How To Save Your Money By Being More Organized With It
I had an experience a while back that reminded me how important it is to keep track of your spending week by week, day by day. Like most people I go through good, and not quite as good phases with how thoroughly I check my receipts and keeping track of our ins & outs . So I thought telling you about what happened may help remind you how important it is to be organized when it comes to your money.
I bought several items from a Major Department Store (an hour from where we live), to buy the kid’s birthday presents, among other things. I didn't check the receipt at the checkout as I usually would. It was about a week later when I was sorting through my handbag that I had a closer look. I had accidentally been charged twice for my son's present - a building block set worth about $30. If it had of been only a few dollars I probably wouldn't have worried about it due to the distance involved, but I sure was definitely going to try to get my money back with that amount. I hadn't experienced a situation like this before, being charged double for the item, which is hard to prove once you've left the store. I didn't know how I was supposed to prove I didn't actually buy two sets.This didn't put me off at least calling the Customer Service to see if anything could be done. I'm certainly glad I didn't put it in the too hard basket because the lady I spoke to was very helpful and said it would fine to come in next time I was in town, show the receipt and they would give me the amount back. This is exactly what happened when I was in town a few weeks later.
Quick Tips
Firstly noticing discrepancies in the first place by checking you receipts. You would be surprised how often you are charged full price for 'sale' items at the supermarket. It adds up, but even small amounts are better in your pocket than theirs.
Take action immediately if you are still at the store. If not, call the store as soon as you get home.
Always make sure when you call the Customer Service of any business that you get the Name of the person you are talking to, and write down the advice they give you. Then take that piece of paper with you, so that you can mention that you have already spoken to such and such from CS and that she said to... It speeds the process up and gives your claim instant credibility.
Manners will get you everywhere - Remember that it certainly isn't the fault of the employee you are speaking to, so be polite as it may help your problem being sorted out even quicker. It pays to be nice!!
Keep a close eye on your weekly budget, and also keep a yearly budget with overall expected expenses to compare to as the year goes by, to make sure you're on track.
I learnt my lesson not to get slack with checking receipts as I get them to prevent this sort of thing from happening again. If you don't, maybe you should consider it. I guarantee you will be more conscious of how much you spend, and if it's more than you can afford it will help you cut back.
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