DEAR ABBY: I love my brother, but my sister-in-law, "Daisy," drives me crazy. Luckily, they live in another state.
I want to see my brother, but getting together always involves his wife. When they travel to see us, they stay for about a week. All Daisy wants to do when they are here is shop. My husband and brother have no interest in going, so it's just the two of us.
My problem is, whatever I buy, she buys the same thing. Or, if she sees me wear something she likes, she looks for the same thing to buy. She thinks it's OK because they live in a different state. Daisy does this with her other sister-in-law, too, and they live in the same city. We're both fed up. What should we do? -- COPIED IN FLORIDA
DEAR COPIED: It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Daisy may be insecure about her own fashion choices, which is why she copies yours. Because this bothers you to the degree that it does, the direct way to deal with it would be to tell Daisy it makes you feel encroached upon. Either that or, when you take her shopping, tell her you are going along only to keep her company while SHE shops, and keep your wallet in your purse.