wtf is up with receipts?!

[midtwenty]

OK seriously, am I the only person who thinks that getting a receipt for every damn thing you buy is just ridiculous? WHY do I need a recepit for a $1.29 burrito?! WHY do I need a receipt for a $0.79 cent fountain drink?! The console of my car is crammed full of all these tiny little scraps of paper for shit that I've bought and either immediately eaten, drank, or used! Does this seem like a colossal waste of ink and paper to anyone else??

Of course now I've reminded myself of that bit that Mitch Hedberg does about getting a receipt for a donut. Who the hell wants a receipt for a DONUT?

[pisces2473]

It's probably company policy now. I know what you mean, because I hate getting a receipt from Au Bon Pain when I just bought a coffee! Also, it's probably done b/c a lot of people do get reimbursed for meals and stuff when doing work, so that's probably why they give them to everyone.

[heatherf]

I too hate them- what a waste of paper!!!

And their policies are like: If you don't receive a receipt - you get your food free!

Since when has this ever happened....and do I even give a flying fart if it does???

Preaching to the choir sister!

[MOS9904]

THe machines also allow the company to cash out on the registers and make sure that nothing is missing.....it prevents dipping into the register.

If I didnt get receipts for burrito's, coffee or other random food items I wouldnt get to expense it.

When Im not out on work time...I just throw the receipt in the bag and toss it when Im done with the food...then no scraps annoyingly hanging out inside the car.

[WeirdBrake]

I just throw the receipt in the bag and toss it when Im done with the food...then no scraps annoyingly hanging out inside the car.

I agree with this brilliantly practical yet simple piece of advice from MOS. If you don't want the receipts, you can just toss them in the same bag that the food comes in, and then you can throw it away. The best thing about this is that it avoids having any of the receipts in the car.

But yeah, receipts for every little thing is annoying. As though you really need admissible evidence in a lawsuit involving a $1.99 burrito.

[heatherf]

Do people seriously itemize their taxes for that kind of shit? I just can't even imagine!

[paperjam1015]

But yeah, receipts for every little thing is annoying. As though you really need admissible evidence in a lawsuit involving a $1.99 burrito.


ahhh but receipts have time/date on them. Might need that burritto as an alibi.


As for the advice on throwing out the receipts. I generally find that throwing out my trash makes life much easier. There is less clutter in my car.

[pisces2473]

Originally posted by heatherf
Do people seriously itemize their taxes for that kind of shit? I just can't even imagine!
I think MOS meant to expense it for work, like while out of the office...not to get reimbursed for her taxes!

[WeirdBrake]

ahhh but receipts have time/date on them. Might need that burritto as an alibi.

Si.

[heatherf]

Face

[MOS9904]

Sadly if I have a $.99 burrito....and need to expense it because I had it on the road...no receipt = no $$ back..... and yes I expense EVERYTHING...if I have to be traveling...might as well get them to pay me to eat.....which is why in ME you get lobster rolls....or crab cakes....

But I have expensed coffee----and even drinks at social gatherings =)

But I hate trash in my car....so it always comes out with me when I get home at night.....receipts and all (if I dont need them)

[shimmer728]

I end up throwing away every receipt I actually need, yet hang onto the ones I don't. I found a crumpled-up Starbucks receipt in my wallet the other day--WTF? :mad:

[shimmer728]

Oh yes, I expense absolutely everything I can, too--even $2 highway tolls, if I have to pay them as a result of work-related travel. My dad was visiting me today and I probably could have gotten away with expensing our lunch out--but instead I let him put it on HIS expense account. ;)

Look, I make 22K a year. I am going to squeeze 'em for every cent they got.

[heatherf]

Shimmer- I hear ya!!! My mom came up to see us on Sunday night....and take-out Thai was on her! Exactly though--- she makes $70k a year, doesn't have a house payment or car payment, so I figure she can splurge on us!!!

As for receipts.....I completly understand if you gotta expense it to work....but when they give you a receipt at the movie theatre...nobody's going to the movie's on their work!

I guess it is all about an alibi!!!

Scott Peterson had it right? Didn't he have some receipt for the marina or his bait? So they must be legitimate....and completly stand up in court!

[shimmer728]

Originally posted by heatherf

As for receipts.....I completly understand if you gotta expense it to work....but when they give you a receipt at the movie theatre...nobody's going to the movie's on their work!


Hey, what about movie critics? ;)

[heatherf]

Now there's a dream job!

[MOS9904]

I usually use my debit card for movie tickets....so I need the receipt to go over my bank statement each month to make sure Im not being charged for things I didnt buy.

