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13 Episodes 2010 - 2011
Episode 1
22 mins
Julia and Guy, married for five years with an infant child, are both teachers who have vastly differing outlooks on money. Julia believes one should not spend money one does not have. Guy believes money is for spending, not for saving for a rainy day. Guy not only spends money on almost daily sports outings followed by wings and drinks with his friends, but it is generally money he doesn't have as he uses credit and cash advances, which he does not see as being an issue. Because of their differing outlooks, Julia acts more like the mother to Guy in their relationship, while Guy doesn't think Julia has any fun in her life. In addition, Guy went through a phase of gambling, he ultimately admitting it was an addiction which he has now kicked... or so he says. At the time, he was handling the household finances, the lies about the money for the gambling which has caused a further issue of mistrust between the two. They have consolidated some of their consumer debt into their mortgage, that total consumer debt which sits at $63,000, again which Guy does not see as a problem. Guy also admits that Gail will have to do something drastic to make him change his point of view. Gail thus has a conundrum in dealing with the pair as she solely sees their financial issues as Guy's doing, and thus may have to act more as marriage counselor in dealing with their relationship and getting them on the same correct page before their financial house can be fixed.
Episode 2
22 mins
There has always been an imbalance in Ingrid and Jamie's twelve year marriage, that imbalance, especially as it relates directly or indirectly to money, which is placing strain on their union to the possible point of no return. When they first got together, Ingrid, the A-type personality, already owned a house, whereas younger Jamie, the laid back one, brought three guitars as the material possessions into their relationship. Now, Ingrid, who handles all the finances for the family, which includes two adolescent children, works freelance as a location scout, earning about $70,000 a year, that money which is sporadic depending upon jobs. Jamie also works freelance as an electrician, earning about $35,000 a year, also sporadic based on jobs. Ingrid believes their money problems, $42,000 of consumer debt, are largely Jamie's fault for not working harder to bring in more money, he who is prone to waiting around for the jobs to come to him, and not for him to look for jobs. That work also applies to around the house, those responsibilities falling solely on Ingrid's shoulders. Beyond joint expenditures for such things as family vacations, Jamie believes their money problems are largely Ingrid's fault as she controls the household money and thus is somehow mismanaging it. Gail falls squarely in the middle, seeing it as both an income and expenditure problem, the latter as demonstrated by the fact of their house being filled with stuff from one corner to another. She feels that the crux of the problem is their relationship, which is what needs to be saved before the finances can be fixed.
Episode 3
22 mins
Together for ten years with three children, Hollie and Sean are in a common law relationship. They have divided their expenditures as his and hers, which includes Hollie's student loans as solely her own (while Sean's education was funded through a scholarship). Generally, Sean pays the bigger items - all which he handles through automatic deductions, so he doesn't even see the bills - but has fewer of them, while Hollie handles smaller expenses but far more of them. The two don't communicate about their finances, which bothers Sean as he feels Hollie is mismanaging her money, while Hollie doesn't want Sean telling her how she should spend her money. Although Hollie does overspend on stuff, Sean in general underestimates the burdens Hollie faces both financially and emotionally with her "half". One example is groceries - Hollie's side of the budget - which Sean believes should cost no more than $150 a month for the five of them. Hollie is going through added stress as her father is terminally ill, and she wants to take time off to be with him as well as get married before he dies. Sean, however, does not want to get married until their financial house is in order. Their debt currently sits at $31,000 not including their mortgage. Gail wants them to look at their finances more as a team and for them to work as a team. And she wants them to look at their immediate future, most specifically how they can have a wedding on a budget taking into account Hollie's reduced income while she looks after her dad.
Episode 4
22 mins
Liz and Will, who were high school sweethearts, are relative newlyweds with an infant son, Jack. Will has made a conscious decision that he doesn't want to know about or thus manage their collective finances. Beyond their mortgage, they have had a number of big expenditures of late, such as their wedding and renovations to their small house, which still requires many renos and which they have outgrown, and thus they would like to sell soon. Liz has rolled much of this debt into their mortgage to keep it out of mind so that she can justify more spending. Their mortgage is now more than the house is worth. Some resentment has crept into the marriage over money. Liz is an impulse shopper on credit, she who often hides the evidence of her shopping trips from Will who does know about the overspending on "stuff". As a passive-aggressive move against Liz, Will takes out cash advances for his few indulgences, such as golf and and drinks and meals out at the pub, Liz who treats him more like a disrespectful son than a husband because of it. Including the $40,000 that Liz has consolidated into the mortgage, they have $56,000 of consumer debt. Gail wants them to: feel the weight of the debt in their lives; see what it will take to make the necessary renos to make their house more salable; and proactively deal with what is sure to be their next emergency, transportation, as their two cars are near their last legs. She also has individual tasks for the two, Will's which is to get involved in the household finances, and Liz's which is to spend on her indulgences on a budget, which means buying second hand. But Gail also realizes their relationship needs mending if any of these other measures are to work.
