Musicians Valerey and Alex make more than just music together – they’ve also orchestrated a financial disaster. Unemployed, Valerey recently declared bankruptcy but she’s going back to school leaving Alex with all the bills. At 40-something, they're too close to retirement to have zero savings and no assets. Gail's plan depends on them tuning into their financial situation and making more money, but that's a tune that Valerey might not be willing to play.
Mike and Sheila met in a rehab facility and triumphed over their addictions together. But to make up for lost time, they bought everything they've ever wanted, and it's left them with a throbbing debt hangover. And their dreams for the future are totally out of touch with their finances. It's up to Gail to get their spending under control and dole out a sobering dose of reality, or they risk all the progress they've made.
Michael and Laural don’t see eye-to-eye on anything, except they both agree they’re very deep in debt. They never should have purchased the condo they can’t afford. Gail is going to teach them to stop pointing fingers at each other and start building a better life for their son.
Self-employed couple Ingrid and Jamie agree they have a money problem, but while Jamie thinks they spend too much, Ingrid's convinced they don't have enough income, leaving any shortfalls to be filled in with credit. Now they're trapped in a circle of debt. Two children, a mortgage, and mounting bills have stretched Ingrid to her anxiety limit while Jamie is content to sit back and let it be. When they run out of cash for their jars in week three, Gail is left wondering how committed this couple is to fixing their financial mess.
High school sweethearts Trish and Tony have three children – and a pile of debt. Tony’s parents bailed them out once before, but only two years later, their debt is bigger than ever. Stay at home mom Trish is miserable in their tiny townhouse and spends money as fast as Tony can earn it. The stress is taking a serious toil on their relationship. Gail has to show them that solving their problems is going to take more than just money – they both need to fess up.
Ivy and Carson haven’t stopped to add up the cost of their family-focused lifestyle. Having a stay at home mom and buying organic are important to them, but are they spending too much time thinking about the wrong kind of green? They say they’re worried about their increasing debt but they can justify every bad decision they’ve made. Gail faces an uphill battle trying to get these two to change their ways – no ifs, ands or buts.
Despite a healthy family income, Lucy and Dave have never been debt free. Lucy manages all of the family’s finances – but she spends it as fast as it comes in. To get this couple back in the black, Gail has to open up the lines of communication – between themselves and with fellow shopaholics. Confronting clutter at home and in their spending habits gets Lucy and Dave back in sync.
After meeting online, Carolyn and Jason lived large during their engagement, but now it’s time to pay the piper. They were years behind in paying taxes and spending double what they earn – which led Gail to repossess the stuff they purchased on credit. Caroline felt like a failure and they decided to cancel their wedding plans. Can Gail teach these two to be happy with what they have in time to save their future together?
While Dionne was putting vacations on credit using a fly now and pay later plan, Shannon - having “no interest in interest” - ignored his debt and buried his head in the sand. On top of their bad spending habits, they made a huge commitment to their parents to gut and flip a fixer-upper hoping to make a quick buck but their renovation fell behind and the market fell apart. To renovate this couple’s finances and get them interested in interest, Gail pushes them to make some tough decisions.
Despite going through a consumer proposal in the past, Jodi and Adrien didn’t change their ways and overspending got them into trouble for a second time around. Given that Jodi was on a reduced maternity leave income and both of them were struggling to make minimum payments, this family was on the brink of disaster. Gail forces them to pay back the dough they’ve already spent and teaches them that budgeting is as easy as baking... a loaf of bread.
Amy and Paul are learning about home ownership the expensive way. Surprises during renovations forced them into a line of credit – and there's still much work to be done. Amy loses sleep from worry but they haven’t curbed their spending. Now they want to add a puppy to the household but haven’t yet figured out if they can even afford it. It's time to get their priorities straight if they ever want to sleep peacefully.
Newlyweds Natalie and Matt have accumulated $25,000 in consumer debt, and they haven't even celebrated their first anniversary. Natalie's so stressed out, she's taken a leave of absence from work. Meanwhile, Matt's an overgrown teenager who spends more time playing sports and drinking beer with buddies than he does working. Gail needs to show these two how to grow up.
Although they've been together for over ten years and have three children, Hollie and Sean are not married and they keep their financial arrangements separated. While Hollie wants to make it official, Sean's putting off the trip to the alter until they can afford a big wedding.
