DR. WALLACE: I'm a senior in high school and have been driving an old car for the last two years. I want to trade it in for a brand-new car, even though that will definitely put a dent in my budget this summer and next fall when I start college.

My existing car has provided me quite reliable transportation, but it's absolutely nothing to look at. It's already 12 years old, and although it's not embarrassing, it's bland and unremarkable.

I love the idea of how I would look in a fresh, sparkling car around my college campus next fall. I'm getting some advice to go for it, but other people are telling me to hold onto my old car. What do you think? — Ready for New Wheels, via email

READY FOR NEW WHEELS: There's a time and a place to make major expenditures, and in my opinion, this is not the time for you. Why not save and invest the money that would have been spent on a new car so that you can build up a nest egg for your future?

Plan to work hard in college, earn your degree and once you land in the career you're seeking, it might then be a much more appropriate time to splurge a bit on personal comforts such as a new automobile. Life can throw many surprises at us at a moment's notice, so I feel you'd be better served saving and investing your capital at this time.

I FEEL MY CHOICE IS DOWN TO FITNESS OR FRIENDS

DR. WALLACE: I have a very busy life, and lately I've realized that I only have time for either fitness, which means sticking to my strict workout schedule, or friends, since I love to socialize and get so much enjoyment out of hanging out with them.

The rest of the time in my life right now I'm either working or studying very intensely, so I feel like my decision has come down to one or the other: spend time on fitness or friends. — Torn, via email

TORN: These two areas of life don't necessarily have to be mutually exclusive. Yes, you can favor one over the other for most of your limited free time, but do your best to see if you can combine the two at least occasionally.

Would some of your friends be open to working out with you once in a while? Or taking a rigorous hike, run or power walk? Think along these lines, and there may be at least a few opportunities to blend the two activities together. Your life and time is yours to do with as you choose. But as you plan, think more in terms of where overlap might be possible. Also, spend times of day doing one or the other activity when the opposite one does not fit as well. For example, you may wish to work out very early in the morning and squeeze in a bit of socialization late in the day when you would not be working out anyhow — of course, as your other life obligations allow.

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.

Photo credit: Olav Tvedt at Unsplash