DEAR ADVICE DIVA:

I car pool to the office with one of my co-workers to save money. It's a good situation for both of us. I realize that the cost of gasoline has gone up, but I think my co-worker is being cheap with me. I have been paying her $20 a week for gas, but she has now asked me to pay $30 a week.

She has a small car, and it probably costs $25 to fill up the tank. The difference of $10 a week equals $40 a month — the price of a dinner out, more or less — and a whopping $520 a year. And we live less than two miles apart! How do I bring this up to her without appearing that I am the cheap one? And what is a reasonable percentage to pay for car pooling?

— Spinning My Wheels

DEAR SPINNING:

Let's do the math: Calculate the miles from your home to your office, and multiply it times 48.5 cents, which is the new mile reimbursement allowed by the IRS through December. Let's say you live 10 miles from work: $4.85 is the price you would be responsible for paying someone to drive you. Now, multiply two miles (the distance from your co-worker's home to yours) times 48.5, which is 97 cents. Now add your two sums together and double to get the round-trip price, which is $11.64. Split it in half ($5.82) for the cost each of you should assume daily. Multiply times five (days) for a work week and $29.10 is what you should be paying (based on a 10-mile commute from her home).

It's not just about gas — consider also the wear and tear on your co-worker's car.

FIRST DATE

TURN-ONS:

1. Friendly touching, but nothing inappropriate that seems desperate.

2. Feeding me my dessert.

3. Inviting me in for a nightcap after the date.

TURN-OFFS:

1. Crying for any reason.

2. Talking about the 3 Ds: death, divorce or dismemberment.

3. Scuffed shoes, chipped nail polish or other signs of being ill-groomed.

— Sean D., Miami

The Advice Diva welcomes your questions — particularly the more amusing ones. Write advicediva@herald.com.