DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I’ve worked at a few different companies since I started in sales fulltime. Every other place I’ve been at has paid for business cards and at least some promotional items, like posters and flyers for public events I’m assigned to run.

Where I work now is different. They don’t pick up the cost for any of those things. Instead, sales staff gets a set salary, based on seniority, with a fairly small commission, dependent on companywide quarterly earnings, which wouldn’t be that bad if they also didn’t expect us to pay for items that help their bottom line.

I know I’m not the only one upset by this practice, and I can’t afford to leave the job this soon after starting it. Do you think this is any way to run a company? --- DON’T HAVE DEEP POCKETS

DEAR DON’T HAVE DEEP POCKETS: It may be that your new company is still operating in a business-not-as-usual mode if their bottom line has been compromised over the past year or so.

I would have guessed this non-reimbursable out-of-pocket expectation would have come up during your interview, but if it’s part of the job, it’s something you either have to live with or walk away from. As it sounds like you’re locked into the current job for a while, you could check into what, if any, of your layouts may be tax deductible to help take some of the bite out of the situation. And learn from this experience by remembering to include the “who provides what” conversation before taking any future jobs.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My sister was with her latest ex-boyfriend for only a couple months. They never seemed a good fit, and nobody was surprised when they split. She has since found someone who she seems much happier with.

During the short time they were together, I sometimes hung out with my sister and her ex. There seemed to be a little something there between him and me, although it was more joking around than flirty.

A few days ago I got a text from the guy asking if I wanted to go on a hike with him, which is something he enjoys, and my sister doesn’t. He knows I also like being outdoors, and we sometimes talked about taking on a local trail or two at some point.

The thing is, I am not 100 percent sure if this is his making a romantic or a friendship move. I also don’t know how my sister will take his reaching out to me, even though they were not a good fit and wouldn’t have lasted much longer anyway.

Do I run this by my sister before I accept his offer? I also don’t want to be misreading anything, especially if it makes problems with my sister. I like this guy, but I love my sister. --- TO TELL OR NOT TO TELL

DEAR TO TELL OR NOT TO TELL: To me, it seems the better option is to let your sister know her ex has been in touch with you. You can’t really be much more specific than that since you yourself aren’t sure if he’s looking for a hiking companion or a new girlfriend.

Hopefully, as your sister’s moved on, she’ll have no problems with her ex doing the same, if that’s indeed what he’s also working on. If romance isn’t what he’s after with you, then at least you acquire a buddy with whom you can share some outdoor adventures.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My roommate is probably the most beautiful woman I know. She is also smart. But when she gets around men, she becomes something entirely different, it’s like she feels she has to be someone she isn’t to impress them. And it seems to work. The guys fall for who they think she is, and although she doesn’t ever seem to fall for them, she seems to enjoy the effect she has on them. I find it weird and a little disturbing, like I don’t always know her.

I really respect the woman I know, but wonder if I should say anything to her about how her alter ego comes off. Do you think it would be a good thing to do? --- TWO ROOMMATES IN ONE

DEAR TWO ROOMMATES IN ONE: Two possibilities come to mind that might explain your roommate’s quick-change mode. Either she isn’t as confident as you think she is, and so slips into a persona she believes is more generally pleasing to men; or she enjoys toying with the guys she intentionally dazzles.

A third thought is that she uses her alter ego, as you call it, as a kind of litmus test to see what guys fall for the fake and which ones don’t.

To avoid coming off as judgmental, which your feelings about her behavior may appear, any private conversations with her on the subject might be best presented as an exploration of her motives, rather than an observation of what you think she’s doing wrong. However, my guess is she’ll continue to do what works best for her, especially if it’s yielded desired results in the past.