Dear Annie: When my brother-in-law is sick, he loves to cough: He says he wants to spread his germs around. Recently, we went out to eat with him, and he coughed into his hands and not into his elbow. He kept coughing throughout the meal. No one wants his sickness. I find it difficult to be around him.

Dear Annie: Reading your column on grieving, I was reminded of a quote I read regarding a parent’s grief upon losing a child. Perhaps this would be helpful.

Dear Annie: My brother recently told me that my sister-in-law (his wife) was anxious about an upcoming family lunch we’d both be at because she thought I was mad at her. The reason? I’d responded to one of her texts with “Thanks,” followed by a period. She thought because I didn’t use an exclamation point or emoji, I was being passive-aggressive. We cleared it up and are fine now (though it still bothers me a little bit that she went straight to assuming the worst).

Dear Annie: I’m having a difficult time accepting my parents for what I perceive as stinginess. They are retired, upper-middle class (at least), have paid off their nice home and have money to travel. My dad grew up upper-middle class and so did mom.

Dear Annie: We live across the street from a married couple — man and woman — who have a 16-month-old girl. Every time they get her out of the car, no matter what the weather is, they have nothing on her head. Even when the temperature was in the teens, and another time when it was pouring rain, there was nothing on her head.The couple’s defense, I’m sure, would be that they’re just going from the car and up about 20 steps to the house, but still, I think it’s ridiculous. I’m not sure if I should say something to them or not. Should I? — Neighbor

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to cruise up and down the grocery store aisle, filling your basket with everything that looks good? Sure, it’s kinda fun — but oh, so expensive! Worse, you get home with absolutely nothing to fix for dinner. I hate when that happens!But not to worry. Check out these easy ways to keep food costs in check from my friends, fans and followers!

Dear Annie: I’m 29 and single. I’m proud to have worked my butt off since college and am now seeing the fruits of my labor. I’ve got the dream job

How much did you spend on food last month? A survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics says the average consumer unit, defined by a household of one to four

Dear Annie: I am writing about our 23-year-old daughter, who is having trouble with her digestive system. After a year of vomiting after most meals and losing weight, she finally

Dear Annie: I read your column daily and always like your tough love and sensible advice. I’m interested in what your advice would be in the following situation. It involves