Dear Auntie Linda,  My husband had put $300 in the sugar bowl, intending to do some home repairs.  I dipped into it a couple of times meaning to replace it.  God Forbid, he came home Wednesday saying he planned to do the work Saturday. Desperately, I prayed for God to somehow save me from my husband’s fury.  I know he would have probably beaten me and told our church what I’d done. I couldn’t live with that shame.  Finally, I took the last $10, caught a ride to another town where I am not known, and bought a lottery ticket.  Halleleujah! With God’s mercy, I won $2000.  I replaced it and hid the rest.  There is no way I can spend it.  My husband would find ou!  What do I do?  Thankful Christian

Dear Thankful, I’m glad you got out of that scrape!  Please don’t count on it ever happening again. I’m am not sure exactly what you are asking, but if I were you, I’d hang on to that money. If you are prone to dip into the sugar bowl, you will need an emergency fund for one reason or another.  (I can think of one, right off the bat)

Dear Auntie Linda,  I am a fifteen year old boy.  My parents make me work in their Feed and Seed Store for $4 an hour when I am out of school and half of that goes straight to my college savings fund. I also have to pay half the cost of my clothes, unless I am satisfied with the crap they drag in.  They won’t even talk about getting me a car. I don’t even know if I want to go to college, yet.  My eighteen year old cousin works there and gets a dollar more than minimum wage.  I work as hard as he does. This is not right.  How can I make them pay me better? Cheated

Dear Cheated,  Four dollars an hour is not a bad deal, since your parents don’t have to pay you at all, as a minor child working in a family business.  I assume they support you.  They may consider your  room and board care worth something to you.  Sounds like they manage their money well and intend for you to learn to do the same. Naturally, they have to pay your cousin. He is not their son.