Don't use Hotmail for personal.. use. Get an account with a lesser-known email provider. Keep your Hotmail addy for when you're asked to provide an email address when signing up for things. Never provide your personal address in user profiles, on message boards, websites or mailing lists.
or..
If you have POP mail, find a free email provider that allows messages to be forwarded to another account. Only give out the forwarding address, give your friends and the people you communicate with your real address. That way if the spam builds up you can create a new forwarding account.