The Best Alternatives to Expensive Bullet Journal Supplies

If you are just starting your first bullet journal, you may not want to spend tons of money on supplies. But, you can still create stunning, colorful spreads with these alternatives to expensive bullet journal supplies.

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It’s been a while since I shared some bullet journal supplies with you guys.

There is no doubt that Tombow Dual Brush Pens are among the very best when it comes to brush lettering. But, they are also quite expensive. Buying them is an investment, and not everyone is ready to do that right away. And that’s okay.

Instead, I want to share some of the best alternatives to expensive bullet journal supplies today. From brush pens to fineliner pens and even notebooks. I’m going to give you a few different options at different price points so that you can feel confident with your supplies and your budget.

The Best Alternative to Expensive Bullet Journal Supplies

The best advice I can give you when shopping for any art supplies is to read the reviews thoroughly. On Amazon, it’s as easy as scrolling to the bottom of the product page. On somewhere like Aliexpress, you will need to scroll down the product page a little and find the feedback tab next to the product details tab.

Here are some of the top-rated, less-expensive bullet journal supplies I have found. Beneath each category, you will find similar, less-expensive products ranked from more expensive to least expensive.

Tombow Dual Brush Pens Alternatives

 Scribbles that Matter Brush Pens – $$

Scribbles that Matter is known for their outstanding quality notebooks and impeccable customer service. Talking to them is like talking to a friend. But, now they have released their Dual Tip Brush Pens in a pack of 60. Because they are new, there are not many reviews. But all in all, I gathered that people think they are wonderful for the price and they are very happy with the color assortment. The price works out to about $0.42 per pen, which is much cheaper than Tombow, averaging roughly $2 per pen.

LZN Dual Tip Brush Pens – $

These markers from Aliexpress have a 5-star rating, with over 160 reviews. While you can choose from different quantity packages, the 100-pack is the best value. Each pen clocks in at about $0.33. They also offer free shipping from China to the USA. Be sure to check for seller coupons to get an even better deal.

Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen/Micron Alternatives

Staedtler Pigment Liners – $$

These are good quality fineline pens. Much like Faber-Castell or Micron, they come with a variety of nib sizes, from very small to quite thick. I have these pens and felt they were a good value for the money. They have rich black, waterproof ink that lasts a long time. While the price difference isn’t massive, those couple dollars may make a big difference.

STA Fineline Pens – $

If you can wait, the best deal is to order this set of 9 fineline pens from Aliexpress. While the estimated shipping time to the USA is approximately 12-20 days, you get 9-pieces for half the cost of those found on Amazon. And they have a 4.9-star rating with over 60 reviews.

RELATED: The Best Fineline Pens for Your Bullet Journal

Minimalism Art, Classic Notebook Journal, A5Dotted Grid Notebook/JournalDotted Bullet Grid JournalMoleskine Classic Notebook

Leuchtturm and Scribbles that Matter Alternatives

Lemome – $$

The Lemome notebook is probably one of the best dot grid notebooks under $15. It has 180 pages that are 120gsm. These pages will hold up to watercolor, brush pens, and black fineline pens. It also comes with a pen loop, elastic closure, ribbon bookmark, and expandable paper pocket. If you want quality without spending $20, this is a great option.

Minimalism Art – $

For right around $10, you can get this notebook with 192 dot grid pages. Again, this notebook offers thicker paper than the Leuchtturm, at 100gsm. It also has an elastic closure, expandable pocket, and ribbon bookmark. This notebook is offered in A4, A5, and A6 sizes. It also has 4.5-star rating on Amazon with over 1000 reviews.

Spiral Bound – $

These notebooks are from Aliexpress and can take a bit longer to receive in the mail. But, they are less expensive and offer many of the same features that the above notebook offer. In fact, some people prefer the spiral-bound notebooks, which makes this even more appealing. These have 160 pages with 100gsm paper and are offered in both A5 and A6 sizes. Also, if you are new to Aliexpress, they offer a $4 coupon for any purchase over $20, and they have thousands upon thousands of products to choose from.

Other Inexpensive Bullet Journal Supplies to Add to Your Collection

• Crayola SuperTips: I absolutely love these markers! They can be used for brush lettering as well as adding bold and beautiful colors to your bullet journal. You can get these online or in just about any big box store.
• Arteza Colored Pencils: These are wonderful, art quality colored pencils that are inexpensive and wonderfully easy to use. Add these to your collection to add color to your bullet journal spreads and create beautiful color transitions.
• Circle Maker: For under $5, this is one of my favorite supplies. It makes drawing circles super easy and has been majorly beneficial to me since purchasing it.

What are the best inexpensive supplies you have purchased for your bullet journal? Let me know in the comments below.