d come in for a landing to get some gas. - oh, oh, coming in for a landing! yeah! yeah! yeah! yeah! - oh. oh, now, where did elmo go? where could he be? ha ha ha! - ha ha ha ha! - where is everybody? - oh, mommy. - good morning. how's my little monster today? - oh, elmo's great. ha ha! oh, boy. is it saturday already? - no, no. it's tuesday, son. - oh. - why'd you think it was saturday? - because mommy's home, and mommy's always home on saturday. - well, that's true. - why isn't mommy at work today? - well, darling, there's something your daddy and i want to talk to you about. - come on and sit over here, son. sit down. - ok, daddy. - now, you see, yesterday i lost my job and i'm not going to be working, at least for a little while. - oh, well, so that means mommy doesn't have to go to work? mommy will be home? - that's right. - oh, yay! ha ha!

now mommy can hang out with elmo all day long. yay! - that's right, and i'm happy that i'm going to be spending more time with you and daddy. - and i am, too, but, you see, son, what this means is that we're going to have to make some changes in the way we live. - what kind of changes? - well, i still have my job, but without your mama working, we won't have as much money coming in. - uh-huh, so we'll have to find ways to save as best we can. - like what? - well, like, um... like eating at home more instead of at restaurants. - yeah, or borrowing movies from the library instead of going out to the movies. - that's right, and we can't afford to buy very many things like we used to. - do you think that elmo has too many toys? - oh, no, no, baby. none of this is your fault. - no, it's nobody's fault. this is just something that--well, this happens with families sometimes.

- yeah, and a lot of families are going through the same type of thing. - but are we going to be ok? - oh, sure, sure, baby. everything's going to be all right. - we'll get through this. we just need to help each other by doing things a little differently now. - and together, we'll come up with ways to save and ways to get by with less. - and remember, even though this is a big change, your mama and i are still here for you to take care of you and to love you. - oh. well, elmo loves you two, too. - oh. ha ha! - boy, elmo. i'll bet a big change like that takes a lot of getting used to, huh? - yeah, but elmo likes having mommy around more. we have lots of fun. - ha! you want to talk about fun? this is fun! this lamp! - ain't that a beautiful thing? - yeah. - that's a lamp? - yeah. wouldn't this be great for leila's birthday? - what do you say we look around a little more and see what else we might find? - ok, but i'm keeping my eye on this baby.

- by the way, elmo, we were talking to the thomas family over there and they're going through something very similar to what you're going through. - really? - yeah, their dad used to be an engineer for a car company, but he lost his job and they've had to cut back on a lot of things. - my dad lost his job at the start of the new year. - my husband was one of several hundred people who were laid off from a chrysler subsidiary, and so we became a one-income family. - the economic situation is what it is, and as it goes, you explain to your children why it's occurring and how you successfully navigate a way through it. [laughter] - mom told us that he was going to be laid off, so we have to, like, save up our money. - we want them to understand on whatever level they can understand.

the kids range in age from 13 to 7, so their levels of understanding are different. - we can't go to the store a lot and buy stuff that's really expensive. we have to buy stuff that's cheap. - they talk to us about a want versus a need. you want new clothes, but you need food for your lunches. - i'm reading this book called "the world as we know it," and their family's starting a garden, so i said, "we should start a garden, too." - my daughter's a book reader, and she loves owning books. she likes to buy books. and that's a wonderful problem to have-- a kid that, you know, always wants for you to buy books-- so i said, "well, honey, we can't buy books now. you have to go to the library." she says, "well, daddy, if i spend my own money, can i buy my own books?" i said, "hey, i have no problem with that." - i probably have about 150 books or so. - ok, and you think if we can sell each one for a dollar, how much would you have?

- $150. - you're right. - you actually brought a decent selection today, and i'm going to offer you $25 in trade credit to be applied toward other purchases. think about it and then i'm going to step in here and then, when you're ready, you come in and let me know what you've decided. - ok. - ok? all right. - so what you think? - i don't know. i know i can probably get more money somewhere else; you know, at that other bookstore, where they'd pay me, depending, at least a dollar a book, but sometimes they don't take all the books. - well, you know, she said it was hard times, so who knows? they could be having hard times, too. are you willing to let-- you want to take that risk? - i just keep talking to her about different things. number one--it's ok sometimes to have delayed gratification, and i explained that to her. you know, sometimes waiting for something makes it all the better when you get it. - my mom, she's very intelligent because she keeps supporting the family and she's worked her way up during her social working job.

