DEAR ABBY: I have a very dear, older friend who has one bad habit. No matter what the situation, she always asks me the price of everything I buy. She demands to know the cost of any improvements I make to my home.
It seems she puts a price tag on everything.
A member of her family is quite wealthy, and she never hesitates to tell everyone what they spend on everything. I don't have a lot of money and what I do with it, I think, is my personal business. I have tried the old retort, "Why would you be interested?" but it doesn't seem to work. I don't want to be rude, but can you give me a good comeback that might squelch this nasty habit? -- MIFFED IN MECHANICSVILLE, VA.
DEAR MIFFED: What's wrong with this direct response: "That's a very personal question that I prefer not to answer." Smile when you say it, and if you repeat it often enough, let's hope she'll get the message and quit asking.