Update from Christie & Dean
Posted by John Draper | Filed under talking about money
People are always asking for follow-up shows. It’s not going to happen people, so give up. At one point I was going to do some follow up stuff here on the site and then my computer blew up and I lost all the follow-up emails I’d gathered. Bummer. I just received a copy of an email from Krisy and Dean. Remember them? I loved working with them, and Kristy made me cry when she gave me a little ceramic doll holding a balloon that said “Hope.” Here’s what she had to say:
Things could not be better for us right now. We just moved into our first house and are getting all settled in right now. It is so beautiful and we just love it!! I started a new job a little while ago that pays way more then what I was getting and I am so happy every morning getting up going to it ~ I can’t even put it into words. Constantine [Dean] has just taken over the lease of a kitchen and is running his own catering business out of it. Things are keeping him very busy right now and we are expecting this to help transform our lives!!
We have paid off all of our debt and are living within our means. We took what the show taught us and kept with it. We really are blessed to have been on it and learnt what we did. We never had parents that sat us down when we were younger and explained to us what dept was and what credit was and the importance of this. So we had to learn the hard way, fortunetly for us though, there are shows like this to give people like us second chances.
So like I said Jennifer, things could not be better for our family right now. Hope all is well with everyone else. Thanks again ~ the day we got that cheque was the first day of the rest of our lives and I truly believe that Gail was sent to us as our financial guardian angel.
Okay, that’s one for you. If any of the people who have been on the show are reading this today, please post your own updates. Everyone wants to know how you’re doing.
I’m very proud to be part of this show. Many TV “reality” shows have a bad reputation for being sensational or scripted. We do neither. We honestly want the best for the families we’re working with, and every member of our crew gives up a huge cheer when a couple turns it around. Sometimes we find ourselves in frustrating situations and bear with it to get to the end of the show. Most times we work with fabulous people like Kristy and Dean who are committed to making the most of what we have to offer.
Perhaps the thing I am most proud of is the fact that we are opening up the topic of money to lots of people who hitherto wouldn’t talk about it if their lives depended on it. Sad that we’re so afraid of how we’ll be judged that we just shut up and keep making the same mistakes over and over. With this show, we’re throwing open the widows and doors of our financial lives and airing out some very musty rooms. We’re talking about our money, sharing our mistakes, and coming up with great ideas for how to make things better.
If you’ve watched the show and have turned your life around, I’d like you to share it with the community here. Sometimes people aren’t quite sure they can do it, and your story may be just what it takes to make another person realize (s)he can do it too.
Y’all are so brave, making changes, sharing your ups and downs. That’s what makes me continue doing the site and blog. It’s YOU and how GREAT y’all are.
And to those who haven’t quite made the leap, aren’t quite willing to give up some bad habits in exchange for some good ones, it’ll come. We don’t all reach the same conclusion at the same time. Things have to simmer. Keep coming back and having a look around and hopefully one day you’ll see how much easier it is to have a plan than it is to constantly be taking stabs in the dark.
I’m a lucky girl to have my job. And I’m grateful to you for spreading the word about the site. We’re ¾ of the way through the first year and have had over a 250,000 visits. Wow! And thanks for being so honest about where you’ve been and what you want from your lives. Hats off to you!
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October 10, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Hello Gail,
Thank you for sharing the letter from Christie and Dean! Although I watch and rewatch your programs, I can’t remember names, but I can’t remember names in my real-time life either! However, I am thinking it might be the person who wanted to be a cake maker???!!!
Anyway, it is wonderful that your programs are on tv, your interactive budget sheet is on your website but mostly, because of you, I have been able to talk to people about their money and my own money – my children and my 6 year old granddaughter and my friend who thinks that if we go to coffee she should pay, buys gifts for every occasion and purpose. She is now occasionally accepting the fact that I can pay for my own things and for her coffee sometimes too!
You know, Gail, up until the huge financial markets crashed, I really thought that statisticians, economists, and big time corporate investors knew what they were doing and it was a real wakeup call for me to realize that either they didn’t know what was happening or they knew, didn’t care and let their greed take over. I now know that I should, first and foremost, trust myself to make my own decisions. Take responsibility and use common sense. Isn’t that part of what you have been trying to teach us?
I am learning, slowly, very slowly….
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!!
October 10, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Great post, Gail – thanks for getting the follow-ups rolling! The Kristy and Dean episode was a favourite – nothing put on by this young couple. Just genuine hardship and lack of knowledge when it came to money management. They were eager to learn and to make many, many changes for the better. God bless this family as they continue on this uplifting path.
October 10, 2008 at 2:24 pm
A ray of sunshine after yesterday’s stormy forecast!
October 10, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Yes, I’m another person who wants more updates. I love to hear the success that past guests have had. Sometimes the shows leave me wondering if people will change… but I guess if they don’t, they won’t be willing to send in an update.
Thank you Gail for offering so much great advice here. I’ve learned so much!
October 10, 2008 at 2:55 pm
I also would love to know how they are doing. Hopefully some will write in.
You know that couple that Gail took her clothes away is that the same couple i see on commercials for marriage under construction. She looks and sounds the same. Does anyone Know?
Happy thanksgiving Gail and also to everyone else.