- since i'm not working, we now have to organize and prioritize spending. there's no reason for me to move my vehicle if i can ride my bicycle to the grocery store. the quantities of groceries i am purchasing, i can all fit into my backpack, plus i need exercise. this wonderful day, i could be behind a desk someplace, not enjoying it, so i might as well take something negative and make it positive. i am looking for work while i'm unemployed, when i apply for jobs that i'm highly overqualified for, you know, there's an abundance of people applying for the very same jobs, so you just have to be consistent, persistent, and don't take it personally. it's just the state of the economy. go! if i were to take a job that didn't pay enough to pay for day care, then i would find myself economically in a negative hole because day care costs more than the revenue that i'm bringing in

so i'm prepared to be a stay-at-home dad, to go to grad school until the proper employment shows up. honey, put your backpack in the car. apples, bananas, and juice from the car. the children are going to camp this summer, and my wife and i feel it's very important to keep a balance. - it was a big decision to spend the money to send the 3 kids to camp. it took a lot of planning. it took a lot of stashing away $50 here and there. however, it went right into our philosophy that it's important that our kids be ok as we move through this difficult time. remember, we wanted to talk about camp, and dad and i have some money for you guys for camp. how much you think you need? - i guess 85. - how much? - 80? - 80? - $85? - family meetings are important. we do those with the kids about once or twice a week,

and they help to keep us talking to each other. now, this year, we were thinking we're only going to be able to give you guys 40 each. 40. - that total-- what do you think? - yeah, it's ok. - kind of tight? - yeah. - yeah, i know, but remember, this year is different. - you can't have sacrifice without reward, because if there is no reward for the sacrifice, then children in their thinking process will ask, "well, what's the reason for us sacrificing?" - i'm wondering if i can sell my books to you. - sure, if i need what you have. - ok. - it's going to take me a little while to go through them. you can go ahead and look around if you like. - ok. when i went to the first re-sell shop, they decided they were only going to give me $25 and that was in trade, so i could only trade my books there. i decided i was going to wait and see if i could go to another re-sell shop because if i decided to wait and i found a better deal, that would be great, but if i decided buy it now,

i'd never know what i might have missed somewhere else. - ok. you have $77 in cash or $96.25 in trade. - i think i want the cash. i'm really glad i waited. mom. - hey, hi. how was it? - good. guess how much i got. - i have no idea. how much did you get? - $77 in cash. - oh, my goodness. that's pretty cool. feel good? - i do. i feel proud of myself. well, i was reading an american girl's-- smart girl's way to make money, spend money, and save money. and so they started talking about having two piggy banks-- one for spending and one for saving. i'm putting $30 in the spendings one. i'm putting the rest in the savings piggy bank. - i think my kids appreciate being able to go to camp. - yes, times are economically difficult, but the cars still work, there's food in the refrigerator,

there's song in my heart, there's song in the world. enjoy life, and by enjoying life, you show your kids that there's more to life than just money. - james and celia, that's a powerful lesson you're teaching your kids. but at the same time, i'm sure you're still anxious about a job. how's the search going? - well, the marketplace is still a wee bit dry, however, an opportunity has presented itself for me to possibly actually tutor math on several grade levels, actually at the school my children attend. - so a teaching job, something different from what you've done before. - yes, yes, exactly. - dr. josh coleman, come on over here. - deborah, al, how you guys doing? - good. good to see you. he might be of some help, guys. dr. coleman is a psychologist, and he's helped a lot of families in financial situations like this, right? - that's true, yeah. - what kinds of things should they be looking out for with the kids? - what we see in these big economic downturns is

that because of all of the fear the parents have or the worry that they have that it can create depression and anxiety in the parents that can start percolating down to the kids. parents can become much more impatient with their children. they can become more harsh in their parenting because they're so scared. you know, we all talk about a financial bank account, but families also have an emotional bank account as well, and that also gets drawn down during times like this, so it's really important for families to learn how to pull together in just the way i think the two of you have done with your kids. - we know these are not easy times for kids, but how have your kids shown their emotions? are they embarrassed about your situation at this point? - i tell them, "talk to your friends about it. "tell them what you're going through. you'll be amazed. "they're going through the exact same things, "and they might be feeling pain just like you are, and you've helped them to release a burden by sharing your situation." - now, you guys are so terrific with your family. i mean, you support each other, obviously, but are there some other outside support systems that you guys have tapped into?

