Debt Diet

Oprah has a series called "Debt Diet" where she's helping America cut up those credit cards one day at a time. She's picking some pretty wounded souls who have psychological issues that lead to their spending habits.

So, in this episode (Fridays' ep), this lady is back with her husband and they show a party she had, where she aired the FIRST Oprah episode on which she appeared. it was sort of an "outing" herself to her mother and friends that she is in terrible debt.

Part of the episode showed her in front of a 2,000 sq foot house--beautiful, classic lines, typical Suburban America I've Made It house--and says, "Here's my $300,000 house. My husband said we couldn't afford it, but I really wanted it."

I rolled my eyes and said, "Of course you can afford it." Then I turned the show off and puttered into the kitchen of my 842 sq-foot condo that cost me $240,000. On a single woman's meager salary. Shit, if I can (against all logic) barely afford this, surely a two-income household can afford THAT!! (It's called clipping coupons and picking up an extra job, honey!)

Leave it to the L.A. housing market to change your perspective on debt!