You may be wondering what is going on with Extreme Cheapskates. I sent in two videos for the show and the casting director said she liked them. Catch up on my experience by reading my last post about Extreme Cheapskates.
Remember how I was wondering why they thought I was extreme? Well, I figured it out- I’m 99% sure that they think my parenting is extreme. This makes sense because I cloth diaper, buy used clothes and toys, make my own baby food, and decided not to have a first birthday party for Robert.
This whole reality TV show experience has been fun so far. The casting lady is really nice and I can tell she is good at her job. She has been fun and informative on the phone and through email.
The thing that I don’t like is that I already feel somewhat scripted. I sent in my first video and it was 100% me. I was nervous and uncomfortable, in fact I babbled through most of the video. One of the first points I made was that we save money to pay off our loans fast in order to avoid wasting money on interest.
When I talked to the casting director the next day, she asked me to make another video focusing on my parenting tips and to avoid talking about our loans. It seems like they want to spin the angle that I’m married to a rich lawyer but still manage to deprive my child of important things such as birthday parties. She did not come out and say that- I swear, she has been so nice. Not pushy at all! But she did make it clear that the producers wouldn’t be interested in me talking about debt. Another thing that raised a red flag is that she really wanted me to mention that I’m married to a lawyer. Newsflash- not all lawyers make a lot of money.
I get that reality TV isn’t real, but I wasn’t expecting to have my own life semi-scripted. If you know our whole story, it is easy to understand why we save money. If you only hear a snippet of our story then you would probably think I am crazy.
I’m sure the producers of the show would NOT like me posting this information on my blog. I’m assuming I won’t get on the show, and I’m ok with that. I don’t really care if America gets the wrong idea about me, but I would rather viewers see my entire story. It sounds corny, but I really do want to be an inspiration to people and help them save money. I don’t think I can be an inspiration if people don’t understand the why behind the savings.
It looks like my dreams of becoming a frugal Lauren Conrad could be shattered. I totally envisioned myself with a cool reality TV show that portrayed me as a cross between LC and Suze Orman. TLC- if your reading this, go ahead and put together a show like that. I would totally watch that show (or be in it- hint hint, wink wink).
Brooklyn (the casting director)- if you have continued to keep up with my blog, thanks! I have enjoyed this process, it’s been a fun addition to my mundane stay at home mom life. I hope this post doesn’t mess up anything with the show. I just wanted to share my open and honest thoughts.
What do you think? Should I stick to my guns and make sure to only be a part of the show if I can talk about our loan debt? Should I get over it? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
It is called having principles, and I am glad you have them. I love you and what you represent, but I am prejudiced and, am a lawyer. Why are you not rich?
Those damn student loans have to be paid back at some point. We may be rich one day, but I’m not banking on it!