I think of myself as the ultimate record keeper. Not that I want to be... I guess I've learned from prior years, that it pays to be organized and have your ducks in a row. Thus, I keep EVERY receipt. If the receipt does not come out of the gas pump like it's supposed to, I'm the type that will go into the convenience store to get a copy of the receipt. So, how do I organize and keep track of these receipts?
I separate them by month - 2 envelopes per month, one for business transactions, one for family transactions. I'm really good at the beginning of the year to put the receipts in the proper envelopes. When April rolls around, I start to fall apart. By the end of the year, I have a huge pile of unsorted receipts. Solution? My children are the ultimate sorters! :) They sort them into the correct months and then I go through and sort them by business/personal. Last year I recruited several of them to help me. This year, my lucky 14 year old daughter did it for me. What a trooper!
One positive of this exercise, is it's teaching my children to be aware and conscientious about their own finances and record keeping. They bring me all of their receipts, which is a start. At least they don't throw them away! Now, for my oldest daughter, I need to help her come up with an organization system since she'll be leaving home in six months. AAAHHHHHH!!!! I'm not ready for this (the daughter leaving home part)! I'll let you know what I come up with.
So, if you're in your January funk (Suz), sort some receipts and get those finances squared away. Don't wait until the last minute because April isn't going to be any less busy than January!!
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