How long should I keep the receipts? Do I need the original? How long should I keep my statements? If I have my statement do I need my receipt?

These are great questions with no specific answer. If there was a definitive answer you wouldn’t have customers crushing their receipts and dumping it at the nearest receptacle. Or you wouldn’t have hoarders homes loaded with boxes and boxes of old statements and receipts.

For receipts, it depends. It depends if you purchased it for business or pleasure. It depends if you have a warranty on it. It depends if you might return the item.

For statements, it depends. It depends if your credit card is a business credit card or personal credit card. It depends on what you are using the statement for. Are you using the statement to track tuition payments or other items for tax purpose? Are you using the statements to simply pay your bill?

This is a very personalized answer. It depends. It depends on your purpose, place and thing. But luckily there are tools to help with your dilemma.  Scan your receipts and statements or simply take pictures of them. That helps with the storage and also helps with keeping it all in one place. Many phones, carriers and browsers provide free storage of your pictures and you can keep it in a different album or folder. The best thing about doing this is that it has a date you can search by. So if you are diligent in taking a picture of your receipt and statement when you get it, you can go back and search by timeline. After the scans or pictures are done you can toss the document. Remember to properly dispose of it by shredding all personal information.

Hawaiian Tel Federal Credit Union, Hawaii, has a solution for their member debit card and credit card receipts. From now to October 6, 2017, members can bring in receipts to score 2 tickets to the Harlem Globetrotters game on October 14 or 15, 2017. Members who bring in HTFCU VISA credit card receipts totaling $508.00 or more score two tickets to the ball game. Members who bring in 10 debit card transactions of $18 or more score two tickets to the ball game. Official rules are on their website.