Get money-smart in 2011. . . April

Here is April's installment of Get money-smart in 2011. (Check out March's post here.)

• Avoid a tax penalty. If you can't file by April 15, use Form 4868 to get a six-month filing extension. You'll still have to pay what you owe, or it will cost you more later.
• Look for travel deals. Start making summer vacation plans to take advantage of discounts for early bookings. Websites such as Airfarewatchdog, FareCompare, Priceline, and Travelocity will send you an alert if prices for your itinerary drop.
• Don't blow a tax refund. Use it to boost savings, paw down debt, or put it toward a big-ticket purchase.