For example, these three deductions, any of which could wind up saving you a ton of money.

The first year I decided to itemize, I wound up realizing that taking the standard deduction actually made a lot more sense. Of course, I was just out of college, made no money, and owned nothing. So that was simple. Depressing, but simple.

I've also spent upwards of two hours searching for a receipt, only to realize that donating to political candidates isn't tax deductible. I wish I could deduct for my time on that one. Maybe chalk it up to a loss?