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I’m Wrestling the Paper Tiger and he’s got me screaming “UNCLE!”

By Leanne Zumbrunnen

Home Stager with Z Touch Design Services

March 26, 2010 04:02 PM

I’m drowning in receipts. As a stager that does a lot of vacants, I do a lot of shopping. Shopping = receipts.

I input the info into an Excel file to help me keep them organized but I’m getting behind because I have so many. I’m researching NeatWorks for digital receipt filing. Has anybody used it? I’ve run across some scathing reviews as well as glowing ones. I really need to get this under control. I know there are some stagers out there who really have organization down to a science.

Also, another office issue that I am dealing with is tracking inventory. Once again I have created an Excel file to track inventory but not quite sure how to break things down when I have several items on one receipt. Do I itemize the PRICE, or REPLACEMENT VALUE, where is was bought, when it was bought, etc. I have never taken a bookkeeping class (or anything close) in my life and for the first time, I wish I had. Is there a good program for tracking inventory?

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Kristal Kraft

Novella Real Estate - Denver, CO

Selling Metro Denver Real Estate - 303-589-2022

Oh my it sounds like you are living a nightmare! Wouldn't it be nice if you could just carry around a GPS enabled scanner to keep track of where things are and where they are going?

Mar 26, 2010 04:05 PM

Corey Chase

Silvercreek Realty Group - Meridian, ID

I am almost jealous.

Mar 26, 2010 04:06 PM

Joan Whitebook

BHG The Masiello Group - Nashua, NH

Consumer Focused Real Estate Services

I am going to be back to see the responses. We were just discussing this paper chase tonight. It is difficult to get the receipts organized in a meaningful way.

Mar 26, 2010 04:07 PM

Lynda Eisenmann

Preferred Home Brokers - Brea, CA

Broker Associate ,CRS,GRI,SRES, Brea,CA, Orange Co

Hi Leanne,

As agents we deal with too darn many recepits too. Every time I have a couple of keys made, pick up bottled water for open houses, station supplies, etc. etc. it's just plain hard to keep up with. I'd love to hear from others.

Mar 26, 2010 04:16 PM

Tammy Lankford,

Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA

Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

My suggestion is talk to a CPA or Tax Attorney. I'm sure they can recommend a great system. I think inventory should be listed by purchase date. That how I list mine for depreciation purposes. As for filing receipts, I'm an old fashioned girl. I ink label the actual receipt and toss it in a folder and have about 30 categories of folders. Ads, phone, signs, water and elec, gas and auto maintenance, ect...

Mar 26, 2010 04:16 PM

Elite Home Sales Team

Elite Home Sales Team OC - Corona del Mar, CA

A Tenacious and Skilled Real Estate Team

Now that is why I always use people that know that stuff so I do not need to.

Mar 26, 2010 05:31 PM

Kevin Dunlap

Trident Investments Group - Las Vegas, NV

I use the full bar version of NeatReceipts. I don't use it for receipts but do use if for a portable scanner. It has worked fine for me.

Mar 26, 2010 06:01 PM

Lori Kim Polk

Premiere Home Staging : Home Staging Services - Roseville, CA

Home Stager - Roseville, Sacramento

Oh my... this is my nightmare for sure. Thank goodness my daughter comes in every week and organizes this for me, otherwise, I would have a huge drawer full of receipts. As far as keeping track of inventory... I know how many sofa sets we have... does that count? At this late point, we label anything bigger than a bread box and have pictures of almost every item. When we want to know where something is.... and if our memory is failing, we just refer back to our most recent stagings to find them.

Mar 26, 2010 07:35 PM

Kathy Streib

Cypress, TX

Home Stager/Redesign

Leanne- I don't have a warehouse of inventory so I'm not faced with a monumental task of keeping up with it. I take pictures of what I have; have a spread sheet of my inventory and can pull categories if necessary and like Lori, I can look back at Stagings I've done to remind myself of what inventory I have. But, I do hate record keeping.

Mar 27, 2010 01:43 AM

Kathy Burke

Sensational Home Staging~~Danville, CA - Danville, CA

S.F. East Bay Home Staging

I only have accessories in my inventory.....I've often thought about labeling it with a "mark" but never have time/energy to make it happen.

Receipts are a daily input!!

Mar 27, 2010 02:53 AM

Liz Gallagher

LG Home Harmony - Home Stagers & Organizers - Montreal, QC

Montreal Quebec RESA member

I too am a little envious ... so far things are manageable. Hope you get it settled soon.

Mar 27, 2010 08:23 AM

Linda Thompson

Selling By Design-Staging - Fresno, CA

Hi Leanne,

Glad you posted this. I never even thought about keeping track of my inventory. My husband just said today that I'd better start. Hopefully I'll get so busy that I have to.

Mar 27, 2010 11:33 AM

Cindy Bryant

Redesign Etc. Home Staging - Houston, TX

"Houston Home Staging Pros"

Aww, the business side of staging. This is not my favorite part!! lol

Mar 27, 2010 04:30 PM

Connie Tebyani

Platinum Home Staging, Inc. : RESA-Pro - Calabasas, CA

Platinum Home Staging, Los Angeles and Ventura County

Good thing I have an Assistant that files everything for me because my wallet is constantly bulging with receipts. I have also heard both good and bad reviews for NeatReceipts although I don't know anyone personally who is using it. However, I have heard that if you have an AUDIT - NeatReceipts doesn't "count" - you must still have the original paper receipt to back it all up.

Mar 28, 2010 03:28 AM

Leanne Zumbrunnen

Z Touch Design Services - Lenexa, KS

I'll know I hit the big time when I can get an assistant to do things like this! It's definately one of my weak points. I have read several articles that says the IRS will accept digital reciepts but there are some contingencies. I have a number of them that are so faded, I can barely read them. What good are they?

As for inventory, I am trying to keep the Excel file with picture, cost, value, etc. I guess I was thinking for insurance purposes that I really need to have a record of everything. By the time I get to logging them in after a big shopping/staging job, I can't remember the cost of the item and often times, looking at the reciept doesn't help either. I guess it's good to know that others don't have it tracked down to the detail either.

Mar 28, 2010 05:04 AM

SHARON CHARBONEAU

UPSTAGING YOUR HOMES - Sechelt, BC

Leanne,

This is what I am struggling with as well. My inventory right now is in our hallway, down hall into breakfast room, in LR and DR and some already in garage.

It is driving my husband crazy. He has built me additional shelves and now I have to sort everything and get it labelled & put away. Then I have to find it again. I am one of those people, out of sight out of mind. I forget what I have.

And the reciepts are all over my dining room table and I still have to resolve receipt issue with previous client.

OMG!!! I hate this stuff. UNCLE!

Mar 28, 2010 07:51 AM

Allegra Dioguardi

Styled and Sold Home Staging and Staging Training - Westhampton Beach, NY

Home Staging & Training, Suffolk Co. Long Island

I have a folder for each job (filled with receipts). I use Excell spreadsheets for each job. I plan on checking back to see if anyone has anything more to say. I guess we all have this problem!

Jun 03, 2010 03:44 PM