by Catherine L. Tully

Don’t think you can write something off if you don’t have a receipt. That’s a big no-no at tax time. Not only that, but I will wager that if you saved every receipt you had from freelance writing expenses you won’t remember what half of them are when you go back through them later on. There are some smart ways to handle this, and they are simple too…

Write details on the back. Receipts fade and so does the memory. If you buy a ream of paper for your printer, jot that and the price down on the back in pen. Go out to a coffee shop to interview someone? Write their name and the purpose of the visit down on the back. Save yourself trouble later by taking two seconds to do the work now.

Keep a spot for receipts related to work. This is going to horrify some people, but I keep a shoebox for work receipts. I toss them in and organize as I have time. The good thing is that I don’t get them mixed up with personal receipts, and I keep them together until I can address them.

Use a highlighter. I have an orange highlighter pen that I use to mark items that are bought for work. In the event that I get something for the business while I’m buying toilet paper for home, I can track that easily later on. It helps. Although it is far better to keep all work and personal expenses totally divided, sometimes it just isn’t practical and you may have to pick up a small item while you are out at the store.