This reader posted in our Ask Savvy group — she wants to know how to write an email to a possible mentor.

OK, so I don't know if they are going to be my mentor or direct me to someone who can be but I was just having a conversation with a college professor and told her about my love for the arts. She has since asked me if I was in school and I said no. She said that if I like I could have coffee with her sometime and she has a friend in the field that I want to go in so that if I ever want to talk to her I can. It took me for ever to call her and she followed up by telling me that I can email her so that we can set something up to talk. But only if I want to.

She must have sensed my shyness or hesitancy. I want to go back to school but I'm nervous about it, I'm also not super social and don't regularly meet people I don't know for coffee (or even really good friends!) I'm not worried about her being a crazy person but I'm considering taking her up on her offer and I want to make a good impression.

Read on for more.

This reader posted in our anonymous Savvy Confessions group, venting about how her friends aren't being sensitive about her unemployment situation. Do you have any advice for her?

Most of my friends are employed and well, I'm not. It's taking a bit of a toll on me when I have to listen to them complain about something minor about their jobs. As of right now, I'd do anything to have a job. I don't know if I'm being a debbie downer, but their complaints kind of eat away at me and I try to be supportive to them, but it's getting to the point where I'm sick of hearing them. Am I overreacting or should they be more sensitive and not moan about their jobs?

Pose your own anonymous questions or off-load your work confessions by posting in the Savvy Confessions group, and I'll find the right expert to help you out.

This reader posted in our anonymous Savvy Confessions group, venting about the worst interview she ever had. Do you have any words of encouragement for her?

So I just had the worst interview ever. The guy who interviewed me was knocking back whiskey at 4 pm like no other. And because I used to have job positions that are on the low-paying side (educator and nonprofit), my interviewer kept asking me if i was interested in money. Of course, I'm interested in money! He kept saying that I was used to working for less money, so he asked me how I would feel if they started paying me more money. At this rate, I'm beginning to regret even thinking of changing industries. I wanted to try another career path just to see if I like it, and of course, I'm looking forward to more pay. Maybe this interview is a sign that I should go back to what I was doing. What do you think?

Pose your own anonymous questions or off-load your work confessions by posting in the Savvy Confessions group, and I'll find the right expert to help you out.

This reader posted in our anonymous Savvy Confessions group, wondering how she should treat her ungrateful friend. Do you have any advice for her?

I'm the type of person who usually likes to help people out, particularly if it's job related or networking related. I have a "friend" who I initially got along really well and so I was open to helping her meet the right people to land her a job. I was able to introduce her to my old supervisor who needed another person to replace me and because of my referral, she was able to get the job. However, I noticed she never thanked me and ended up complaining to me about the work they gave her. After that incident, I noticed other instances where she was "using" me. How do I politely cut this person off without ruining our "civil" friendship? Is this something I should confront her about or just leave it and distance myself from her?

Pose your own anonymous questions or off-load your work confessions by posting in the Savvy Confessions group, and I'll find the right expert to help you out.

This reader posted in our anonymous Savvy Confessions group, wondering if she should report her company to the labor board for denying her sick pay. Do you have any advice for her?

So I work for an airline and we have this policy that flight attendants can take unlimited sick days due to the nature of our environment. Well I, unlike a lot of other flight attendants, haven't taken advantage of this easy-to-screw-with system. I have been employed for six years and have only called in twice,  never been late or reported for anything. I pick up an extra 30 (flying) hours a month, and not once have I ever complained. BUT recently I was sick with a cold, had a cold sore, and was extremely exhausted . . . legitimately sick, so I decided to ask my team leaders if I would still in fact get my sick pay. "Ummm no," was the answer I received because apparently they only have to pay me for my base salary, not the extra hours I had picked up and unable to work. I can understand if I was doing this on a consecutive monthly basis but I haven't taken a sick day in years. So my question is, does anyone know if I should go to the labor board or is my company in the right by never owing me sick pay?

Pose your own anonymous questions or off-load your work confessions by posting in the Savvy Confessions group, and I'll find the right expert to help you out.

This reader posted in our anonymous Savvy Confessions group, wondering what to do with a passive-aggressive boss. Do you have any advice for her?

