Good job. Comfortable home. Good health. Life is good. So why should you create a Family Health Budget? Because at some point change is coming — saving for future health care needs now can save you big bucks later on.

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Start planning now
When you have only yourself to house, shop for, clothe, and feed, it's easy to think you have all the bases covered. But what about your health care? Many of us forget to budget for these expenses and are blind-sided when the bills come due. Be prepared. Use the Family Health Budget to get an accurate picture of your expenses.

Look into a health care spending account
You go to the dentist, right? Or buy aspirin? If you have almost any kind of health care expense, you'll want to open a spending account. These accounts let you set aside a portion of your paycheck tax-free and then use this money to purchase health care products and services. You also want to take a look at Health Reimbursement Arrangements — some employers offer these up-front "allowances" that you can use for health care expenses.