Nearly everyone in the country is of the opinion that the economy has taken a turn for the worse. While the actual numbers don't necessarily support this assumption, the effects of public opinion are readily apparent and self-actualizing. High gas prices, high food prices, high unemployment, low wages and a plethora of other factors have all combined to make us feel the economic pinch, whether it's warranted or not.

The reality is that we all experience economic downturns from time to time, and very few of us ever prepare ourselves for that inevitability. If you live to be 50 years old or more, chances are you will experience at least two recessions, and probably more. Since this is an unquestioned fact of life, one has to ask why there aren't more people saving money for these hard financial times?

Regardless of the reasons for not saving money, you do not have to be one of the crowd that finds themselves scrambling to make ends meet when that inevitable recession arrives. With just a little bit of determination and a lot of fiscal discipline, you can sit back and laugh at the talking heads when they mention how hard things are during times of economic hardship. The key to weathering these downturns is one simple little word with a whole lot of implications: savings.

A lot of people think of savings as putting money away for some "rainy day" expense, and subsequently use the money to buy useless items like that dream LCD TV or nice Cadillac they've always wanted. This is where the fiscal discipline comes in. First and foremost, you must convince yourself that you do not need these items. If you want to watch the Super Bowl in high definition on a 100 inch screen, then go down to the local tavern and watch it. Let those guys waste their money on such gewgaws. You've got much higher goals to realize.

The second part of being able to weather these financial storms is to actually get started by putting some money away every time you get paid. In the words of that famous Nike commercial: "Just do it." Yes, it's going to hurt, but just a little bit. The long-term benefits, however, will far outweigh the short term financial pain you will feel. As long as you stay focused on the goal, financial independence, then that pain will be a whole lot easier to take.

There are any number of ways to start saving, and most of them are fairly good. The key is to just choose a method and start doing it. You can start with a simple savings account, and as your balances start to grow then you can diversify into things like the stock market, bonds, CDs and other more advanced investment instruments. You will be amazed at how quickly those balances will grow through the magic of compound interest.

First and foremost, though, just make sure you are putting away as much money as your budget can possibly allow. If you do, and you keep on doing it, you will find that when the next recession hits, you will be prepared to get through it without any strain on your financial life whatsoever, even if you wind up being laid off, outsourced, or otherwise victimized by the so-called "crisis."