She dreads sex for free housing

DEAR AMY: I'm 19 years old, and I've never been good with finances. When I moved out of my parents' house, I had to move back in almost six months later because of my inability to save money for important things like rent and bills. Now I have a fairly stable job, but I'm still having problems saving money. Recently, my parents told me they were tired of my spending habits. They said I needed to find someplace else to live. In order to prevent being homeless, I moved in with one of my male friends, "Steve." Things were going great until he started attempting to have sex with me. I don't want to tell him no because he has opened his house to me, and I would really rather not be homeless. At the same time, I'm starting to run out of excuses. I'm really uncomfortable, and I don't know how to make the advances stop without sacrificing a roof over my head. Please help me!In a Pickle

DEAR PICKLE: Get out.

You may think this is about a sketchy guy taking advantage of you, but this current problem is also a direct consequence of your inability to manage your finances. It has forced you into an unhealthy environment and severely limited your options.

You don't mention what you spend your money on instead of rent, but you must tell your parents what's going on and ask if you can come home again. In exchange, you should agree to whatever measures they think are appropriate for you to learn how to budget and save. This should be a regular effort on your part.

You should offer to turn over your paychecks to them and let them enforce your savings and monitor your spending.

If your parents won't take you in, you should find a more trustworthy friend or go to a women's shelter until you can find housing you can afford. Seek free counseling through a local social service agency.