- it has been significant for us to have our extended family and our church family, and even for me, at work, you know, where there are other people around who know that we're going through some difficult times, but they're still supportive as well. - this is key, i'm guessing, right? - yeah, i think for everybody who goes through a job loss, it always feel personal, even if you're part of a huge layoff. it always feels like, "what did i do wrong? what's the matter with me?" you know, i hear so many parents saying, "well, how can i face my family? how can i face my children? how can i face my spouse?" so we need other people to help keep us together, help us feel good about ourselves, so i think the community involvement is critically important . - i'm from a large family of 9 kids, and things were not easy for us growing up, but as you said, we had each other, and that was really the glue that sort of kept you together, and it seems to be the case with you. - yeah, it does. - and i think that's such an important message to give to families because so many parents feel like they have to give their kids the latest and greatest electronic device or ticket to a concert or piece of clothing.

and 30 years from now, our kids aren't going to remember that. they're going to remember the kind of experiences they had with us as parents, how invested we were, whether we cared about their feelings, those are really the things that kids carry into adulthood. - oh, chris, chris, let me ask you something. - uh-huh? - what do you think i am better at-- using my keen analytical mind or my brute strength? - uh, grover, what are you talking about? - i'm looking for a job. - oh, ok. great. well, why don't you think of the things that you were good at at your other job? - what other job? - the other jobs you've had. - i have not had any other job. - what are you talking about, grover? of course you have. - i do not think so. - i think so, grover. in fact, you've had more jobs than anyone i know. - hmm? - think about it. you have been a detective, a marshal, a waiter, a singing waiter, a mountain climber, a professor, a superhero, a break-dancer, and a pizza delivery guy. - i did all of that?

- mm-hmm, you sure did. you've got lots of experience. - come to think of it, i have. yes. ha ha ha! i am quite the multitalented monster. - yes, you are, so why don't you think of all those things when you go looking for your job? - oh, i am not looking for a job. - what? - no. now that you reminded me of all those jobs i have had, i realize i ought to be exhausted. oh! i am going to take a nap. a very long nap. - i would like to show you this shirt. - oh. oh, yes, yes. oh, deb, elmo, come here. you got to see this. i found the perfect gift for leila. check it out. - "my dad rocks"? good one. - ha ha ha ha! mr. al is so funny. - funny. yeah. right. i--i was just being funny. - but i do like these shirts. oh, this is nice. - you know, the valentins here are selling t-shirts to earn some extra spending money. they've been going through some rough financial times.

- what is this? - this is what i did with my teacher. everybody did this. - with your name? - my name. "p" stands for "powerful." "a" stands for "amazing. "u" stands for unbelievable. and "l" stands for "lucky." - wow, that's awesome. i like this. maybe we could frame this. - yeah. - i'm very proud of him and, like, some of the stuff is, like--you know, it's amazing, everything that we're going through, especially like some of the words. - right here is the word "amazing." - right, amazing. it's a very strong word. - i will use this same word for my daddy. my daddy's name is paul. - give me a kiss and a hug. and a hug.

- we have 6 children. my oldest is timothy. he's 17 years old. he's very caring of the other children. then following is paul isaiah. he is 6 years old. he's always trying to make everybody feel good. then it's gianna. she's 5 years old. she's very nurturing with the children. she's like a mom to them, also. isaac is 4 years old, and he's the energizer bunny. then we have abigail, who is two years old. she's a very bright little girl. and then we have isabella. isabella's one years old, and she's just a cuddly, cuddly baby. - i actually leave the house 6:00, 7:00 in the morning. i didn't see the kids. i come back home, sometimes they're in bed. - but that was ok because we were all comfortable and secure knowing that, you know, daddy's at work

