By Andrea Woroch

There's something about the change of season that gets people in the mood to clean, purge and organize. It's not just our homes that need a good scrubbing, however. According to data from the Federal Reserve, U.S. Census Bureau and Internal Revenue Service:

• The average household has over $7,000 in credit card debt.
• 25% of American families do not have any savings.
• The average consumer spends $181 per month on restaurant meals.
• Only 18% of Americans are "very confident" about their retirement savings.

These sobering statistics show how many of us need to spring clean our finances in the following ways:

Tidy Your Accounts
Start tidying up your accounts by streamlining online statements and bill payments, and shredding old checks and statements. If you have accounts at multiple institutions, consider consolidating especially if you have cash left over in an account you no longer use.

Polish Your Budget
Budgets need to be reevaluated every year to accommodate changes in goals and life circumstances. Establish a spending and savings strategy that meets you and your family's future goals. Track your weekly purchases and monthly bills for a few months; this will give you a baseline so you can make suitable adjustments and find ways to cut back.

Dust Away Debt
Those with a revolving balance across multiple credit cards should pay down the debt with the highest interest rate first to save the most money over time. Be realistic with your debt pay-off schedule so you don't get burned out. No matter what, always aim to pay double or triple the minimum due; otherwise, you'll never make a dent in your debt due to interest accrual.

Scrub Up Spending
Learn to control impulse shopping by eliminating triggers such as browsing favorite online shops or heading to the mall after work to "window shop." When it comes to the purchases you have to make, use tools to help you save like the Coupon Sherpa mobile app, where you can find coupons for retail, restaurant and service providers.

Trim Monthly Bills
Review your monthly cable, Internet, home phone and utility bills to find areas where you can cut back. By regularly unplugging small kitchen appliances and powering down electronics, for example, you can shave 5 percent on your electricity bill each month.

Refresh Your Taxes
Establish a filing system for all your tax receipts and documents early in 2014 so you can file on time and avoid any late fees next year. Separate health-care forms, travel records, 401k contributions and student loans, and scan important sales receipts as the ink often fades. Use the IRS withholding calculator to ensure you withhold the optimal amount from your paychecks.

Purge Clutter
You can boost your savings goal or earn extra dollars to help pay down debt by purging the clutter laying around your home. Unwanted gift cards received over the holidays can be sold for cash online at many popular Web sites.

Call in the Pros
 If you're drowning in debt, can't get a hold of your budget or simply have no idea where to invest or how to prepare for retirement, it's time to get some professional help. A certified financial planner can help you go through your IRA, 401k and 529 College Savings Plans to understand where all your money is going and whether it's working for you.

Andrea Woroch is a nationally-recognized consumer and money-saving expert who helps consumers live on less without radically changing their lifestyles

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ACCI Customer Service 1-800-708-1335

5 Red Flags to Avoid on Your Return
By Rick Rodgers, CFP

It is no secret that one of the biggest fears people have is receiving an audit notice from the IRS. It ranks right up there with being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Of course, the IRS does nothing to alleviate this fear because the more frightened you are, the less likely you will be to cheat on your taxes.

The IRS audited one out of every 104 tax returns in federal fiscal year 2013. It's becoming increasingly evident that the greater your total income, the more you'll attract the agency's attention. Last year, the IRS audited about 10.85 percent of taxpayers with income greater than $1 million. The audit rate dropped to 0.88 percent for those with income less than $200,000.

Some of the audits were taxpayers pulled at random. The rest of the returns are selected for examination in a variety of ways.

Lowering your IRS profile will help minimize your chances of being audited. Here are five ways to help you stay off the audit list.

1. Large Itemized Deductions: The IRS has established ranges for the amount of itemized deductions based on a taxpayer's income. Deductions that exceed the statistical "norm" for a given state and region may be red-flagged for a closer look. This does not mean that you shouldn't take legitimate deductions. Your deductions could exceed the IRS range due to high medical expenses and large charitable contributions. Take all valid tax deductions - just be sure you keep your backup documentation.

2. Self-Employment Income: The IRS believes that the vast amount of underreported income occurs among the self-employed. Self-employed taxpayers are audited by the IRS far more frequently than those who receive a W-2 for wages. People who are employed by others and receive W-2 income but also run a business that reports a loss are especially high on the IRS radar screen. You will need to be able to prove you are operating a business with the intention of earning a profit and not just trying to write off the expenses of a hobby. You will need to be able to pass both the "passive loss" and "hobby loss" rules in order for the deductions to stick.

