Join or Sign In
Sign in to customize your TV listings
By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.
13 Episodes 2009 - 2009
Episode 1
22 mins
Late twenty-somethings Amanda and Sean are largely a victim of external circumstances. They both worked for the same company when it went bankrupt, leaving them both unemployed. At that time, Amanda was three months pregnant with who is now their sixteen month old daughter, Lyric. They were already facing financial difficulties then, which escalated from that time. They have both since managed to find other part-time jobs, Amanda's being freelance which allows her stay at home with Lyric, in-between trying to finish her schooling. She works as their combined schedules allow for one or the other to mind Lyric. In addition, Sean has martial arts and DJ-ing skills, which he under-utilizes as means to make money. Their current combined income is a modest $50,000 annually. They admit they are not faultless as they have also since used spending, especially on Lyric, for feeling like they are not providing her the life that they should. But they also spend $10 here and $10 there on themselves, which adds up over time. Although their debt is not huge at $20,000, it is substantial seeing as to their overall circumstances. And it is negatively affecting their life as a couple. Gail wants to show them they they can't have what they haven't paid for. She gets them to manage what debt they have better by renegotiating interest rates and moving all the debt to those lower interest sources. She wants them to earn more money, especially using Sean's skills which may be more difficult than Gail realizes. And she tries to get them to be on the same page when it comes to what they want from each other emotionally and romantically in their marriage. At the end of it all, Gail does a first for the show.
Episode 2
22 mins
Chris, who earns $12,000 a year, is a full time student with one more year to obtain his undergraduate degree. He wants to go into dentistry, which will require a few more years of school post-graduation. The issue is that he is a mature student at age thirty-five, never having had a career of any sort as the perpetual student living at home rent-free. But now he is married, his Filipino bride, Yen, who works full-time and earns $35,000 a year. That income will soon diminish as Yen is in the early stage of pregnancy. As is with the Filipino culture, she sets aside a few hundred dollars to send home every month. To help them out, Chris' parents, Bill and Vivian, let them live in their basement rent-free. Bill and Vivian also paid about $10,000 toward the wedding and plane fare to/from the Philippines for the wedding. Bill and Vivian do all the work around the common areas of the house, Chris only helping when asked. Chris' debt, largely from student loans but also from his expensive habit of eating organic, currently sits at $52,000. Gail wants Bill and Vivian not to be Chris and Yen's safety net, being able to ask his parents for help which is how Chris has lived all his life. Conversely, Chris and Yen have to be contributing members to the entire household as long as they are under Bill and Vivian's roof. She wants Chris and Yen to feel the weight of the debt in their lives, which can only be lessened if Chris makes more money. She wants Yen to ask more of Chris, especially as he didn't disclose his financial situation to her before they married. Chris has to evaluate critically future options, including dentistry, especially in light of the debt, his age and the upcoming baby. And she gets them to understand the true costs of living independently.
Episode 3
22 mins
Early thirty-somethings Karla and Greg are engaged, but they have totally different views of money and debt which could threaten the marriage. Karla does not believe in consumer debt, she spending on items she can afford and on which she pays cash. As such, all her "toys" are paid for and she is consumer debt free. Greg, on the other hand, had racked up a debt of $33,000 before Karla found out about his secret gambling life being addicted to slot machines. He has since moved to poker. Because Karla feels she can't trust Greg concerning money, she at this point refuses to have any joint financial accounts with him until he becomes debt-free (it currently sitting at $23,000) and remains debt-free for some time. As such, their relationship currently is more like a mother chastising a son she doesn't trust than as man and wife. Greg still wants to be able to spend his money as he sees fit, gambling being his entertainment. Despite the money issue being Greg's sole doing, Gail has to get them to: work together as a team in managing what will be their household finances, while they deal with their individual money issues, Greg's which includes his current debt that requires a bigger income to pay off timely than he is currently earning; shift the power balance of their relationship, especially when it comes to potential family issues; find less expensive alternatives to gambling as entertainment they can do together; and rebuild the trust that Karla currently does not feel with Greg. Gail issues one major make it or break it rule right at the beginning which sets the tone of the process and perhaps for Karla and Greg's future.
