When we find ourselves in times of financial hardship, it can overwhelm so many aspects of our life. Maybe you have debt that you’re trying to pay off, or your income has changed and you’re trying to make ends meet.

Savings is the foundation for investing. You cannot invest money if you have not saved it first. Like dieting, saving money is hard to start, even harder to maintain, and requires patience and discipline. When you achieve your financial goals, however, the results are so worth it.

April is National Financial Capability Month, when the Financial Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC) and the Ready Campaign encourage people to improve their financial futures and to be prepared when disaster strikes. Here are three actions you can take now to make sure you are ready for any financial disaster, big or small.

Did you know you’re more likely to save a windfall than a small amount consistently over time? Hack that psychology by saving your bonuses, raises, and tax refunds.

My parents were hard-working first-generation Americans who were born during the Depression. My mother was a nurse and my father a businessman, and they were loving and supportive parents, but they were extremely frugal with money. “You’re only as rich as the money you have in the bank,” my mother used to say. “If you save nothing, you have nothing.” When we were young, my brother, three sisters and I were expected to work, and save half of everything we earned.