Sean only pays for the mortgage and insurance, leaving Hollie to handle everything else. And with an ever-increasing debt load, the wedding is a distant dream. Now, Hollie's facing a family crisis which makes it even more urgent that they sort out their finances, and their relationship. Gail needs to show this couple that even though they're not hitched, their finances are.
Single mom Favel thought she’d found her knight in shining armour when she met new husband Twain. Twain hates debt as much as Favel does and together, they plan to buy a house for them and their three children. Before they can get there, they need to start cleaning up the mistakes in their pasts. Gail walks them through their credit reports to show them the impact that a poor “R” rating can have on their futures.
Sherry met David on vacation in Cancun; now they are married with a baby, and deep in debt. Sherry was so stressed about the money that she cut her maternity leave short. David, on the other hand, is determined to make the most of living in the land of opportunity and he’s not going to let debt stand in his way. Even with their credit cards maxed out and a down payment on their house due soon, he resists Gail’s help. Their $68,000 of debt is the elephant in the room that David refuses to talk about and Gail’s going to make sure he doesn’t ignore it any longer.
Michelle and Stephen were so busy planning their fairy tale medieval wedding they forgot to talk about money. Once the honeymoon was over Michelle found out that her Prince Charming was actually a frog with a lot of debt. Although all that debt still didn’t stop Michelle from spending like a princess. Can Gail get these two to stop living a financial fantasy and rescue them from the Debt Dragon?
Alexandria’s secret spending habits pushed Andrew to cut up her debit and credit cards. After consolidating close to $80,000 of consumer debt into a 2nd mortgage, they still went and spent thousands more on credit. And Alexandria wasn’t the only one to blame; Andrew was blowing their credit on big-ticket items like an entertainment system and a motorcycle. Their relationship is cracking under the strain of their mounting debt and if Gail can’t get them to start trusting each other again their marriage is going to hit the wall.
Maggie spent her way into debt and bullied her sister, Janice, into bankrolling her. After the death of Maggie’s husband, her sister came from Scotland to help her look after her three children. Along with taking care of the kids, Janice also took out a loan to cover what Maggie couldn’t pay. These sisters’s interdependence has left them feeling trapped and frustrated. Gail breaks their old habits by getting Janice to stand up to her sister and getting Maggie to start prioritizing what’s important – her family and future.
Leanne hid bills and purchases in cupboards and closets around the house to keep the truth about her spending addiction from her husband Adam. These spending secrets were not only damaging their finances but they were also detrimental to their relationship. Gail puts this family back in touch with reality by opening their eyes to the $141,000 of debt they’ve accumulated, cutting their spending, and prioritizing honesty. When Gail challenges Leanne and Adam to reveal their undisclosed secrets to each other will it strengthen their relationship or cause them to split up?
Ted is a paramedic, Melissa a cop. Working opposite shifts in high-stress jobs, and caring for two young kids, has left them with no energy to track their money. So, they spend, spend, spend. Totally divorced from their financial reality, the couple underestimates their monthly income yet still overspends across the board. Their healthy joint income is more than enough to comfortably support the family, so Gail’s first question is: “where’s the money going?”
When Elizabeth lost her job, this family of five felt the crunch. But Elizabeth didn’t stop spending. So in order to support his wife and three kids, Wojtek began juggling their growing debt between 16 credit cards with low introductory rates. Now, the cards are about to jump to full interest and these two are preparing for the worst. Will they lose their home?
Dental hygienist Liz and truck driver Will are engaged in a destructive spending game. Control freak Liz handles all the finances while keeping Will on a tight leash, yet still spends a lavish amount on clothes for herself, their baby and their dog. In retaliation, Will takes out costly cash advances.
They've refinanced their home several times to hide debt in their mortgage to the point they now owe more than the house is worth. Getting this couple back on track means reigning in the spending, finding ways to re-build equity in their home and getting rid of the resentment between them. Gail finds way to get them fighting their debt rather than each other.
Jacqueline and Grant are both huge fans of the band Queen. That’s where their similarities end. Jacqueline is a compulsive shopper who thinks that using coupons will mitigate her out-of- control spending. Meanwhile, husband Grant is completely oblivious to the impact of his wife’s spending – and to the $50,000 of debt she’s racked up. To get their finances back in tune, Gail has to slash their spending and step up the debt repayments.
