Dear Nat: My boyfriend is so stingy! We always split the bill at dinner, even on special occasions, and he never buys gifts for me. Yet he spoils himself rotten! (CDs, DVDs, clothes, books, you name it.) I’m at my wit’s end. Help!

— Stuck with a Cheapskate
Dear Stuck: Do you like cheap men? No. Is this man cheap? Yes. Can you change him?
You can try until you’re blue in the face. Have an extra generous friend explain to him that treating a girlfriend as if she is less important than a stack of DVDs is not cool. Then sit him down for your own testimony. Tell him how low you feel knowing you’re in competition with his luxurious collectibles. No results? Refer to the questions listed above. Then, remember that love has a return policy: Spoil yourself for a change and exchange your boyfriend for a new model, satisfaction guaranteed.

Dear Nat: My girlfriend of a year is planning to study abroad in Spain for all of next year (our junior year). I’m really freaked. I think she’s my soulmate, and the distance might kill our relationship! What can I do to keep her?

— Long Distance Jitters
Dear Long Distance: First of all, I think your girlfriend has a pretty cool academic plan and very ambitious career goals. She’s not in school to become a “Mrs.” In other words, walking off a plane into a foreign country is much higher on her to-do list than walking down the aisle in a poufy white dress, which is how it should be!
So why is there so much emphasis on commitment and future in your brain? Freaking out could lead you to a year of moping in your bedroom over tear-stained photos of your girl, while she’s traipsing around Spain having the time of her life. Is that what you want? I didn’t think so. When her plane departs, have your own time of your life in good old Oregon. Go out with friends. Begin new hobbies. Take full advantage of the extra time on your hands.
I suggest the two of you agree on a dating policy while she’s gone, be it a green light to date others casually or
a vow to remain exclusive. But regardless of your choice, if someone better comes along for either of you, so be it. During the college years, twists and turns are always around the corner. But remember, if your love for each other is meant to be, nothing, not even time and miles, can tear it apart.

Dear Nat: I recently had what I thought would be a date with this cute guy. When we arrived at the restaurant, he took out his Bible and began preaching that I needed to be saved! I’m Christian, just not as fanatical as he is. I was so offended. I see this guy all the time in school — how do I deal with him?

— So-called Sinner
Dear Sinner: How about bringing a Feng Shui book to class and preaching to him about rearranging his house?
Just kidding. But really, your beliefs are yours and
his are his. Pressuring someone to change should not
be part of the formula for any kind of relationship. I find his actions very rude and intrusive. So what if you have class with this guy? No one’s saying you have to be
buddy-buddy with him. Be nice, polite and civil. Respect his point of view and, hopefully, he will learn to respect yours.