Living on Cypress Hill: Organization

I've got this little problem.

It's actually a big problem.

It can sometimes cost me money - which is unthinkable!

On some things, I'm very organized. :)

Others, heh... not so much.

When the saleslady (or salesman - no discrimination here), asks "would you like your receipt in the bag?" I always say yes. Because it's in the bag with the actual purchase that I might, just might, want to return.

Putting it in my purse.... no way....I get tired of all of the papers in there and I inevitably want to quickly clean out my purse on my way to go shopping again. So do I take the time to go put them up in the desk in the big receipt file....

well, no...

hello? I'm going shopping! I don't have time for that!

Once - years ago - I put a little index card box in the cabinet to put important receipts in. You know, TV's, lawn mowers, etc.

I've been thinking for a while now that I need to do something like that again, only make it more accessible. I looked and looked for a good container to put them in. My index thingy was plastic and all bumpy textured and I wasn't sure about making it pretty.

Then it hit me.

Like a slap in the head.

A recipe box.

So long story short.... (really, am I calling this short at this point?!) I happened upon a wooden recipe box in the craft section at Wal-mart for about 4-5 dollars and I thought "this is it."

So I used this opportunity to try some of my samples of CeCe Caldwell's chalk paint. YAY!

I just started brushing some on!

No real method - just some here and there. It dried quick so it took about five minutes between coats.

I love this color! But I wanted it messed up, so I distressed - just by wiping with a damp rag - and then added wax. Both dark and clear.

I then stenciled "receipts" on the top.

Now who would have thought of that one? ;)

And to pretty it up just a bit, I added some little burlapy flowers I bought at Hobby Lobby. I tried making my own with burlap, but.... FAIL. Burlap just comes apart too easy cutting something that small. I just didn't have it in me. I bought a pack of six flowers (there are three different shades, it's just hard to tell in the pic) for either $4.99 or $5.99 and since that was the only thing I bought (I know!! Can you believe it?!!), I used my 40% off coupon. Well worth the few dollars after my stress of cutting tiny burlap flowers! Sheesh!

So the whole point of this box was to keep receipts so inside - WARNING - this is not cutsie yet! - I have the same little dividers I had before. The ones in front will be my department store purchases. No, you don't see Home Goods. No Costco. Just basic stores around here and even those are an hour away... '( I want to put 60 days or 90 days or whatever the return policy happens to be on each of the index cards so when I look through the file, I don't have to turn to the back of the receipt and look it up, it will be right there.

The month tabs in the back, will hold the receipts from daily things such as gas, groceries, restaurants, etc. Things I will want to hold onto just until I check to see if they've cleared the bank correctly.

So now I have a box that I can leave right out on the counter at all times, and hopefully, just hopefully, put all of my receipts in it in a timely manner. Hopefully :)

And there you have it! My little organizational tip for the week! No, I only usually post once a week and since this is my first organizational type post, let's make it at least for the month! ;)

So tell me.. how do y'all keep your receipts together? Do you just go file them right way? Put them in a box and hope you never have to dig through it to find what you need? :) Please share!

I sometimes join the following parties -

Sunday
http://debbie-debbiedoos.com/
http://itssoverycheri.com/