Debt was ripping Melanie and Kevin’s family apart. With a surprise second baby on the way and 15 creditors demanding interest payments, Melanie worries that their financial affairs will kill their relationship for good. After begging for Gail’s help Gail nails them on bad habits, silly spending and unstable incomes. Plumber Kevin has to work extra hard to keep his temper in check so that their prize money and relationship don’t end up down the toilet.
Greg’s gambling has his fiance, Karla, wondering if marriage really is in the cards for them. After catching Greg in a lie about his gambling habit, Karla took the financial reins and has been trying to curb his spending and debt. Looking for an easier way out, Greg thought Gail would give him a break – boy, was he wrong. Will Gail’s challenges get Karla trusting Greg again to make their relationship a sure bet or will he revert to his old ways and forfeit it all?
Racking up $52,000 of debt while living rent free in his parents’ basement, 35 year old perpetual student Chris has a lot to learn. Chris’ wife, Yen, is the breadwinner of the family but now they’re expecting a baby. Gail schools Chris for his carefree attitude towards his crushing student loans and finally gets him to feel the damaging weight of his debt. Once Gail helps Yen find her voice, Chris is forced to make tough choices about his future.
DJs Amanda and Sean have been spinning themselves into debt. Even with Sean’s three jobs and Amanda’s bookkeeping skills, these new parents haven’t been able to scratch the surface of their debt. Using credit to buy big toys for themselves and for their daughter, their interest fees have skyrocketed and their romance has flattened. On top of challenging these two to brush up on their budgeting skills and to rekindle their relationship, Gail cranks up the pressure and gives them the job of planning a dance rave party to raise some much needed cash.
Owning a house is just a dream for family-minded Jill and Orson. Stuck with their children in a cramped apartment, they live a life where overdraft protection is not a safeguard but a necessity. Jill's financial management is misguided while Orson stays willfully ignorant. They're both clueless as to why they keep spinning their wheels as they grind from month to month. Can Gail free them and turn their hopes and dreams into ways and means?
Tom and Lisa have creditors lining up at the door but it doesn’t stop them from blowing their money on partying. As a supply teacher, Lisa hasn’t made the effort to work more than a day or two per week in over a year. Tom has a good job, but ends up throwing out bills he says they just can’t afford to pay. Will these two grow up, face their debt and take charge of their future?
Lisa and Paul have dug themselves into a hole of overindulgence. Lisa spent $1,000 decorating their infant daughter's bedroom and has 15 outfits for their dog. Meanwhile, Paul drives a new car into the garage so often, they should consider installing a revolving door.
Since they enable each other's bad financial habits there's no voice of reason to tell them that "negative equity" is just marketing-speak for "debt." It's up to Gail to erase their illusions and straighten out these big spenders before they drive their young family into the ground.
Beth and Steve are struggling with a modern reality. Beth out-earns Steve and it makes them both uncomfortable. Add in Steve’s larger debt load and it’s a recipe for marriage meltdown. They’re so busy keep track of who owes what and what got paid when that their relationship is suffering. Gail has to show them that when it comes to dealing with debt, they’re a team and there’s no “I” in team either.
Jenna and Mark are a classic case of too much, too soon. These self-indulgent 23-year olds have no life skills. They don’t know how to run a home, or a budget, and their frivolous spending has landed them deep in debt. Jenna assumed all of Mark’s past debt, but she harbours a lot of resentment. Mark senses Jenna’s anger and as a result, he doesn’t want to add to their existing debt with an expensive wedding. These two are going nowhere fast, causing Gail to ask “Will this be the first couple to break up on camera? To bring them back from the brink of collapse, Gail needs these ungrateful adolescents to start appreciating one another and simple day-to-day life.
Stephanie and Sam are parents of four whose financial priorities are very different. Sam’s need to have the biggest and best of everything has led to financial chaos, as Sam pursues what he calls “the Wow Factor.” Despite the fact that the family has already lost one home, and may be on the brink of losing another, Sam seems oblivious to the toll his actions are taking on his wife and children. While Stephanie tries her best, she’s ultimately left with some very tough choices to make.