Til Debt Do Us Part

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.

Racking up $52,000 of debt while living rent free in the basement of his parents, 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.

Greg’s gambling has his fiancé, 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?

After pursuing her dream job as a zoo keeper, Heather had racked up a lot of debt.  Dave’s obsession with rock and roll put them further in the hole.  Stuck in a basement apartment, their goals of travelling the world and owning a home seem further away than ever.  Gail forces these two to stop putting off planning and to start getting their finances in order so that they don’t end up being up a creek without a paddle.

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.

Leanne hid bills and purchases in cupboards and closets around the house to keep the truth about her spending addiction concealed 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

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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?