We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.

This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

SB: Receipts question

Daftest question ever asked on this forum....

How does everyone keep their receipts? In a tin, in envelopes or some other way? I only ask because the receipts get everywhere; small receipts, big receipts, middle sized receipts, they're bloomin' everywhere! I don't want them to pile up for too long so has anyone got any good ideas as to storing them till the accountant wants them.....

Cheers

Mart

Comments

  • windswept
    windswept Posts: 1,412 Forumite
    I keep mine in a folder, stapled together on a monthly basis, I keep small receipts like postal ones separately stapled together. I also have different folders for expense receipts and supplier invoices. In fact I have lots of folders : for stock lists, product catalogues, customer invoice copies, a folder for every occasion!
    "There is a light that never goes out"
  • kimbatty
    kimbatty Posts: 1,367 Forumite
    I have some of those ziplock plastic envelopes 1 for each month of the year so I just chuck my receipts in those month on month until I get around to doing my accounts. I find it the simplest way of keeping everything together until I'm ready to record them all properly

    http://www.snopake.com/asp/prodtype.asp?prodtype=45

    Like this sort of thing. Smiths sell them in lovely colours as well
    If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun:cool:

    Don't mess with me sucker!!!

    MSE squirrels club Member #2 - now where did I hide those nuts :D :eek:
  • Savvy_Sue
    Savvy_Sue Posts: 47,474 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    yeovilmac wrote:
    Daftest question ever asked on this forum....
    I doubt it ...

    Anyway, I've used various methods over the years.

    When I knew I was going to have to photocopy them all to show a grant funder, I used to staple them to sheets of A4 paper.

    For work, as I get them, I put them in a particular place in my purse, folded into a plastic moneybag, the plastic ones you get from the bank. Then I have to staple them to an expenses claim form, I do this monthly when I reclaim any expenses.

    And then like others we 'file' our receipts by month, in plastic wallets. But petty cash chits are filed in envelopes (smaller) - really it's whatever suits you!

    Remember, with this kind of thing, it's not a filing system you need, but a finding system. In other words, you need a system which enables you to FIND any receipt which may be queried, or be needed for a guarantee if something goes wrong etc. So a chronological system usually works well, because you don't often have to find a particular receipt, and you can usually remember roughly when you bought something - and if you can't remember, you should be able to track any major purchases through whatever book-keeping records you have.

    Example: at work we recently had a hard drive fail on a computer which I didn't think was that old. I knew we'd bought it after I came back from a prolonged period of sick leave, and that was just over a year ago. But rather than trawl through several months of receipts I looked on our spreadsheets for large payments out, and found which month it was exactly. Sadly, it was out of guarantee ...
    Signature removed for peace of mind
  • Mark7799
    Mark7799 Posts: 4,805 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    It depends upon how many receipts you get.

    I normally suggest either weekly or monthly and using a zip lock bag or polly pocket. Then put the lot in a ringbinder on an annual basis. It laso helps if you have a reference number in your account book for each entry and mark that reference number on the receipt as well!
    Gwlad heb iaith, gwlad heb galon
  • fabianne
    fabianne Posts: 210 Forumite
    I keep them in large envelopes or zip plastic envelopes with the month written on them-when I do my books I then sort that month,staple them together and write the week ending date on a Post-It on the front.
    I do this as I just hand over my books to the accountant-it costs me less.
    Try and keep on top of things-as,take it from one who learnt the hard way-sifting through a year's worth of receipts is a real timeconsuming,mind blowingly boring task.
    Fabi x
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 352.1K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.5K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 454.2K Spending & Discounts
  • 245.1K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 600.7K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 177.4K Life & Family
  • 258.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.2K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.