DR. WALLACE: I'm female, 20 years old, and instead of going to college, I've opted to go into the workforce, and I have a decent job even though my pay scale at this point is not the greatest. I do like the job, my employers and my coworkers. I'm gaining valuable experience, and the management has told me that gradually I'm in line for some merit pay increases, and they are encouraging me to stick with the company.

That's all good and well, but I'm finding that every month as I get toward the last seven to 10 days of the month, I've got no budget left for any discretionary purchases or outings at all! I have to save money to pay for rent, food, transportation and so forth.

Many times, really fun outings or events get scheduled in the last week or 10 days of a month, and I have to make an excuse not to attend because I simply can't afford it. What can I do about this? And don't tell me to get a second job, because I'm already exhausted between my work schedule and my social life. — My Money's Gone Before the Month Ends, via email

MY MONEY'S GONE BEFORE THE MONTH ENDS: I understand about not pushing you toward a second job or a side gig at this point in your life, so the best advice I can give you regarding this specific issue is to be quite selective in the outings you do attend. Don't accept every invitation early in the month, especially if they're not special or don't involve a larger group of people you would like to interact with.

Proactively focus on sprinkling in some social time with your close friends to do things that don't cost you out-of-pocket money. This would include going on hikes, exercising, playing sports or listening to your favorite music together. Do these things with your closest group of friends more often in the early and middle parts of the month so that your "outings" are spread out more evenly throughout the month, and so that you find yourself attending the best outings, not simply every available outing. Doing this regularly should allow you to have some cash available for fun things that may come up late each month.

WHY DOES SHE FEEL THIS IS NECESSARY?

DR. WALLACE: I'm 19 and have a 28-year-old sister. We girls grew up together and have always been very close. This past week my sister came to visit me, and during our time together she told me she really wanted to get a facelift! I was stunned to hear this for two reasons. First, to me her face looks absolutely fine the way it is, and second, she's only 28, for goodness' sake!

For a brief while I thought perhaps she was kidding me, but the longer we talked, the more I realized she was completely serious. About halfway through our conversation, I told her I thought her face looked really good the way it is, and I asked her why she would need to change it. She replied, "This one's no good!" I was literally at a loss for words as to how to respond to that type of comment.

The rest of our get-together went fine, but I came away from our discussion quite shaken. Why in the world would my beautiful 28-year-old sister want to change her face at this point her life? — She's Fine as She Is, via email

SHE'S FINE AS SHE IS: I suspect her issues may be more internal than external. It could be that she's dealing with some sort of mental anguish for some reason, and she thinks that changing her outward appearance may solve all the dilemmas and issues in her life.

At times, changing one's outward appearance can lead to a confidence boost or a rise in self-esteem, but there is truly no shortcut to repair deeper issues in one's life, especially those that run much deeper than skin deep.

Speak to other family members, and solicit everyone's opinions and impressions of how your sister is doing and what she is going through at this stage of her life. There is likely a lot more going on with her below the surface than you or anyone else presently realizes. Hopefully a combination of those who love and care about your sister can help her to address anything that may help her at this present juncture she finds herself at in her life.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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