and he's doing this for us. - i'm, like, working, you know, for a family of 8. you know, it's pretty hard, so whatever overtime there was, i took it. - he was working with his company for 16 years. he was a machine warehouse operator. i was working part-time at a hospital. it started getting harder because our family started expanding. we felt that because there was overtime at work, i can stay home and take care of the kids. he had such a stable job, we thought, that it was ok to have a big family, because we were able to afford it. ♪ twinkle, twinkle... - ♪ little star - ♪ how i wonder what you are and then our dream just fell apart. - i remember driving home from work. you know, i told her and she's like, you know, "stop playing around." i was like, you know, "i'm not. you know, i got to go." it was like someone stabbed me in the heart.

it was a hurt, hurt, hurt feeling. - i know it's hard on him because he's used to living a life where if the children asked for anything, just something simple, as to going out, get ice cream, it was never thought. it was just, "ok, you guys want to go for ice cream? we'll go for ice cream." - now can you take me to the dollar store? - ok. - me, too, dad? - our main goal is just to find something where he can bring some income in right now. our weekly expenses is, like, gas... whatever we need for food. - right, because right now, you know, with unemployment, we're working with $2,336 a month, and then now the mortgage payment is $1,749. - $1,750.

so... out of the $2,336 is $1,750. - so we have about, let's say, about $600 left over beside the mortgage. - we just worry. our big concern right now is to be able to stay in this house. we worked really hard to get here. you know, he had this job, and we never thought that this would happen to us. it's kind of scary not knowing what the future holds. what are we going to do with our children? it's not just one baby, it's 6 children. maybe we can both get a job and work different times. - we have a lot of cutbacks.

we got rid of a lot of things. i had to get rid of a car that i had. and we came up with having a garage sale. - don't get rid of gianna's table. - why not? - we can use it. we can use it for isabella and abby. - then the kids were so excited, selling cupcakes, you know, and lemonade during the garage sale. and they were, like, so excited, like, "look what we're doing," you know. - you guys rock. - thank you. - thanks. - you take care. - thanks so much. - paul isaiah, you know, he told me, "oh, maybe we could do something." - i gave him an idea to get a job. he doesn't have to go somewhere. i gave him this idea: we're going to have and sell t-shirts. then we decorate them. - what do you want to do on this t-shirt? - volcano. - with what? - lava shooting out. - ok, let's try it.

paul isaiah, he always, you know, tends to worry. he worries, like, too much, you know. at 6 years old, he shouldn't worry as much as he does. like, when he came up with this idea of selling t-shirts, i said, "wow! you know, that's great." this is perfect. got to get it dry. we do so much together: playing in ball games, going for walks, going to the park. mmm! - i think the positive thing out of all this is that he's a hands-on dad. - ooh! oh. - the lesson we've learned in our life is to appreciate what we have... to enjoy our children. show her how to get to daddy. hold her hand. i'm grateful that the kids will always have this special moment in their life, that they'll remember this. - hit it. ow. - oh! [giggles] - that's love, unconditional love.

it's amazing. we feel so good, because without that, i don't know where would i be. unconditional love. - oh, let's board the elmo express. chugga chugga chugga chugga! woo woo! come on! ha ha ha! chugga chugga chugga chugga! woo woo! - it seems like the kids really are kind of getting through this, right? they're pulling together, offering the ideas and so forth. - the positive thing that i'm getting out of this is that we can all spend time together doing the shirts together. - well, the good news is there are answers, there are solutions, and one of our good buddies, jean chatzky, is here at the community festival and she's a financial expert and she can probably help you. do you have any questions for jean? - how can i explain to the children that we can't do all the things we used to do? - well, you first have to make sure that your kids understand a little bit about what's going on. have you explained to them about the situation, about the fact that paul's out of a job? - yes, we did. we did explain it to them. - and they seem to understand it or they seem scared?

