I found this neat little gadget in a Sky Mall catalog while flying earlier this year - one of those magazines tucked into the seat pockets, along with the barf bags and airplane diagram cards.  I wrote their website down on one of the many receipts stuck in my bag, so I could get more details once I returned home. About a month later, when trying to organize my expenses, I found the note and decided to give it a try. Between the business traveling and expenses of my spouse and I, home expenses, kids and so on, this might be the solution to a cluttered mess!

NeatReceipts can scan and organize receipts by date, expense category, or merchant. It can also organize expenses by IRS form and category, create expense reports, scan business cards, scan important documents and just about any other document you want to store on your computer. It can create expense reports and works with most popular programs such as Excel, Outlook, MS Money, Quicken, or QuickBooks. You can finally free yourself of all those business cards you have stuffed in your briefcase, cluttering your drawers, taped to your desk, phone, monitor or refrigerator, and have them scanned and organized all in one place.

The “scanalizer” is so small that you can take it with you easily when traveling. It weighs approximately 10 ounces and is the same size as my 3-hole punch (about 10 ¾” x 2”).  Mine scans in black and white only, but I believe they have come out with a color scanner.  All you have to do is install the program, plug it in to a USB port on your computer, and start scanning! It does not require any other power source.

This is one of the easiest to use gadgets I have purchased. Set up was no problem and it even scanned the crumpled-up receipts without jamming. I was impressed by its ability to read fading receipts and automatically recognize company name, address and phone information. When you scan your document, the image will appear on the left side of your screen and the information to the right. The Vendor name, Category, Receipt Date, Payment Type, Sales Tax, Amount, Reimbursable Category, Expense Category and Personal Category are there for you to view and edit if necessary. Some of my more illegible receipts would leave the Date or Vendor category blank, so I just easily completed those areas. I have found that receipts from certain stores fade rather quickly, and that scanning those receipts as soon as possible saves me grief, especially when warranties are involved. I had a receipt from Circuit City for a printer that became so faded after just six months, that it was totally illegible.

More information can be found at their website, NeatReceipts.com.  If one of your New Year’s Resolutions is to get organized – this is your head start.

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