DEAR ABBY: How do I keep my frugal friend from meddling? I enjoy her friendship, but our lives are not the same. I married a well-to-do man, and I haven't had to work, although I'm still careful about what I spend, and I try to find bargains on food, clothing, kids' items and travel. My friend is single and she's always finding ways to cut corners. What she doesn't realize is that her advice becomes unwanted after a while.
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An example: We went grocery shopping and, when I tried to buy a turkey, she went on and on about how much money I could save by catching the sale at the next store. If I mention that my husband and I are going out to dinner, she insists on telling me how much money I could save if I cooked more often at home. It is endless. I have told her in so many words I don't need advice about money and, while I admire her thriftiness, I do just fine by myself. I try to steer the conversations away from these subjects, but it's hard to give her the details of what I do without getting some retort that her way is better. I rarely ask for her advice; she just gives it. What can I say that won't end our friendship yet will get the point across? -- TIRED OF CLIPPING COUPONS IN OHIO
DEAR TIRED: The answer to your question may have more to do with what you don't say than what you do. If you have already told your friend that you are managing well and living within your means, from now on stop telling her all the details of your life that have to do with shopping, travel and entertainment outside of what you do together. If that doesn't work, then you may have to use the direct approach and explain that what she's doing, although it's well-intentioned, bothers you and it has to stop.