'Why don’t I do TV money makeovers on those in horrible debt?' blog discussion

Former_MSE_Penelope

This is the discussion to link on the back of Martin's blog. Please read the blog first, as this discussion follows it.

Read Martin's "Why don’t I do TV money makeovers on those in horrible debt?" Blog.

Please click reply to discuss below.

Errata

I think it's important to show how any family can benefit from a money makeover. I think it's about time you did one for a pensioner. Many of whom, for instance, might like to change utilities suppliers but simply can't manage to wade through all the advice.

savingholmes

I think Martin's blog is a fair enough explanation of why he chose that family over others.... I have commented on the other thread too - but did try to make it clear that I am grateful for advice from this forum and Martin's book - the latter started my journey to improving our finances.

MSE_Martin

Errata wrote: »

I think it's important to show how any family can benefit from a money makeover. I think it's about time you did one for a pensioner. Many of whom, for instance, might like to change utilities suppliers but simply can't manage to wade through all the advice.

Again the key thing to remember is not "when i do one for a pension" its "when they commission a show with me doing a makeover for a pensioner" it doesn't fit the desired demographic for most TV companies.

gwdhld

I watched this show and i like others thought "what about those who can not shuffle credit or can not afford to change the utility supplier". However i have to say that Martins explanation of why he chose this family does make sense. I am grateful to this site and i hope that soon i will be looking at saving tips instead of debt management. If nothing else i have learned a hard lesson through my own naivety.
Thank you and keep up the hard work

alwaysonthego_2

I completely agree with you about not being able to solve a debt crisis in a day. When I see clients seriously facing a debt crisis, it takes us weeks to sort them out. As well as sorting out their priority debts, we have to write to some creditors several times before they accept a payment argreement.

weezl74

MSE_Martin wrote: »

Again the key thing to remember is not "when i do one for a pension" its "when they commission a show with me doing a makeover for a pensioner" it doesn't fit the desired demographic for most TV companies.

Thanks Martin for your thoughts, I hadn't realised that there was such a tight remit on what makes good telly!

personally I'd be fascinated by a debt-busting TV format which is longer term, a bit like those shows where they follow 4/5 overweight people and show snippets of their diet and exercise efforts and then have a monthly weigh in.

Only this would be about debt busting not fat busting! And you could be the monthly 'weigh in' man when you revealed what they'd paid off:rotfl:. And the snippets could be of them batch cooking/finding whoopsies/selling on ebay/ generating a second income/ getting a lodger.

I'd definitely find that good telly. But I know you're not a TV programmes commissioner:o:) But just wanted to add my twopennorth

wildthing01

i'm glad i read martin's explanation, as i have to admit, my husband and i were 2 of the people saying 'well why don't they just sell their bikes for a start?' i usually try not to be that judgemental, but it's easy to forget that a 30 min prog can't possibly tell the whole story, so you tend to take what you see at face value. and i think it's a shame that many tv progs have to rely on big impacts to be saleable (e.g. with beauty makeovers, where they make the poor person look as manky as possible for the 'before' shot, so that the 'after' shot will look so much better...)

i guess the best you can do is to try to meet the tv company's criteria, whilst getting your own agenda across as much as poss, and if the end result is to deliver a public service like moneysaving, then perhaps the end justifies the means!

Memory_Girl

Morning Hon - Chin up Martin. Chalk it all up to a dodgy day in the office.

As an ex Stage and Production Manager I completely understand the challenges of trying to pitchyour idea for your "dream show" - and how in the end it all comes down to the powers (that wannabe). Actually from memory they were all in the twenties and dressed identically in black anyways

Please NEVER feel that you have to justify your "public persona" to me (us). THis site has created its own miracles for those you will never meet - it literally saved my sanity on the worst day of my life when I was left standing humiliated in the middle of a Bank with 71p and three nappies to my name.

No "Makeover Fairy" could have breezed in and sorted me out in a day - but by using this fabulous site and the wonderful tools created by your team - and of course the supportive contributions of those on your forums we have created our own wee miracle. I have not only managed to save my house, but I am in the process of clawing myself back from a Bank induced brink - but I will be the first to admit that as a Single Mum in debt, my story would not be the "sexy prime time one". After all as a Single Mum I am solely to blame for societies ills - right??? (seriously guys this is a joke - OK????)

When I look at what you have created, and read you online, follow you in the newspapers, see you featured in magazines, listen to you on the radio and hang on your every word on TV (do I sound like a stalker?????) - well I for one appreciate how hard you work to get such a serious message out there in a media world obsessed with bubblegum culture and soundbites. And in no way should I ever feel entitled to have someone storm in and and save me from my mess.

Have a great day today - and forgive us our grumblings (its our stuff not yours). Its not personal - you are a wee treasure (and tell Mrs MSE I said so:rotfl:)

Memorygirl

PS To make you laugh I will send you a DVD one day of me paying off the bank, in used fivers, on a Friday afternoon ten minutes before closing and me standing there until they count ever blessed one. Might even tell them its all down to you:)

jexygirl

weezl74 wrote: »

Thanks Martin for your thoughts, I hadn't realised that there was such a tight remit on what makes good telly!

personally I'd be fascinated by a debt-busting TV format which is longer term, a bit like those shows where they follow 4/5 overweight people and show snippets of their diet and exercise efforts and then have a monthly weigh in.

Only this would be about debt busting not fat busting! And you could be the monthly 'weigh in' man when you revealed what they'd paid off:rotfl:. And the snippets could be of them batch cooking/finding whoopsies/selling on ebay/ generating a second income/ getting a lodger.

I'd definitely find that good telly. But I know you're not a TV programmes commissioner:o:) But just wanted to add my twopennorth

Im LOVING that idea weezl! Almost like following our lives but for TV! Take it one step further, intersperse it with documentary style interviews with the forum users too, telling their stories and what they do, I tell ya everyone in the country will be squishing loo rolls in the ad break! (its on the OS forum if you want an explaination!)

Good job on the program Martin, if you ever want to do a small buisness let me know, I'd be up for it the trouble is, you would be a victim of you and your fab teams own success as I already did alot of things that I read here, tho there is always more right!

Jex

gilligansyle

The explanation summed up the frustrations that there must be for Martin and the site. There are lots of people on this site, apparently - I'm not in a position to read the investment type info, who have no debts etc. and are looking for ways to save so they can have a decent retirement etc.

The ongoing debt type thing while interesting to some, would only result in the rest of the country shouting at the telly saying 'you shouldn't have got in that position in the first place' you can't win either way really. I seem to remember a programme in the past that immoralangeluk went on, in which she showed all the things she had done.

I love money make over programmes, but find it annoying that for those people who have debts that are just about manageable they have more options than I do. My only choice is to cut back and then cut back further. But, as Martin says, cutting back doesn't make sexy telly.