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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, January 26, 1992                   TAG: 9201270198
SECTION: NEW RIVER VALLEY ECONOMY                    PAGE: 39   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: Judy Schwab
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                LENGTH: Short

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JEWELRY SALESWOMAN RESISTS SHOPPING URGE

Agnes Woodyard, 19, has nerves of steel when it comes to shopping.

She works at the New River Valley Mall and loves to shop, yet has no credit card debts. This young woman has a good grasp on her own purse strings and is holding her own in this economy.

She has worked at Henebry's, a jewelry store at the mall, for eight months. She also is attending New River Community College as a business major.

Henebry's pays her a salary plus a sales commission, and provides health care benefits. The store also gives her an discount, but she bought no jewelry for Christmas.

She just sold one 14-karat gold chain and matching bracelet set after another at $99.95 a pop and took her paycheck directly to the bank, as she always does.

Unlike many of her customers, who financed their Christmas jewelry presents, Woodyard uses one credit card, although she has lots of them. She pays that one off every month.

But she carries all her credit cards and shops a lot, she said.

"You look and then you go back," she said of her disciplined shopping habits. Woodyard said she learned her no-nonsense economic habits from her parents, with whom she lives while working full time and going to school.

She pays no rent, but she does have car payments and insurance and half her college costs.

"Personally, it's [the recession] not affecting me. It's a matter of managing your money," she said.

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