My boss is SO passive aggressive and it drives me crazy!  In the middle of September, I put in for vacation time during Christmas because my boss told us that he needed to know when we were planning to be gone for the holidays.  I stayed in town for Thanksgiving, however my boss insisted on working the day after so the other counselors could be off.   Then, two days ago, I overheard him saying to another co-worker that he was thinking about taking time off at Christmas and the days he mentioned happened to be the same days I had requested (two months ago!).  So I said something to him and asked if there was going to be a problem with me taking the days I had planned on being away.  He knows that my family is out of town, but still asked "Are going out of town for Christmas?"; "yes" I replied, "my husband has also already requested the same days with his job. Do you need me to re-submit my request?"  All I heard him say at this point was "S#!T, S#!T, S#!T!"  My boss has a "knack" for losing important stuff like this, so I re-submitted my request (and made a copy of it for myself this time) & said "would you please let me know if this is going to be a problem as soon as possible?"  His response was "It's fine, I'll just 'bite the bullet' for another holiday and get screwed again."  I was so mad, and just walked away.  He does stuff like this all the time too!  Now, to make things worse, he is taking on additional work for the company and everyone here is dreading what will happen.  He does not regulate his stress well at all, and ends up taking out his frustrations on the rest of the staff (only six people work in our office).  We already work in a high stress environment, and he can make it so much more stressful.  We have addressed his behavior with him, but he does not see it as a problem.  I love my job and have been here less than a year, but I'm not sure if I am willing to tolerate this long-term.  I don't know what to do if he doesn't think his behavior is a problem.

Pose your own anonymous questions or off-load your work confessions by posting in the Savvy Confessions group, and I'll find the right expert to help you out.

This reader posted in our anonymous Savvy Confessions group, wondering if it's OK to bring up her co-workers' salaries during salary negotiation. Do you have any advice for her?

My annual review is coming up, and it's the time where my company gives small raises based on performance. Instead of a measly three percent raise, I'd like to ask for a larger amount. Like so many women, I was ignorant and didn't negotiate my salary when I first started my job. I soon learned that my co-workers (in the same position, doing the same work) earn more than me (like $10,000 more!), and I have a PhD, and they don't. Is it kosher to use my co-workers' salaries as leverage to negotiate a raise for myself? I know colleagues usually shouldn't talk about each others' salaries, so I don't want to look unprofessional in front of my boss, but I really want to be compensated fairly. What should I do?

Pose your own anonymous questions or off-load your work confessions by posting in the Savvy Confessions group, and I'll find the right expert to help you out.

This reader posted in our anonymous Savvy Confessions group wondering how to bring up work hours in a job interview. Do you have any advice for her?

I know that we shouldn't mention work hours in an interview, but it's really important to me as a new mom. I would ideally like regular 9 to 5 hours. Previously, I was in finance so I used to work from 9 to 8. I'm looking for a finance-related job, but I'm more concerned about the work hours rather than the pay. I think I have a pretty robust resume. I graduated from an ivy league university and worked at one of the big banks as an investment banker. I'm not looking to climb the corporate ladder, but I'm more dedicated toward spending time with my new daughter.

Do you think it's OK for me to ask about work hours in an interview as a new mom? Is there any way of bringing up the issue in a tasteful way?

Pose your own anonymous questions or off-load your work confessions by posting in the Savvy Confessions group, and I'll find the right expert to help you out.

This reader posted in our Ask Savvy group — she wants to know how to deal with an unpleasant manager.

I've been in the workforce (financial services industry) for about three years now but have only been in my current job for a few months. I like my role as it is challenging, interesting, and diverse. I get along with my supervisor and my colleague (there are three of us in the small team). Our team sits within the finance department, which is headed by one manager.

Compared to my old workplace, the environment here is very different. This finance department is more cutthroat and has less of a social/friendly culture. The manager has introduced time sheets in order to monitor how long we are taking to complete tasks. This doesn't sit well with the team, and we feel as if she is micromanaging us.

There are also many occasions where she would pinpoint and blame someone when an issue arises, before she is even clear about the entire story. There have been a few situations that show us that she really doesn't know the business inside out and doesn't fully understand the team's roles/responsibilities/functions. At the same time, she appears tough and intimidating. She likes to demand and never admits to her own mistakes. She points the finger before clarifying the situation. We don't respect her. We fear her.

Read on to find out more.

This reader posted in our Ask Savvy group — she wants to know how to handle a co-worker that's getting on her nerves.

I sit next to a co worker all day on a switchboard, it's been me and her for the past two years, and we actually get along great. We are close friends and she was a bridesmaid in my wedding.

The thing that's driving me insane is that she is really loud while we're working next to each other, and I don't know how to address it without offending her, because she doesn't even notice it herself or mean to cause a disruption.

She breathes SO LOUD when she's eating at the desk, and it drives me insane, I've come so close to just telling her to blow her nose, because it sounds like the reason she's breathing loud is cause she needs to clear her nose. This is every day.

