DEAR HARRIETTE: Every chance he gets, my boyfriend says, "I don’t have any money." He works in the fitness community, whereas I am employed in a corporate setting; I earn significantly more than him, but he has a more robust savings account.

Despite my higher income, I also have more responsibilities within my family, so I tend to spend more money. Occasionally, when my boyfriend sees me purchasing necessary items, I feel gaslighted when he mentions his own needs. Being the oldest in my family, I naturally grew up with a provider mindset, and I feel responsible for my boyfriend’s needs. I acknowledge that this may be an internal issue on my part. My question is, do you think I am being taken advantage of in this situation? -- Shared Responsibilities

DEAR SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES: Just because you earn more money does not mean that your boyfriend should expect for you to pay his bills. What the two of you need to do is talk about your relationship, including your finances. Think about your expectations of a partner in a relationship. What do you hope for in terms of what your partner will handle financially? Ask the same of him. Yes, you earn more money; that does not automatically mean that you should pay for more of the shared costs associated with your relationship.

Pause for a moment and assess the situation. Some relationships remain financially uneven. That can be fine if the two partners have an agreement about how resources will be managed. What level of commitment do you two have? Does this feel like a permanent relationship -- marriage or otherwise? If so, what level of financial contribution are you willing to accept from your partner? What are you willing to contribute?

Talk it out and make decisions based on what you can live with comfortably. Otherwise, each of you could end up silently seething in the corner while secretly wishing the other were handling the situation differently.

DEAR HARRIETTE: Is it normal to feel disconnected from your closest friend after college ends? “Sterie,” my best friend in college, was one of the closest friends I had. We were practically joined at the hip throughout those years, and our instructors jokingly referred to us as twins. Both of us had participated in pageants in high school and enjoyed volleyball. We related to each other more than anyone else. While she and I both tend to be picky about friends, we instantly clicked, and I even spent three months at her house during my internship because it was near her place. After college, we went our separate ways, and communicating with her on social media started to feel awkward. Is this a common experience for friends at this point in life? -- University Friends

DEAR UNIVERSITY FRIENDS: Some friends last a lifetime; others do not. It can also be true that friendships change over time. Both of you are busy right now with your lives. Perhaps your closeness has waned, but it may rekindle as time goes on. If you want to remain friends with her, tell her. Then schedule time to reach out, even if it’s brief. At least you will keep a connection. When circumstances change, perhaps your bond will become strong again. Yes, this is common. You are not alone.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: Planning to tell my girlfriend about me being gay feels like stepping into an emotional unknown. We met through a mutual friend two years ago, and I was drawn to her beauty from the beginning. In our year together, she doesn't know about my past with guys. Lately, I've been feeling more attracted to men again, and even though I appreciate our genuine bond, my feelings for her have become more platonic. I would like to keep her in my life, but not in a way she is used to. How do I explain this to her when I'm still figuring it out myself? -- Sexually Confused

DEAR SEXUALLY CONFUSED: It’s too bad that you weren’t upfront with your girlfriend about your sexual history before you two became intimate, but here you are. Though this will likely be an uncomfortable conversation, it is necessary -- especially if you are considering becoming sexually intimate with a man now or while you are with her. This would be true, by the way, if you decided you wanted to be sexually intimate with another woman, provided the two of you hadn’t already set boundaries on your relationship that allowed for multiple partners.

Be honorable in this situation. Let your girlfriend know that your feelings for her are real, but that you have discovered that your interest in men has not waned. As you are figuring out your life, you wanted to be honest with her. Moreover, it sounds like you would prefer not to be her intimate partner anymore. Explore whether you two can be friends now, or perhaps you will need to give her space and possibly rekindle your friendship in the future. The way you handle this can make space for the two of you to maintain a bond, even if it is not right away.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I asked my friend to make me a crocheted laptop bag. We agreed on a price for labor and materials. She has now finished the item, and all my money has been budgeted. I thought it would be finished later, but it was completed earlier than expected. I initially intended to give her a tip or something extra, especially since she included another freebie item, but due to my tight budget, I cannot afford to do so. Is it OK not to give a tip to a friend? I hope I did not come across as rude or unappreciative. -- Friend' Fee

DEAR FRIEND’S FEE: To my knowledge, it is not common for one to add a tip to a negotiated price for goods. There is no reason for you to feel unappreciative or inadequate if you have the funds to pay the price you agreed to pay. What you can do is spread the word. Tell others about your friend’s handiwork. Encourage them to hire her to make something special for them. However, don’t tell them the price you were given. Instead, direct them to her. She may have given you a special discount and will offer a different price to others. Let her handle that.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’m 29 years old, and I’ve been dating my boyfriend for a few years now. We have a great relationship; however, his work-life balance has been an issue. My boyfriend works long hours and is often preoccupied with his job, even during our personal time together. While I understand that his career is important and allows him to provide for us financially, I’m worried about the future. I’ve always envisioned getting married and having children, and I want to start a family soon. Given his current work habits, will he be able to be present in our children’s lives or be an active partner in raising them?

I’ve tried to bring this up with him a few times, but the conversations haven’t led to any meaningful changes. I love him and appreciate all that he does for us, but I also need a partner who will be there for our family in more than just a financial capacity. I’m struggling to decide whether I should continue to hope for change, or if it’s time to move on and find someone whose lifestyle aligns more closely with my own aspirations for family life. -- Will He Change?

DEAR WILL HE CHANGE?: Talk to your partner frankly. Ask him if he wants a family, and if he will be willing to adjust his schedule once you have children. Tell him you are worried that he will be an absent father, and that’s a deal-breaker for you. Listen and observe. His words and actions will tell you.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My 13-year-old daughter struggles with her social life. She’s a bright, kind-hearted girl, but lately she’s been having a hard time feeling included in her friend group. Recently, she came home extremely upset because one of her close friends had a birthday party and didn’t invite her. When my daughter asked her friend why she wasn’t invited, the friend explained that her mom had told her she could invite only five people to the party to keep the numbers even. This isn’t the first time she has been left out when her friend group has gotten together outside of school hours. These incidents have really affected her confidence, and she’s been feeling down as a result. As a parent, it’s heartbreaking to see your child struggle with friendships and feel left out. I want to support her and help her, but I’m not sure what the best approach is. Should I encourage her to talk to her friend about how she feels? Should I reach out to the friend’s mother to understand more about the situation? What can I do to boost her self-esteem during this challenging time? I want my daughter to have a happy childhood and not have to struggle so hard to fit in. -- Teenage Woes

DEAR TEENAGE WOES: Your daughter needs to pivot away from those friends and create a new friend group. Clearly, these friends do not care for her the way she deserves. She could speak to her friend and tell her how she feels before walking away. You could speak to the mom, but my guess is that the girl used her mom as an excuse to exclude your daughter.

When my friend group turned on me at her age, my mother told me to walk away, lick my wounds and set a new course for myself. I did that. It hurt to lose my friends, but I realized they weren’t really friends anyway because none of them tried to win me back.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)