Dear Queenie,

  A friend and I have been talking about buying a house together to save money on rent.

  Queenie, do you think this is a good idea?—Retired woman

Dear Retired woman,

  Before taking such a drastic step, why not rent a house and live together for a while? It would give you a chance to see how well you get along in close quarters without committing you to anything more permanent.

  Meanwhile, you both should consult separate attorneys to learn about the legal aspects of your plan, such as the effects on your heirs if (when) one of you should die while you are living together.

Dear Queenie,

  Since my son got married I have hardly ever heard from him and his wife, although they are very close to her family. Now they are expecting their first child, my first grandchild, and they haven’t included me in anything to do with all that, like baby showers or setting up a room for the baby.

  Queenie, I’m afraid I will never get to know my grandchild. Is there anything I can do about all this?—Worried grandmother-to-be

Dear Grandmother-to-be,

  Talk to your son about all this. It could be that he tries to avoid arguing with his wife, especially while she is pregnant. Hopefully, things will get better after the baby is born.

Dear Queenie,

  I have just figured out that the man I’ve been dating for a couple of years has been stealing money from me. I knew the money was disappearing but I only just now figured out that it was him taking it. I know he’s been having a hard time, but so have I and everyone else these days.

  Queenie, I really care for him, but now I just can’t trust him. What’s the best way to handle this?—Short of funds

Dear Short,

  If you have proof that this man is the one who has been taking your money, you can discuss the matter of your missing funds in a public place or in a group of relatives and/or friends and ask for their help in finding out what happened to it. What action you then take – which could include calling a lawyer or even the police – will depend on how this man reacts to your request.

Dear Queenie,

  I volunteer with a community service group that holds an appreciation event for its volunteers every year. They sell us raffle tickets for some great prizes.

  This year a bunch of local politicians who hold public office also attended and some of them won prizes in the raffle.

  Queenie, don’t you think those prizes should have gone to some of the volunteers?—Disgusted volunteer

Dear Volunteer,

  The group you volunteer for was trying to raise money to fund its work and anyone who paid for a raffle ticket was entitled to do whatever they wanted with any prize they were lucky enough to win.

  It would have been nice of the winners who were not volunteers to donate their prizes back to the organisation or to the volunteers, but they had paid for their raffle tickets like everyone else and had every right to keep any prizes they won.