She's also always banging so loud on the key board when she types, slams phones down, slams cupboard doors, and is constantly chewing at her finger nails making noise

She also chews her food really loud.

It wouldn't normally bother me but it's been every day for the last 2 years, outside of work it's never a problem, just so annoying throughout the work day. What should I say without offending her to tell her that her heavy breathing and banging around is highly irritating.

Or should I just suck it up and realize people have their quirks.

Ask anything budget-, etiquette-, or planning-related — well, almost anything — by posting your questions in the Ask Savvy group, and I'll find the right expert to help you out.

This anonymous posting comes from our Savvy Confessions group, where all identities are kept anonymous.

So I'm moving to a new city and I don't have a job. I hear a lot of people are hiring but I'm just wondering how to approach people without making it sound like I'm using them to find a job. Do I email them after I meet them to say I'm interested in a job at their company? How does this work? Are people just used to people asking them for jobs? How do I ask strangers without turning them off?

Share your own career- and finance-related questions anonymously in the Savvy Confessions group for a chance to be featured on SavvySugar, and be advised by fellow Savvy readers.

This anonymous posting comes from our Savvy Confessions group, where all identities are kept anonymous.

I'm transitioning into a new position and my manager has asked another employee (someone I don't know) to help me out and adjust to the new role. Turns out, she's about to lose her job soon since our company is downsizing that department and she's been trying to take my position! Another superior, who is a good friend of mine, clued me into it. She doesn't do it in obvious ways, but she just says that I'm not prepared for the role and such and throws doubt in my direction. I actually felt sick when I heard about that because she's always so nice to me. Should I confront her before she totally sabotages me? Or should I bring this up with the manager?

Share your own career- and finance-related questions anonymously in the Savvy Confessions group for a chance to be featured on SavvySugar and be advised by fellow Savvy readers.

This anonymous posting comes from our Savvy Confessions group, where all identities are kept anonymous.

I just graduated from law school and ordinarily that's something to celebrate but I also just failed the bar. I took it pretty hard since I felt confident that I would pass and that this would open the doors to me being an attorney. I've been feeling like the legal field is not exactly my number one passion, but I feel like since I put three years in and spent so much time (not to mention blood, sweat, and tears) on this endeavor that it's hard for me to let go. A lot of my attorney friends and mentors are telling me to retake the bar so I'm really feeling the pressure. A lot of it is pride too.

Should I retake the bar and risk being unemployed after? I can't get a proper full-time job because I'll have to take two months off a job before the exam to concentrate on studying for the bar. Or should I just forget it and pursue something that's more interesting to me than law?

Share your own career- and finance-related questions anonymously in the Savvy Confessions group for a chance to be featured on SavvySugar and be advised by fellow Savvy readers.

I love hearing about the many frugal habits of our readers because I know all of us have our own thrifty tricks hidden up our sleeves. I recently asked you to share your thrifty secrets, and here are a couple from reader le romantique:

It's the little things that count. I definitely splurge on going out to eat and shopping, but when it comes to everyday things I'm a bit more "green".

Power Bill: unplug EVERYTHING, only have appliances plugged in when in use. Air at 78 when I'm not home (I live in St. Petersburg, FL so it's impossible to let it get any hotter inside), when I'm home I have my fans on and windows open (I crank up the AC when I sleep though!). I also hang dry my clothes.

No cable, I live off Netflix/AppleTV and an HD TV Antenna (I can get the first 20 channels with it).

I try to bring lunch to work 4 out of 5 days a week. I make huge crock pot dinners and freeze left overs (I live alone, so they can last awhile), I also buy meat when it's on sale and I freeze it.

What are some of the many ways you try to save?

This anonymous posting comes from our Savvy Confessions group, where all identities are kept anonymous.

I'm in the process of applying for jobs now and some positions have asked that I list the contact information for all my former supervisors. The problem is, one of my former supervisors was mentally unstable and became very difficult to work with. Our relationship started off well but towards the end of my time working for him, he would blame me for his mistakes, lose his temper, and was sometimes incoherent. My supervisor ended up firing everyone in the office within the same time period and my co-workers and I all agree that he was not mentally stable. However, I did gain a lot of good experience working there and so I've included my work experience on my resume. The only problem is, I'm afraid if a potential employer calls my former supervisor, he may give them a bad recommendation.

I've gotten great recs from all my other supervisors. The only one potentially tainting me is this one. Should I include that work on my resume and risk getting a bad recommendation if they contact my supervisor or take out the experience completely?

Share your own career- and finance-related questions anonymously in the Savvy Confessions group for a chance to be featured on SavvySugar and be advised by fellow Savvy readers.

