Getting control of your financial future starts with assessing your current situation and prioritizing your goals.

• Sizing Up Your Financial Situation - Tips on developing a spending plan when faced with a reduction of income or an increase in expenses.
  
• Financial Planning Process
• Expenditures on Children by Families - USDA/Center for Nutrition Policy publishes an annual report on national averages on children by families.  How do you compare to the national average?

Prioritizing your goals - Deciding where your values and priorities lie may involve family discussions.  Recognize that goals may initially be dictated by necessity, but can change over time.

• Deciding Which Bills to Pay First
• Setting and Achieving Financial Goals (PDF) (University of Tennessee)