October 10, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Gail – you’re not lucky to have your job, you’re hardworking and smart. I think the couple that had their clothes away are working their way through every channel on slice/hgtv…
October 10, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Hi Gail
Thank you so much for your response, I know you only answer one question a week and I am glad u picked mine. Updates r very reassuring to someone like us who are just starting to implement changes . V used the jars for the first time last week and guess what? after cutting out spending from about $4000.00 a mnth to $1705.00, v still had approx $ 95.00 left over. V even treated ourselves to dinner and spent $29.00 on takeout for the 5 of us, it was great.
Thank you so much for responding and hopefully in a few mnths I will be able to write with more good news regarding our debt situation.
Happy Thankgiving to you and yr family. God bless
October 10, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Hi Sandra,
Yes it is the same couple, I think their names are Rob and Jillian?
I could be wrong – you know what they were also on another financial help show – Maxed Out and Til Debt Do Us Part and Marriage Under Construction!
Gail you rock!
Keep up the great work you do!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!
October 10, 2008 at 6:35 pm
My husband and I are big fans of Gail’s – neither one of us was taught correctly about money, and we’ve been trying to retrain our brains to think that talking about money is not scary! We’ve never had giant fights about it, but it’s taken us years to get to be able to talk about money without needing lots of space immediately afterward – my husband would spend hours blowing up things on the Playstation and I would head out for massive walks after we’d talk about money, just to escape from the stress of trying to communicate without a language! But now, thanks to Gail, we’ve finally got a money language – magic jars and all – that seems to somehow take a lot of the stress away! Thanks Gail! Long live Till Debt to Us Part!
October 10, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Congrats to Christie & Dean on there success! I’m so happy for them. It’s great to hear that they took the skills they learned and rolled with them. Now they have a bright future ahead of them.
*Good luck Dean with your catering business!
October 10, 2008 at 7:50 pm
i have always wondered what happened to the couple that moved out of the house and into the apartment and had the garage sale.
i really connected with them and hope they are doing well!
October 10, 2008 at 9:57 pm
awww….our lives are so enriched because of Gail! : )
October 11, 2008 at 2:45 am
I like your show so much, because it speaks to the relationship … which is always affected by the finances. Keep up the terrific work, because obviously with the world economic issues – we need it!!!
October 13, 2008 at 6:09 am
“If you’ve watched the show and have turned your life around, I’d like you to share it with the community here.”
My “turnaround” is still a work-in-progress. But following Gail’s advice from the programmes and her website, I will be out of debt (highest at US$10k) in a year (reduced from 18 months with lower interest rates) plus I expect to have US$10k in savings/emergency fund by the time I am out of debt. This is from someone who barely made it to the end of month – we don’t call them “magic jars” for nothing!
I would love to hear stories from ‘Gail Graduates’ for inspiration too.
October 13, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Yno I THINK it was Simone and Frank that I wanted to know what happened to. No offense to Simone but she shocked me especially at the end of the show when they received the $2000 check and were ungrateful for it. Personally if someone gave me 2 grand I would be elated. And apply it to my DEBT lol !! But change takes effort, and effort is duly rewarded, so when you fail at the challenges you pay the piper. Whatever became of these two??
October 14, 2008 at 1:21 am
Was that the couple that couldn’t live in a small apartment for a night and wanted a luxury car?? I wonder if she ever realized that you need to pay back what you borrow??
October 14, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Hi Gail…. It’s Lorna & Richard from the “Life in the Fast Lane” episode (you know… marriage, house & baby in a year! Then – another baby!).
Just letting you know things are going well for us. We suffered a financial hit while I was on mat leave as I was unpaid for a portion of it. I tried to be creative and worked 2 jobs from home – one went great, the other I’ve had to take to small claims court to attempt to get my money. Sigh.
However while on leave, I took three courses which have upgraded my salary by $5,000 now that I’m back to work again. It was tough to put the money out for school when things were so tight – but definitely worth it in the long run!
I now have a full-time teaching job in the Falls (no more commuting! full-time work!). Richard got a job much closer to home in Beamsville and this year received a 9% raise – virtually unheard of in the transportation industry.
Now that we have 2 paycheques again we are back on the jars & doing excellent!
We both lost 75 pounds – EACH!!! Yay! The joys of NOT eating out, not living across from a 7-11 and having “snacks”… and a lot less alcohol!
Cooper is 3.5 years old now, fully potty-trained (finally – because diapers are EXPENSIVE!) and has started skating lessons. Piper is now 16 months old, and a total diva… but she is absolutely adorable. Both kids are in daycare & doing great.
Thanks again for everything. You & your crew were fabulous & we had so much FUN with all of you. Take care.
Much love,
Lorna, Richard, Cooper & Piper
October 16, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Lorna – thanks for the update and congrats on turning your finances around!
I also saw Jillian (the “clothing” girl) on Style by Jury as one of the “after” jurors
October 17, 2008 at 5:11 am
Lorna: I’m so pleased that everything is working well for you. Yes, that mat leave thing can hit your bank account hard when you don’t have lots of money set aside to take care of it. But you guys really stepped up to the plate (HA!) in coping. Keep up the great work. Happy, happy life. g
October 21, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Thanks guys!
October 21, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Thanks for sharing Lorna! And way to go!