Boymomma123 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 04, 2021 1:13 pm
Okay so they bought the dining table that seats four. They have two bar stools that are functional for the time being. I don't understand why the "need" new stools right away. In my opinion they should have budgeted for one or the other. Four new bar stools or a table and chairs. Either way you have seating for everyone.
This whole "new aesthetic" crap they are using to justify ridiculous purchases is super annoying.
They are barely putting out content, what do they do all day? I just don't get it.
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They need them because Katie seems to have a bona fide shopping addiction. I'll bet a million bucks that one of her "love languages" is gifts. Buying herself things is how she "loves" herself. She can't help it. This TOTALLY comes from
Grandolly. She started Gaines a charm bracelet when she was born, I think, that she adds a charm to each year. This makes it
sentimental. Katie has been trained (raised) to perceive objects as sentiments. Sentiments or "sentimental" means having to do with feelings. If you express a feeling toward someone, it's called sentiment. Objects can be
sentimental because they evoke a "feeling" associated with the object. In Katie's family, Grandolly has taught her grandchildren that "I love you when I give you things and I make sure to attach sentiment to it." Gifts = Love. At least, that's my perception of the woman.
You do NOT dedicate an entire room in your home to gifts and gift-wrapping without placing a very high priority on gift-giving (which Kelly has in her house). This puts gifts at the
same level as a member of the family. The priority is so high, it is given its own "living space" in the home. The more Katie feels unloved by her family, including Cullen, the more she will spend - just watch. This will only escalate.
Their debt journey was a show they put on for their family. That didn't work or at least not well enough, so they moved to another town where they could REINVENT themselves - which they ARE doing. They are changing their identity right before our eyes. Or I should say KATIE is changing her family's identity to avoid the shame she feels at having to downsize. Katie
knows that their audience could give less than a rat's ass about barstools. These videos and social media sharing are
really for their
family who is also watching. lol
There is also the problem that she sees food as a gift, as well. She uses food to "gift" herself. That's why eating out is a problem. If she can't buy stuff, she'll buy food. It's the same for her. The problem is not the
things she buys, but the
buying of things themselves.
She's extremely manipulative, too, but not very good at it! Cullen is just not very aware of what's happening around him (that's a
choice he makes) and she takes advantage of that BIGTIME.
Cullen wants to be in the dark/denial about what is going on with her so that the responsibility is never his. The way she hides purchases or justifies spending is glaringly obvious. He could ask to see the spending, the receipts, the budget, the bank account balance AT ANY TIME, but he doesn't. It's pretty clear that he's not aware of the budget or total spending until they are making the videos. I believe his shocked expression in those is genuine. That's inexcusable. He's a perpetual sixteen-year-old and Katie is his substitute mother. I'll bet there is plenty he hides from her, too. Relationships like this are very rarely one-sided. If she's doing it behind his back, then he is doing stuff behind her back and that's why he's content not to call her out on her bs. He's got bs of his own that he doesn't want to stop doing. Tit for tat.
The main problem I have with this family is not their financial irresponsibility, it's their
drinking. I was disgusted at the way Cullen was pretending and encouraging his children to pretend as if they were drinking alcohol with their Thanksgiving meal. Cullen is literally grooming his kids to drink. I hope they keep their alcohol behind locked doors. (Katie, you reading this?) Their kids are going to get curious about the real stuff sooner rather than later, and by what I saw in that video it will be Brooks. Katie has chosen Gaines as her "mini me" and Cullen has chosen Brooks. Cullen is basically a drunk frat boy who failed to launch and I predict that Brooks will choose drinking as a way to bond with his dad (and dad will encourage it).
Time to get grown up jobs and stop buying shit. 
