Dear Mary: Yogurt is healthy, filling, a great source of calcium, and helps people lose weight. It's staggering to think how much my family of four spends on yogurt every month. We ration our two boys, 11 and 14, to one yogurt a day. My wife and I enjoy four to five yogurts each week. At about 50 cents per container, that's $11.50 per week and almost $50 per month! Just on yogurt! There are lots of worse, cheaper things we might be able to substitute, but yogurt has become a healthy part of our lives. Other than cutting the quantity way back, how can we save money on yogurt? -- Doug S., e-mail

Dear Doug: I don't know what you pay for groceries, but $11.50 a week to keep your family on yogurt sounds like a good deal to me. As for those growing boys, you are right that yogurt is better than other snacks they could be eating. You can try to make your own yogurt by investing in a yogurt-maker (about $50) or making it the old-fashioned way (www.wikihow.com/Make-Yogurt). I've heard that it's hard to beat homemade yogurt, but I have a feeling once you see what's required, those 50-cent containers will start looking like a much better deal. I'd sure love to know how it works out if you do decide to make it yourself.

Dear Mary: I married three years ago, and my wife has memorized my credit card information. This is a personal card, and she is not listed as an authorized user. However, she charges to it, and I get hit. I took a loan out of my 401(k) last year and paid off the $15,000 balance, only to have her run it up again. Because she is not listed as an authorized user on the card, can I protest the charges, or am I still responsible for them because she is married to me? We just started reading your book "Debt-Proof Your Marriage." We read a chapter at a time, and then we talk about it. Thanks for your support. -- Hank M., e-mail

Dear Hank: Here's the problem: You would have to dispute all of those charges, which means you would be reporting unlawful activity on your account. That could lead to her being prosecuted, and I have a feeling you simply do not want to go there. I am impressed and relieved that you two are reading my book. Just keep going. You are about to discover this is not a money issue at all, but a matter of trust. Without trust, your marriage is in jeopardy. The credit card situation is a symptom of a much deeper need: the need to be fully open and honest with each other. Without that, you never will experience financial intimacy. I hope you'll write back when you've finished the book. And please watch your mailbox; I am sending you the companion workbook that I wrote. I am hopeful it will help you get to the bottom of this problem and provide the tools you need to get to a place of financial harmony.

Do you have a question for Mary? E-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. Mary Hunt is the founder of DebtProofLiving.com and author of 17 books, including "Debt-Proof Living." To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
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