What do you do you with your shop receipts?

[Willow33]

I always think I need to be a lot more organised and reconcile them against my bank statement but I know how to procrastinate In reality, I don't actually end up doing anything but collecting piles of them. I once got ripped off by a big restaurant chain where they charged £60 on my bank statement more than my debit card receipt (and the cost of the meal). The restaurant would not pay up and nor did the bank. I left it on the end- something I would not do now!
Anyway the above makes me wonder if others are diligent in going through their receipts and bank statements.

I only keep receipts for large purchases that I might want to return. I don't understand why you'd keep all receipts? What did you mean about a restaurant chain ripping you off?

I glance briefly at them so it looks like I'm checking they charged me right but half the time don't even read it, then chuck it in the bin and leave. Unless its for something that has a warranty/guarantee, then I stick it in my pocket intending to put it somewhere safe when I get home but usually it ends up in the bin anyway.

If you don't run a business, and need them for that, why do you need them at all?

I look at my bank statement for any shops I don't recognise - but don't match anything up.

I'm an accountant btw - and spend all day with other peoples bit's of paper so don't fancy spending too much time on my own stuff.

We use Iscan, an app where you photograph your receipts and then we throw them away.

I started using it for expenses (means that I can keep a pdf for each return) and then decided that it would be useful at home.

Any major receipts go in a file but small daily receipts get scanned. If I think I need to I check them against statements but I don't think I need to do that very often.

I am an accountant too topcat and I don't match anything up unless something looks odd.

iScan is fab, I literally take a photo with your phone in the shop and bin the receipt there and then.

I stuff them in my pocket and somehow between the shop and getting home they have vanished (usually). It's rare I can find a receipt if I need to return something. If it's something I think might need to go back, I give the receipts to my mum (we don't live together but often go shopping together as I don't drive). She can put her hand on the receipt for that loaf of bread she bought in 1985.

I favour the crumpled heap in the bottom of my handbag approach. At least I know where to find them. I only keep receipts for things I may have to return. I check online banking pretty much daily and can account for all transactions. They appear in pending straight away anyway.

"Anyway the above makes me wonder if others are diligent in going through their receipts and bank statements."

Yes I do. Why wouldn't you? Every now and again (when I remember) I list them on a spreadsheet in date order so that when I get my bank statement it is easy to check them off. I picked this tip up from an MN poster. It only takes a few seconds of my time and saves loads of time when the statement comes.

I always keep receipts of expensive or electrical goods in case they need to be returned.

I keep all the receipts & match them up with bank statements & credit card bills. There are weird entries occasionally on my credit card bills and I'm always reassured that I've 'caught' them. I keep track of my online shopping/donations by sending all the receipts to a folder which I can then use for reference. All cheque stubs filled in too. I used to work for a bank too.

East I do think working in a bank shaped how I feel about checking stuff going through my account is correct. I am training teen DSs to be the same too.

DH keeps every receipt for non cash transactions on the joint account and his account.
I keep a record on my pic of all my accounts which I update weekly using the receipts and online banking, any receipts for items that I keep, clothes etc go in a box, those for disposable items such as food or hair cuts go in the bin. At the end of the year I put my few reciepts away in the loft at the top of DH large box.
I used to work in a bank too

I don't even take them from the till let alone check against anything.

"I don't even take them from the till let alone check against anything."

Why on earth not? Haven't you ever had to return anything?

Not a whole lot, they get put them in my bag and then clear out occasionally, receipts for a can of coke and a loaf of bread tend to get binned straight away. That way if I want to return an item of clothing I know where it is.

I check my accounts daily to watch out for inaccurate transactions. I keep receipts for large or electrical items but use my phone to snap them too. I do this for things like Steam vouchers, where you have a code to be used online printed on a receipt.

Our main grocery shops are done online and I have a quick glande through the print out to make sure its correct.

How many of you who check have found something odd through checking? I keep big receipts and clothes so I can take back. But the weekly shop, no. Well not once I've checked the m and s one as there's often a mistake, bit I do that in the shop.

Receipts for electrical things go in their own envelope and marked, for example, Toaster, Shopname, 25/3/2016 €20. And kept in a small shoebox labelled clearly and hidden away. I go through it yearly and chuck old ones where the warranty is out of date.

Clothes receipts go in a receipt purse i keep in my handbag, I go through that once a month (very VERY handy for "that winter festival". I'd say the C-word but Maryz's klaxon might go off ).

It works well for me.

DH has a small accordian file divided by month which he fills at the end of each day. Self-employed, so must be super-organised.

Bin straight away. Unless it's something you might want to return why would I want to do all that cross checking malarkey?

With seanbean for some of this...

Stage 1: hangs around in my bag, pocket etc
Stage 2: bags gets to full and i have a sort out....

Receipts linked to my business get put into a box and end of the month put into that months tally to show tax man. Receipts linked to for example new electrical item, bed etc but into a drawer or my filing cabinet thats kept for x amount of years. I can be found doing through this if item breaks and i need to return it. Receipts for food etc get randomly throw via my shredder. Wish i was like sparkling and checked each receipt against my bank statement. I do visually check but as im on a budget i mostly use cash to buy food etc. i need to be more sparkling!

"How many of you who check have found something odd through checking?"

I haven't ever, but the bank did because it was between statements. They noticed some odd outgoings to the tune of over £3000 and rang us one new year's day. They credited our account straight away. I was very impressed with how they dealt with it. I would need a very good reason to change my bank account because of their vigilance. We bank with Nationwide BTW.

Bunbaker...i had the same with my bank (different one to you) who phoned, cancelled cards and credited account. My visual check has never shown anything wrong but as i rarely spend money i kinda know to the £1 what i have anyway.

I keep physical receipts in a kitchen drawer and move emailed ones to a separate folder as soon as they are received.
Then I tick them off when my credit card bill comes in and throw them away, unless they are big purchases/ under warranty.
Sounds super organised but it's mainly because I have a terrible memory and it really bugs me when I feel like I don't know what I've spent. Switching to paying for everything with a credit card has helped, that way I get a paper bill each month. I am much less organised about checking my bank account although I did once find a phone top up not for my phone company. Have also had credit card fraud although in that instance they reported it to us (but I was glad I had my receipts to check against that month's bill).

Receipts I need to keep I stuff into a box and throw out about once a year.

The others hand out in my handbag or pocket until binned.

I don't check them against bank stmts. I have access to my bank account on my phone and check transactions every few days. If anything looks odd I check further. But usually things are as expected.

They go in the bin.
I cba with checking, rarely check my online banking (maybe twice a month) and don't know what all the transactions are. I don't doubt they're mine and could probably check and work it all out but in all honesty, I don't really care.
Keeping things in plastic wallets/labelling/cross referencing all seems like a lot of unnecessary work for a system that's already fairly alright.
You could see (if you checked your online statement) that you had paid a restaurant bill twice, wouldn't need a receipt.
Of course some people just enjoy paperwork (crazy people!) but it's not anything i get involved with.
Dp is SE and has a van full of papery crap which he delivers to the accountant to wade through. Poor woman.