Are you cursing me yet? A couple of months ago, I wrote that I was tired of all the holiday finger-wagging about thrift and thought people should just enjoy themselves.

OK, we’ve had our fun. Regrets or not, it’s time to get finances in order. So here, from a fellow financial sinner, are some reminders of things to do in the new year.

Pay off debt

First, as always, is paying off that credit-card debt. If you can’t do it all at once, set a strict schedule, starting with the cards with the highest interest rates.

If you have a big debt that’s going to take many months to pay, consider shifting to a new card that offers a low rate on balance transfers. But don’t do this unless you really have to, as the transfer will show up on your credit report. If you look like a person who puts off paying the bills, it could hurt your chances of getting a mortgage or other loan.

Before transferring a balance, study the fine print. If you don’t pay the whole bill by the deadline, you may be stuck with accumulated interest charges at high rates.

And you may find you’ll be charged high rates on new charges, with all your payments being applied only to the low-rate transfer until it’s paid off. In that case, it’s best not to put new charges on the new card.

Obviously, it pays to get some self-discipline and avoid racking up new charges on any credit card. If the card is mainly a convenience — which is the way it should be used — consider getting a bank debit card instead.

These work like credit cards, except that the charge is deducted immediately from your checking account. That way, you don’t have to worry about an ever-growing debt or the danger of incurring interest and penalty charges.

Prepare for taxes

Now to another matter … I hate to mention it, but it’s time to start thinking about taxes.

The tax documents you’ll need for your 2003 returns will come this month. Be sure they don’t get tossed with the junk mail.

Ideally, you should look at each document as it comes to be sure such key things as your name, address and Social Security number are accurate. It will be a big headache if you discover a mistake right before the April 15 filing deadline.

If you do nothing else, you should at least get a big envelope or file folder for keeping all the tax documents in one place.

It makes sense, of course, to do your tax return earlier rather than later, and everything you need should be in hand in time to complete the return by early February.

Waiting to the last minute increases the chances of making a careless mistake that could cost you money, delay a refund or cause some other headache. Obviously, it’s best to get a refund as soon as possible. And if you owe money, filing early could reduce any interest you may be charged.

If you use a computer, consider getting a tax-preparation program such as Turbotax. Whether you use a program or not, get an up-to-date tax guide. I’m partial to “J.K. Lasser’s Your Income Tax 2004.” It looks like a big-city phone book, and most bookstores will carry it.

Almost all the clever maneuvers used to reduce taxes for 2003 had to be done by Dec. 31, so now the real issue is making sure you get all the deductions and credits to which you’re entitled.

But there’s one exception: The 2003 IRA contribution can be made as late as April 15, 2004. This would affect your 2003 tax bill if you qualify for a tax-deductible contribution to a traditional IRA. (There is no deduction for a Roth IRA contribution.)

For 2003, you can put up to $3,000 into IRAs, or $3,500 if you were 50 or older at the end of the year.

Whether you can have a deductible traditional IRA or a Roth depends on factors such as your income and whether you have a retirement plan at work. Your broker or fund company can walk you through the rules, and any library or bookstore will have guides to the subject.

Keep in mind that if you do want to put money into an IRA, it’s generally better to do it early. Making your 2004 contribution this month rather than waiting until April of next year will get you 15 additional months of compounding. Doing that every year can make your nest egg much bigger.

Other tips

Since you’re planning to put this column on your refrigerator, here are a few other things that should have attention early in the year:

• Be sure your IRAs, 401(k)s, pension plans and insurance policies list the right people as beneficiaries.
• Make sure your will is up to date.
• Look for cost savings with all your running accounts for things like cable TV, Internet service, insurance, long-distance and cellphone coverage.
• Check that your investments are still in line with your long-term plan. Stocks zoomed last year. You may now have more of your portfolio in stocks and stock funds than you intend, and you might want to shift some money to bonds.