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2018/02/12

38 Things You Should Save in Evernote

You’re just getting started with Evernote, and you’re asked to create your first note. What do you do with it? Make a shopping list? Write a poem? Plan your life? A blank page offers endless possibilities. Here are some cool ideas you can use to make that first note—and all the notes to follow—matter.

Clear out your drawers and file cabinets

  1. All those warranty cards and user manuals. They collect dust, and you can’t throw them out. Download the PDF versions and save them to Evernote. Later, search by any word to find whatever you need in seconds.
  2. Memorabilia. Theatre programs, ticket stubs, travel brochures, love letters—the list goes on. Use Evernote’s camera to save it, and then—best of all—reminisce later when you need a peek at the past. Turn your notebook into a digital scrapbook.
  3. Pet information. Store adoption papers, licenses, vaccination records, veterinary care information, and pet sitter contact data in a notebook dedicated to your furry friends.
  4. Your kids’ artwork. Make a virtual refrigerator door you can share. Scan your kids’ art, and you can free yourself from clutter and still keep it all forever. Bonus: Make a scrapbook of their art through the years and give it to them upon graduation.

Keep track of your daily life

  1. A spending tracker. Do you really want to know how much you spend on Amazon or Etsy? Use Evernote’s email forwarding or camera to send receipts to a notebook. Buy a lot from one seller? Make a tag for that seller. At year’s end, see what a good customer you’ve been.
  2. The weekly chores list. Add checkboxes next to each item so the person responsible can check off when it’s done. Share the note with the family and add reminders to help everyone stay on task.
  3. Coupons. There are lots of ways to use coupons with Evernote, from using Web Clipper to snapping photos of coupons to screenshots and email forwarding. Snag those bargains into Evernote using either a “Coupons” notebook or tag. Set a reminder to use the coupon before it expires.
  4. Your journal. If you pour your heart out to Dear Diary, you can do it from anywhere with Evernote. Get inspired to write using Daily Reflection templates.
  5. Your day planner or calendar. Need to keep track of something by date? Evernote just happens to offer some pretty great free templates for you to keep an eye on your day, week, month, and year.
  6. Your teams’ scores. Are you into fantasy football or baseball? Manage a sports team or chess club, play golf, or just keeping score of your favorite players? Evernote is perfect for tracking stats over time.
  7. Health and workout records. Monitoring progress is a great way to stay motivated in any health-related project, from working out to losing weight. Keep calorie counts, meal plans, and workout routines in Evernote.
  8. A recipe collection. Keep them or share with friends and family. Scan old family recipes, clip good ones from the web or snap pictures of your favorites from books. Make notes about variations and substitutions.

Get Inspired

  1. Idea files. Keep things that inspire you by using Web Clipper to grab articles, images, and social media posts. Use them when you’re stuck for ideas. You can find inspiration in the most surprising places, so be ready to capture it when you’re on the go. That’s why you can use Web Clipper on your mobile device, too.
  2. Newsletters. Have newsletters delivered right to Evernote using your Evernote email address. They stay out of your inbox and are ready for you when you want them.
  3. Your bullet journal. If you’ve had fun journaling with colored markers and stencils, try the digital version of bullet journaling. Take a look at this how-to and be just as creative in Evernote as you are on paper.
  4. A gratitude list. Stop and be thankful. It’s a powerful way to remember to stay positive, and Evernote helps you to do it. Grab this Evernote Gratitude template.
  5. Your to-do list. This is a no-brainer. To-do lists can be the roadmap for your life. Add checkboxes in Evernote to indicate when you’ve finished a task.
  6. Done Lists. Planning for the future is important, but don’t forget to celebrate what you’ve already done. Next time you feel like a sloth, take a look back at everything you’ve accomplished. And be proud.
  7. Favorite places. Is a friend traveling to one of your favorite towns? Send her an Evernote notebook filled with your knowledge. Link to restaurants, sites, and maps. Add personalized tips for things to do.

Get started with Evernote for learning

  1. Research projects. Remodeling your kitchen? Shopping for a new car? Clip photos and articles from the web, jot down notes, and scan documents and photos together in one place.
  2. Genealogy. This fascinating pastime uses So. Much. Paper. But some professional genealogists use Evernote to make sense of it all. Plus, relatives are more likely to let you scan a precious document or photo than borrow it.
  3. Homework and class notes. Student? Parent of a student? Evernote shines at school. The dog can’t eat your homework if it’s in Evernote. Record lectures, take photos of the board, take and share notes, and have everything ready for final exams.

Learn how to use Evernote templates »

Plan it out

  1. Travel documents and plans. They say that travel is a curse. Make it easier by keeping e-versions of tickets, confirmation and reservation numbers, directions, maps, and phone numbers you can access from anywhere.
  2. A whole website or blog. Build your website, blog, or online portfolio. Automate it using just Evernote and Postach.io. Yes, you can do that.
  3. The novel you’re writing. So much goes into a novel, and Evernote is the best place to organize it. Check out our templates for novel writing to learn how.
  4. Your next move. Getting ready for a move? Organize your house-hunting by keeping lease papers, your references, and rental history together. House-hunting? Save listings to share with your housemates.
  5. Your reading list. Send articles from the web into a notebook to read later, or use Web Clipper to save your favorite Amazon items in an easy-to-read, clutter-free format. See your item, a link to the page, a picture, and all the reviews. Perfect for comparison shopping.
  6. Events. Plan weddings and other parties like the pros. Keep guest lists, vendor quotes, menus, and more in Evernote, and reduce stress before, during, and after the event.

Take Evernote to work

  1. Meeting notes. Use this template to make a record of what happened. Share your notes, so everyone’s on the same page. Actively taking notes also helps you stay engaged, even during meetings.
  2. Voice memos and meeting recordingsEvernote can record audio. We’ll say that again. Evernote can record audio. Write notes and take pictures at the same time, and group them for a complete capture of your meeting or class.
  3. Your company’s or department’s intranet. For an updatable place to keep onboarding and benefits information, contact lists, train schedules, and other key information employees look up a lot, try a shared notebook in Evernote.
  4. Collaborations/Group Projects. Share notes and notebooks and store work in progress, emails, finished work, project plans, meeting notes, and all the information everyone on the team needs to get the job done.
  5. Business cards. Scan cards with Evernote and save them to your contacts so you always have them with you.
  6. Resumes and cover letters. It never hurts to be prepared. Keep different versions in Evernote, and send them out by either downloading and emailing them, or by sharing the link with the right people.
  7. Interview preparation. Don’t be nervous. Do your homework and put your learnings into Evernote to review before the interview. Jot down your questions during breaks, and save email addresses for thank you notes.
  8. Work samples and portfolio. Share whole notebooks or individual samples, download them for print, or rearrange them for an individual client or potential employer.
  9. Quarterly/annual goals. Whether for your company or just for you, tracking goals keeps you on the right path. Writing them down makes them more real, and Evernote helps remind you of your intentions.
  10. Extend Evernote to other apps. With the help of services like IFTTT and Zapier, it’s possible to do even more with Evernote. Automate events like saving links you post to Facebook, mentions on Twitter, creating a note when you add a Trello card, or saving your Pinterest finds.