In the Ask Savvy community group, reader Mrs-B wonders if she should wait for her poor credit score to improve before buying a home.

I reached out to credit expert Bethy Hardeman from CreditKarma.com, a free credit management service that provides free credit scores, financial education, and personalized savings recommendations. The firm helps more than three million consumers realize the everyday cost savings of having a good credit score.

I recently got married and want to buy a house in a year. Problem is, my husband bought one about a year and a half ago (before we got married). He cannot take out another mortgage yet so it will have to be in my name. I have poor or fair credit but am trying to fix it. I messed up my credit when I was 18 (those first time savings are tempting!), let it get bad until two years ago, and have raised my score almost 70 points since March. It's still not good enough though. I have a new secured credit card which should help, but I also have three student loans in deferment. Is it better to wait for my score to improve since some negative things will be cleared from my credit report within six to eight months, or take the smallest loan out of deferment and start paying it off? We need to save for a down payment, but a good credit score is important too.

Here are some reasons why Bethy thinks Mrs-B should wait for a good credit score:

Should I buy a home, or should I wait?

First of all, kudos to you for raising your credit score 70 points in the past six months! You must be doing lots of things right with your credit. But even though it may seem like a good time to buy a house because home prices and mortgage rates are at historic lows, it’s wiser to wait for your credit to improve even more. Before you make a decision, let’s take a look at both sides:

The case for buying

First, ask yourself why you want to buy a home so soon. Is it because you want to build equity in homeownership? Do you prefer owning to renting? Is the housing market in your area ripe for buying? All of these can be great reasons to want to invest in a home.

Although renting allows you the time to save up a bigger down payment and build your credit, it doesn’t help you build any equity. Buying a home gives you that opportunity, especially because prices are low and the housing market should be shaping up in the next few years. It’s a long-term investment that can really pay off in the long run when it’s time to sell.

Read on to find out more.

This anonymous posting comes from our Savvy Confessions group, where all identities are kept anonymous.

There's this new guy in the office, he's been there for about a month, and right off the bat he's been a very horrible worker. He doesn't respond to emails and gives a lot of attitude to people. I notice a lot of spelling errors in his emails which is weird because he claims that he was valedictorian. My colleague and I got suspicious and started researching to see if what he's saying it's true . . . turns out he lied! The valedictorian that year is a totally different person! I tried to confront him but I think he suspected and he's been trying to avoid me and blow it off. I just think this situation is so crazy and I can't believe I was the one who found out. I already told the head of the office so I guess we'll just be playing it by ear now. I'm kind of nervous because I'm afraid he might blame me and do something harmful to me. After all, someone who lies about something major like that shouldn't be trusted right? What do you guys think of the situation?

Share your own career- and finance-related questions anonymously in the Savvy Confessions group for a chance to be featured on SavvySugar and be advised by fellow Savvy readers.

This reader posted in our Ask Savvy group — she's wondering about investing in restaurants. Any suggestions?

I was wondering how someone can invest or partner in a restaurant group or chain, is it only for the wealthy? Is there generally a minimum investment? I've noticed some celebrities are part owners/investers in restaurants, like Ashton Kutcher with Geisha House and Pete Wentz with Angels and Kings Bar.

It seems pretty lucrative and an alternative to a regular ole franchise.

Ask anything budget-, etiquette-, or planning-related — well, almost anything — by posting your questions in the Ask Savvygroup, and I'll find the right expert to help you out.

Check out this new community group My Bucket List started by one of the SavvySugar Community members. Reader shellbenno shares what's on her bucket list, which is to travel the world. Read on to hear what she has to say:

Well I will share with you, I have been married for 19 years and have three children. I have always said to my husband that if I have not traveled overseas by the time I was 40, that I will be. It was a goal I had visioned. That goal became true as I really believed in it. I have many more goals and things for my bucket list that I am ticking off. I have been to Vietnam and Singapore. It has truly changed my whole aspects of life. You need to follow your passion and not let anything get in the road of that. We only have one chance of living this life.

Join the My Bucket List community group and share what's on your life to-do list!

This anonymous posting comes from our Savvy Confessions group, where all identities are kept anonymous.

I just started my internship at this company that I love. I love everything I'm doing and I really like the people there. There is only one thing that worries me. I realized that we have a lot of women at our company. At the last meeting I was at, there were 24 women and one guy. Normally it's all fine but I kind of worry like . . . you know how when girls spend a lot of time together your periods sync up? So everyone is going to be PMS-ing at the same time . . .

Share your own career- and finance-related questions anonymously in the Savvy Confessions group for a chance to be featured on SavvySugar and be advised by fellow Savvy readers.