Dear Prudence,
I work at a rewarding job with limited vacation time and make about half of what my sister and mother do (this will be relevant, I promise). I pay all my bills, but funds are limited for trips. Usually as a combined birthday/Christmas gift my family will help defray the cost of airfare or hotel to travel together. Now my sister is buying her first home, and my mother had to get a new car. The getaway is a no-go this year. I don’t mind that, but I do mind my sister’s assumption that I’d be happy to use my vacation to drive 300 miles to help paint and retile her new house! I love her and understand that buying a new home is stressful, but she gets six weeks of paid vacation, and I only get two! Should I bring it up, bite the bullet, or pretend to have a scheduling snafu?