Set S.M.A.R.T. Financial GoalsConsider the times in your life you set a financial goal, such as saving money for a down payment on a car or house. While you knew you were committing to a potentially long period of monthly payments, once you received your set of keys, you materialized a dream and met a financial goal. Today, you face higher expenses while caring for your child with special needs. Maybe you’ve had to put your career on hold or take on part-time work to help finance these expenses. Even if you face a less-than-desirable cash flow, you can still set goals that help improve your financial well-being. For example, in the sections Make a Spending Plan and Track Your Spending Leaks we listed ways you can reduce your expenses. Starting with those, let’s set some S.M.A.R.T. goals. S.M.A.R.T. goals are:
When you first learn of your child’s disability it may be difficult to think beyond your family’s immediate needs. At some point, though, you’ll need to think about, plan, and set goals for the future:
My S.M.A.R.T GoalsSetting S.M.A.R.T. goals helps you stay focused on achieving them. Putting your goals in writing makes them seem more real. Use this form to write your goals. Read your goals out loud, and often. That will help make them seem even more real.
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