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It might sound cliche, but it's ever so important to be prepared for the unexpected.

I live and breathe on my computer. I use it for work, play and everything in between, but I'm really bad about backing up the system. And I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Last week, I finally got my act together and backed up my laptop. It wasn't that hard and it didn't take that long, but it could be a lifesaver should something ever happen to my computer.

As Ben Franklin said, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

(In case you don't get it, Bartleby.com puts it into simpler words: A little precaution before a crisis occurs is preferable to a lot of fixing up afterward.)

With that in mind, are you financially prepared for the unexpected? CNBC.com serves up Ten Ways to Save For the Unexpected.

1) Skip the "extras."
2) Cut back the money you keep in your no-interest checking account and put it in a money market account or high-interest savings account.
3) Treat the emergency savings like a bill.
4) Or if you do your banking online, have a set amount of money directly deposited from your paycheck every month into your high-interest savings account to cover that emergency fund "bill."
5) Once you've paid off a credit card bill or other debt, continue making those "payments" into your emergency fund.
6) Stop using your credit cards
7) Limit your access to your emergency fund.
Boost your savings with a bonus.
9) Make it a family affair.
10) Once you've reached your savings goal, review it.

While those ten items probably could have been condensed into 3 or 4, the point is the same: build up an emergency fund as one of your first savings priorities.

Advice varies on the length of an emergency fund, ranging between 2 months to 6 months of living expenses. Each case will vary, and you know your spending habits and debts better than I do, so adjust accordingly.

You never know what tomorrow will bring. If it's a financial problem, the last thing you want to do is put it all on plastic. Then you'll just be hurting more in the end.