Cullen and Katie: Drowning in debt, parenting is inept | Part #24

[Boymomma123]

I would have a lot more respect for them and the new series they are doing if they were less condescending and more realistic. I could understand if they felt they could do more on social media and earn more that way before going and looking for second jobs. But they have dug their heels in the ground and refuse to admit that a second job outside of sm might be their best way to get out of debt. Katie has such an attitude toward people just offering them suggestions when they openly admitted to not having money for gas, food and christmas for their kids.

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[Todays drama]

I know they are hanging on to the YouTube influencer hope, but in reality, what are they going to vlog? The kids are in school, they don't do much but go to Granddolly & Granddocs florida house. And last year they didn't even go there when the others were there. They got drunk and made Brooks last minute Birthday cake in the middle of the night. They just don't live the interesting life people may want to watch. They would be better off getting outside jobs, maybe vlog on weekends when they go somewhere or if the kids are reaching a milestone. No one wants to watch a grown up man play with his fish or hear a SAHM complain her laundry is piling up. Theres only so much of that you can watch.

[HashtagBlessed]

I can appreciate someone giving a backstory to explain what put them in a specific mindset that then enabled them to make poor decisions. But when you listen to their tone and their phrasing, it’s incredibly obvious that they are still placing blame elsewhere in a backhanded way. Why mention that Kelley sent you the listing for the house when you were “mentally vulnerable” and susceptible to “outside influence”? They make it sound as if they are mentally handicap or something and got taken advantage of. If you constantly have to say, “Now, I’m not pointing the finger, but…”

Banks and credit card companies are not looking out for your best interest, that’s on you. The bank is going to cover their own ass and offer you financing that makes the bank money. Likewise, the credit card company actually makes more money in interest when you rack up debt and make the minimum payment in perpetuity. A credit limit or approval for a home mortgage is not akin to sound financial advice.

The bottom line for me is that they believed what they wanted to believe because they wanted these status symbols and the luxury lifestyle without having the money to pay for it. They’re still not really owning that. They admit that they made dumb decisions, but they haven’t come out and said, “we wanted unrealistic things but we didn’t want to have to actually work for them in order to be able to afford it in a responsible way." That’s why they’re still digging their heels in (at least Katie is) and refusing to find real employment so that they can pay back their debt AND afford to live. This came about because of their entitlement. But they want to make it about loss, depression, etc.

[Ducklings4]

They have a gambler’s attitude. They seem to keep waiting for that next big payoff. Unfortunately family vlogging is not going to be it. Since they are really not offering a solution to their problems, they are not helping people. I am only watching because I can’t turn away from this train wreck. I know if my husband and I were in this situation, one or both of us would get a second source of income. Her reasoning or justification of not getting a second source of income is unrealistic and as I said like a gambler thinking their luck will change.


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[Catface2]

With her princess entitled attitude, there’s NO WAY she’s going to go back to work while he gets to stay home. In her snob world the man is supposed to work while she stays home. Complete bullshit.

[justmeelinex]

Why are they on an airplane? They have no money at all!

[thatonemom]

Why are they on an airplane? They have no money at all!

It's a sponsored trip to Universal. Katie mentioned it in one of the recent videos and said the entire trip would be paid for. Honestly, they shouldn't even be going. You can't tell me they will not spend a dime on this trip. It's paid for, but they are not getting paid to go (that would be worth it!). They also are not posting another video until Monday b/c they will be away. They can't take a lap top and upload this weekend? They are so freaking lazy! Wait until they fall flat on their face in a few months!!!

[Boymomma123]

Why are they on an airplane? They have no money at all!

Sponsored trip to Universal Studios, which makes no sense because they are promoting getting debt free on their channel and social media accounts yet working with an expensive theme park. I am sure the airfare, hotel, and park admittance is paid for. However, I am sure they will still spend money so it doesn't seem like a great idea for them to go but whatever.

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[justmeelinex]

Why are they on an airplane? They have no money at all!

Sponsored trip to Universal Studios, which makes no sense because they are promoting getting debt free on their channel and social media accounts yet working with an expensive theme park. I am sure the airfare, hotel, and park admittance is paid for. However, I am sure they will still spend money so it doesn't seem like a great idea for them to go but whatever.

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That’s ridiculous! They have no money for food or Christmas but they can afford to eat an airport (they obviously will!) and go out for dinner. It also makes their “no money” story a lot less believable.