Episode 4
22 mins
Heather and Dave have a combined annual income of about $72,000. Having this much money is new to them. Heather just started a new higher paying job as an animal keeper at the zoo where she works. In addition to Dave's primary job as glass handler, he also does freelance web design and is a musician, both which earn some income. But this higher income has also led to a different kind of money problem than when they had little income, as they don't know how to manage their current finances and increased financial responsibilities. They have recently purchased equipment for both Dave's side jobs. But they are enjoying life for the first time in quite a while, and indulging their friends in the process, rather than paying off the debt they accumulated when they had no money. Dave has largely stayed out of dealing with the household (i.e. basement suite) finances, which frustrates him only when they run out of money to do things. All these issues have resulted in a $45,000 debt. On top of it all, they want to take a vacation to Thailand, Heather who is willing to go further into debt to achieve that goal. Gail has to get them to: increase their income over the long term, primarily by Dave being more aggressive with his side businesses, so that they can pay off their debt quicker; plan what the trip to Thailand would cost for what they want to do, and plan how to pay for it without going into further debt; investigate not only what it would take to move from their less than ideal basement suite but move into a place of their own; and get out of their comfort zone to expand their horizons, and not just with the mutually supported thinking that created a large part of their debt problem to begin with.
Episode 5
22 mins
Melanie and Kevin have a combined income of about $80,000 annually, largely from Kevin's job as a plumber. Melanie, who is an independent cosmetics salesperson, is primarily mom to infant Rozlyn, with a second unplanned child on the way. They went from having no debt when they first got together to currently having $42,000 in consumer debt. They fight over money, most of it over Kevin's spending on cigarettes, and his new expensive and not totally paid off gas-guzzling truck, which he does not need. The stress of the fights is negatively affecting their marriage, Melanie who responds by some therapeutic shopping of her own. Their young marriage is on the verge of collapse because of these issues. Gail has to get Kevin specifically to get rid of his two big money holes, namely the truck, and the smoking, the latter which she tries to impress that the money instead could have been going toward a house down payment. Melanie's individual task is to determine her actual income which she does not know, and how much she will be bringing in in maternity benefits. Gail also has to get them both to: increase their income, especially Kevin as plumbers should be earning upwards of $30,000 more than he currently is; plan for the upcoming baby and how they are going to pay for those costs; and learn how to communicate effectively so that they are working together to overcome their problems. The entire process could be derailed by hot-tempered Kevin, who admits he does not respond well to criticism.
Episode 6
22 mins
Leanne and Adam are a registered nurse and truck maintenance contractor respectively who earn a combined income of just over $100,000 annually. They have two infants at home, with Leanne's oldest son off to college. Leanne admits to being a shopaholic, buying herself a $700 ring to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary. She belongs to several groups who hold shopping parties for niche items, such as for her scrapbooking. She largely hides the stuff she buys from Adam, and when she does eventually show Adam, feigns that she has had them forever. Leanne also handles the household finances, hiding the bills and thus the actual problems from Adam. They previously went to credit counseling which led to consolidation of $86,000 of their consumer debt into their mortgage. Adam, who feels Leanne should have more power in their relationship because she earns four times his income (a belief that Leanne fosters), has turned to religion to deal with the troubles. In total, they have about $140,000 worth of consumer debt on top of their mortgage. As a life lesson, Gail has them learn how to prepare healthier meals on a cash and time budget compared to the fast food they largely lived on. Leanne has to host a party of a different kind, while Kevin takes more control of the household finances. And they have to show that they are more open about what they are doing individually in their lives as those things do affect them as a couple.
