DEAR Jasminda, THE cost of fuel is ridiculous. How do I make travel arrangements to my work and my gym and my social engagements when it is so expensive? Leanne M. Dear Leanne, It is hard not to feel particularly vulnerable at the moment, when there are many external factors impacting domestically. A trip around […]

DEAR Jasminda, How do we cope when there is so much chaos in the world? It feels as though every new day brings a worse news story than the day before. Georgia D. Dear Georgia, There is no point denying that the world feels as though it is in a massive state of flux at […]

DEAR Jasminda, I PUT a collectible item on Facebook Marketplace. A man offered to buy it. He also paid a deposit, so I marked it as sold. He said he couldn’t attend the first pick up date, then said he was sick, and now he wants to meet me at a halfway point with cash. […]

DEAR Jasminda, MY daughter’s class is holding a fundraiser to raise funds to paint the play equipment. I’ve let the relatives know and now they are getting competitive with their offers. Kylie G. Dear Kylie, Fundraisers used to be done in a clandestine way, much like nanna slipping little Jimmy a cool fifty bucks in […]

DEAR Jasminda, I am doing a complete clean out of my home, but I can’t decide what to keep and what to cull. How do I make these decisions? Claudia D. Dear Claudia, I am the wrong person to ask about this. When I decide to clean my bedroom, I enter the zone of nostalgia. […]

DEAR Jasminda, HOW do we agree on a movie as a family? I’m so sick of scrolling through trying to locate a movie everyone will enjoy. Heather P. Dear Heather, You are right. Trying to find a movie that incorporates everyone’s interests is a nightmare. How is it possible, for example, to find a movie […]

DEAR Jasminda, My wife recently picked every green mango off our tree because she was worried about possums and bats. Now we have green mangoes all over the house and they don’t seem to be ripening. Has she made a fatal mistake? George F. Dear George, Since I’m not a mango expert, I was tempted […]

DEAR Jasminda, MY ex-boyfriend is in many significant family photos such as Christmases, weddings, birthdays and other occasions. Now we are no longer together, what on earth do I do with all the pictures? It upsets me to look at them, but I don’t want to forget the occasions. Rachel P. Dear Rachel, This one […]

Dear Jasminda, Kids on e-bikes are on the rise. How do we share the road safely with them? Hayley S. Dear Hayley, Having recently observed two young girls powering across a T-intersection on their e-bikes without looking left or right, and after conversations with friends who have similar stories, the safety issue you raise is […]

Dear Jasminda, I was driving up a long and winding road in my ute on the weekend when I passed a cyclist. She seemed to be doing it very tough and wasn’t making much progress. Should I have offered her [and her bike] a lift to the next town? I’m now regretting that I didn’t […]