Having a serious accident, losing your job or having to pay for expensive repairs to your car or house–these are the essential rainy day scenarios that can lead to your draining what you have saved up now and putting you even deeper into debt. You can’t predict the future, but that doesn’t mean that you have to leave your financial security up to the mercy of your employer, injury at work claims or fate. Here’s how to set yourself up for financial success, no matter what the future brings. Save enough for six months. This is the rule of thumb for everyone, no matter how much money you make. If you lose a job or become physically unable to work, knowing that you can sustain yourself financially for half a year can bring your peace of mind and buy you time to get back on your feet. Start by adding up what it would take for you to pay all your bills for six months, and then set that as your eventual savings goal. Be insured. Most people consider health insurance and auto insurance as must-haves. But you should also consider insuring your income to safeguard against financial disaster. You can find short-term and/or long-term coverage for a percentage of your current income to make sure that if you can’t work, you’ll at least get a partial paycheck. Take advantage of your current financial profile. If you’ve got a steady income and low debt, weigh the benefits and disadvantages of opening another line of credit that you would use only for emergencies. It often costs nothing to do so, but it could make a world of difference if you lose a job or are faced with a large expense that cash won’t cover. Tackle high-interest debt now. Why high-interest debt? Because these are the kinds of accounts that become literally impossible to pay off when you lose a job. For many credit cards, for example, you could pay the minimum on them for ten years and still end up with a balance that is higher than the principle simply due to the interest. To avoid this nightmarish scenario, make sure to get rid of those balances as soon as possible. “Cut”your budget preemptively. This doesn’t mean that you have to forego all luxuries now, but doing the work now of sorting out what you could live without in case of lost income could save you a lot of stress. Waiting until you don’t have the money makes this a more emotional process, so come up with a list of expenses that are optional, and rank them in terms of which should be the first to go. Next to building upon your savings, this is the ultimate rainy day saving plan.