When talks of a coming recession start (many will not initially agree about its coming) it will be best for you to start checking on your lifestyle and the money that you use for it. Simply put, you will do well to start seeing to it that you do not over spend on what income you are making. Stay in the blue always, so to speak.
It will be time also to do some recollections of the previous recessions that we went through. You will perhaps remember that the first industries to suffer in those recessions were the airline, travel, retail and service industry, which catered to the "non-essentials", as compared to food manufacturing and the more basic industries without which man cannot survive. Maybe it can be said that among the last things man will stop doing is eating - but he can always stop traveling or doing other activities which he can very well forego when times are bad.
Thus it will be good for you to do some thinking if your job now is in any of those industries that will be first affected in a recession. Maybe you should shift careers to the industries that are more stable in the sense that they will be the least affected when the economy is down. When you are working with a travel agency, remember that it could be among the first to close down in a recession, as compared to a company engaged in the manufacture of food items.
Many invested their life's savings in the stock market which is one measure whether the economy is up or down. When a recession hits, stock prices usually go down, but this should not be reason to panic. As sure as it went down, a stock will go up again in price when the economy improves. So, do not sell your stock holdings especially if you sell at a losing price. Just wait for the turnaround which will come anyway in due time. In fact if you still have some extra money during a recession consider buying more stocks, because they will be at rock bottom prices then - you stand to profit a lot when the prices are up again. That will be the time to sell.
You might be using one of those SUVs which consume so much gas. If you can afford it, shift to one of those new hybrid cars which are covered by tax breaks now. This move will save you some money too. Look also into your utility bills which you pay monthly - consider changing the companies that provide these services to ones who offer the same at cheaper prices.