Episode 7
22 mins
Maggie and Dwayne have three children. Following Dwayne's passing, Maggie's sister Janice moved from Scotland to Canada specifically to be an alternate caregiver to the children. The two sisters and the three children now live together in a rental house. Maggie and Janice earn $40,000 and $22,000 per annum respectively, Maggie's money which includes widow benefits. Despite the sisters being interdependent on each other for their survival, there is an imbalance in the relationship. Maggie still acts like a teenager, often partying and spending way above her means, which even threatens things like buying medication for her children. For Janice, the children and Maggie are everything in her life, she who has often taken out loans to pay for whatever Maggie can't or won't, loans which she has not asked Maggie to repay. In addition, Janice does not have the assertiveness to stand up to anyone, let alone Maggie, who always gets her way in their relationship. As a result of these issues, Maggie is $40,000 in debt, while Janice is $21,000 in debt. Gail has to get the sisters to work together to build a financial base for their household. She makes Janice take control of her own life by being able to say "no". Gail makes them look toward the future at their lives under different scenarios. And Janice gets an opportunity to use the skills she learns in saying no to the next level.
Episode 8
22 mins
Married couple Alexandria and Andrew, who have two children, earn a combined income of $100,000. They love and support each other as witnessed by their undergarments. But their debt is placing a strain on their relationship. Because of the children, they have decided that Andrew, who is a transit operator, will work nights while Alexandria works days. While they have their child minding duties covered, they do not have the marriage covered as they rarely see each other. Andrew manages the household finances. They are equally to blame for their overspending, Andrew's spending which is on bigger ticket toys, such as a motorbike, while Alexandria's is smaller but more constant. Alexandria's shopping is a replacement for the intimacy now missing in their relationship. As the one who controls the finances, Andrew eventually learns of Alexandria's spending, which she often hides from him. As such, he has cut up Alexandria's plastic, which may have temporarily curbed her spending, but which has further damaged their relationship. They have already consolidated their consumer debt into their mortgage to the tune of $76,000. But what that move has resulted in is that debt being out of sight and out of mind, which has led to them further racking up an additional $40,000 of consumer debt. They have presented a facade of a perfect household, the public spaces of their house which are immaculate. However those public spaces mask the problems which they hide in their junk room basement. Gail makes them make a symbolic gesture to show they are masking their consumer debt in their mortgage. Alexandria has to take control of the finances for the month so that she can get a clearer picture of the day-to-day money issues. Andrew has to sell the big toy, namely the motorbike. Alexandria has to channel her creative energies into something else besides shopping. And Andrew has to rebuild the trust in their relationship by doing something meaningful for Alexandria, while they both work together to accomplish a task associated with their beloved almost top to bottom immaculate house.
Episode 9
22 mins
Michelle and Stephen, who both work in the interior design/contracting business, have a combined annual income of about $100,000. They have two children, Michelle who is currently on maternity leave. They are newlyweds, their fantasy medieval wedding - Prince Charming sweeping the beautiful damsel off her feet - the focus of the their lives for the longest time. But their castle came crashing down when Michelle learned of Stephen's $50,000 debt, largely the result of the divorce from his previous wife. He did not disclose that debt prior to the marriage to Michelle. But they both overspend, Michelle on material goods, Stephen on the best of food and drink for entertaining. They together have made many renovations to their house. Although that $50,000 is a big part of their problem, they are not further in debt because Michelle's parents have previously bailed her out of financial difficulties. They both admit they are not good at finances, Stephen in particular who buries his head in the sand hoping it will magically go away. As such, they never talked about money let alone made a financial plan before they got married. In terms of their overall finances, they have to be better organized and work together. Gail makes them throw a dinner party on a budget. They have to feel true risk, which they have not yet totally felt on operating without a safety net. And going back to their theme wedding, they have to make a public declaration of a different kind to family and friends.