- paul isaiah understands it, but at the same time he is also scared. - it's important that you put that in perspective for him and you say things to him like "dad doesn't have a job right now "and so he's home more, but we're going to be ok. we're going to take care of you." that's the most important things that kids need to know: you're going to be ok and they're going to be ok. and once you've got that under control, then you can start to manage the "i want, i want, i want." you're having trouble with that, aren't you? - yes, i am. - what i do with my kids is try to manage their expectations a little bit. if you and paul--you guys sit down and you decide, "hey, "ok, we can go to the ice cream store once a week, we can make ice cream cones at home during the rest of the time," then you just present that to the kids, like "this is what's going to happen." and you got to be really, really consistent, because if you tell them you're going once a week and then you go on day 4, they are never going to believe you again. you got to stick to your guns,

which is so--it's so hard. - so a financial plan-- does that make a big difference at this point? it sounds like they are under control, but do they need that? - you absolutely need that. you have to pay a little bit more attention when you don't have a lot of money to where the money you actually have is going, because then i can make decisions about how i want to cut back and where i should be spending the things that i need to spend money on rather than the things that i might just want to spend money on or the kids want to spend money on. - obviously you want to get back out there. what's going on for you in the job market at this point? - right. after so many years, i finally did my resume. i sent it out there. i'm going to some classes, coaching classes and interviewing skills. - and, vanessa, you're out looking for work, too, right? - i'm out looking for work. i haven't worked in a while because i've been home taking care of the babies, but i've updated my resume, so i am looking. - you guys have really shown us that even though times can be tough, you can hang tough, and you guys are doing a terrific job.

- so name your price for these t-shirts, ok? we're ready to buy. - thank you. - thanks a lot. - thank you so much. - [humming] - aargh! aargh! pirate elmo sailed the 7 seas looking for treasure and adventure. aargh! ha ha! - hey, mae? - mm-hmm? a sack of whole wheat bread's on sale this week. - oh, well, i bet you i got a coupon, too. - oh, good. - wow! a pirate amusement park! ooh! can you believe it? look! a pirate amusement park! - well, so it is. - oh, can we go, please, daddy? - well-- - oh, please, mommy? please, please, please, mommy? - oh, i don't know, darling. - but--but elmo loves pirates so much. - we know you do, son, but an amusement park is just a bit expensive. - yes, and we need to save right now, remember? - oh. yeah. - well, how about tomorrow we go to the regular park instead? - oh... - hey, hey, we could bring a picnic lunch.

- and toss around a ball, maybe fly a kite. - and go to the playground? - sure, sure. - well, ok. - ah, that's my boy. - oh, thanks for understanding, darling. i know it's hard when we can't always have what we want. - yeah, but we're hopeful that things will turn around. your mama's already looking for a new job. - yeah, and elmo's sure mommy will find one. - oh, thanks, darling. oh, well, i sure hope so. i did see a few interesting job listings in the paper. - oh, yeah? anything good? - something that may not be great, but could lead to something down the line. we'll see. - elmo found something good in the newspaper, too, mommy. - oh, what's that? - oh, bend down. [giggles] a mommy pirate! - ha ha ha! - oh! i mean, aargh! ha ha ha! - oh! oh, i got an idea. i got an idea here. look. - what you doing, dad? - well, shiver me timbers. i see a treasure.

- oh! - ha ha ha! cool! then let's set sail, me pirate family. - wow. - aargh! - aargh! - aargh! - aargh! [all laughing] - more, more, more. more bubbles. - it's funny when you eat them. - no, you can't. they don't taste good. ha ha ha ha! - that's really cool. so you figured out how to make these bubbles yourself at home? - well, when you add soap to water, it makes bubbles, so i thought, why not try it with kids? - makes perfect sense. hey, brandon and heidi, do you guys know my friend jean chatzky? - hi, guys. are all these your kids? - all but the red, furry one. - ha ha ha ha! - not that one. well, this is a family that's had to move a lot. - you know, so many families are having to move these days because they're looking for new jobs. - and in this case, it's because brandon's a part of the military and that's a whole layer of economic stress, right? - absolutely. - i used to live in utah, and i crossed all the way over the united states... over to florida.

- as a military family, we face challenges that are so unique, just the constant moving. my family has never been in one place longer than 2 1/2 years so far. - we lived in nevada, texas, and we lived in germany. - but it's not on this map. - for our kids, moving has been a challenge because they've had to leave their school and their friends and the life that they had. - where is florida? - right here. - we got orders in october of 2008 for miami, florida, which i didn't even think there was a base, which i was right; there's not. - we came from utah, where the cost of living was relatively cheap. we had the base facilities, such as the commissary, which is the base grocery store. we had access to the bx, which is the military store, and those facilities are tax-free.

