THINGS I WISH MY KIDS WOULD ASK ME

Editor's note: Barry Courter has a 24-year-old son who is a college graduate and a 20-year-old daughter who is a sophomore in college.

Q: Dad, it seems like every one of my friends is getting married and between the travel, the tuxedo rentals, the gifts and the parties, it's adding up money-wise. What do I do?

A: The best you can. Budget for it and don't overspend. You're at the age when people tend to get married, though a lot of people are waiting well past college graduation to do so. These are your friends for life, presumably, and hopefully you guys will only go through this once.