Party for a good cause
Why not help others while dancing the night away? Many organizations throw balls or auctions to raise money during the holiday season. Check out your favorite charity's website or watch for ads in local newspapers for events in your area. If the event is run by a qualified charity, you can deduct part of the ticket price.

Read the small print on your ticket or receipt. Only the amount over the fair market value of the event can be written off as a donation. For example, if you pay $100 for a ticket to a charity dinner, the value of the meal (say $40) must be subtracted from the ticket price, so the total deduction allowed will be $60. Not bad for a night out!

Get rid of that loser
No, not your useless boyfriend! Sell the stock that you thought would make you a millionaire overnight and instead has seen a steady decline since you bought it. The loss can be written off as a capital loss and offset either income or capital gains. If the amount of loss is over $3000, you will be able to carry it over into future years.

Ready, set, file
There are some benefits to completing your taxes as early as possible. If you figure that you owe money to the government, you can still wait until April to mail the check. If you are due for a refund, however, file as soon as possible and collect the cash. Then, as your friends are stressing on April 14 this year, take yourself, and maybe Uncle Sam, to a movie with all of the money you saved!