Organize Your Receipts – Quick and Easy
“How To” – Keep your Receipts Under Control
Paperwork is a source of struggle for homeowners, business owners, entrepreneurs… everyone. And with the ease that we enjoy of signing our name to a receipt for every purchase that we make, the receipts can stack quickly. There are some receipts that need to be saved and others that can be thrown away but how to you keep track of them all? There is a simple solution that can cost you as little as $1.00!
Where do you currently stuff your receipts? Ladies usually toss them into a purse , wallet or checkbook. Men have a tendency to pocket them or leave them in the bag – which can be really dangerous – because it can easily be thrown away or recycled along with the bag itself! A simple solution to keep track of all of your receipts can be found at your local Dollar Store. It doesn’t take up much space and can usually be found in a variety of colors…its the simple and easy “coupon holder”. It is light weight, can be personalized, fit into a majority of purses and will save you a ton of time, aggravation and frustration.
Coupon organizers typically have 13 different slots that you can sort all kind of items. I always enjoy the chance to find multiple purposes for one item…again, saving time , money and space. So how do you use the coupon holder for your receipts?
First – find one that fits your personality. You can be “Plain Jane” or just “Plain Wild”. Make it something that you will want to use on a daily basis.
Second – Find a skinny pen and/or highlighter to keep inside of the Receipt Holder.
Third – Change out the tabs. Usually can write on the back of the pre-printed tabs. Label the tabs for each month, Jan, Feb, March, etc.
Fourth – Find a place that you are going to keep your Receipt Holder. Some suggestions are: purse, glove compartment, briefcase, laptop case, console of your car, on top of your sun visor. Make sure that if you put it into your car that you use the most. It won’t serve any purpose to have it available when you need it the most.
Fifth – Every time that you get a receipt put it into the appropriate month. If it is a lunch appointment and you paid for the meal make a note on the receipt before it goes into the Receipt Organizer. This will help you remember the details of that receipt if you are using it as a write-off for taxes.
Sixth – If you have a receipt that has both personal and business purchases on it, take just 30 seconds to circle the items that are needed for the tax write-off before putting it into the Receipt Holder. This is why your pen and/or highlighter is important to keep in your Holder. (Never have to look for it!) No excuses.
Seventh – Next week we’ll do a follow-up on how to handle the receipts now that you can find them all! The process isn’t complete…but you won’t be looking for receipts any more.
I’d love to hear your comments and thoughts about this technique to keep your receipts under control. Homeowners and businesses can both take advantage of this process. Enjoy!
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