Do you keep receipts?

novamation

I always look at my cc bill, and check through it to make sure it's all shops I'd use, but I'm never organized enough to go the whole way and keep receipts and check each one off. Should I be?

And I'm wondering how long I should keep receipts anyway, I tend to put them aside in a folder if I've bought something that might break, and then throw the folders away after a few years (I mean small, cheapish purchases e.g. from the supermarket). How long is it worth doing that, and does anyone else even bother with this? I have, a couple of times used an old receipt to get a refund, so I know it's worth doing, but are there useful time limits?

Roland_Sausage

Only for expensive stuff that might break eg electrical items.

I'm certainly not going to keep the receipt for every loaf of bread I buy. It gets tossed in the bin outside the shop. Life's too short.

CocoM2020

Some shops (Argos, Apple) now offer receipts via email. Easier for more purchases as can just keep in a separate folder rather than have a piece of paper that is more likely to get thrown out. 

wiseonesomeofthetime

I keep receipts for anything with a warranty or guarantee, for a reasonable time.

Other receipts get scanned to cashback apps, ZipZero, HuYu, SnapMyEats, as applicable, then binned.

Most contactless transactions, I don't even bother with a receipt.

penners324

I scan through the statement every month to check each transaction. If it's a big purchase I keep the receipt, if it isn't it gets torn up and binned. Probably keep the receipt for small things about a week, max 

Sandtree

Never for reconciling my card statements, as others I keep larger ticket purchase receipts for warranty/proof of ownership type purposes.

dr_adidas01

Only for big purchase items just in case of warranty claims / returning faulty item.  Like others whom have posted if the retailer offers email receipts then I tend to prefer this option than a paper printed one.

Carrot007

Yes and no.

Yes in a big pile until I sort them! Mainly becuase I keep a spreadsheet of costs for the car and mpg analysis (yes I could do each one for that when I get in but... lazy!).

So I when I sort then I use thouse and just keep the big item ones. Other get shredded. May take 1-6 months though!

NoodleDoodleMan

I drafted an A5 table with five columns in Microsoft Word -  Date/Transaction Details/Debit/Credit/Balance.

Copied twice on to A4 page for the printer - to be cut in half with a paper trimmer, holes punched and kept in an old A5 ringer binder, a relic from a former bank in the days when only paper copies of statements were available.

The template is kept on external hard drive for printer access as required.

It's easy to keep a running record of card usage - and to check against online statements each month when published.

As above, no need to keep receipts for routine purchases (supermarket and petrol etc.) - only those that refer to guarantees and warranties.

NaughtiusMaximus

CocoM2020 said:

Some shops (Argos, Apple) now offer receipts via email. to add you to their spam list.
 

Fixed that for you.

bouncydog1

I have a spreadsheet and record every payment and rec back to the statement.  But we pay every item by card so we get points for vouchers.  Don’t usually keep receipts once they have gone through the statement, because info is on my spreadsheet and card statement online would be proof of payment.  I also make sure I register warranties straight away.