Reviewing Receipts

It is that time of year when I have to go through all the financial records from the previous calendar year and get ready to do the taxes. I fastidiously save every receipt and check carbon, but sometimes I wonder why.

Today I took all those credit/debit card receipts and put them into a tidy pile so I can pack them away. One thing I observed was that receipts printed on that thermal paper fade within a year. It was an interesting experience to quickly review how I spent my money last year.

• We went out to eat quite a bit (I blame Andrew and Laura for that :-)
• Walmart and Taco Bueno are my favorite places.
• I had forgotten I loaned someone $1000!
• I had hired someone to do some yardwork and I still notice their work every day when I walk to work.
• I bought a lot of stuff to celebrate David and Sarah's wedding--money well spent.

Now I have a big confession to make. Even though I keep all my receipts, I've fallen off the wagon when it comes to balancing my checkbook. For years I hassled my kids for not balancing theirs, but now I've given in to their slovenly ways. I don't write anything in my paper check register any more, and I just frequently look on line to make sure everything basically looks right. This step into laziness happened in November when I tried and tried and tried but could not find a 10 cent error in my checkbook. So, I gave up. Then I decided if my kids don't need to balance their checkbooks, why should I???