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" JANUARY: CONSIDER BIG-TICKET ITEMS  Looking for a new boat, a reception hall for an anniversary party, or even a new home? This slow sales month is a good time to negotiate a great price. FEBRUARY: DO YOUR TAXES IRS statistics show that earlier filers tend to get back more money, possibly because they have time to track down every deduction (hard to do that when you&amp;#039;re scrambling around at 3 P.M. on April 15!). In 2014, people who filed by the end of February received an average refund of $3,034, while by mid-May that average had fallen to $2,689. Early filers usually see their refunds quicker, too, and avoid penalties.  MARCH: REVIEW YOUR RETIREMENT PLAN   Advisers say you should be socking away between 10% and 20% of your pretax income for retirement. But everyone is different\u2014an added asset, like a paid-off home, means you may not have to save as much, whereas supporting an aging parent means you need to save more. At least once a year, use a retirement calculator like the Ultimate Retirement Calculator at FinancialMentor.com and take stock.  APRIL: USE YOUR REFUND WISELY  If you&amp;#039;re getting back a bucket of money from the IRS, send it where it&amp;#039;ll do the most good: Pay down high-interest debt. Otherwise, build an emergency fund\u2014experts say you need between three and six months&amp;#039; worth of expenses (or even as many as 18, depending on factors like job security). Then adjust your withholding\u2014a big refund means you&amp;#039;ve been giving Uncle Sam an interest-free loan. (Caveat: If this is the only way you can get yourself to save, let it be.) RELATED: 20+ Ways to Spend Less and Save More  MAY: TAKE YOUR FINANCIAL PULSE   Plug your info into FlexScore.com and you&amp;#039;ll get an overall rating that represents how well you&amp;#039;re doing\u20141,000 signals that you&amp;#039;re on track to meet your financial goals. The site also offers adviser-tailored tips on how to save and invest.  JUNE: CHECK YOUR CREDIT REPORTS  Identity thieves are getting savvier, so scan all three of your reports (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) at least once a year. (You&amp;#039;re entitled to one free copy of each per year.) Check your kids&amp;#039; accounts this time, too: Recent stats say as many as 10% of them have been targeted.  JULY: PAY LESS FOR YOUR HOUSE   If you haven&amp;#039;t refinanced recently, check the rates and your loan terms to see if doing so will save you money. If not, look at your budget and see if you can start sending your lender just 1/12 more every month\u2014that&amp;#039;s about $72 extra on an $865 monthly mortgage payment, the national average for a three-bedroom. That move alone could dramatically lower your interest and shorten the life of your loan by up to seven years. RELATED: Is Your House a Money Pit?  AUGUST: SHOP TAX-FREE   More than a dozen states have tax-free shopping days this month\u2014no sales tax on clothing, shoes, even electronics in some areas. Check SalesTaxInstitute.com for nearby states.  SEPTEMBER: CHECK YOUR INSURANCE  Big events often happen in the summer\u2014weddings, home renovations\u2014and you want to make sure your policies are keeping up with the changes in your life. If you just remodeled your kitchen, for example, and a flood happens before you update your homeowners&amp;#039; insurance to include the value of that renovation, you may not be covered.  OCTOBER: BOOK (CHEAP) HOLIDAY TRAVEL   Set up email alerts and follow your favorite airline on Twitter or Facebook. If the last few years are any guide, there&amp;#039;ll be a spate of sales this month.  NOVEMBER: STOCK UP ON HEALTH SUPPLIES  If you&amp;#039;ve been putting money into a healthcare flexible spending account, think about tapping it this month rather than waiting. Many accounts are use-it-or-lose-it, and near the end of the year doctors have fewer days open due to much greater demand, so you may not be able to book an appointment. Or start spending on covered items you&amp;#039;ll use, such as contact lens cleaner or sunscreen (with an SPF of 30 or higher).  DECEMBER: ORGANIZE!   That quiet week between Christmas and New Year&amp;#039;s Day is the perfect time to set up a system to keep track of your finances for 2016. To streamline bill management, sign up for Finovera on your smartphone or the Web. It will keep track of dates and alert you when bills are due or unusually high. Toss papers you no longer need and set up a file to hold next year&amp;#039;s. SOURCES: Anne Banas, executive editor, SmarterTravel.com. Teri Gault, CEO, TheGroceryGame.com. Leah Ingram, founder, Suddenly Frugal blog. Linda P. Jones, personal finance coach. Regina Leeds and Russell Wild, authors, One Year to an Organized Financial Life. Karen Marlo, vice president, National Business Group on Health. Mortgage stat: RealtyTrac.com. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.womansday.com/life/work-money/tips/a8478/save-money-in-2015/>