[hereforthekids]

I can't wait for them to put the video up of their trip after there "debt free" series! They are only doing this debt thing for

1. VIEWS
2. Because they are broke and need views.
Its painfully obvious how desperate they are to get views/sponsorship

I mean, who goes on a trip regardless if its free.You can GUARANTEE those kids will be coming back with tons of souvenirs and crap from their trip.

It's honestly embarrassing how they are acting right now! You'll see when they suddenly also get a trip for SPRING break, SUMMER vacation..
People who are really trying to get their debt in order DO NOT, do these things and the fact that they are just shows how NOT real they are. This isn't real life. People who are really in the amount of debt they are in, should be trying to get out of debt as fast as possible so they can have retirement, money for their kids college,etc.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT GOT THEM IN TROUBLE IN THE FIRST PLACE...FREE TRIP...SURE WE'LL CHARGE IT ALL AND THEN THEY WILL REIMBURSE US AND THEN NOT PAY THE CC BILL...

[snowyday54]

I think if they try and are unable to sell the house and get out of debt so they can survive then they should just file bankruptcy. It's not a shameful thing to do. It is a legal way to move forward in this country and there is nothing wrong with doing it. I expect people to try their best but sometimes bankruptcy is just a better answer. The truth is most people come out way ahead after a bankruptcy. It's a huge help. If they cannot sell that house or rent it to cover costs for now then that is what they should do. I am sure they are scared of the stigma and what people will think about them but they need to do what is best for them both to move forward. We all make mistakes, don't pretend any of us are perfect. We all have different circumstances. Until you walk in another persons shoes you will truly never know and cannot judge them. The financial system and the banks are all set up to milk all the money they can out of all of us. Not all of us have the financial knowledge to know everything and make the best decisions. I could go on and on here but I won't. To sum it up though, I agree that its insane that they never save or invested any of the big money they made off you tube.

[Boymomma123]

That's what I was thinking too when they said they will get reimbursed after the trip. They said themselves sometimes sponsors take a while to pay them. So what happens when they run out of cash and have to put the meals/or souvenirs on a card? I can't believe they would go out of town when they cannot even afford life. The kids will ask for things and Universal I am sure has only alloted a certain amount of money per day to reimburse them with.

Most people on the debt free journey try to spend as little money as possible. Agreeing to a trip where you may have to spend money seems like a terrible idea. I follow a woman who quit using paper towels and tries to waste as little food as possible to pay off their debt. C and K think they can just put money in envelopes and magically pay off their debt.

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[grantmetheserenity]

Okay, first post here and I have ALOT to say lol.
1) I saw on one of Katie's instagram stories the other day that she was so proud of Cullen because it was one year ago that he decided to get "clean". Well, he didn't. I've been sober since October 21st 2018 and when I saw them post the initial video talking about the addiction problems, I was super interested and glad they would use their platform to address that situation. But as someone else mentioned they backpedaled instantly. How dare you get on social media (with a pretty decent following) and make it appear that you are sober when we are all VERY aware that you're not. Sober does not mean you quit doing the hard stuff but continue smoking weed and drinking all the time, that false information could be detrimental to someone trying to change their lives.
2) I was (once again) interested in what they had to say about their financial debt. Their first video was real and honest and I truly thought they were going to make some progress into becoming a watchable couple again. NOPE. Second video of the series Katie is instantly ranting about people wanting her to get a regular job and basically rebuffing any constructive criticism that was given in order to HELP their situation. I couldnt even bring myself to watch the next video. She is a spoiled teenager who has a temper tantrum whenever she hears something she doesn't like. She thought she would be praised and applauded for her transparency (which in some part she was ) but the minute she gets a comment that points out some very obvious flaws in her carefully planned argument, she goes on the defense and fires back with completely empty statements. No Katie, I'm sorry, what you're doing is not work. For alot of youtubers and content creators it is, for the two of you it's a hobby that you happen to make some money off of. Get a job.

Okay thanks for letting me get that out haha!

[PinkTuTu]

If they want sympathy, why are they going on a free trip? Be humble and stay home!


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[HelloSweetie]

I think if they try and are unable to sell the house and get out of debt so they can survive then they should just file bankruptcy. It's not a shameful thing to do. It is a legal way to move forward in this country and there is nothing wrong with doing it. I expect people to try their best but sometimes bankruptcy is just a better answer. The truth is most people come out way ahead after a bankruptcy. It's a huge help. If they cannot sell that house or rent it to cover costs for now then that is what they should do. I am sure they are scared of the stigma and what people will think about them but they need to do what is best for them both to move forward. We all make mistakes, don't pretend any of us are perfect. We all have different circumstances. Until you walk in another persons shoes you will truly never know and cannot judge them. The financial system and the banks are all set up to milk all the money they can out of all of us. Not all of us have the financial knowledge to know everything and make the best decisions. I could go on and on here but I won't. To sum it up though, I agree that its insane that they never save or invested any of the big money they made off you tube.

