Stingy Tip no. 8 Keep the Receipt!

Well, Blogger has a new interface so I know I have been gone awhile. I recently realized I hadn't listened to the radio in a long time when I turned to a preset and the station had changed names. Now that my new place is getting hooked up with internet service my posting should become fairly regular. But on to the topic at hand!

Would you like a receipt?

An emphatic YES! There are so many benefits to getting a receipt that I don't even think twice about it. If you ever look at a receipt not only is there a record of what you bought, there is a host of personal info, company info, store info and quite often coupons, surveys, giveaways, freebies, and more. Getting one of these for something you were buying anyway (especially if you got it for free with a coupon) can be better than the actual purchase.

Some of the reasons to get and keep your receipt:

• Security- if the receipt is printed anyway, especially if you used a card, you keep it. An employee is just going to toss it in the trash where any good stalker is likely to rummage. At the very least you can take it home and run it through a shredder (or give it to a couple gerbils that delight in tearing up anything that is paper or plastic in nature)
• Record keeping- If you do the old fashioned way of balancing a checkbook keeping your receipt as a record is a must. Even if you keep an eagle-eye on your bank accounts online some things take longer to post than others so it is always good to know what you have spent to ensure you don't have an overdraft or the accompanying fees. 
• Returns- If any item you purchase doesn't work out the only sure way to get your money back is to have your receipt. Some stores will issue store credit but the receipt allows you to get your money back in the form you gave it i.e. put back on your credit/debit card or cash.
• Proof of Purchase- Cashiers are people, and they make mistakes. They scan stuff twice, miss items, forget discounts, et cetera. If there is something wrong with your transaction and you have no receipt you're pretty much SOL.
• Surveys- Traditional surveys are links tacked on to your receipt that enter you in a drawing for prizes/ money in exchange for your feedback.
• Rewards- sometimes you can enter your transaction number into an online account to get points to use towards coupons or free items.
• Coupons- These can be tacked on the end of the receipt, printed on the back, or spat out of a Catalina. Most of the time they will match a coupon currently in circulation although sometimes they have a higher discount or they will be specific to the store. 
• Freebies- sometime they give you a straight up reward usually in the form of food. :P

Know any other uses? Feel free to add them in the comments area.

Thank you for your patronage, have a nice day!