"Downsized": anyone watch this show???

[angwill]

I can understand the mother being too tired to cook at night-she works all day and has MS. However, she needs to be utilizing the help she has in that house, namely the teen kids. There are enough kids so that they could rotate cooking simple meals that mom could plan for. Give each kid a weekday and let him/her cook-it could be simple foods like baked chicken or burgers, with a salad and noodles. Or pasta and jar sauce and salad. Keep it simple and cheap and let them do it-this removes the temptation to go spend $500 on eating out.

I agree with this completely. The mom could also cook a few different meals on a weekend day with help from the kids and then freeze/refrigerate them for when they have baseball or whatever as a quick meal.

 

[dvcgirl]

I watched the first episode last night....

Ehhhh, I don't know, I'm not buying all of this. Yes, I think the family is clearly struggling. But it feels like a lot of reality TV shows....that a lot of the drama is set up. The kid selling the baseball glove at the end of the show to "save the family" felt set-up.

I can just see a producer pulling this kid aside and prompting him to do this....how great it would look....that kind of thing.

The dumpster diving scene felt set-up too.

And seeing these two adults sitting there paralyzed over $100....I mean, there are nine zillion ways to make $100 in a day.

Also, the food stamp card and thinking that there was $50 on there and only having $2 on there. If things were *that* bad, you'd think that they'd know exactly where every single penny was going. And what sensible mother would give that card to a teenager to "get things that they need"....when you're trying to feed 9 people.

And if you're down to using your spare change to pay your rent....I would think that it's smarter to actually roll the coins and save the 7-10% that you pay when you use the coin-start machine.

So, I'm not sure I'll keep watching. There was too much set-up drama...especially between the teenage girls.

 

[holycow]

The financial planner thing was just crazy. $500/month EATING OUT???? A Starbucks addiction that cannot be curbed because she has MS????

Can I say Crockpot.


It's another of those new fangled appliances.

 

[Kensgirl519]

From what I understand, they are living in a rental that is $1700 a month - (i know where I live, your lucky if you can find a rental with $1700 a month if you have more than 4 kids) I thought the same thing about her car, that she should sell it - but then I heard it is 15 years old and has issues - so I don't think that is the best thing to do. They do have 7 children, from different relationships, so I know that there must be child support involved and from personal experience, my husband has 2 children from his first wife and about half of his pay goes directly to her each month for the two kids - so i'm sure he is paying out something for his kids but on the flip side, i would imagine she would be receiving some kind of support from her kids fathers?

I think it's hard for anyone who has gone from having everything to having to cut back. We recently lost our home, because my husbands ex-wife takes us to court every other year for more money. (her husband has $$$$$ so they have a "lawyer" fund to take us to court.) She is a teacher and their kids have never been in daycare - ever. But as soon as we moved and bought a nicer home - our employers cut pay and she took us to court saying their kids need daycare incase she is running late or has something to do. So our support went up about $800 a month for 1/2 of the daycare expenses.

We have downsized and are driving around in high mileage cars and doing everything we can to take care of all our kids. (we have 4, his, hers and ours)

I find it hard to believe that they are so hard up, because you know they are getting paid for this show....

 

[Kensgirl519]

and another thing.... with all those kids - couldn't they HELP in making dinners if mom is too tired???

 

[happygirl]

I think someone said they didn't get paid until 6 months after the show got done filming

 

[Marionnette]

From what I understand, they are living in a rental that is $1700 a month - (i know where I live, your lucky if you can find a rental with $1700 a month if you have more than 4 kids) I thought the same thing about her car, that she should sell it - but then I heard it is 15 years old and has issues - so I don't think that is the best thing to do. They do have 7 children, from different relationships, so I know that there must be child support involved and from personal experience, my husband has 2 children from his first wife and about half of his pay goes directly to her each month for the two kids - so i'm sure he is paying out something for his kids but on the flip side, i would imagine she would be receiving some kind of support from her kids fathers?

I think it's hard for anyone who has gone from having everything to having to cut back. We recently lost our home, because my husbands ex-wife takes us to court every other year for more money. (her husband has $$$$$ so they have a "lawyer" fund to take us to court.) She is a teacher and their kids have never been in daycare - ever. But as soon as we moved and bought a nicer home - our employers cut pay and she took us to court saying their kids need daycare incase she is running late or has something to do. So our support went up about $800 a month for 1/2 of the daycare expenses.

We have downsized and are driving around in high mileage cars and doing everything we can to take care of all our kids. (we have 4, his, hers and ours)

I find it hard to believe that they are so hard up, because you know they are getting paid for this show....

The husbands two kids live with them. He receives child support and so does the wife. They got paid by wetv but not until after the show had completed filming. Withholding comment on the rest.

 

[allison443]

The husbands two kids live with them. He receives child support and so does the wife. They got paid by wetv but not until after the show had completed filming. Withholding comment on the rest.

Did they say how much they receive in child support during the budget meeting with the financial planner?

