Financial Advice from Personal Finance Guru Suze Orman (NAPSA)—Managingyourfi- nances during a thriving economy can be difficult, but doing so during a time of marketvolatility can be downright scary. To help you maintain your financial confi- dence during this uneasy time, we asked personal finance guru Suze Ormanto share someofher useful tips and advice. Don’t Fool Yourself: When times are rough, we tend to think it will be okay sooner than later and that we do not need to personally changeourfinancial habits. I wish that were true, but I don’t want you to fool yourselves. High gasoline prices are here to stay. Higher food prices are here to stay. Higher costs of almost everything are here to stay. So now is the time to spend less and earn more. Spend Less: You can’t control the price of gas, but you have many ways to lower your car insurance premium—often by as much as a few hundred dollars. The rules vary with each insurer, but if you can reduce your mileage significantly you may be able to reduce your premium cost by 5 to 10 percent or more. That extra money in your wallet should help ease the pain of pulling up to the pump. Increase Income:Believe it or not, there are ways to supplement Photo: Mare Royce Higher costs of almost everything are here to stay. So now is the time to spend less and earn more. your income. Think about taking on a side job that allows you to work on your own terms. For example, direct selling opportunities, such as Avon (www.avon.com), which requires a nominal $10 start-up fee, can bring additional incometo your household based on the amount of time you wish to commit. Similarly, consider setting up shop in your homeand selling your used and unwanted items. Online auction sites like eBay (www.ebay.com) makethis easy, convenient and costefficient.” For more tips and tools on managing your personalfinances, visit www.suzeorman.com.
