Dear AT:HT, I'm currently setting up a home office and have a technology dilemma. I need a multifunction printer, for obvious reasons, but would also like to begin to use receipt scanning to manage my paper clutter.
Must I buy a printer/scanner and a receipt scanning device? Is there any way to use standard scanning with receipt scanning software? Anyone have any suggestions for a great multifunction printer and/or receipt scanning software/device? Thanks so much for your help!
-brandy
Brandy,
It isn't necessary to buy a seperate scanner for receipts, you can use the one integrated with your printer. However, whether or not this is the best answer for you depends on what you're looking to do with the receipts after they're scanned.
You can scan receipts with the software that comes with the scanner, and save it as a jpg, or a pdf if you have Adobe Acrobat. The title of the file can then tell you what the receipt is for.
If you're looking for software to give you detailed information or to be able to sort receipts based on type of purchase and dollar amounts, you could look into a program like Quicken 2007, which allows you to import a couple of different file types and tie them with your money management. Keep in mind that this review from CNET states that Intuit cleaned up a bunch of the issues that caused poor reviews when it was first reviewed, so it's a much better option. You can get a copy from a 3rd party seller on Amazon for as little as $30.
We don't know have any personal exposure to it, but Unclutterer recommends DevonThink for general scanning organizing--not sure how well it works with receipts, but again, it's what you want to do with it after it's scanned that affects your options.
As for receipt device/scanner, the Fujitsu ScanSnap also comes highly recommended by Unclutterer and Jeri, of Jeri's Organizing and Decluttering News.
AT readers, what has worked for you when it comes to scanning and organizing your receipts?
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Comments (3)
Definitely Quicken. It attaches the receipt right to the entry so it's trivial to find it if you ever need it.
BUT
Something to keep in mind with scanned receipts is that most stores refuse to accept them for returns. For example Home Depot has a 1 year warranty on plants. When a tree died (actually never sprouted, but whatever) I brought it back to them with a print out of a scanned receipt. The cashier told me "no copies of receipts accepted". Much harumphing, complaining and escalating eventually allowed me to exchange it for a live one.
If you scan the receipts I would recommend throwing the originals into an envelope labeled with the month and year of purchase if there's any chance you might need it again. Quicken will help you find the right envelope and then it's just a matter of finding the right receipt.
I tend not to worry about that sort of petty thing. In my humble opinion, if you are worrying about miniscule things like receipts, you are in pretty big trouble. Much better to work on your credit and get some more cash flow. There is hope there. There are places that can help you with low credit score loans. Just hang in there!
Hi all,
You're right, it is absolutely not necessary to use a scanner to organize your receipts. If you want them digitized, which can in fact, be a handy way to organize them, you should consider using Shoeboxed. With Shoeboxed, you can mail your receipts in. They will be scanned and entered into an online account that you can access from anywhere.
Pretty handy if you ask me!
Dan