Actually I love receipts----obviously toss the starbucks ones....unless on company time...

But otherwise---I have them in date order in my wallet...which get taken out every other day and put into a coupon folder labeled with all the things I get receipts for......gas, each store credit card, bank ATM slips....
Each time a bill comes...attach the receipts from that month to the bill then that bill gets put into a hanging folder file.

My expense department hates me.....if they dispute anything, 20 minutes later (after running home at lunch) they have their proof.

[WeirdBrake]

Actually I love receipts

I love them, too, to be honest. After a hard day, there's nothing I like more than to grab a cold one and kick back with my lovely.... receipt.

[shimmer728]

LOL!

[tartytwenty]

Originally posted by MOS9904

But otherwise---I have them in date order in my wallet...which get taken out every other day and put into a coupon folder labeled with all the things I get receipts for......gas, each store credit card, bank ATM slips....
Each time a bill comes...attach the receipts from that month to the bill then that bill gets put into a hanging folder file.



:eek: The IRS probably couldn't get anything on you either! HA!

[Crimson King II]

Midtwenty...you'll appreciate this. Why do they give you a receipt when you buy something like a donut? I cannot fathom a circumstance wherein I will need to prove that I bought a donut. What, do I have really skeptical friends? "Man, don't even pretend like I didn't buy that donut! I got the receipt at home. It's in the file cabinet...under 'D'."

Just give me the friggin donut! I will give you some money. You give me the donut. We do not need to bring ink and paper into this transaction.

[midtwenty]

That's it, CK! That's his bit! That guy is so damn funny. I love his deadpan delivery.

I agree with this brilliantly practical yet simple piece of advice from MOS. If you don't want the receipts, you can just toss them in the same bag that the food comes in, and then you can throw it away.
Well, ok, I do that, but I find it tedious and annoying to be constantly barraged with useless bits of paper. Unlike some of you, I have no reason to expense a $0.99 cent burrito.

Yah, I guess I'm just being whiny about it.

[WeirdBrake]

When it tastes like meat, forgo the receipt.

[pisces2473]

Originally posted by heatherf
Shimmer- I hear ya!!! My mom came up to see us on Sunday night....and take-out Thai was on her! Exactly though--- she makes $70k a year, doesn't have a house payment or car payment, so I figure she can splurge on us!!!
My mom does that to me too--she paid for my car to be fixed, I had the money, but she was like, "Let me do this now, when I am able...because someday I won't be able to." We went to Costco a few weeks ago, and here I am, worrying about prices and she's like, "I'm paying for this." :eek: I feel bad but it's not like I ASK for it!

[pisces2473]

Originally posted by MOS9904
But otherwise---I have them in date order in my wallet...which get taken out every other day and put into a coupon folder labeled with all the things I get receipts for......gas, each store credit card, bank ATM slips....
I do that too! And at the end of the year, after all my bills and stuff have been cleared, I BURN 'EM!!!!

[paperjam1015]

well you can always put your receipt IN your burrito. We could all use a little extra fiber in our diets.

[MOS9904]

I dont burn them at the end of the year...I have a back file of 3 years for credit cards....10 years for bank statements....and investments are perminantly filed.

[pisces2473]

Oh yes, I save my investing stuff and my bank stuff...but everything else, you don't really need, according to my accountant. So I burn it up! I only have so much room, hehe. And why would you need credit card stuff from 3 yrs ago, just out of curiosity?

[MOS9904]

If I get a credit report and there is a discrepency about a late payment, or a charge----I have the proof in the bill that was sent to me by the company (which shows when they received payment) and also can help to clear up any problems!

3 years max because thats how far you can go back to fix the report----after that you cant---which is why you are supposed to get a report yearly.

I have total space savers for keeping files. They are plastic containers that you can get at staples, office max bla bla. They are thin...just need hanging folders and manilla folders. I have 1 for all those going back 3 and one just for bank statements.
The Bank statements in that container are broken out by year.

Then I have one just for house expenses.....thats in its own plastic thing....Im still teaching my roomy how to use it.

Its easier to show someone, but I hope that makes some sense.

[pisces2473]

I keep all receipts in a coupon-like organizer thing. I have a plastic crate thing with the hanging files next to my desk at home--in there I keep all my pharmacy and dr's receipts b/c there's always the chance I can claim that for my taxes (I see a lot of dr's and take a lot of Rx's), other important receipts to save, etc. My bank statements I've always saved--I have years and years of them, packed away by year in manila envelopes in a box. The current ones are in a 3-ring binder and it's nice to have them neat like that.

