Financial Advice from Personal Finance Guru

Managing your finances during a thriving economy can be difficult, but doing so during a time of market volatility can be downright scary. To help you maintain your financial confidence during this uneasy time, we asked personal finance guru Suze Orman to share some of her 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 change our financial 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 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 income to your household based on the amount of time you wish to commit. Similarly, consider setting up shop in your home and selling your used and unwanted items. Online auction sites like eBay (www.ebay.com) make this easy, convenient and cost efficient."  (NAPSA)

For more tips and tools on managing your personal finances, visit www.suzeorman.com.

Higher costs of almost everything are here to stay. So now is the time to spend less and earn more.