A 5-Step Budgeting Plan for Recession Readiness

Bolstering your financial security ahead of a recession can save you from financial disaster. Here’s a five-step plan to recession-proof your finances.

1. Create a Budget and Stick to It 

Creating a budget starts with tracking all of your income and expenses. You can use budgeting apps or a spreadsheet. By categorizing expenses into needs vs. wants, you can identify expenditures that are easiest to cut if your income drops (such as unused subscriptions, dining out, and vacations).

Be sure to review your budget monthly so you can track every dollar. Make any necessary adjustments based on changes in your income, current inflation, or surprise expenses.

2. Build an Emergency Fund

As a rule of thumb, it’s best to save three to six months’ worth of monthly expenses as a healthy emergency fund. If you’re the one who brings in more income to your home and you have a spouse, child, and mortgage, aim for six to twelve months of emergency savings.

Park your emergency fund in a high-yield savings account to earn interest along the way. This can serve as a financial lifeline in a recession.

Start with a mini-goal of $500 to $1,000 to build momentum, and then scale your goal upwards. By starting small, you can avoid getting overwhelmed. This will help you stay on track to hit bigger savings goals.

Consider setting up automatic transfers from your checking account. You can align automatic transfers with your payday—this way, the money gets transferred right away, and your savings will grow on autopilot.

3. Diversify Your Investments

Investing in low-cost index funds, bonds, and ETFs can help you diversify your savings and mitigate risk. If you think the economy is headed toward a recession, it’s a good idea to reassess your asset allocation, boost your diversification, and cut back your weighting in investments that are likely to be more volatile.

In the long-term investment portion of your portfolio, it’s crucial to avoid panic-selling. The stock market may experience dips and volatility at times. However, focusing on a consistent investment strategy in the long-term portion of your portfolio historically leads to the best financial outcome.

4. Create Multiple Streams of Income

Developing multiple income streams can boost your budget and help you stay afloat in a recession. Start by identifying ways to monetize an existing skill or hobby, freelancing in your field, tutoring kids, or picking up a gig such as rideshare driving or food delivery.

At the same time, invest in dividend-yielding stocks with a strong history of growth to create a passive income stream, which can supplement your earned income.

Diversifying income streams also reduces dependency on a single employer. That’s helpful if you get laid off from your 9-to-5 job and you don’t already have one or more side hustles or passive income streams in place. You might find yourself scrambling to find new work quickly to avoid burning through your emergency fund or drowning in credit card debt to cover your expenses.

5. Make Sure Your Financial Institution Is on Your Side

Using the right financial institution can be a big help during a recession. Find a bank or credit union with low fees, user-friendly tools, and good interest rates for savings accounts.

Another option is to switch to an online bank that offers higher interest rates (which many banks refer to as annual percentage yields, or APYs for short) and budgeting tools. Some tools to look for include real-time transaction and fraud alerts, automatic savings transfers, and responsive customer service.

Lastly, be sure to verify your deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). This is especially important during a recession.

The Bottom Line

There are multiple strategies you can use to protect yourself against a recession. By creating a manageable budget, you can empower yourself to create and grow an emergency fund, diversify your investment portfolio, and add income streams. It’s also important to find a financial institution that’s FDIC- or NCUA-insured. Small steps today can lead to greater stability in the long term.