BBC2 'Money'

[amandine07]

Just watching this program, very interesting...interviewing a whole load of couples, discussing money, their attitudes to it, disagreements etc.

It's so funny how money issues can run deep in a relationship, causing rows, upset, ongoing issues.

Sat here open-mouthed as the wife of one couple insisted that her research scientist husband should retrain as a lawyer/accountant so that their children can have a better life and go to private schools etc.

He says he loves he job (is highly qualified with a PhD) but his wife seems to see it as selfishness as he won't re-train for the benefit of the family...I'm not quite sure what the wife does job-wise.

Also very intriguing interviewing two newly-married couple...in opposite financial situations... discussing the minutinae of money-saving.

This program really underscores how true it is that so many disputes/arguments between couples are linked to money!!

I'm watching like this-

I too have switched over from 4 Pish. Great minds...

Fascinating programme! Just realised it is 40K net though... was wondering how all these folk were so well off on 40K combined!

I'm watching this. I like the Filipino family. They seem like a really good match, and getting on with the business of living life with their kids. I am angry that he is a qualified architect and the twats in this country won't let him do his job. It's the same with overseas trained teachers.

Surely it would be possible to simply check that the person is who they say they are and verify that the job can be done by them.

This family who are saving for their son's back operation.. I really feel for them...

Aw I really feel for those poor pensioners having to downsize from £80k net to £40k net.

There have been some cracking one liners in this prog but my overwhelming feeling is that they all seem quite broke- something doesn't add up somewhere.

(and I bet the lecturer is going to get some admirers after this)

I liked him a lot!

I felt that apart from the family with the disabled child and the family with the triplets, most seemed to have a lot of stuff and actually it made me feel we moan too much. We don't feel too flush and are on less than these families, but still, I get the impression that we all have a lot more than we think we do...

I am angry that he is a qualified architect and the twats in this country won't let him do his job.

But it was explained that he needs to do an 18 month course to qualify professionally as an architect in the UK. If they were saying that his skills/qualifications were worthless, it would be a hell of a lot more than 18 months - more like 7yrs+.

I hope he manages it though, at some point; the family deserve to do well, IMO.

the poor pensioners are related to me. It was really surreal watching someone I know on the tv and seeing some photos of my family on tv.

It was interesting how priorities differ.The Filipino family-all their money went to the children,none on themselves.Their priority was to save up for the childrens university.My dh is asian and also has that attitude.I am still trying to work out how the software guy could afford all those expensive holidays and private school fees and take aways on 40 thou'?.Do you think the programme was about families on that amount after paying tax?.I loved the couple who's business had gone bankrupt.They were really funny at the questioning stage and just seemed such nice people.The little boy with cerebral palsy was wonderfully happy with such a light-up face.It is pretty much compulsive viewing,isn't it?.

only watched the 1st 10 minutes as we needed an early night, but will be catching up on iplayer later!

just wanted to say though, they were very clear that it was 40 grand net so roughly 58 grand gross apparently (DH calculated it).

Thought the Filipino couple were lovely and felt sad for them. They both started crying at one point but insisted they were lucky and were obviously trying to do the best for their kids.

Generally when they were talking about income they were talking about net - so what they actually have in their pocket.

I always think we are pretty well off, but i actually felt quite jealous of the sheer number of people who seemed to be very well off.

I watched this on the sky planner last night except for the poor filpinos (poor them doing opposite shifts and looking after 4 little kids!!), the ones with the disabled boy, and the single very kind non materialistic man all the others were whingers a bit.

Who opens a catering business with no knowledge of catering and then surprisingly goes under after 8 months? The retired couple with the woman moaning about 80k to 40k said she felt she didnt have freedoms and was pleading being a little hard done by and then said she couldnt even explain why [grr]

I watched it on catchup last night as well. I don't think they were very clear about the gross/net thing, but it did turn out to be net, so essentially couples earning about £60k gross which is not bad.

I felt so sorry for the Filipino family, how are they going to cope when she goes back full time 8am to 4pm, he hands over 4 really tiny kids to her and he works 4pm to midnight. They're both going to have broken sleep. Poor buggers was what I thought.

The mixed race couple with the little boy with cerebral palsy had me in tears as they are very similar to us; our ds1 looked a lot like their little boy, similar huge smile and happy way about him, and he did the conductive education thing they were doing with their lad.

It's a fascinating programme, I think, you never get to know anyone else's financial business normally.

I also rather liked the woman who shops as a hobby and doesn't like children much. She had a funny, down to earth way about her.