My investing stuff is put into a plastic file thing...like a coupon organizer, but it's for full sized sheets of paper. I have all my school stuff in another, and then in a 3rd I have things like credit card terms, gym contract, lease, utility info, etc.

I have never gotten a credit report. I think it's time I ordered one...but I'm just scared! I don't know why, I have good credit!

I'm a complete dork. I love organizing my stuff like this.

[MOS9904]

I have the Credit card terms in with the bills....at the back....paperclipped to the folder.

If its repairs that are done on say...the furnace...their card is stapled in the "oil bill" folder....on the front flap inside the file.

I just got RCN for cable and internet....so their booklet and info as well as the installation receipt is in one folder.

Plus I have another "house" file with all the instruction booklets for the appliances organized by room....all kitchen stuff together etc, along with copies of the warranty cards that had to be filled out.

I also have all the instruction booklets for things I have purchased in a folder...that gets cleaned out when things break...or when I sell the item....you'd be surprised how freaked out people get when they purcahse a 7 year old TV with the instructions!

[pisces2473]

Originally posted by MOS9904
I also have all the instruction booklets for things I have purchased in a folder...that gets cleaned out when things break...or when I sell the item....you'd be surprised how freaked out people get when they purcahse a 7 year old TV with the instructions!
I save all my instruction stuff too, also in a folder. Why wouldn't you save this stuff? I have had my light up makeup mirror since like 7th grade, and I still have the manual!

[tartytwenty]

There is a difference between receipts, manuals, and credit card statments.

I have a folder for manuals too. What a lovely idea that is. Something breaks, you know where the manual is. Sometimes I staple the receipts to the manual, in case i need it for warranty work. I also have an envelope for important receipts. This could be things that have warranty's or gifts that other people may return.

But the burrito receipt gets the doom of the garbage can. Any receipt that has any part of my credit card on it, will end up in the shredder. Even if the first 12 numbers are "x"ed. I aslo shred those 2-4 credit card offers my bf and I get daily. Now, after the shredder, depending on my mood, I may burn the shreds in my fireplace. Or, if I'm not looking for entertainment, they go in the garbage. I have a co-worker who puts her shreds in her compost.

[MOS9904]

I agree that credit card bills are a different beast...they still come back to receipts because I keep mine to staple to the statement each month so they are all organized.

But Im so in the habit of tossing ones I dont need, so I dont find them annoying at all.

I love my shredder....it feels good to watch those offers get eaten up!

[paperjam1015]

Now, after the shredder, depending on my mood, I may burn the shreds in my fireplace.

Careful with those. Paper in a fireplace can sometimes get caught and start a chimney fire.

Remember "Only YOU can prevent house fires." ;)

[AlFa]

I save every single reciept that I get! Even if I leave it in my jeans and it goes through the wash with them and all the ink is washed off...I still save it. Why you ask. Because doing this dropped my AGI by over 12K last year. I expensed every freakin' thing I could. But I'm self-employed. I don't know what I would do if I wasn't 'cause that really gives me a lot more options.

I just throw everything in a shoe box and then spend a weekend (usually around the 15th of April) going through all my receipts and everything. Usually I jot down a little note on the reciept so I know who I was with or what I was doing. But even if I didn't I can pretty much always remember what it was for.

[pisces2473]

Originally posted by AlFa
Because doing this dropped my AGI by over 12K last year. I expensed every freakin' thing I could. But I'm self-employed. I don't know what I would do if I wasn't 'cause that really gives me a lot more options.
Be careful, you could get audited. :eek:

[AlFa]

Originally posted by pisces2473

Be careful, you could get audited. :eek:

I'm not worried if I get audited. That's why I keep every receipt. Besides, in an audit, they have to be able to prove you wrong and I've never deducted something that could be proven wrong. Miles, food, entertainment for clients, education, supplies, insurance, etc. That's all good!

[red]

you can opt out of those pre-approved offers http://www.creditsourceonline.com/opt-out.html
and you should always check your credit report annually. they had down different birth dates for my husband? like wtf? how can he be both 70 and 35? and have three different names? lots of mistakes, esp if you have a common name.

[tartytwenty]

Thanks Red, going to use that site.

[wordsmith]

I can get reimbursed for movies if I write reviews for the paper. Be jealous! Oh, no, wait, don't. I make under $25K a year.

Blah, I'm jealous of you folks who have expense accounts. I get mileage, and that's it. I even have to provide my own effing office supplies. Damned cheap company. If I could expense all the coffee I consume when writing on deadline, I could probably buy a new car.