Oprah's Debt Diet IV

[Tosie]

I am really enjoying these shows but I prefer the advice of Dave Ramsey, who is not included in this series. We are doing his program now.

Tracy

 

[PaulaSue]

darn it I missed it again, I haven't watched since the firrst week...off to check out O.com

 

[ReneeQ]

I, too, think some of the Lisa Bradley stuff is exaggerated. I think perhaps she has never used a cart in a REGULAR GROCERY store, but she's probably filled up quite a few carts in places like Walmart, Kmart, Target, etc. She LOVES to shop, you can't tell me she hasn't been there. And she could have gotten all her paper products and snack foods there.

Also, I felt a bit disappointed that they gave her all that kitchen stuff for free. I liked that these families WEREN'T being bailed out, and all they were getting was the free advice, albeit from professionals. That way everything they were doing was attainable for the "average, not on the Oprah show" masses that are in debt.

I think all the free NAME BRAND pots, dishes and appliances unleveled the playing field for us "common folk." They should have made Lisa BUY reasonably priced kitchen stuff with some of the money she was spending weekly on the paper products and eating out. It would have taken her a while to stock that kitchen, but that's the way the rest of the world would have to do it.

 

[Danemom]

I, too, think some of the Lisa Bradley stuff is exaggerated. I think perhaps she has never used a cart in a REGULAR GROCERY store, but she's probably filled up quite a few carts in places like Walmart, Kmart, Target, etc. She LOVES to shop, you can't tell me she hasn't been there. And she could have gotten all her paper products and snack foods there.

Oh, you're right! I didn't think about Target. I just knew the gas stations around her don't even sell regular sized packages of anything. They're all small sizes.

I think all the free NAME BRAND pots, dishes and appliances unleveled the playing field for us "common folk." They should have made Lisa BUY reasonably priced kitchen stuff with some of the money she was spending weekly on the paper products and eating out. It would have taken her a while to stock that kitchen, but that's the way the rest of the world would have to do it.

I completely agree! She's not learning much by continuing to get top of the line! It's time for real world - where you buy the $20 toaster and maybe everybody can't have toast "all at the same time"! How do you not even have a toaster anyway?!

 

[ericamanda01]

$29,000 A YEAR EATING OUT!!! OMG!!!!!!!!!! This is shocking! No wonder they were in debt!

 

[alabamagirl]

I watched most of the show (before I fell asleep) however, from what I saw there was not much new information. I love Oprah and always watch her show when I can, but I guess I was a little disapointed.

 

[nomie74]

Does anyone know when they refer to the family's debt are they including their mortgage? The Bradley's are 170,000 in debt, but on the first show it mentioned that their house cost over 300,000. So in my mind that is not so bad. Dh and I were trying to gage how we are doing and really the only large amount we owe is on our mortgage and some student loans (3/4 of which are paid off). I was surprised that the Bradley's were given all the kitchen stuff, those pots and pans alone are very expensive!

 

[Free4Life11]

What I can't figure out is when Lisa Bradley works? She's seem to have an awul lot of free time!

 

[kfeuer]

I think all the free NAME BRAND pots, dishes and appliances unleveled the playing field for us "common folk." They should have made Lisa BUY reasonably priced kitchen stuff with some of the money she was spending weekly on the paper products and eating out. It would have taken her a while to stock that kitchen, but that's the way the rest of the world would have to do it.

I totally agree! Someone who is $170,000 in debt and doesn't even know how to cook does not need All-Clad pots and pans (which are extremely expensive for anyone not familiar with it) and Cuisinart appliances. She should have had to go to Walmart and figure out what they could afford.

It was funny to me that these people's spending has been so out of whack that simply going to the grocery store and buying food without regards to sales or coupons is a big step-up to them.

I can't believe they were spending over $800 a year on plastic plates and cups--that's like $70 a month. Doesn't that seem like a lot, even if they were using them for every meal? Maybe she was buying them at convenience stores, it's just crazy...and lazy beyond belief.

