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Hope for the best, plan for the worst

Whether it's preparing for a hurricane, building up an emergency savings account, or simply taking extra precautions when walking or driving late at night, you should hope for the best and plan for the worst.

There's absolutely no harm in overpreparing -- being proactive so as to help prevent any unfavorable consequences in a given situation. As I once heard in a movie, the best defense is a good offense. It's better to be safe than sorry.

I understand that if you play it too safe all the time, life can become rather dull and regimented.

The key, as I've noted in countless posts, is to strike a healthy balance between fun and prudence.

Go where the road takes you, but don't do it with a beer in hand and a dead cell phone. If you've drank, always be sure to have a designated driver. Don't wander the streets at night alone -- take someone with you or let others know where you're going.

Indulge yourself every so often at the store, but only if you have the means to do so. Do not run up your credit card bills and buy what you can't afford.

We can enjoy life and live responsibly at the same time as long as we have safeguards in place that prevent us from making decisions we'll later come to regret.

It's better to plan too much than plan too little. The best-case scenario is when you don't need to resort to such contingency plans. But it's important to always have them available.

Life is unpredictable, and you don't want to be ill-prepared to handle the sudden curveballs life throws at you.

Let's be honest, though: It is impossible to be fully prepared for any and all situations we confront in life. After all, there's always a first time for everything, right?

However, by learning from others' experiences  -- friends, family, and the like -- and at least being cognizant of the potential consequences of our actions (and that includes not taking any action whatsoever), we're less likely to be caught blindsided.

Enjoy the ride, but use common sense and don't neglect to consider any possible bumps in the road.

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