If you own mutual funds, they're going to bite you at the end of the year with returns you didn't even know you were going to get.

They're small deductions, but you're entitled to them so you might as well take them.

If you have clothing or household items you no longer need, this is the time to take it to a charity.

If you have business expenses, they must be for 2 percent of your income if you want to deduct them. You might want to pre-pay them.

Very few women manage to have it all; certainly not all at once.

To be honest, I haven't seen much serious budget planning since the Republicans took control of the House after the 2010 elections and grabbed onto the Senate filibuster. It's not the White House's fault that John Boehner couldn't deliver on a bigger deal.