Money Matters
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Life or Debt TV Show

bmo88bmo88 member
500 Comments Fourth Anniversary 250 Love Its Name Dropper
edited April 2016 in Money Matters
Has anyone seen the Life or Debt tv show?

I recently saw a few episodes and I find it interesting. The situations people find themselves in is financially crippling. Most are racking up hundreds to thousands of dollars of debt monthly because they are living beyond their means. 

The premise is that the host comes in, assesses the family situation and provides a list of "demands" and changes that occur within 4 days. Then, he gives them 90 days to make the changes and revisits at the end of the episode. In the two episodes I have seen, both families dramatically changed their situations and got to a point where they significantly increased income, cut expenses and started paying back the debt.

Obviously this is like a reality tv show, so it tend to show more dramatic situations. But it's definitely an interesting concept and maybe will help other people better understand and learn how to handle finances and get out debt.

Just curious if others have seen it.
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Re: Life or Debt TV Show

  • I watched and episode from the hotel when I was visiting my grandmother in Miami.  Can't say the episode I watched turned out as happy.

    The couple basically ignored everything the host told them to do.  To the point where the lawyer they had retained refused to help them.  Looks like Straight out of Camden was the episode I watched.

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  • bmo88bmo88 member
    500 Comments Fourth Anniversary 250 Love Its Name Dropper
    @jtmh2012: Yeah, I could see a fair amount of couples not following through. Even though the two episodes I watched were successful after 90 days, the real question is how successful they are 1, 5, 10 years down the road. Unfortunately, a lot of people find themselves falling into the same poor habits. So I could even see some increasing their income, and then deciding to spend more of it. I hope they do a "where are they now" follow in a year or so.
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  • julieanne912julieanne912 member
    Fifth Anniversary 500 Love Its 500 Comments Name Dropper
    edited April 2016
    We've been watching it.  The Camden people just pissed me off... talk about heads in the sand!  It also showed that appearances are just that... appearances.  Just because someone has fancy clothes and cars doesn't mean they're any more well off than someone who is more plain.

    I did like the single mom in LA episode.  She really was just trying to make things work for her and her kids... she was struggling but not for lack of trying.  She more just needed help with focusing her attention on what was the most productive and someone to give her a bit of confidence.

    I will say I wish they'd list out what their expenses are.  Some of them (like the family in last night's episode in Long Island) had some insane expenses... I was curious exactly what they were.  There used to be a show that I believe was from Canada, they'd put it on CNBC on Saturday nights, called Til Debt do Us Part (I think).  It got deeper into what the family's budgets were etc and I found that to be helpful.
  • Was there any good advice or was the situation so extreme that it was just trying to get them to turn their situation around before they lost everything? 
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  • julieanne912julieanne912 member
    Fifth Anniversary 500 Love Its 500 Comments Name Dropper
    edited April 2016
    cbee817 said:
    Was there any good advice or was the situation so extreme that it was just trying to get them to turn their situation around before they lost everything? 
    For the Camden one?  They were basically losing their house that had a $1200 mortgage payment, which they hadn't paid in like 2-3 years.  The lawyer was retained to help them save their house.  Instead, they didn't provide the information that the lawyer needed, and went and moved to a new house that had something like a $2,000/month rental payment.  

    Also, she'd pay a professional makeup artist to come do her makeup like 6 times a month, and she had a closet full of designer clothes and was driving a Range Rover.  They were engaged, and her ring cost $12,000 (which he was making payments on) and they wanted to spend $2,500 JUST on an engagement party.  

    All of his advice was what anybody would say... cut out the unnecessary stuff, pare down, sell the expensive stuff you own, etc.  But they just ignored it (other than selling her car).  
  • There used to be a show just like this on CNBC called Debt Til Us Part. It was fascinating to watch.
  • The first episode I watched was the one last night, in Long Island.  Although, it was on late when I caught it, so I taped the last half and didn't finish watching it yet.  That couple seemed pretty hopeless.  Their monthly expenses outpaced their income by around $7K/month.  That can't be fixed by cutting out cable, clipping coupons, and eating ramen!

    I thought it was really crazy that, for as much trouble as they had been in for so long...already in the foreclosure process...yet the wife never got a full-time job.  Even if it was just minimum wage.  And the husband, who was a DJ (which sounds like a p/t job to me), never got a second job.

    I don't know if people just get set in their ways.  Or are just so despondent they can't see a way out.  But a f/t job for her and another p/t job for him seem like really obvious first steps.  FTR, another p/t job for the husband was my first reaction.  The expert recommended he grow his business. 

  • what channel is it on?
  • bmo88bmo88 member
    500 Comments Fourth Anniversary 250 Love Its Name Dropper
    vlagrl35: I believe it is on SpikeTv. 
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  • bmo88 said:
    vlagrl35: I believe it is on SpikeTv. 
    oh that's why I've never heard of it - don't have cable.  May have to see if I can find it online to watch - sounds interesting.
  • bmo88bmo88 member
    500 Comments Fourth Anniversary 250 Love Its Name Dropper
    vlagrl35: If you follow the link (click on the show name in my post), I think they have episodes online.
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  • bmo88 said:
    vlagrl35: If you follow the link (click on the show name in my post), I think they have episodes online.
    I will check it out
  • @vlagrl35 they have a couple on Hulu Plus. I watched the one last night with the Camden couple last night, and they were pretty tough to handle! So. Many. Bad. Decisions. He was amazingly patient with them. Still, it is a reality show, so I take it all with a grain of salt.
  • I've never seen it, but it sounds interesting. I used to watch a lot of Till Debt Do Us Part, which seems similar to this show. 
  • I now love this show, so glad it was posted! I have Hulu and have enjoyed all 3 episodes so far!
  • smerkasmerka member
    Ancient Membership 250 Love Its 500 Comments Name Dropper
    Wow. I've watched three episodes this morning and they are all fascinating. The one with pastor living with his inlaws has me stunned
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