If you're the kind of average Joe or Jane whose idea of tax preparation is simply putting your W2s and 1040EZ together, you may be letting hundreds or thousands of dollars slip by you every year. Whether you're a down-and-out renter at the mercy of the system, or a beleaguered mortgage holder with kids popping out like microwave popcorn and burdensome student loans, there are often ways to claim credits or favorable filing statuses that can help bail you out of a horrible tax-filing experience. Here are six ways that can help make you the most of your yearly work and wages.

All figures are given for the 2007 tax year, since even the tax year 2008's stimulus rebate is up in the air, so please consult a tax professional for any definitive decisions on your own tax situations.

1. EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit). There are two ways that you can benefit from EITC. First of all, if you have no children and you have an adjusted income roughly under $12,590 ($14,590 if filing jointly), you may be eligible for EITC (residency and other rules apply). And if you do have qualifying children, your income can still be as high as $33,000 (or even higher) before you're disqualified for EITC.

2. Hope and lifetime learning credits. Depending on how many years of college you've had, you may be able to convert your qualified education expenses into a maximum credit of $1650 on expenses of up to $2200 (Hope credit) or a 20% lifetime learning credit, good for up to $2000 on expenses of $10,000.

3. Saver's credit. If your income falls within the proper range and you meet other criteria, you may be able to receive a credit from 10% to 50% of your total contribution to an IRA. Some of the optimal situations resulting from wise use of a saver's credit take the sting right out of planning for your future and paying your taxes.

4. Additional child tax credit. Even if you have just one qualifying child, if you made approximately more than $11,750, you may be eligible for a credit of up to 15% of what you earned over that amount.

5. Married filing joint status. The hallmark of civilization, MFJ status can be pretty cushy with regard to a lot of deduction and credit ceilings, allowing married couples filing together enough leeway to invest in improvements or retirement plans. Unless you're throwing kitchen utensils at your spouse every time you see him or her, it may be a wise idea to settle your differences long enough to present a united tax front. Married filing single status is the worst filing status for anyone -- it's often better to simply be single.

6. Government "I" bonds. While their interest is taxable on a federal level, I bonds, designed to match inflation, yield a hybrid interest rate that is a combination of a fixed rate and a semiannual inflation rate. With a five-year maturity period, the bond can be cashed reasonably quickly, and if it is used to finance qualified educational expenses, there is no tax on the interest.

While this is definitely a mixed bag of advice, everything is geared toward conserving money in places where it's often been thought impossible: marriage, children, college, and diverting money intended for taxes. Hopefully with a bit of due diligence and expert advice, you too may be able to benefit from some of the credits and deductions the IRS allows its citizens during tax time.