Organizing Receipts

January is the month for organizing and starting fresh, so I've been checking out a lot of posts about organizing "home office" areas.  "Home office" makes my space sound like so much more than it is, but regardless of it's size, it is command central for our family -- and so every little bit of organization helps!  Some organizing solutions seem like so much effort -- and actually seem to make MORE work, and use MORE paper!  Those solutions aren't for me.  For me, SIMPLE works best.  This is one of the easiest things I do, and I've been doing it for years -- corralling my receipts.  At any given time, I have twelve months of receipts, all in the same place, and taking up only a small amount of space.

This type of expandable file with month tabs is my secret.  No matter what the receipt, it goes into the appropriate month. If we need to return merchandise, or match up credit card statements with receipts, we know exactly where to find them.  It's a file system that I make work for me year after year.  I use the expandable file as long as it is in good condition, usually several years.  When a new month begins, I remove the receipts from that month the previous year and look through them.  Most get shredded -- but there are sometimes a select few that need to be saved. They may be for a purchase with a warranty, for example.  I keep a manila folder at the back of the December pocket for these receipts.  At the end of each year, I decide which of those receipts can be discarded.

I do have a few exceptions for placing receipts in this expandable file.  They are car repair and medical receipts. Those each have their own 3-ring binder for the year.  I have found it so convenient to pull out one binder to access anything medical or car related.  Each vehicle has it's own binder, to keep track of title, registration, e-checks, and repair receipts.

These are some very simple suggestions that really work for me.  Since I've learned all kinds of new things from other bloggers, I thought I'd share these tips -- knowing that people are always looking for ways to do things better.  Maybe this system will work for you.

I won't lie.  At the end of the day, my kitchen table can be a mess of receipts and paperwork.  But -- it makes me feel better to know that ultimately, it all has a place to go.