• Home
  • Products
    • 111 Ways to Save
    • Thrive in Five: Take Charge of Your Finances In 5 Minutes A Day
    • Cash, Credit, and Your Finances: The Teen Years
  • Resources
  • Speaker Info
    • Adult
    • School Age
    • Speaking Engagements
  • About Jill Russo Foster
  • Press/Media Kit
    • Full Media Kit
    • Bio
    • Photos
    • TV Appearances
    • Print Appearances
    • Radio / Podcast Appearances
    • Speaking Engagements
    • Press Releases
  • Contact Jill

Jill Russo Foster

Tips for Successful Personal Finances

  • Events
  • Every Day Finances
    • Banking
    • Budget Planning
    • Family Finances
    • Personal Finance
    • Reducing Expenses
    • Shopping Tips
    • Teenagers and Money
  • Protecting Your Home
    • Disaster Preparedness
    • Energy Efficiency
  • Tax Tips
    • Charitable Giving
  • Manage Your Credit & Identity
    • Debt Management
    • Mortgage Tips
    • Get Great Credit
      • Loans
      • Credit Card Act of 2009
      • Credit Management
      • Credit Report
      • Credit Report Reminder
    • Identity Theft & Fraud
      • Identity Theft
      • Fraud Alert
  • Organization & Planning
    • Organizing Your Space
    • Organizing Your Time
    • Vacation Planning
      • Travel Tips
    • Plan for the Future
      • Financial Goals
      • Marriage and Finances
      • Retirement Planning

What I Learned about Money from Sitcoms

I love to watch old sitcoms on TV Land and Nick at Nite. They’re like comfort food for the brain. I’ve seen the episodes already so there’s no suspense, and I certainly don’t expect to learn anything.

But sometimes they surprise me.

A couple of weeks ago, I was watching reruns of The Nanny. In the episode “Close Shave”, Fran is having trouble paying her credit card bills.

Here’s the conversation between Fran and Niles:

  • Fran: I have to pay my American Express because if I buy a piece of gum, the S.WA.T. team storms the building. Meanwhile, I pay my MasterCard with my Discover Card, my Discover card with my Optima Card, My Optima Card with my City Trust Visa.
  • Niles: But doesn’t that leave a very high balance on your Visa?
  • Fran: Exactly! And that’s why they gave me an espresso machine which I sell to pay off my American Express, thank you.

This reminded me of the Cosby episode “Theo’s Holiday.” It’s the one where Theo wants to move out using money from a modeling career (that he doesn’t have). Cliff and the family show him the real costs of living on his own.


(Start at 3:32) To see the full episode watch Part 2 and Part 3

For sitcoms, these episodes are very realistic in the way they portray people who are uninformed about money. But, the solutions weren’t realistic at all. How nice would it be if we could solve our problems in 23 minutes just like they do on TV?

Now, imagine you’re a child watching the same episodes for the first time. What would you learn? There’s a telling discussion on TV.com.

How will your kids learn about money? Will they learn from TV, or because you took the time to teach them like Theo’s family taught him? What about yourself? You’re old enough to know that your problems won’t magically go away like Fran’s. Be informed and make informed choices that are right for you.

People want their finances to be perfect – like a TV show. But most of us don’t go from a plan to success by receiving a windfall. There’s usually a long journey and detours in the road.  What matters most is how you get yourself back on track.  Keep yourself moving forward towards your goal and you will accomplish it.

And, if you need a little comfort, try an old sitcom. They’re cheap, there are no calories and you might learn something… but don’t count on it.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Contact Jill:

Email: Jill@JillRussoFoster.com or use this form.

Looking for something?

Follow Jill Russo Foster’s board Money on Pinterest.

Copyright © 2022 Jill Russo Foster