I found it sad that all these people so deeply in credit card debt didn't even know the first thing about what kind of APR's they're paying. The Eggleston mom is a teacher, it's not like she's uneducated, but she seems completely clueless about money. It's not like the information isn't out there, it seems like everytime I pick up a magazine there's articles on debt reduction lately. I guess it was just denial, but I can't relate to it. Even when my family had credit card debt, I knew what kind of APR we were paying and was constantly hunting for the best deal.

I wish they'd mentioned the difference between the two-cycle average and average daily balance methods of computing interest. It makes a big difference on the amount of credit card interest you pay, but it's not something you hear about very often. I bet some of those high interest cards use the two-cycle method, which makes a bad situation worse.

 

[mjmcca]

I, too, think some of the Lisa Bradley stuff is exaggerated. I think perhaps she has never used a cart in a REGULAR GROCERY store, but she's probably filled up quite a few carts in places like Walmart, Kmart, Target, etc. She LOVES to shop, you can't tell me she hasn't been there. And she could have gotten all her paper products and snack foods there.

Also, I felt a bit disappointed that they gave her all that kitchen stuff for free. I liked that these families WEREN'T being bailed out, and all they were getting was the free advice, albeit from professionals. That way everything they were doing was attainable for the "average, not on the Oprah show" masses that are in debt.

I think all the free NAME BRAND pots, dishes and appliances unleveled the playing field for us "common folk." They should have made Lisa BUY reasonably priced kitchen stuff with some of the money she was spending weekly on the paper products and eating out. It would have taken her a while to stock that kitchen, but that's the way the rest of the world would have to do it.

I haven't seen many of these shows in fact I only saw about 10 minutes at work one day when a patient was watching it but Lisa doesn't seem the type to go to Walmart, Target or Kmart.

 

[dsneygirl]

What I can't figure out is when Lisa Bradley works? She's seem to have an awul lot of free time!

From one of the other shows I got the impression she doesn't work. They only mentioned her husband's income. I missed the first part of the show so didn't see the new kitchen stuff but I was impressed with the Eggleson's. No matter how they got themselves into this situation they do seem very committed to getting out of it.

 

[disneysteve]

From one of the other shows I got the impression she doesn't work. They only mentioned her husband's income.

The first episode said she was a social worker and the income they listed was their combined income.

 

[decaff38]

The Eggelstons will make it because they are truly committed and are really together in this project. I am also a teacher and I understand the pressure to appear as if you are confident and better off than you are. Teachers are respected(most of the time) but the pay we receive is not in line with that respect. Most of us have student loans as big as most medical people or have gone back for a masters because it is the only way to increase our pay. Most also have second jobs as tutors or work in the summer. A teacher pay is often in line with a second income( Hubby makes the bigger wage). You need to show a good image and some get carried away with it. Because of the school connection you are constantly asked to donate to every group that comes along. I often have a donation tab of $$30-50 a week. THe one thing that the hubby said had to do with traveling a lot. That is spendy for a family of 4. I am glad to hear they have made some progress and am going to impliment some of their ideas with the credit cards. I am hoping for a sizeable refund and I work an extra 4 hours a week tutoring and teach summer school for 8 weeks in the summer. Best of luck to them.
Amazing to me is that people eat out everyday. I have to bring my sunch daily. I have a 25 minute duty free lunch. I loved that the teenage girls like the lunch thing and that the families are loosing weight by eating brown bag lunches. THey all seem to be making good progress but what huge holes to dig out of. On the grocery shopping topic. My mom used to call the local store and they would charge it to my dad and deliver it to the house , no charge. I mean 5 or 6 boxes of groceries!! Oh, the good old days. Often the delivery guy would stay for coffee and a cookie too.
Hope everyone sees a light of hope in these shows and can sleep better at night.

 

[disneysteve]

I am also a teacher ... Most of us have student loans as big as most medical people... Most also have second jobs as tutors or work in the summer. You need to show a good image and some get carried away with it. I often have a donation tab of $$30-50 a week.

This isn't meant to flame, so please don't take it that way. I'm just very surprised by your comments. I have many, many good friends who are teachers and not one of them fits this description. The one thing they do fit is the summer job, but that makes sense since teachers have 10 weeks free each year. Actually, many of my close teacher friends are people I met during my years as a camp counselor. I was one of the only counselors who was not a teacher, so I've known some of these people for 25 years or more.

