefits of a straight edge and a bunch of shape templates (I especially love the circle templates) and a built-in protractor for any fancy spreads you might make. I got this specific set at Daiso for about $1.50, but you can find sets just like this all over in the school supplies section of your local store or dollar store. You can also find all kinds of stencils online in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Other Great Places to Look

I think I’ve emphasized my love for bargain bin shopping when it comes to stationery, but there are also a lot of great internet resources as well besides Amazon. Sites like AliExpress and Wish both offer huge arrays of products, sold at wholesale prices to consumers. (The main caveat being that they can take 4-6 weeks to arrive, but I’m patient!)

Always keep your eyes peeled for great cheap bullet journal supplies, and be creative! As cheesy as it sounds, you can make anything work with a bit of imagination! If you want to check out a bigger list of bullet journal supplies for inspiration, head here 🙂 Happy planning!

To see more of my work (and how I make cheap materials work) visit my Instagram @misfit.plans