Those were some great tips and that article is definitely worth checking out. I just wanted to add a couple of things.
The first and biggest option for you is to ensure you are maxing out every available retirement option. If your employer has a matching plan (401k etc) be sure to take full advantage of it. Every dollar you contribute lowers your taxable income this year, and every dollar your employer matches is free money. You can contribute up to $22,500 in 2023. And you can still contribute to an IRA as well. The limit for that is $6500 per spouse ($7500 if you are over age 50).
Also check at work and see if you have any tax deferred savings accounts available to you. Even if you don't have a high deductible health plan/ health savings account option, there may be a flexible spending account option for medical expenses (including deductibles and premiums), health insurance premiums, vision/dental expenses, child care expenses, etc. Anything that can be paid with pre-tax dollars should be.
If you have a second/vacation home, or if you are away from your primary home for any significant periods of time, you may be able to take advantage of some extra tax-free income. Any home rentals totaling 14 days or less for the year do not have to be reported as income. If you do decide to open your own business, you can rent a portion of your home out to your own business for a business meeting, and deduct the rent you pay yourself as an expense.
If you're considering opening a business you may want to take some business courses to prepare yourself. Be sure to take deductions or credits for education expenses on your tax return. If you have children or plan to go back to school yourself, open a 529 plan for college savings. While there is no federal or CA tax break for contributions, the investment grows tax free. All withdrawals, regardless of the amount of growth, are nontaxable so long as they are used for qualified education purposes. You can even use a portion of it to repay existing student loans.
If you are itemizing your expenses, be sure to keep track of all your charitable contributions, and consider volunteering for charitable organizations. You can deduct mileage, supplies, and other expenses for charity work.
Finally, look into the newly expanded federal tax credits for energy efficiency updates. Homeowners can claim credits for certain improvements such as installing heat pumps, energy efficient windows and doors, insulation and similar upgrades. A separate credit is offered for the installation of solar panels, wind energy and geothermal systems as well as battery storage.
