What Should You Do with Old Receipts?

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AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers around the management of old receipts, particularly in the context of financial organization and tax requirements. Participants share their practices for storing receipts, with some opting to keep them organized in folders by month and year, especially after being accepted for disability benefits, which necessitates retaining documentation. There is a common acknowledgment of the potential financial loss from discarding receipts prematurely, particularly for expensive items, as well as the importance of keeping receipts for tax purposes. Some individuals maintain receipts for five years in compliance with IRS regulations, while others focus on retaining those related to warranties or deductible expenses, such as medical prescriptions. Overall, the conversation highlights the evolving habits around receipt management, driven by personal financial situations and tax obligations.
ocean09
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Hi everyone,

What do you do w/ your old receipts (purchasing stuffs in stores? Do you throw them away or keep them in a box just in case anything will happen?
 
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I have to keep mine.

I just got accepted financially for disability, so I'm required to keep them now. I have been doing ok for now, but it's not too critical yet because I haven't been accepted medically yet. Still waiting on that.

I plan on getting folders to organize them on a monthly basis, and when the year ends, I'll put them in a yearly folder.

Before this, I just through them out. Sometimes I shouldn't have because I could have returned things. I could have saved atleast $500 in the past 5 years.
 
It depends on what I buy. If its somthing really expensive(computer,TV,ect...), then I will keep the recipt for a little while.But anything else I will just throw them away.
 
Because of the way I do my taxes, I keep them all. Filed by week, month, then by year. I keep them for 5 years, only because the IRS says I half to. I've been doing it for over 20 yrs, so its a habit by now. I do recall when it was a chore.
 
Some of my VAT is claimed back off my petrol and Diesel receipts, otherwise I just keep them for however long the product is under warranty for, and bin them.
 
I tend to only keep receipts for items over a few hundred dollars.

Oh, I have been getting into the habit of keeping prescription receipts, since they're deductible. I used to have a medical plan so that wasn't an issue up until recently.
 
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