Single Mother

Hey Harlan,

I'm a single mother with four wonderful, beautiful children. Like most Americans, my bills are barely caught up. When my parents and sisters started asking me what I wanted for Christmas, I told them: "To get caught up with my bills." My mother looked offended and said "I'm not paying a bill for Christmas. That defeats the purpose. I want to buy you something fun." My little sister said, "Don't ask for that; we can't afford it." It would give me more joy than anything to actually have the weight lifted off my chest for even one month out of the entire year. Did I break some form of holiday taboo by making such a request?

Gifted

Dear Gifted,

The honest answer? Paying your bills can be a bummer to the gift-giver (regardless of the joy you get from it). If you want them to pay your bills, find a fun way to do it. Next gift-giving occasion, have them get you an American Express, MasterCard or Visa gift card. Check the rules, but you can usually use these things for anything (even paying bills). You can also get a gift card to a mall or store where you buy necessities. Let them think they're buying you something fun. It's the difference between an elected official telling us that our tax dollars are going to build playgrounds as opposed to repairing potholes. Yes, pothole repairs are essential, but it's not as much fun to think about.