One of my all time favorite websites is Post Secret. People send in post cards they’ve created revealing a secret. Some are pretty deep – like this one:
Others, less so:
How does this relate to money you ask?
I think this is incredibly cool. I may just be a weirdo, but I find strangers’ lives fascinating. Everyone is different and has their own story. Since it’s not normally cool to just go up to someone and ask “Why did you buy BRAND X?! TELL ME!!!“, reading someone’s receipt seems like a unique way to get insight into how someone else lives their life.
If you think about it, our spending can really sum up our life. Whether we’re single or married. Male or female. Have expensive tastes. Paper or plastic. How many kids, if any. And so on and so on.
If you went threw (did I really just type that?) through my receipts, you’d probably find that I’m obsessed with technology. You’d also find lots of restaurant receipts – I’m a sucker for eating out with friends. Unfortunately, you wouldn’t find lots of evidence that I’m very frugal. Trying to change that, but it’s an uphill battle.
What does your spending say about you? Frugal or spendthrift? Brand names or generic?
