DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My daughter and new son-in-law both work fulltime and haven’t started a family yet, although many of their friends who have been married for a few years have. They are talking about starting a family in the next year or two, but they seem to spend a lot of money on unnecessary or unnecessarily expensive things.

Both of them work hard, but neither of them works in a field that promises a big income, and they have admitted they have next to no savings. They also have said that when they do have a family, one of them will stay home to raise their children.

I worry that they are living in a financial fantasyland, and whenever I try to advise them to be more frugal, they say that they may as well spend while they have it, and then will deal with less income when the time comes.

Is this any way to prepare for a future together, and with a family? --- FRUGAL MOM

DEAR FRUGAL MOM: This may be one of those cases where all you can do is what you’ve already done, offer your suggestions. Now it’s time to step back and let them learn from their mistakes — or prove your worries wrong by managing well on their own.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Even though our state’s stay-at-home order was lifted weeks ago, my mother refuses to go anywhere besides the food store and the pharmacy. She won’t even come to our house to spend time with me, my wife, our baby, and our toddler. My wife and I are still working from home, so it isn’t like we’re exposed to many more people than she is when she does her grocery shopping.

I can tell the isolation has been getting to her, and I would have thought having the chance to get out and be with her grandkids would be something she’d jump at. What would you suggest that might tempt her out of her house? --- WORRIED ABOUT MY MOM

DEAR WORRIED ABOUT MY MOM: Given everything going on these days, it’s not surprising your mom is hesitant to leave what she may consider her only safe haven.

If she won’t come to your house, is she perhaps open to having you and your family stop by her place? With the warmer weather and longer days, maybe she’d be more tempted to do something along the lines of a backyard picnic, where safe distances would be easier to maintain; and if it helps further, you might offer for you and your wife to wear masks.

If she gets comfortable being around people she’s close to first, it might make it a little easier for her to begin venturing out to other familiar settings.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My boyfriend has a kid with his ex, so they have to meet up for custody swaps. Funny thing — well not so funny to me — is that every time we see her, his ex is either wearing nearly exactly what I had on the last time, or has done her hair, make-up, or nails how I usually do and she usually doesn’t.

I’ve known this woman since we worked together a few summers ago. She has completely different tastes and styles from me, yet now, she’s my “Mini-Me.”

I didn’t have an American Girl doll when I was a kid. Why should I have to have a living one now? --- REAL ME

DEAR REAL ME: Maybe the ex is hoping to replicate whatever it is you do that’s allowing you to succeed where she failed.

Saying something to her would only come off as catty, and since you’ve got the guy, you can afford to be magnanimous and let it go. If she doesn’t get a reaction from either you or your boyfriend, she may eventually tire of her imitation game.