Episode 5
22 mins
Married couple Lisa and Paul, who have a combined income of $114,000 annually, have an infant daughter and a dog, Ella and Pumpkin respectively. Lisa pampers both their daughter and the dog, buying them anything to make them look cute to the world. The clothes for Ella often are for two or three years down the road, Lisa who will often make her purchases look like they have always been in Ella's closet. Lisa recently took a pay cut so that she could spend more time at home with Ella and Pumpkin. Paul's spending is on the larger ticket item of a car, which he replaces once every year or two. The car dealerships convince him using the fancy term of "negative equity" from his previous car, which just means he's going into deeper debt with each successive car purchase. They are trying to move money around to pay off their debt, while they still spend. Their consumer debt alone sits at $117,000. Showing them that they have a net worth of -$40,000 - their assets minus their debt - makes them realize for the first time how deep their problem is. Much like the car salesmen were hiding the debt under the term negative equity, Lisa and Paul first and foremost have to display their debt for what it is, both for themselves and for the world, including their loved ones, to see.
Episode 6
22 mins
Together for five years, late twenty-somethings Candice and Clint have a combined annual income of $96,000. Clint is like a kid in a candy store when it comes to shopping: if he sees something he wants, he will buy it without even thinking about it. His shopping spans the gamut of items, from clothes - hats being his weakness - to electronics, to vehicles (trading in an existing vehicle for another one every year on negative equity), to their just purchased condo, about which he has no idea of the financial outlay such as maintenance fees or insurance. He doesn't or can't hide his shopping from Candice as she handles all the household finances, his purchases which she can monitor online. Their consumer debt, which currently sits at $80,000, is a bone of contention in their marriage. Beyond the debt, Candice is not managing the finances well, paying high interest on many of their credit sources. But what may be the biggest deal breaker in their marriage for Candice is a baby or lack of one. They cannot conceive a baby by natural means, and Candice will spend whatever she needs for in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments to become pregnant. However, Clint's spending and the resulting debt is placing an obstacle for Candice to continue with IVF, while Candice also admits that she has done no financial planning for accommodating a child in their lives beyond getting pregnant. Gail has to get them truly to spend on what is their priorities by making them view critically what their priorities seem to be currently based on their spending, and to work toward those priorities on the income side of the equation by doing whatever it takes to earn the necessary income, whether that be through employment or selling stuff.
Episode 7
22 mins
Married couple Rachel and Daniela are polar opposites when it comes to money. Rachel, who earns $45,000 a year in an office job, believes one needs to make money to spend money. She is thrifty to the point of willing to eat canned soup three times a day if that's what it takes. If the soup is on sale, so much the better. Daniela, who earns anywhere from $28,000 to $35,000 a year as a food server, believes one has to spend money to make money. Daniela easily spends especially her tips, on such items as food, drinks and cabs, that money which they largely see as hers. The one large impulse buy they have made together is a $413,000 house, on which they placed a $20,000 down payment solely through credit sources. Their divergent outlooks on money and life may eventually place a permanent wedge between the two. Because of Daniela's cash spending habit, Gail makes them live on fixed income debit cards rather than cash. What starts off as being a difficult challenge for buttoned down Rachel is being forced to allocate and spend a certain amount of money on "fun". The last two challenges may be equally as difficult for both: setting and costing a five year plan, each who has differing views on their life; and balancing the control in their marriage, Rachel who is now largely steering their ship, she who sees her role unflatteringly more as the b**** than the director.
Episode 8
22 mins
Twenty-somethings Tara and Jeff, who have been together for two years and who want to get married but won't until they are close to being debt-free, live in unique circumstances. Ninety-eight percent of their $89,000 debt is carried by Tara, $70,000 of which is her student loans, which she did not even really consider how she would pay off once she got into the working world, which she is in now as a youth program manager. Her current $39,000 annual income alone would be insufficient to pay off that debt in a timely manner and still live a regular life. They live together in a house which is paid for through Jeff's job as a social worker as he is the 24/7 caregiver to sixteen year old Clayton, who suffers from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. All of Clayton's bills are also paid for, leaving only Jeff and Tara's own personal expenses being what they need to cover to live. Jeff only gets every other weekend off, and has to pay for an alternate caregiver for Clayton for any other time he wants off. Because they feel tied to the house between Jeff's breaks, they overspend on whooping it up whenever Jeff has time off rather than focusing on getting out of debt, despite paying off the debt being the reason Jeff specifically took this job. Jeff does not like to deal with financial issues whatsoever, while Tara, who handles all their finances, does not look at any of it critically, in large part having a sense of denial about the debt. Gail sees their biggest problem as not having a sense of the debt in terms they can comprehend. Once they can comprehend finances in their entirety, Gail wants them to do some planning which includes for Tara what her life would have looked like if she did not have this golden opportunity of Jeff's job in order to pay off her student loans.
