Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below.

Best-selling personal finance author and TV personality Suze Orman has been inspiring Americans to make better money moves and avoid serious financial mistakes for decades.

With the affordability crisis stretching household budgets and everyday essentials taking a bigger bite out of paychecks, it’s worth revisiting some of her biggest red flags when it comes to managing your money.

Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how

Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake — here’s what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP

Vanguard reveals what could be coming for U.S. stocks, and it’s raising alarm bells for retirees. Here’s why and how to protect yourself

"Please be extra strong right now, and scour your spending to find ways you can reduce your costs," she once wrote in a post for Money Monday with Suze Orman (1).

Here’s why her advice still applies now — plus some of her no-nonsense tips for how to manage your money through hard times.

"You are peeing $1 million down the drain as you are drinking that coffee," Orman once told CNBC (causing coffee drinkers across America to do a spit take). (2)

"Every single penny counts when you're saving for your future."

And there are much better ways to optimize those seemingly trivial coins. For example, rather than sliding your spare change over to a barista every day, invest it using an app called Acorns.

Once you’ve linked the Acorns app to your bank account, it will automatically round up every purchase you make to the nearest dollar and invest those extra cents in a diversified portfolio tailored to your financial goals.

This way, you can turn your $4.25 morning coffee into a $0.75 investment opportunity. While it might not seem like much, just $30 worth of weekly round-ups over 20 years can add up to $93,660 — assuming it compounds at 10% annually (3).

Sign up now, and you can receive a $20 bonus investment.

If you don’t track your spending, your money can slip through the cracks. A clear view of your cash flow helps you cut back, build savings and prepare for emergencies with less stress.

Sometimes it’s as simple as a subscription you forgot about. Leave it running, and it could cost you hundreds of dollars over the course of a year.

“When was the last time you reviewed all the subscriptions that automatically charge you every month or year? This business model is in fact hoping you aren’t paying attention,” Orman wrote in a blog post, adding even $10-$15 per month “adds up.” (4)

An app like Rocket Money can easily flag recurring subscriptions, upcoming bills and unusual charges by pulling in transactions from all your linked accounts.

This can help you cut unnecessary costs, and then you can manually redirect savings straight into your retirement fund. No spreadsheets, no guesswork, no stress. Small habits like this can make a big difference over time.

Rocket Money’s intuitive app offers a variety of free and premium tools. Free features include subscription tracking, bill reminders and budgeting basics, while premium features — like automated savings, net worth tracking, customizable dashboards, and more — make it easier to stay on top of your retirement contributions and overall financial goals.

As part of her focus on financial health for October 2024, Suze reminded blog readers that this is a great time of year to review your benefits and insurance policies.

Having solid insurance coverage is of the utmost importance, but many drivers simply tack their insurance policy onto their home coverage without shopping around.

According to data from Bankrate, the national average cost for car insurance as of February 2026 is $2,697 per year (5). However, by spending just a few minutes shopping around for rates online, you can potentially reduce your yearly car insurance costs by hundreds of dollars.

“The reality is that car insurance is now so expensive it has shifted from one of those costs you just swallow hard as a necessary household expense, to a big budget hit that deserves your strategic attention on how to (safely) minimize your costs,” Orman claimed in her blog (6).

Luckily, OfficialCarInsurance.com can help you compare rates for free.

Just answer a few quick questions and the platform will sort through leading insurance companies in your area, including top providers like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO, ensuring you find the lowest rate possible.

“If you’re getting a tax refund, something is radically wrong,” Orman told Yahoo! Finance in 2021 (7).

More recently, Suze urged listeners to “make a date with their money” in October 2024 (8). Why? Because you've got to take a close look at optimizing your gains and losses on a yearly basis. When you get a tax return, it means you have effectively given the government an interest-free loan.

That being said, it is possible to use your return wisely as part of your wealth-building plan.

"There is no smarter move than working on your emergency savings account if you’ve yet to accumulate up to a year’s worth of living expenses," Suze Orman wrote on her blog in March 2023 (9). And a tax refund can be your kick-off point for doing just that.

If you’re looking to follow Orman’s advice and start an emergency savings account, consider finding an account with a high interest rate so that you can save even more.

With a Wealthfront Cash Account, you could earn up to 3.95% APY on your uninvested cash for your first three months (0.65% APY boost on top of the 3.35% base variable APY) provided by program banks. That’s over ten times the national deposit savings rate, according to the FDIC’s January report.

With no minimum balances or account fees, as well as 24/7 withdrawals and free domestic wire transfers, you can ensure your funds remain accessible at all times. Plus, Wealthfront Cash Account balances of up to $8 million are insured by the FDIC through program banks.

Read More: Approaching retirement with no savings? Don’t panic, you're not alone. Here are 6 easy ways you can catch up (and fast)

We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.

Suze Orman Blogs (1), (4) (6), (8), (9), (10); CNBC (2); Acorns Calculator (3); Bankrate (5); Yahoo Finance (7)

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.