I agree there is nothing to be ashamed of in declaring bankruptcy in SOME SITUATIONS, but this isn’t one of them. C&K were reckless and careless with their spending and continue to show the same mindset that got them into this mess. Why should they be able to walk away from this mess debt free when someone who went to school and works hard for their money still struggles to pay off student loans and make their way slowly but steadily? Let’s be real for a moment here, they may rent for awhile, but do we really expect them to stick to the envelope system of budgeting on such an unpredictable income when they’ve already shown a tendency to overestimate the income they will bring in? Sure they can focus on the business more, but it’s a terrible BUSINESS decision to take the Universal job right now. They should have at least delayed it a month if possible.

So some people shouldn’t be ashamed, but C&K absolutely should.


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[marshmallowfluf]

Do they not know how to negotiate with sponsors? Surely they could have all expenses paid AND make some money for the promotion. Since Katie wants to talk about wasting time, I would think a trip to Florida is a pretty huge waste of time if they aren’t making any money.


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[lovingthisforum]

Lol I bet Katie is thinking: why are they (still) bashing me, what the?? I thought WE had a debt disaster, *we clearly said so*??

[WheresMyCoffee]

I dont consider it "blaming" anyone for their situation, I think they are just simply telling their story and what led them to make their decisions. Explaining the back story doesn't mean they are placing blame.

I actually like this series quite a bit. It's really interesting to hear about their mistakes. Its like, once you make a few, you feel obligated to make more in an attempt to fix your other ones and it just snowballs.

They were irresponsible with their money no doubt. But so are many many many other people in this world. It doesn't make them bad people, just stupid lol. And they realize that now.

Sorry to sound like a stan, I just find the videos very insightful to hear what they were thinking and what led to them making these poor financial decisions.

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No I agree, I think they are being pretty honest. Everyone has reasons for doing something, and I think they are just trying to give their reasons. I dont see them blaming.

[snowyday54]

I think if they try and are unable to sell the house and get out of debt so they can survive then they should just file bankruptcy. It's not a shameful thing to do. It is a legal way to move forward in this country and there is nothing wrong with doing it. I expect people to try their best but sometimes bankruptcy is just a better answer. The truth is most people come out way ahead after a bankruptcy. It's a huge help. If they cannot sell that house or rent it to cover costs for now then that is what they should do. I am sure they are scared of the stigma and what people will think about them but they need to do what is best for them both to move forward. We all make mistakes, don't pretend any of us are perfect. We all have different circumstances. Until you walk in another persons shoes you will truly never know and cannot judge them. The financial system and the banks are all set up to milk all the money they can out of all of us. Not all of us have the financial knowledge to know everything and make the best decisions. I could go on and on here but I won't. To sum it up though, I agree that its insane that they never save or invested any of the big money they made off you tube.

I agree there is nothing to be ashamed of in declaring bankruptcy in SOME SITUATIONS, but this isn’t one of them. C&K were reckless and careless with their spending and continue to show the same mindset that got them into this mess. Why should they be able to walk away from this mess debt free when someone who went to school and works hard for their money still struggles to pay off student loans and make their way slowly but steadily? Let’s be real for a moment here, they may rent for awhile, but do we really expect them to stick to the envelope system of budgeting on such an unpredictable income when they’ve already shown a tendency to overestimate the income they will bring in? Sure they can focus on the business more, but it’s a terrible BUSINESS decision to take the Universal job right now. They should have at least delayed it a month if possible.

So some people shouldn’t be ashamed, but C&K absolutely should.


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I totally understand, and I would sit here and question how the hell can these YouTube families afford all of this. It was insanity. In this case I am saying that if they do not have any income coming in at all they may not have a choice. I totally agree with you though that they should suck it up and get real jobs to pay their debt. It just may not be enough to pay their debt. In that case they would not have a choice. I just do not understand if they had that much income coming in why they didn't invest it so they could be thriving right now. I guess that is easier said then done. While I would like to think I would be more responsible if I had been given this situation you just never know. I also very much hate people who drink and do drugs and then use that as an excuse all their lives. So again, I totally see your point and it is beyond maddening.

[Cgl33]

They probably thought it wouldn’t go away so soon. They probably got a rush feeling of it’s only going to get bigger because it was, thinking they had years before it would go away. Or maybe they thought it would happen on their terms.