Like most people, I'm worried about what's going on with the economy. I hear terms like "credit crunch", "economic downturn", "depression", "global economic fears" and I can help but wonder what's going to happen.

For a fortunate few, the credit crunch isn't a big deal. For the rest of us, it's going to have a noticeable impact on our lives and our bank balances. Rising fuel costs, higher food prices and the lack of available credit will become more and more apparent as time passes. Some are already seeing the impact of these issues.

Whilst this is a lot to take in and think about, it's always worth focusing on the way that your career can help you ride through the rough patches. Here are some ways that your career is going to come in handy as the world enters into unknown economic territory.

Let's start with the obvious...

1. Planning and regularity

Most careers will pay you monthly, fortnightly or perhaps weekly. It's regular; it's consistent (most months) and it's predictable. But you know this already, right?! Well let's focus on the words consistency and predictable. In a credit crunch, these are the kind of words you want to hear. A regular salary means that you can plan into the immediate future. You can budget more accurately and you can be clear about what you can sacrifice if you need to make an extra house payment or your food bill increases. Using a budget you can prioritise and then if things get tight you know where to look to find the extra cash.

Of course, this assumes that you're on a salary of some description. But even those of us who work on a bonus structure, for example, can put in place some form of planning. Look at your last 6 months worth of pay slips and use them to put in place a loose plan. I'd also suggested being conservative when you plan so that you don't over-commit yourself. Plan for the worst and hope for the best, as they say. Budgets can still be made even without a set pay structure and they are well worth the hassle.

2. Credit record

Your credit record is the key to a lot of things, so it's worth keeping a handle on how your record is looking. Using the budget you've set above you can plan to ensure you meet the most crucial of payments: your mortgage, loans and credit cards fall into this category. If you don't pay these your credit record is going to be affected.

As the economic climate goes south, credit is going to be harder to get and everyone is going to tightening their belts. By maintaining a good credit record - you'll stand a good chance of being able to access some credit when you really need it.

3. Buying in bulk

As mentioned earlier, food prices seem to be on the rise. This includes the basics such as bread, milk, dairy, meat and rice amongst most other things. If you have a family you will probably notice the increase in the weekly food bill. Even single households will probably see a rise.

Now, more than ever, buying in bulk is looking like the most cost effective option. Stocking up your freezer with bread, veggies, meat and other goodies can help you save a lot of money. Use your salary or bonus payment to buy a large amount of food so that you save money and can plan the month's (or fortnight) meals effectively. You may even want to team up with your neighbour or street to buy in bulk and save even more money. I've heard some amazing stories about communities of people getting together to buy in large quantities once a month and save a lot of money. With your combined salaries - there's a lot of saving to be had.

4. Bonus benefits

Looking at my own budget last night - I couldn't get over how much I was spending on transport to and from work. The unfortunate fact is that transport in London is very expensive so it has always seemed like a necessary evil. But now that things are getting tight, even transport needs to be seen as a potential cost saving.

My solution - buy a bike. The UK government offers incentives to employers who encourage employees to buy bikes. This is not only a great way to help the environment but also saves money. Your employer can help you save money when buying a bike or bike accessories. Have a chat with your boss and tell him that it's good for environment, good for your health (making you a better worker) and doesn't cost the business a thing (except a few hours of paperwork).

Even if your boss says no, you can pick up a cheap bike for next to nothing these days and the savings will make it worth the effort.

I've been looking at the latest mountain bikes all day...

Some of these points may not apply to you as they are largely written with the salaried worker in mind - but I hope there are one or tips you can take away from the article in any case. I also hope these tips give you something positive to think about as the newspapers spread nothing but doom and gloom on the economic "crisis" facing the world.

Whilst I won't speculate what's going to happen over the next few years, I will say that you can help makes things a little easier with some planning and clever use of your job.