You shouldn't be happy to get a tax refund. You should be mad—at yourself. A refund is nothing more than Uncle Sam returning money you overpaid. The average refund totals about $2,255, or an extra $188 a month you'd have at your disposal if it weren't sitting in federal tax coffers.

Adjust your withholding so that you don't have more deducted from your paycheck than is required (or if you're self-employed, rework the numbers to make sure your estimated quarterly tax payment is correct). Online tools can help you calculate the exact amount; just type "withholding calculator" into a search engine. Try to estimate carefully, and remember that it's okay to owe the IRS a small amount at the end of the year.

Those of you who use the standard deduction when filing tax returns should consider itemizing. A few years ago, the Government Accountability Office found that 2.2 million people who took the standard deduction could have reduced their tax bills by an average of $438 if they had itemized. TurboTax or TaxCut software can do the calculations and determine whether it makes sense to itemize.