How well do you treat your stationery?
Answer 10 quick questions. Get a letter grade and tips to waste less and save more.
This quiz looks at how you store notebooks, cap pens, erase mistakes, and more. Your answers build a picture of your stationery habits. At the end you will see a grade and three practical tips.
Your answers stay on your device. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Question 1 of 10
Your score history
A week in the life of your stationery
Imagine you just bought a new notebook and a fresh set of gel pens. Here is how different habits play out over seven days.
Monday morning
You open the notebook and write the date at the top. The pen cap clicks back on after each sentence. The notebook stays flat on your desk, not shoved into a stuffed backpack.
Good habits: +3 points
Wednesday rush
You grab a marker for a quick label, but the cap is missing. You use it anyway. The tip dries out by evening. The marker goes in the trash two days later.
Wasteful habits: 0 points
Friday cleanup
You find three pens under the couch. One still writes. The other two are dried out because the caps were off. You toss the dead ones and make a note to check caps more often.
Mixed habits: +1 point
Sunday prep
You sharpen your pencils, refill your fountain pen, and stack notebooks flat on a shelf. You check that all caps and lids are secure. Ready for the week.
Great habits: +3 points
Five stationery mistakes that cost you money
- Storing notebooks upright. Pages sag over time and the spine cracks. Keep notebooks flat or spine-down on a shelf.
- Leaving caps off markers and pens. Alcohol-based inks evaporate fast. A marker left uncapped overnight can be dead by morning.
- Pressing too hard when erasing. Heavy pressure tears paper fibers. Use a soft eraser and light strokes, or switch to a kneaded eraser for art paper.
- Mixing pen types in one case. Gel pens can leak onto ballpoint barrels. Fountain pen ink can stain pencil cases. Keep them separated.
- Ignoring humidity. Paper absorbs moisture from the air. Store important notebooks and art paper in a dry place, ideally with a silica packet nearby.
Storage methods compared
| Method | Best for | Watch out for | Score impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat stack | Notebooks, sketchbooks | Heavy weight on top can warp covers | +2 |
| Spine-down shelf | Hardcover journals | Dust on top edge | +1 |
| Upright (like a book) | Reference books only | Page sag, spine crack | 0 |
| Pencil case (loose) | Daily carry pens | Scratches, leaks, cap loss | 0 |
| Pen roll or sleeve | Fountain pens, art markers | Needs regular cleaning | +3 |
Score impact shows how each method affects your quiz result. Higher numbers mean better preservation habits.
Quick fixes for common problems
- My gel pen skips.
- Warm the tip by rubbing it between your palms for 10 seconds. If the ink still skips, the ball may be clogged. Try writing on a scrap of paper with firm pressure to clear it.
- My notebook pages are wavy.
- This is usually from humidity. Place the notebook under a heavy book for 24 hours in a dry room. Do not use a hair dryer — the heat can warp the binding glue.
- My eraser smudges instead of cleaning.
- The eraser may be old and hardened. Knead it with your fingers to warm it up. If it still smudges, replace it. A dirty eraser spreads graphite around. Clean it by rubbing it on a scrap of paper.
- My fountain pen leaks in the cap.
- Check that the nib and feed are fully seated. Store the pen nib-up when not in use. Temperature changes can push ink out, so avoid leaving it in a hot car.