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 stuff I might need to return and postage proof, and I worked in a bank I'm not gonna waste my time crossing off transactions for bits of shopping so everything else gets binned.

If I buy electrical items for example the receipt gets stapled to the warranty or instruction book.

I also do this with flat pack - file the bits and bobs with the instructions in a zip lock bag. This has been much more handy habit than filing receipts.

Most stuff is bought online these days so paperwork is in IN BOX

All the people not taking receipts, what would you do if challenged on way out by security? Especially with the advent of no carrier bags.

I tend to walk out of shops nowadays in an odd manner, brandishing my can of Coke or whatever out in front and slightly in the air, with the receipt prominently displayed in similar fashion in the other hand, in a bid to reassure the security man that I have not in fact nicked it.

I keep mine in my purse and check on line banking every day, then throw them out when they appear.

I get twitchy when using contactless because not all places issue a receipt and the online banking often shows a different name to the shop where I spent the money. I am very aware that in having no pin or signature, there is nothing to prove whether I did or didn't spend that money. It's a thief's dream - 3 transactions per day at £30 a time!

I'm not convinced you need a physical copy of the receipt for proof of purchase. If you have a debit card statement that will suffice.

I bought my brother an expensive PlayStation game from a local Sainsburys that then needed returning. We didn't have the receipt but I showed them my statement and the game was marked with a batch number that matched the ones in that store and they issued a refund straight away.

If I'm ever stopped by security on the way out (rare) I merely show them the till or self checkout till that I used which can track transactions.

I now rarely take a paper receipt unless it has warranty details or I asked for these to be emailed me by the store if that is an option. Don't like accumulating paper.

I have a pot that i save them in and have every intent to check them against my bank statement but It never happens, it's builds up and I bin them

I'm a bookkeeper for gods sake so should know better I have enough receipts to keep on top off

A Debit Card statement will suffice, but I opt for paperless, so rather than have to print out a copy (I'd have to do this at the library), it's easier for some to keep the receipt.

If you have a lot of money always in your account/disposable income, you probably don't need to check your bank, but I don't and won't risk money being taken a week after I've shopped (or sometimes more) and a £15 unauthorised overdraft fee.

I think whatever you do with your receipts is fine. If it works for you not to check your bank account that's fine too. If you don't care you don't care.

Mine go in the bin after spending far too long in my purse/coat pocket/car/bag but I do check my account daily for discrepancies.

I have online banking so check my account fairly regularly to pay bills and see if I have money so I guess that's why I don't bother checking receipts, no need to. I don't use a credit card and my account can never be overdrawn so really no worries. If I try and buy something that I don't have the money for my card just gets rejected (and I get embarrassed ) never been challenged when leaving a shop without a receipt either, guess I don't look shifty enough.

I have to make very expensive business purchases a few times a week so hold on to those ones like Charlie's golden ticket until I can file them, anything else is scrumpled into my vag until it occasionally gets cleared out.

Oh God - BAG!
I promise I don't keep them in my vag....

If paid cash then straight in the bin. If buying larger item I always pay by card and staple receipt to instruction book. This is just in case I lose receipt then I still have bank statement as proof.

Receipts are kept in my purse until I check my on line bank (usually every other day) and then thrown away.

I work in finance office so very religious about checking things off ... I'm with you Sparkling :)

I am terribly organised anal with my spending, I write down all credit card purchases in a book and check against my statement before I pay it every month. I keep receipts for things with a guarantee or if there is any chance they may be returned, everything else once logged goes in the bin. I also keep a running total of bank stuff so balance, what goes in / comes out so when my statement comes it all tallies and I know exactly how much I have to play with each month. DH is the same, no nasty surprises in the eccles household

OK then, here's a question - receipts that have credit card details on (albeit starred bar the last four numbers), do you put in the rubbish bin, paper recycle bin or do you shred first then bin? I have a massive bag of receipts, don't know what to do with it...

usually the bin all screwed up, DH sometimes has a mass clear out and shreds is, If I have loads (rarely) I have put them on the garden patio burner and lit it. I admit that although anal with organisation i am not so hot on security as I probably should be.

I keep all receipts together and check out bank account and credit card statements once a month against them, and then I destroy them. I started doing this as we've had two items incorrectly put on our credit card in the past, so mistakes do happen.

Are peopl keeping every single receipt? So even ones for a pint of milk and some bread for example?

I've been side eyeing the massive pile of receipts that DH keeps, thinking it was one of his hoarding things but you're telling me it's necessary after all?

I personally only keep receipts for expensive items, things that could possibly go wrong like electricals and white goods, and clothes. Clothing ones go after I've worn and washed them once.

DH and my receipts go in a drawer, anything on a credit card and anything that might need returning. We go through when we need one (I think he may go through more often but I just leave him to it!)

I use stages 1-3 of the MrsSeanBean method but in Stage 4 I transfer them to an even larger pile.
Stage 5 may involve a cardboard box.

Eventually they will have their own room.

I always get a receipt (unless it's just a newspaper or a pint of milk and the cashier asks me whether or not I want the receipt in which case I'll pay cash and say no). I pay for most stuff on card so I just put the receipt in my purse when I put the card away (can't understand why anyone chucks it in the bottom of their bag, do they do the same with the card?) When my purse gets full of receipts I divide them into 2 piles, one for credit card ones, one for debit ones and paper clip the two piles and put them in a small plastic wallet. At the end of the month when I get the statements I check off the receipts and then put them on the fire (keeping the ones for expensive stuff as proof of purchase).

DH never does this - he claims to be able to remember EVERYTHING he spends and then spends hours scratching his head trying to remember what some obscure entry on the statement was for.

This is why we keep our day to day finances separate. His lack of system drives me insane. If there was some fraudulent activity on his accounts he wouldn't have a clue about it because sometimes he has to give up trying to work out what the purchase was.

I put ones for clothing or expensive items in the filing cabinet (and keep them for up to 3 years after incident when holiday insurance would only pay for items we had receipts for) and chuck out supermarket ones.
If abroad I tend to keep receipts until CC bill in then chuck them.

Drspouse love the idea of DH going in a drawer .

I couldn't put receipts in my purse. I tried it once and the purse got all mangled out of shape. This was before the ingenious 4 step method I have now.

I have a card holder and once the card has been slotted back, the receipt just gets flung into the bag.

Although sometimes the card gets flung too, I have to admit.

I never seem to have enough hands when closing a transaction at the till. If I am not careful I cause considerable delay while rearranging myself and my belongings to my satisfaction.