Perhaps some of you might be rolling your eyes. ;-P Well if it's such a no-brainer for you, please clue me in. If you have a set of criteria that tells you whether to keep or toss a given receipt, please enlighten me.

And then, where do you keep those receipts? I figure, you'd keep the receipt from a major appliance in the folder with the user manual and warranty. I have done at least that much. Oh, and I keep track of the medical expenses for the flexible spending for health insurance.

But there is a vast, gray area between the receipts that I'm sure I won't need again (groceries) and those I'm sure I'll need again (durable goods).

What major categories of receipts do you save, and where/how do you save them, in case you need to look up a particular receipt in the future?

After years of never finding a receipt, this system is practically foolproof as long as you file the receipts in a timely manner.

I save store receipts until I know the item (clothing, etc.) fits and doesn't fall apart in the wash. Then I pitch the receipt. I have a folder for donation type receipts. One for medical stuff. That's all I keep.

I really don't compare the receipts to the charge statement. I'm not willing to hang onto grocery store receipts for a month. Or gas. Or....whatever the items might be. Maybe there has been mistakes, but I just review the charges to make sure something odd doesn't show up.

Gloria

And if I want it, I store it somewhere else.

Here's the stuff I've "wanted' again:

-possible warranty purchases: new faucet, major appliance, minor appliance, contractor's work, etc.
I staple the receipt (sometimes a photocopy if it's a thermal receipt that will fade) to the inside of the front cover of the instruction booklet/warranty, and file it w/ the household stuff. (I have a file for "minor appliance" type purchases, and a separate one that I'd leave for someone who bought my apt)

-tax-related things: expenses for my DH's freelance work, mostly. There are very few purchases that would be tax related. Maybe "capital improvements" to my home in case I solid it some day, but honestly the limit on those is so high, it doesn't matter.
I file these with the tax folder, along w/ the W-2's etc.

There have been several threads on this site; do a searchon "receipts" and see what you get.

Thanks for the tip about searching this forum for "receipts." Duh! I found many useful threads.

Today I went through all the receipts from 2007. Saved the ones I needed, shredded the rest. Perhaps I shredded one or two I wanted to keep, but that whittles it down nicely so that I can deal with the rest.

My criteria are:
* Is this something I might want to return? If so, save. (Some stores have a 90 day return policy, so that answered the question in some cases.)
* Is this an expense I am supposed to track for taxes or health insurance? If so, save.
* Is this a receipt for fabric or sewing supplies? (This is a major hobby of mine, so I am tracking expenses in case of a fire or other loss, for replacement value.)
* Do I want to track this expense category for some reason, such as a remodeling project? If so, save.
* Otherwise, feel free to shred and compost!

As far as receipts for everyday purchases, if I think it may be needed later, I take a fat Sharpie pen and write what the item is in large print on the receipt so it's easily read, and just put wherever my current papers are piled or filed. Receipts for large purchases are with the other info on the item, in a ziploc bag, taped to the item. If it's a kitchen appliance, it's taped on the back. Water heater is right on front, along with a business card from my plumber. Furniture receipts can be stapled to the bottom of most pieces.

There are lots of good tips on this thread. If receipts are being saved in case of fire or other disaster, remember that with the stuff also goes the receipts. I would add to make sure you have everything important, especially pictures, backed up away from your home. Computers make that very easy now, even though it can be time consuming.

Linda

I let it float in my wallet. Every now and then, I clean out my wallet, and put over-the-counter drug receipts in the "file for reimbursement" folder, and toss others, and keep any that go w/ something I still might want to return.

That way, i don't have a SECOND place they go (one of my mantras: "no summer homes.") And if I think I get a shot at returning the item, I only have to remember the ITEM.

Good point, Linda, about those receipts going up in smoke, along w/ the stuff they're supposed to document!

Then a few years ago I purchased a 'Neat Receipts' scanner and stopped worrying about which receipts I should keep because I have a copy of them all. And they're all catorgorized for easy access.

No filing, no sorting here. I am still tossing them ALL in a shoebox open and high on a shelf in my study. They are in temporal order, sort of : the older the deeper, and it takes just a minute to root one out. If I need it. And how often does that happen really? So I've decided rooting takes less time than sorting or filing.

Used to take me 6-8 months to fill a shoebox but I've been consuming less so the 2007 box lasted the year. The boxes have accumulated over the last 5 years. But what is a couple cubic feet? System works for me.

In my home that "couple of cubic feet" would be precious. Other than major appliances, I can't imagine any receipts I'd need more than 2 years later. (and major-appliance receipts should be stapled to the inside of the cover of the owner's manual, or something).