Episode 10
22 mins
Relative newlyweds Sherry and David have a combined annual income of $103,000 from Sherry's work as a fitness coordinator, and David's business as an independent contractor. Their income is currently diminished as Sherry is on maternity leave. The two, who met while on vacation in Cancun, have different attitudes toward money and debt. Despite being no saint when it comes to spending, Sherry stresses about their money issues all the time, so much so she is thinking about cutting short her mat leave to deal with their debt. David, on the other hand, likes to spend, specifically to show to the world, especially his family back in Mexico City, that they are doing well. He bought a $30,000 home entertainment system, a fancy high powered sports car, and has decided that their already big house for the three of them is not big enough and just went out a bought a bigger house, the down payment for which they are currently working toward. David's mentality is that they will and should always have debt, and debt is easy to get out of, all that is required to do so is a little extra work, which for him means an extra contract here and an extra contract there. Gail makes them: deal symbolically with "the elephant in the room" that David refuses to talk about, namely their huge $68,000 consumer debt; see what the trade-offs are to always working as David envisions to pay off that debt; see what their debt means in relation to their current income; prioritize their future plans and goals; and feel the weight of the debt in their lives.
Episode 11
22 mins
Jodi and Adrien, who have two children, one who is an infant for which Jodi is currently on maternity leave, earn a combined income of $87,000 annually when Jodi is not on mat leave. Both Jodi and Adrien led carefree single lives before they got together, each using their credit cards like another source of unlimited income. As a couple, they have already gone through a consumer proposal process, but that has not seemed to have curbed their exorbitant spending habits which as a couple is largely on takeout and restaurant meals. Adrien is coming to a stage of understanding the problem faster than Jodi, who finally hit bottom when they didn't have enough money to buy bread and milk to feed their older son. In sitting down with them, Gail finds that they have never thought about priorities, they seeming to have money to landscape their yard or buy alcohol, but not have money to buy their son a pair of shoes. Fixing certain payments like debt repayment, Gail makes them go through a budgeting exercise to see how they are going to put food on the table. To show that they understand this budgeting process, Jodi and Adrien have to explain the process to someone else equally as in the dark about it as they were. Gail makes them symbolically make the dough they seem to spend so easily. And she makes them live on food bank donations for a week, which is where they are headed if they don't change their spending behaviors.
Episode 12
22 mins
Dionne and Shannon earn a combined income of $90,000 annually. They both admit that they like to shop, sometimes individually, sometimes together. They eat out often on average four times a week, $100 a meal. They also like to travel, with a travel plan always on the go. They bought a fixer-upper house with Dionne's parents, they all planning on immediately flipping it. But as Shannon works in the construction business, he decided to work on the house, taking four months off work to do so with much still to do. The two ended up living there in the meantime, they feeling like squatters since the house is such a mess. As Dionne handles the household bills, she is the one stressing over the money, while Shannon does not see there being a problem as he's not interested in interest. In reality, they do have a money issue as they are $60,000 in debt. Gail wants Shannon to come up with a plan for the house, consulting with Dionne and her parents as the other investors. As Gail can't make their budget balance, Dionne has to find ways to cut back further or earn more money. As Dionne and Shannon like to travel, Gail makes them plan their next trip, including how they are going to pay for it before it happens. And they have to make wherever they are living like it is their palace, unlike the squatters they currently feel like.
Episode 13
22 mins
Engaged couple Caroline and Jason, who earn a combined income of $127,000 a year, don't believe they are stupid people, but they know they have made some stupid mistakes to get into $109,000 worth of consumer debt. That debt started to snowball after they bought their house, which they felt they needed to fill with stuff, especially easy for Caroline to do, she the impulse shopper. For David, much of that stuff is musical instruments, as his dream occupation would be as a musician. In addition, some resentment has crept into their relationship as Caroline, who makes more money, manages the finances, which makes her feel both guilty for their money problems, and mad at Jason for not taking more responsibility. They are planning their wedding, $5,000 of which is now non-refundable. On top of everything, they are both several years in arrears in filing their income taxes. Gail doesn't let them have some of the toys that they have not paid for, but which they may get back if they can work for it. They have to get caught up on their taxes. And they have to figure out what kind of wedding they can afford, as opposed to their knee-jerk reaction of postponing the wedding until they are totally debt-free.