How do you handle receipts?

[katydid1971]

I can never seem to find the receipts I need and seem to have them cluttering up my whole house. How do store and organize your receipts? How long do you keep them? Any tricks you have for keeping them straight. Your advice would be appreciated.

[LMPC]

I take a low energy approach....I tried filing them at one point in my life, but it got too overwhelming (and I ended shredding everything anyway). For receipts I will use for taxes, they go into an envelope marked taxes. I have one envelope for taxes, not 2 or 3...just one. For receipts that I might need for returns (e.g., target), I put them in a drawer in the kitchen...literally, just throw them in there. Every 3 months, I toss them into a box in the garage that gets shredded at a community shredding day (2x a year). That's it....that's what I do. In 5 years of doing it that way, I have had to look through the garage box twice for a receipt. Anything else I needed was always in the drawer. HTH!

[jerigirl]

Here is a recent thread on this:

http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=360283&highlight=receipts

[WatchingThemGrow]

I return stuff A LOT because usually buying stuff for our family means getting out quickly, bringing it home to see if it works, then taking back what doesn't work. Same thing for online purchases.

I've FINALLY found a system that works. Working from a concrete random perspective...1) a letter size filing wallet, labeled with baby stores, Target, sams/costco, food, auto, etc. - coupons and receipts go in same file. 2) every so often I'll offload these into a receipts file in my desk apprentice (this step is totally not necessary, but it also gives DH a place to put the important receipts until they make it to the next stage 3) a binder with clear sheet protectors labeled by store or shopping area, plus places I buy from online. The binder is in an inconvenient place, so the folder in the kitchen is very helpful. I've been really happy to be able to pull out receipts for old, unworn Hannas when we're going to be near a store and be able to return them easily. Same thing for LLB and LE items. Not so much some of the other places, but for those with good return policies, it has been great. Oh, Bed, Bath and Beyond has been great for that too.

The small wallet organizer thing goes with me when I run errands. It stays in the car when I'm out or on the table at home, but it means I always have the coupon I need, the receipt I need or whatever. I've never been good about "prepping" for my opportunities to run errands w/o DC in tow, so this has been fabulous for me.

[pantone292]

i put them in a shoe box as i get them. i usually have a general sense of when i bought things so it's not hard to go through the box and find a receipt if i need to.

[MomToOne]

i put them in a shoe box as i get them. i usually have a general sense of when i bought things so it's not hard to go through the box and find a receipt if i need to.

Similar. I put them in a large zippered plastic envelope. I only save stuff that might be returned or I'll need for taxes. So clothes and electronics but not food or drugstore. It's not hard to go through them should I need to find one.

At the end of the year I weed them, group them by like and stick them into the yearly envelope I make every year for my paperwork.

[LD92599]

I label large envelopes by month but then have separate ones for various stores ie: target, costco, lands end and kohls. Now with ds2 i have recipts for anything baby related in a basket in his dresser!

This works in conjunction with an excel spread of spending where i can search and find the date.