3. Business Expenses: Big deductions for business meals, travel and

entertainment are always ripe for audit. A large write-off will raise red flags if the amount seems too high for the business. Taxpayers claiming 100 percent business use of a vehicle is also a huge red flag. The IRS knows it's extremely rare for an individual to use a vehicle strictly for business. The IRS looks for personal meals or claims that don't satisfy the strict substantiation requirements.

4. Rental Properties: The IRS is scrutinizing rental real estate losses for those who claim to be real estate professionals. You must meet two requirements: 1. More than half of the personal services are performed in real property trades or businesses in which you materially participate, and 2.You perform more than 750 hours of services in real property trades or businesses in which you materially participate.

5. Home Offices: Taxpayers who operate a business from their home are entitled to deduct the portion of their home that is dedicated to operating the business. The IRS believes that many taxpayers use this deduction as a means of writing off personal expenses and carefully scrutinize tax returns that claim the home office deduction. Claiming this deduction greatly increases the chances that your tax return will be audited. You should consult a tax expert to determine if you are entitled to claim this deduction. If the tax savings are minimal you may opt not to claim the deduction simply to avoid the scrutiny. For details, see IRS Publication 587.

There is no way to completely audit-proof your return, and if you do get an audit notice from the IRS, don't take it personally. It does not mean the IRS believes your return is fraudulent. When you get a notice, pick up a copy of IRS Publication 1 "Your Rights as a Taxpayer." Be courteous and helpful without volunteering more information than what is requested. Plan ahead so that you are organized and can answer questions promptly. Ask for a postponement if you need more time to prepare.

If you are a self-employed taxpayer or have unusual circumstances that place your return outside of the statistical norm, let a professional prepare the return. Self- prepared returns are themselves more likely to be audited. The IRS believes that a non-professional has limited knowledge of the 4,000 pages of tax code.

Tax law is complex. The fee charged by an Enrolled Agent or CPA can be easily justified by the peace of mind they bring if you get the dreaded audit notice.

About Rick Rodgers: Certified Financial Planner Rick Rodgers is president of Rodgers & Associates, "The Retirement Specialists," in Lancaster, Pa., and author of "The New Three-Legged Stool: A Tax Efficient Approach to Retirement Planning."

What if I have Health Coverage from my employer? 

If you have coverage from a job (or a family member's job), you're considered covered and won't have to pay the fee that uninsured people must pay.

You may be able to change to Marketplace coverage, but you might not qualify for lower costs on your premiums based on your income. This will depend on the type and cost of insurance the employer provides.

If you have a job-based plan, you're considered covered

Any job-based health plan you currently have qualifies as minimum essential coverage. You don't need to change to a Marketplace plan in order to avoid the penalty that uninsured people have to pay.

If you'd like to explore Marketplace coverage options you can, but there are several important things to consider.

Comparing job-based and Marketplace plans

With most job-based health insurance plans, an employer pays part of your premiums. If you pick a Marketplace plan instead, the employer doesn't contribute to your premiums. You should consider this carefully before comparing Marketplace plans.

Qualifying for Marketplace savings

If you decide to check out Marketplace plans, be aware that you may not qualify for lower costs on your monthly premiums and out-of-pocket costs, even if your income would qualify you otherwise.

Whether you qualify for lower costs based on your income will depend on the coverage the employer offers. You won't be able to get lower costs if your job-based coverage is considered affordable and meets minimum value.

The employer can tell you whether the insurance plan it offers meets minimum value. It can provide you with information to determine if the plan is considered affordable to you.

One way to gather this information is by asking your employer to fill out an Employer Coverage Tool.

"Affordable" plans and the 9.5% standard

A job-based health plan is considered "affordable" if the employee's share of premiums for the lowest cost self-only coverage that meets the minimum value standard is less than 9.5% of their family's income.

In other words, if your share of your premiums for a plan that covers only you (the employee)--not your family--is less than 9.5% of your family's income, the plan is considered affordable.

You may pay more than 9.5% of your income on premiums for spouse or family coverage from your employer. But affordability is determined only by the amount you'd pay for self-only coverage from your employer.

Minimum value standards

A health plan meets the minimum value standard if it's designed to pay at least 60% of the total cost of medical services for a standard population. In other words, in most cases the plan will cover 60% of the covered medical costs and the person with coverage pays 40%.

You should ask your employer for help figuring out if the plan offered to you meets the minimum value standard. Your employer can also give you the information needed to determine if the plan is considered affordable to you.

One way to gather this information is by asking your employer to fill out

an Employer Coverage Tool.

Consider your choices carefully

If it turns out that you don't qualify for lower costs on insurance you'd buy through the Marketplace, be sure you take this into account before you consider choosing a plan other than your employer's.