We are now in early March.  It's time to work on your taxes.  If you are getting a refund, you want to send your return out before the end of the month.  You want to get your money back as quickly as possible.  If you owe money, you won't send your return in until early April (no need to give the government your money early), but it's still good to know how much you'll owe so you can set the money aside or make any necessary arrangements.

The first step is gathering all of your documentation:  W-2s, 1099's, receipts for deductions, etc.  If you use a paid preparer, you have only one more step: making an appointment.  If you are doing your own taxes, you'll need to set aside several hours of QUIET time to do your calculations and fill out the forms.  Even if you use tax prep software, you'll need some time.

And as you curse the effort it takes to gather everything, give yourself a break by setting aside a space (a file folder, a drawer, whatever works for you) to keep all your receipts.  Everything is so much easier when you just need to open a drawer.