Ask Savvy

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.

It's never too early to start prepping your Christmas list, and I hope our wonderful Sugar gift guides have been giving you some inspiration.

Although it's more convenient to buy gifts for people, homemade presents can be more meaningful because of the time and effort you put into making them. Further, it can oftentimes be better for your wallet.

I'm asking: what ideas do you have for homemade gifts?

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 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.

This reader posted in our Ask Savvy group — she wonders how she should pay off her debt. Any suggestions on how she should deal with the situation?

So I must confess I was an avid credit-card user in my younger years. Now that I am a little older and hopefully a little wiser, I want to eliminate all of the debt in my life. I have one credit card with a high balance and high interest rate that will take me two years to pay off, probably. I also have a student loan that is a much smaller amount and a lower interest rate. If I concentrate all of my energy on that loan and just pay the minimal on my credit card, I can have my student loans paid off in less than six months. But I am not sure which is a better plan of attack. Anyone been in the same situation? Help!

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 reader posted in our Ask Savvy group, talking about how she doesn't want to recommend a friend for a job at her company. Any suggestions on how she should deal with the situation?

I have a pretty good friend (we've known each other a little over a year) that is on the market for a job. I think she's a great person (charming, funny, etc.), but she has a disastrous work background. She has either been fired or quit almost every job she's had, has no concept of punctuality, and is looking to just "put in time" somewhere. Recently, a position at my company opened up, and of course, she asked me to recommend her. The thing is, as much as I want to — I simply cannot! It would look so bad if she messed up (there is an extremely high chance she would). How do I let her down lightly? What should I say? I don't want to hurt her feelings, but I know she isn't cut out for the position.

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 question was posted by maude in our Ask Savvy community group. She wants to know how to make the most of her 401k. I reached out to John Rosevear, Motley Fool contributing writer from The Motley Fool, the go-to website for investing, to share his expertise with us.

I have been contributing to my 401K for several years now and I have been using the retirement-based fund where the company bases the returns on when you are going to retire, I am a long way off from retiring but I was looking into other funds to see the performance and realized a lot of the other mutual funds seem to be performing much better. Should I move my money around? Or just play it safe in this sort of economy? I know I have 40 plus years before I retire but I want my money to do the most for me, I mean really doesn't everyone! Any tips with how to make the best of our 401k? Just curious how often do people move theirs?

To find out what advice John has to give, read on.

This reader posted in our Ask Savvy group saying that her co-worker takes a long to to respond to her emails. Any suggestions on how she should deal with the situation?

Have you guys ever dealt with someone (professionally) that won't email you back—or takes a really long time? I am looking for an appropriate way to get a faster response from this person that I work with. I just don't get people sometimes! Has this ever happened to you? What is the best way to handle this? I am working closely with this person, so I don't want to be rude or annoying! Grrr!

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 reader posted in our Ask Savvy group explaining her predicament, saying that she has a feeling her company wants her to quit. Any suggestions on how she should deal with the situation?

I have been having issues with my boss for the past year. He has done many things that have led me to think he is discriminating me based on my gender. I reported my concern to HR three months ago and despite two follow ups on my side they have yet to resolve the issue. However, on Friday my boss and our HR representative talked to me about "how I'm doing" and that if I think I can't handle the job to tell them and they will help find another job. I left the conversation feeling like they are trying to get me to quit. Are there any other approaches or resources I might be able to look in to to handle this issue? I am looking for a new job but I can't afford to leave this one until I have something else.

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.

Working closely with others has its challenges. Sure, teamwork is rewarding and it's helpful to have someone you can bounce ideas off of, but cubicles can get crowded quickly. You've asked me a series of smart and challenging questions about co-worker relations that I've had the pleasure of answering to the best of my ability. Here's hoping my advice will help you solve your current conundrums.

1. I Don't Want to Share My Office With a Co-Worker	2. How Do I Tell My Co-Worker Her Lunch Stinks?	3. My Lazy Co-Worker Is Affecting My Morale
4. My Co-Worker Has It in For Me!	5. Co-Worker Gives TMI About Sex Life	6. Relating to Work Friends

Submit a career or finance question for me to answer while giving other readers the opportunity to weigh in. Why rely on a Google search to satisfy your concerns when you can get help from your trusted community of Sugar friends? Ask away by posting your questions in my Ask Savvy group and I'll answer them on the site.