With every purchase from in-store or online content, you will receive a receipt that explains, in detail, what you purchased, where you bought it and the grand total of the items. Reading your receipt correctly can help you check if you were overcharged on any items, if you bought items you did not want or help you return any unwanted or defective merchandise. Keep your receipts for balancing checkbooks and tax information.

Look at the top of the receipt to see where it came from, the phone number of the store and the cashier who served you. The receipt might even list the store chain’s number and the store's location.

Go through the list of items you have purchased. In most cases, on a sale item, it rings up as a regular price then subtracts the discount from that price. A new number will appear below the regular price or a subtraction sign and the amount will appear. Each item listed counts for the amount of times you bought it. For example, if you bought four cans of soup, then the can of soup will appear on the receipt four times.

Check for other discounts. After the regular and discounted items are accounted for, the receipt lists addition discounts from coupons or rewards cards.

Check your total. This total is the amount you have spent after the discounts.

Read the amount you saved after your coupons, discounts and reward cards. Cashiers might circle this amount. In some stores, the receipt will list the amount of savings you have acquired through-out the year.

Read the amount of points you have acquired. Many stores, such as Ralphs and Kmart have a point system, in which the more you send the more you receive. Ralphs gives its customers checks depending on how much they have spent.