Why would teachers particularly need to overspend to "show a good image." And why would anyone donate $50/week to anything if they couldn't comfortably afford it?

Sorry to stray OT, but I don't think your comments speak for teachers in general.

 

[sk!mom]

This isn't meant to flame, so please don't take it that way. I'm just very surprised by your comments. I have many, many good friends who are teachers and not one of them fits this description. The one thing they do fit is the summer job, but that makes sense since teachers have 10 weeks free each year. Actually, many of my close teacher friends are people I met during my years as a camp counselor. I was one of the only counselors who was not a teacher, so I've known some of these people for 25 years or more.

Why would teachers particularly need to overspend to "show a good image." And why would anyone donate $50/week to anything if they couldn't comfortably afford it?

Sorry to stray OT, but I don't think your comments speak for teachers in general.

I agree. I am a teacher and do not feel any need to overpend to impress anyone. I do get lots of donation requests but I only give what I can afford and only to those that I want to donate to. I certainly can refuse if it isn't in the budget or if I don't want to donate to a particular cause.

I am married and my DH has a higher income but still- we live below our means and don't care what others think. I certainly know teachers who seem to live above their means but I don't think it has anything to do with the profession but rather our society where many people in all professions overspend.

I tutor a couple of hours a week for extra money but I have never taught summer school or worked in the summer. Once my DD is grown I probably will just because I will have so much free time.

I seem to remember in the first show that Mr. Eggleston used to have a different career and that this family's trouble started when he went back to school for a teaching degree and then took the teaching job which was lower pay but they continued to spend as before. They just added to debt every month.

An interesting thing that was noted in the show was that the family didn't even realize how much they were overspending each month.

 

[Snoozan]

I'm most surprised at how none of these financial experts have told their families that the one of the easiest ways to "save" money is to distinguish their purchases between "want" and "need". That's the philosophy my DH and I live and we're living proof it works - we've been mortgage and debt-free for at least 6 years(since our early 40's). We have raised 2 sons and none of us ever felt deprived. We've allowed ourselves our one nice vacation a year(WDW is usual spot) and my DH and I try to spend a few weekends away, too. I fight it a challenge to see how much $$ of each pay period we can save - I tell my DH he's lucky to have a spouse who loves to save and not spend. I also tell him he's sucked all the joy of shopping out of me - so I find it a chore to spend much time in a mall.

I also think that overspending is sometimes a sign of crisis in a relationship - as I've seen many couples overspend just before they announce they're getting divorced. It seems like spending is a form of "medication" for some, IMO.

 

[AlleyKat]

I'm most surprised at how none of these financial experts have told their families that the one of the easiest ways to "save" money is to distinguish their purchases between "want" and "need".

I also think that overspending is sometimes a sign of crisis in a relationship - as I've seen many couples overspend just before they announce they're getting divorced. It seems like spending is a form of "medication" for some, IMO.

TOUCHE!

 

[Free4Life11]

Everyone,

Please give a round of applause for Lisa Bradley! She made her family macaroni and cheese for dinner!!





Seriously though, give me a friggin' BREAK! Let's give her a crapload of new, expensive cookingware because she's decided to make the MONUMENTAL change to...actually cook her family dinner!

What scares me is that she seemed to think that eating out every meal was NORMAL! Honeestly, she creeps me out to no end. There's just something about her that gives me the chills...

I am so sick of them congratulating this family. Have they even started paying any of their bills?

Oh and $200 a week for four people is way too friggin' much if you are $170K in debt! Believe it or not you can eat for $100 a week without eating ramen and pasta every night!

 

[dsneygirl]

The first episode said she was a social worker and the income they listed was their combined income.

I must have missed that. If she works then when does she find the time to get her hair done all the time?

 

[Free4Life11]

I must have missed that. If she works then when does she find the time to get her hair done all the time?

That's what I can't figure out! That and all her shopping...I just can't believe she ever works.