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

From what I understand, they are living in a rental that is $1700 a month - (i know where I live, your lucky if you can find a rental with $1700 a month if you have more than 4 kids) I thought the same thing about her car, that she should sell it - but then I heard it is 15 years old and has issues - so I don't think that is the best thing to do. They do have 7 children, from different relationships, so I know that there must be child support involved and from personal experience, my husband has 2 children from his first wife and about half of his pay goes directly to her each month for the two kids - so i'm sure he is paying out something for his kids but on the flip side, i would imagine she would be receiving some kind of support from her kids fathers?

I think it's hard for anyone who has gone from having everything to having to cut back. We recently lost our home, because my husbands ex-wife takes us to court every other year for more money. (her husband has $$$$$ so they have a "lawyer" fund to take us to court.) She is a teacher and their kids have never been in daycare - ever. But as soon as we moved and bought a nicer home - our employers cut pay and she took us to court saying their kids need daycare incase she is running late or has something to do. So our support went up about $800 a month for 1/2 of the daycare expenses.

We have downsized and are driving around in high mileage cars and doing everything we can to take care of all our kids. (we have 4, his, hers and ours)

I find it hard to believe that they are so hard up, because you know they are getting paid for this show....

The children live with the Dad on the show so he should be on the receiving end of child support, not paying it. The rent in AZ is similar to that in MD - HIGH. We own a home in MD that we have to rent out because we couldn't sell it and are able to get a much higher price per square foot than what we pay in rent on a home in the South.

As far as your personal situation, been there done that and could write a book. We have been in and out of court with DH's ex over child support and visitation for most of the past 4 years at this point with no end in sight. I'll warn you that you will get NO sympathy on the DIS though for anything you posted since the "new wife" and "stepmoms" are usually flamed pretty badly around here no matter the situation. Get your flame suit on.

The husbands two kids live with them. He receives child support and so does the wife. They got paid by wetv but not until after the show had completed filming. Withholding comment on the rest.

My point exactly.

 

[ShannonMB]

Thanks to the OP, because I wouldn't have known about this show before this thread, and I'm enjoying it!

I think it's hard for anyone to have to cut back regardless of the circumstances, a new way of life is never easy to adapt to.

That said, this family is really starting to push my buttons. I can understand the dad trying to keep his business going and making the awful mistake of trying to finance it with credit cards until things started picking up. I was wholly sympathetic to their needing a large house with that big family, and not wanting the kids' lives to change too much in the process of downsizing.

But holy cripes, after their meeting with the financial planner, I cannot BELIEVE what they are wasting their money on. They've been at this for over a year I think, and they still don't get that taking a family of 9 out to a nice dinner should be a once-in-a-blue-moon for special occasions type of thing? Her weird emotional, don't call me a bad mother because I drink Starbucks by the gallon thing just ticked me off, especially when she tried to rationalize it by saying that the kids were totally supportive of it.

After the baseball glove selling thing, I was kinda touched that the boy did that, and I could feel the shame in the father. But now that I know what they have been wasting their money on, it really actually angers me that the parents put the kid in the position of feeling like they were so down that this was the only way the problem could be solved. My daughter is active in dance, LOVES it, and it would break a little piece of my heart to have to pull her out. But if things get tough, it's the first thing to go, after the Starbucks and restaurant fund, of course. I'm very curious to know how much money they spend on the other kids' sports activities as well. Being active is wonderful, but being in tons of sports and supporting the cost of all the regalia that goes with it is not a God given right. The thought of them moving 45 minutes away from her job and transplanting all the kids to a new school to save $400 in rent when they spend $500 on restaurants -- ridiculous. They really are clueless.

Just one last thing, since I've already written a book, but does anyone else think that their meals eaten at home even look pretty cushy? I think they were having steaks (9 steaks ain't cheap). Whenever I see them sitting down to dinner, I always think, man, why even go to a restaurant when you're having a veritable banquet every night of the week.

 

[Marionnette]

The children live with the Dad on the show so he should be on the receiving end of child support, not paying it. The rent in AZ is similar to that in MD - HIGH. We own a home in MD that we have to rent out because we couldn't sell it and are able to get a much higher price per square foot than what we pay in rent on a home in the South.

As far as your personal situation, been there done that and could write a book. We have been in and out of court with DH's ex over child support and visitation for most of the past 4 years at this point with no end in sight. I'll warn you that you will get NO sympathy on the DIS though for anything you posted since the "new wife" and "stepmoms" are usually flamed pretty badly around here no matter the situation. Get your flame suit on.



My point exactly.

Dont know why you would want to touch that third rail. I didnt. Therefore the no comment. Its ot for the thread.

 

[Marionnette]

Just one last thing, since I've already written a book, but does anyone else think that their meals eaten at home even look pretty cushy? I think they were having steaks (9 steaks ain't cheap). Whenever I see them sitting down to dinner, I always think, man, why even go to a restaurant when you're having a veritable banquet every night of the week.