Episode 9
22 mins
Sharon and Brad have what should be a comfortable combined income of $120,000 annually, although Sharon is now unemployed and is planning on going back to school. Each brought kids from previous relationships into their marriage, Sharon's two who live with them while Brad pays child support for his four children, two of who who live in the same town as them. Although they talked about the kid issues before they got married, they didn't have a talk about money. Their money problem is an issue of contention, which has already led to one trial separation. Coming back together, they have decided to split their finances. However, Sharon, who is more aware of money in general, usually takes control of the financial situation. Brad has a large financial outlay of child support, but that has not stopped him from indulging in his two passions, golf - he owning five sets of clubs - and power tools. That spending in combination has led to a $40,000 debt. Brad wants to know nothing about his financial situation which has led to his money problem. Sharon is an impulse shopper, mostly on clothes for herself, which has led to a $14,000 debt. They have continual arguments about each other's spending, while more resentment has grown as Sharon can spoil her children, while Brad just can't with his kids. For Sharon, she is willing to assist Brad with his debt, but not if he continually incurs more, which is his pattern. Before she can get them on the road to financial recovery, Gail knows she has to get them to have the proper talk about their combined financial situation, even if they do decide still to split their finances. She hopes that that talk will lead to greater communication in general between the two, so that they support each other rather than work against each other.
Episode 10
22 mins
Leslie and Jurgen, who earn a combined income of $110,000 annually, are in a common-law relationship with a pre-school aged son, Ethan. Their relationship is at a stage of falling apart over their money issues and not being willing to communicate with each other effectively. They bought a fixer-upper two years ago, the house which has turned into a money pit with major cracks still showing figuratively and literally within the house. Jurgen, a carpenter, is supposed to do much of the work, and about which Leslie is always getting on him. Leslie is a shopaholic, spending both on herself and on Ethan, who she uses as an excuse to shop. Jurgen is also a spender on his two indulgences: cigarettes and beer. Jurgen also uses the excuse of being computer illiterate to leave all the household finances on Leslie's shoulders, which she resents since she sees all the problems, while he sleeps the day away. Gail has to get them to use Ethan as a focus to turn their lives around, including getting rid of their bad habits for new healthier ones. The lines of communication between the two have to be more open - for them to be able to express what is truly in their heads and hearts - for Gail's financial plan for them to work and their relationship to survive.
Episode 11
22 mins
Gail believes that Jenna and Mark's relationship is the most at risk of any couple she has ever met due to their immature attitude. Both twenty-three, they leap into situations without thinking of the consequences. Mark brought $17,000 worth of consumer debt into their relationship, which Jenna decided to help him pay. However, he seems to be accumulating more debt spending on his outdoor activities. Jenna feels like she is second priority to his ATV. Although she had no consumer debt prior to meeting Mark, Jenna has since accrued her own in emotional spending, a measure of retaliation against Mark for not taking ownership of getting down his own debt. She refuses to work more just to pay off his debt if he isn't willing to do so himself. Their combined consumer debt now sits at $28,000. They leaped into buying a condo together - the actual unit which Mark hates and thus where he does not want to live - and they leaped into buying two dogs that cost them $4,000. Jenna wants more than anything to get married in a lavish fairytale wedding, hopefully to Mark, while Mark does not want to get married with all the bells and whistles like Jenna wants at least until they get their debt down. At the same time they talk about breaking up because of the debt. Beyond saying that they do love each other, they seem to have different visions for their life. Gail has to get them on the same page with their life goals - which includes seeing things from the other's perspective - if there is any hope for a long term future for the two of them as a couple.
Episode 12
22 mins
Sam and Stephanie, who have four children, are in overall the worst shape of any couple Gail has ever seen. With a combined income of $92,000 annually, most which is contributed by Sam, they lead a flashy life of material goods, a television in each bedroom being the least of it, none of which they can pay for. As such, they take out high debt loans, not realizing the interest rates or that what little money they are putting into repayment goes primarily into paying the interest. Sam admits that he lives by having the "wow" factor in what he buys, which, to him, gives him a sense of accomplishment. They are behind in all payments, with creditors constantly calling. His family has bailed them out financially in the past, something Stephanie is unwilling to ask her family to do. They lost one house seven years ago, and are close to losing the house in which they currently live for many of the same reasons. When reviewing their situation, Gail realizes that their financial problems come out of a relationship problem, where Sam takes the approach of his way or the high way, while Stephanie responds by shutting down, not wanting to get into an argument. Their marriage is on the verge of collapse. If they cannot learn to communicate with each other, not only will their financial issues continue, but their marriage may not be able to survive their problems.
Episode 13
22 mins
Shannon and Colin, married for just over a year, were high school sweethearts. They, but particularly Shannon, are impulse shoppers, which also applies to the purchase of their house. Most of those purchases they do not need. Shannon has the mentality of "buy now, pay later", which Colin knows is unsustainable, but he does not have the backbone to say "no" to his wife, especially about shopping. In terms of incomes, Shannon makes decent money, but Colin only has a part-time retail job which brings in little money. In addition, he has ambition to become a police officer, but does little to work toward making it actually happen, or states that they don't have the money to support making it happen. Beyond dealing directly with the financial issues such as Colin needing to make more money in the short term, Colin taking decisive action toward that police career, and both planning their finances instead of buying on impulse, Gail makes them embark on challenges which are more symbolic concerning their bad life decisions, and Colin needing to stand up to Shannon.