Read Your Receipt!

I’m very guilty of this. After making a purchase, I rarely look at the receipt, unless I am returning something.

That said, there are a few good reasons why you should make it a frugal practice to regularly scan your receipt.

Errors

The first, and most obvious reason, is to make sure that the clerk has rung in your purchase correctly- or that your server has charged you for correct items.

You don’t want to pay for stuff that you didn’t buy!

You should also make sure that coupons, price matches or promotions have been properly applied.

Coupons

Stores and restaurants will frequently “hide” coupons and discounts for subsequent purchases, services or visits.

File those dandies in your wallet for future use, and save money the next time. Be sure to ask the clerk or server about expiry dates and limitations of use on these coupons.

Gratuities

Is tip included already? Some restaurants have a policy in place to automatically add the tip on the bill, but there is a good chance that your server will not necessarily share that info with you.

It literally pays for you to check it out.

If you are tipping out yourself, you should look at the bill to determine what the pre-tax amount is, and use that amount (not the total bill) for your tip base.

Contests

Retailers and restaurants are always looking for customer feedback.

Your receipt often extends an offer to fill in an online survey to describe your experience with them. As an incentive for doing so, there is usually some kind of reward- whether a discount code for your next purchase, or being entered into a draw.

These draws are usually pretty good, include cash or merchandise prizes, and offer decent odds with frequent drawings