Given that bear markets are inevitable, it makes sense to stop fearing them and start trying to figure out ways to use them. A first and important step along that path is creating a short list of stocks you'd like to own if only they were cheaper -- something that might just happen in a market pullback.

Three names you might want on your list are Procter & Gamble (PG -0.29%), Nucor (NUE 0.16%), and Texas Instruments (TXN 1.10%).

1. Selling you what you need

Consumer-staples giant Procter & Gamble doesn't go on sale very often. It owns iconic brands like Bounty, Tide, and Gillette, among many others.

These are the type of products that you use on a regular basis, regardless of what's going on in the world. This is part of the allure of the stock, which is often viewed as a defensive investment. But when Wall Street gets really negative, even the baby tends to go out with the bathwater.

One of the biggest attractions here is the company's status as a Dividend King, with over six decades of annual dividend increases. It also has a rock-solid balance sheet, with an investment-rate grading and a debt-to-equity ratio of around 0.75.

Basically, this company is built to withstand hard times. The 2.4% dividend yield is roughly middle of the road, historically speaking, so it doesn't look like Procter & Gamble is expensive. But it isn't really cheap, either. If there's a deeper pullback, though, you might want to jump aboard.

2. Diversification and scale

Nucor is the largest steel maker in North America, which sounds like it has a fairly concentrated business. While that's true to some degree, it happens to make a broader range of steel and steel products than any of its peers. So within the industry, it will likely be relatively attractive to even conservative investors.

It's also vertically integrated, with scrap iron operations, steel making, and a specialty products division. And it has a unique, profit-sharing model where its employees are paid more during the good times and less when times are tough, giving Nucor a break on the salary line, just when it needs it. 

Nucor's dividend yield is 1.3%, which is at the low end of its historical range. This suggests that the stock is fairly expensive right now.

The thing is, steel is a highly cyclical industry, so the business will eventually face hard times. When that happens, the stock should fall and potentially open up a buying opportunity for long-term investors.

Here's the key. Nucor has increased its dividend annually for around 50 years, despite the volatile nature of the steel industry. It's built to handle the hard times, with management specifically looking to invest through the business cycle so it exits rough patches more strongly than when it enters them.

If all that sounds like a winning strategy to you, put this name on your wish list.

3. On sale today

Texas Instruments operates in the cyclical microchip industry, which is in the midst of a downturn today. Its dividend yield is 2.7% -- toward the high side of its historical range. It's a stock that you might actually want to jump into right now.

There are a number of interesting things here. For starters, it has increased its dividend yearly for around two decades, with an annualized dividend increase of roughly 20% over the past decade. That makes this a very attractive dividend growth stock.

As for the business itself, Texas Instruments makes relatively simple chips. They go into a huge number of products and are fairly interchangeable, so there's no single customer (it supports over 100,000 customers) or product that is make or break for the company.

Notably, management is investing $3.5 billion a year through 2025 to make sure that it comes out of the current industry malaise a better company. If you can think like a contrarian, Texas Instruments is a name you'll want to look at today.

Be prepared

The problem with bear markets is that they're an emotional shock, but they're a normal part of investing. If you prepare in advance, you'll be ready to take advantage of the cheap prices that can show up when downturns arrive.

Right now, tech-giant Texas Instruments looks like it's worth adding to your portfolio if you appreciate dividend-growth stocks. Procter & Gamble seems fairly priced, but indiscriminate selling could easily lead it to be cheap again. Nucor seems fairly expensive right now, but given its cyclical business, you'll likely get a chance to jump aboard this industry-leading name if you're patient.