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As winter melts away and spring begins, April can be the time to renew your financial life. The tax season is nearly over, so you can finally say goodbye to 2014 and focus on just this year’s finances. Here are some ways to reassess your situation and spring into action:

Step up your budgeting

It’s been three months since you made your New Year’s resolutions, so consider updating your money goals. Look at which online or mobile budgeting apps work for you.
While apps may help you budget, “it’s really about how you spend money,” says Dana Twight, a financial advisor and owner of Twight Financial Education in Seattle. She suggests referring to these as “spending plans” rather than “budgets.”
“A lot of personal finance is about trade-offs and where you place the gratification on your spending plan,” she adds. If you spend a lot more than you need to, consider setting up an automatic savings plan.

Reflect on your tax situation

While your tax-filing experience remains fresh, determine how to be better prepared for next year. If you don’t keep track of receipts well, use mobile apps like Shoeboxed or Proximiant to digitize and sort them. This can help cut down on paperwork and avoid misplaced documents.
Also focus on the benefits of filing earlier next year. If you’re owed a refund, you can get it sooner. Alternatively, if you owe taxes, filling out your return in January or February can give you more time to come up with what you have to pay by April 15. Either way, you get to plan more accurately for the first few months of next year.
Apart from the stress of facing a last-minute race to the deadline, there’s another downside to waiting.
“If you’re focused on 2014 until April, then you’re three months behind for your 2015 taxes,” Twight says.

Look at creative debt reduction

After finishing with your taxes, consider using any spare cash you may have — including any refund you may get — to reduce any student loans or credit card balances. This can be tough after forking over money to tax collectors, but remember that you’ll be better off later.
If you’re looking to consolidate debt or reduce what you pay in interest, one option is to find a good balance-transfer credit card. Some cards offer 0% introductory rates for transferred balances, meaning that you avoid paying interest on it for that initial period.
Another alternative to reduce debt may be borrowing from your 401(k) retirement plan at work. According to a study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, 87% of participants in these plans could potentially borrow, but few do.
If your plan allows loans, you can borrow 50% of your contributions, or up to $50,000, usually for as long as five years, according to Internal Revenue Service rules. Interest rates tend to be low and fixed, which often beats most credit cards.
“Your 401(k) is your own bank, if you think about it,” says Rob Riedl, director of wealth management at Endowment Wealth Management in Appleton, Wisconsin. Since you’re borrowing from your account, the interest goes back into it along with the principal payment.
This strategy can make sense for those with manageable debt, a healthy 401(k) balance and good payment habits. But there can be some risks. If you leave your job, you may have just 90 days to repay the debt. Plus, you’re taking capital from your retirement fund’s investments, albeit temporarily, which will reduce the returns generated by the account.
From reviewing budgeting apps to consolidating debts, make April the month that you lift yourself out of passive money-management strategies. By taking a more active approach, you can get better control of your finances and help ensure a brighter future.
Spencer Tierney is a staff writer covering personal finance for NerdWallet. Follow him on Twitter@SpencerNerd and on Google+.
Illustration by Dora Pintek.