How to Create a Simple Filing System for Receipts

TL;DR:

• Folder structure: Receipts 2026 → 01-January, 02-February, etc. That's it.
• No category folders: categorization belongs in your spreadsheet, not your file system
• Your extraction spreadsheet is the real search index
• Simple systems last. Elaborate systems fail.

The Folder Structure

In Google Drive, create this structure: Receipts 2026 as a top-level folder, with subfolders 01-January, 02-February, 03-March, and so on. One folder per month. No sub-categories, no vendor folders, no type folders. The numbering prefix keeps them in order.

Why No Category Folders?

Because categorization belongs in your spreadsheet, not your file system. When you extract receipt data into Google Sheets, the category lives in the data. Need to find all "Travel" receipts? Filter your spreadsheet by category. Need a specific receipt? Search by date, vendor, or amount in your spreadsheet, then reference the photo in the corresponding month folder.

Trying to categorize files in folders creates two problems: some receipts fit multiple categories, and you have to decide the category at filing time instead of processing time.

How It All Connects

Your receipt tracking spreadsheet (populated through Siftly extraction) serves as the index. Each row represents a receipt with all the extracted details: date, vendor, amount, category. If you need to reference the original receipt, go to the corresponding month folder and find it by date and amount.

No reorganization, no cleanup, no migrations. Simple systems last.