If you put aside pretax money in a Flexible Spending Account, or FSA, to pay for medical expenses or child care earlier this year, now's the time to add up your receipts to make sure you won't lose any funds. Still have $50 left over? Stock up on painkillers, cold medication or even an extra pair of eyeglasses. As the saying goes -- use it or lose it! (Check with your employer to see if you have a grace period -- you may have until March 15 to use up your balance.)

Double- (or triple-) check your credit

Each year, you're entitled to a free annual credit report from each of the three credit bureaus (annualcreditreport.com). If you haven't done so already, ensure yours is error-free by eyeballing your report. Then file a dispute by calling or writing to the appropriate credit bureau to fix any mistakes.

Make your charity contributions

Don't wait for spring to clean out your closets! Donate old clothes to the Salvation Army and finish up charitable donations so you can claim them for 2008 when itemizing your taxes. The heftier your contribution, the heftier your tax savings.

Rev up your retirement plan

Step up your savings -- especially if you have any extra income -- by putting more money into your 401(k) (the IRS allows a yearly contribution of up to $15,500 if you're under 50, $20,500 if you're over 50), IRA or Roth IRA (limits for both are $4,000 for under-50s, $5,000 for those 50 and up). Instead of letting your money sit in a bank account, look for a life-cycle or target date maturity fund (offered by Vanguard and T. Rowe Price), which automatically shifts your assets as you grow older, according to your planned retirement date.

Eyeball your tax exemptions

If you're claiming several exemptions, you'll likely get a tax refund come spring -- but you're also giving the government a free loan with money that could have been collecting interest in your savings or retirement account. Figure out how many exemptions you should be claiming next year by plugging your financial information into the IRS withholding calculator at irs.gov.