Should I keep all of my receipts?

[wellnowwhat]

I'm assuming that any big purchases prior to filing need to be documented, but do I need to keep receipts for every purchase that I make? If I just go buy some groceries for less than $100 do I need to keep the receipt for that for any reason? Or should I only keep them if it looks like my spending is out of the ordinary?

I'm not usually a receipt-keeper as I make a lot of purchases online or with my debit card and track everything in my own spreadsheet system, unless it's something large or a piece of technology that may break before the warranty is up.

[LadyInTheRed]

You will only need receipts if you need to support expenses that the trustee thinks are unreasonable. Also, if you had a large tax refund, bonus, etc. or a large withdrawal, you might need to show how the money was spent if it is not listed as an asset. It is pretty rare to need receipts for normal expenses. If you aren't claiming more than the standard allowance on groceries and in other areas, you aren't going to need receipts. But, it can't hurt to keep them just in case. When I decided to file, I started keeping all of my receipts. When I cleaned out my purse, I just threw them all into a box instead of into a waste basket like I usually did. I never needed them. But, I felt good having them just in case.

[Pjmax]

I was a little over-detail minded when I filed as well. I was in the habit of using my debit card for nearly everything, rarely had much cash on me, so everything was pretty-well documented on my bank statements. I estimated how much of my grocery bill went to 'pet care' and 'personal care', and that was never questioned. I did have a receipt box from about 2 months before I filed, where I just tossed in all my receipts, just in case. I didn't need them. I did save my 'unusual' or larger receipts, for car repairs and such, but I had some high repair bills the year before filing, and I keep those for my personal info, not so much for BK.

It sounds like your spending is pretty well documented in your spreadsheet system, so I wouldn't go overboard, but if you are at all wondering if you should keep or not, have a place for receipts you for sure would keep anyway, and a box to just toss in the others, and you can just toss the whole box in a few months.

It's hard for many of us to know for sure how detailed we have to get, but my attorney was impressed with my organization, so I felt good about going a little overboard and not needing something.

[Pjmax]

LITR said it better! I was typing as she was posting.

[AngelinaCat]

Like Pjmax, I was over-detail oriented, too. I made a notebook organized by year and month of everything from when we first consulted with the attorney, to when we actually filed and until we were discharged. There are pockets in it for receipts. I didn't keep everything, but the major stuff like new tires, etc. I also kept the postal receipts and green cards for when we made payments to the trustee. We sent postal money orders certified with a return receipt.

[wellnowwhat]

Like Pjmax, I was over-detail oriented, too. I made a notebook organized by year and month of everything from when we first consulted with the attorney, to when we actually filed and until we were discharged. There are pockets in it for receipts. I didn't keep everything, but the major stuff like new tires, etc. I also kept the postal receipts and green cards for when we made payments to the trustee. We sent postal money orders certified with a return receipt.

I've done something similar with my payments to the attorney. I've always used a money order from the post office and sent it via certified mail with a signed and dated letter requesting a receipt.

Sounds like we're all type-A people.

[Pjmax]

I've done something similar with my payments to the attorney. I've always used a money order from the post office and sent it via certified mail with a signed and dated letter requesting a receipt.

Sounds like we're all type-A people.

Type-A, OCDC . . . How about - I'm gonna get through this and never going there again, whatever it takes!