I noticed the steaks too. This was after coming up short on the food stamps and just eeking by on the rent money? They also use bagged salads and those refrigerated tube biscuits. I did notice that they served up burgers and chicken legs for a couple of other dinners. So not all of the meals are spendy. But when your living hand to mouth and on food stamps then steak should not be a menu choice.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Dont know why you would want to touch that third rail. I didnt. Therefore the no comment. Its ot for the thread.

Oh I know and I was trying to make the point to the new poster that spilled her situation that the DIS wasn't the place to broadcast it. You were tactful in saying no comment but others on the DIS won't be and she will need thick skin if she wants to discuss those topics around here.

 

[MEM]

I'm a week behind with this show because I watch it Sunday mornings - I watched the first episode and so much of it seemed staged/scripted to me, as dvcgirl remarked. The Dumpster diving and the trip to the supermarket for example. It seems that the writers of the show are exaggerating everything this family does wrong so viewers can't fail to miss it - could anyone really be this clueless and yes, selfish? I do not understand the Starbuck's and the MS - if the caffeine helps, then of course she can and should make her Starbuck's at home - I can buy it for as little as $4.50 a bag, here in Boston, with a coupon. The Mom seems very high maintenance to me. I wish I could feel sorry for her.

Regarding the child support, I saw it posted earlier in this thread that they receive $3,000 a month, plus the Mom's salary of around $3,333 plus around $2,000 that the Dad brings in (from odd jobs??). Their take-home is about $4,700, per the financial advisor. Many of us support a family on less than that without debt. I realize they have 7 teenagers so I guess that would explain the food stamps. I would love to see a detailed accounting of their monthly expenditures but I don't see that happening. Even better, I would love to see one episode where they sit down with Dave Ramsey and get a ration of his tough love!

 

[Kensgirl519]

I appreciate your input... honestly. I have no issues paying or receiving child support... honestly. I love my stepchildren as if they are my own and they are treated no differently in our family. All of our children.... I'm not a horrible bitter "new wife" or anything like that.... I just wish money was spent on our kids instead of courts/laywers.... I have been with my step children since they were 1 and 2 years old (now 10 & 12).

I would give up anything for any of my children, houses, cars, jewelry, etc and have done so.

I apologize if my comments offended anyone... trust me, i'm on both sides of this fence!! I'm a mom to a son who receives nothing from his father.... nothing..... but i gladly brought him into this world and have never said an unkind word about his dad or my husband's exwife....

Again I SINCERELY APOLOGIZE to anyone that may have been offended by my comments. My point was only that you do what you need to do to take care of your family.... SORRY

Please forgive me!!!

 

[disneymom3]

I can understand the mother being too tired to cook at night-she works all day and has MS. However, she needs to be utilizing the help she has in that house, namely the teen kids. There are enough kids so that they could rotate cooking simple meals that mom could plan for. Give each kid a weekday and let him/her cook-it could be simple foods like baked chicken or burgers, with a salad and noodles. Or pasta and jar sauce and salad. Keep it simple and cheap and let them do it-this removes the temptation to go spend $500 on eating out.

Can I say Crockpot.


It's another of those new fangled appliances.

You and your new fangled appliances! And may I say, my answer was going to be....two words CROCK POT!! It is a beautiful beautiful thing....coming from someoen with MS.

 

[ShannonMB]

I noticed the steaks too. This was after coming up short on the food stamps and just eeking by on the rent money?

It's the old cliche, isn't it? Got this month's food stamps -- steaks all around!! It gives all hard-working people who rely on food stamps to feed their families a bad name, and it really irritates me.

 

[prncess674]

Did anyone else notice the giant gun safe in the closet when the boys broke the hinge? I have a feeling there are probably thousands of dollars of guns in that case.

 

[disneychrista]

I haven't read the entire thread but I do have to comment on the whole Starbuck I need the caffiene. I love Starbucks myself, but it is one of the first things cut when I don't have the money. Noone NEEDS Starbucks.

 

[graygables]

Did anyone else notice the giant gun safe in the closet when the boys broke the hinge? I have a feeling there are probably thousands of dollars of guns in that case.

Yes, I noticed that and commented to DDs about it.

Did anyone also notice that they told the financial planner all about how they used up savings/retirement/CCs to fund the business, but failed to mention on camera about the $15K-$18K they were spending monthly on their own entertainment? Yeah, it's pretty dumb to charge payroll, but I thought that was too much of an excuse. We went through a tough time where we had no insurance and I had a high-risk pregnancy with a baby with problems and we also put those on a CC (this was before I understood I could make arrangements). This was also during a time hubby was not working and since he's NOT a "corporation", doesn't ever qualify for unemployment like this guy does. Yeah, it was a bad mistake, but I was cloth diapering, making my own laundry detergent, canning from the garden, cooking at home, etc. at the time, not just continuing to blow money like there's no tomorrow. AND, we didn't file bankruptcy. DD is 14 and will finally be paid off next year.

It really chapped my hide that my tax dollars are funding their food stamps and they were eating out and guzzling Starbucks. Quitcherwhinin, for gosh sakes.