- i've lived on bases most of my life, and it's what i'm used to, and so when he told me there wasn't a base and we had to go house-hunting, well, i thought it would be the end of me. - going from where we had all of that support to miami, where we're basically living as a civilian, our rent almost doubled, the costs are higher, which means my paycheck doesn't go as far. - milk in utah you can get for about $1.50, $1.60 a gallon. i paid $2.65 the other day for a gallon of milk. - when we first got here, we honestly felt like we weren't going to make it financially. - we both felt like we would hit bottom when we got here with the financial difficulties that we had. - [giggling] - when we finally did find this house, we had to borrow money from heidi's family in order to cover the deposits that were required, as well as the first month's rent.

for those first couple months, our budget was so tight that we literally could not spend any money. - we don't always get what we want because my mom says we need to save our money. - 1...2...3. oh, my goodness. it's my job to provide for this family, but when i can't, you know, do i let the family sink just because of my pride? and that's something that i realized i couldn't do. i had to ask for help. - horsey! - [grunts] heidi and i sat down and we did a budget where we estimated how much it was going to cost us each month for gas, how much we wanted to spend for groceries, how much we wanted to spend for clothes for the kids. - i had to buy new clothes for the climate, mostly for me,

because with my kids, i took all our pants that have holes in them and cut them off and made them in shorts. i try and cook from scratch, because cooking from scratch is cheaper. mmm, it smells good. - yeah! - i try to shop on sale. brandon takes his lunch to work every day. he takes whatever we had for dinner for leftovers the next day, and that saves us money. - the tolls on the road, you know-- something i never had to deal with before, but after going through our financial crisis, it's something i think about, you know. it's only $1.50 a day, but that $1.50 adds up. that's maybe extra baby food that we could buy for emily. - we make our own bubbles. we make play-doh. - [giggling] make more! - here we go. [trimmer buzzing] i spend $8.00 a hair cut, so by cutting his hair, you know, once a month, twice a month, whatever,

that's almost $200 if it's twice a month that i cut his hair. all right. we're done. - wow. there's a whole bunch on the floor. - teaching the kids the value of what it is to earn money. - i do chores around the house, and if i mark it down, i get a quarter. - we make our beds, we do the dishes, we clean the bathrooms, and we set the table. - every time we move, we might have to rework the budget. as long as you're working together as a family and being very conscious of what we are doing, it gets better, and our family will make it. - your family's the only thing you can take with you wherever you go. and so my kids are my life, my husband's my life. no matter what, as long as i have my family supporting me, i can do anything and go anywhere that i need to go and do.

- it seems like your kids are rolling with the punches pretty well, though, getting their hair cut at home and just sort of going with it, right? - and there's so much that other families can learn from you, because you actually know what it takes to make a budget. many people don't even understand that. - it's a skill that you learn as you go. i mean, we're nowhere near where we need to be, i think. we're still working things out, but having that basic knowledge of what a budget is and how to use it to our advantage has helped a lot. - you talked about having to rely on help, and at one point you had to ask family for help financially. was that tough? - that was probably the hardest thing i've ever had to do because, as the father and the husband, it's my job--i feel it's my job to provide for my family, and to make sure that they have everything that they need. - i hear how hard it is, and you need to understand

that so many people are right where you are right now, and there's no shame in having to ask for help. but it gets a little bit easier, i think, if you can approach it as a business discussion. try to take the feelings out of it a little bit and put it down on paper so that everybody understands when the money is supposed to move back in the other direction. it just makes it a little more business and a little less family. - a little less emotional. - exactly. have you found other resources to help you as well? - the military actually gave us papers when we first got there about different resources and companies we can go to, and we do have one that we go to that provides us milk and cheese and formula for the baby and just basic food needs that help with our family. - you got yours from the military, but for other people out there who are looking for food or medical care or other sorts of resources, they can go to their state. a lot of states and localities have different programs that can help, and if you find your state's web site, often you can find a way. - well, as hard as this is, what comes across is the love in your family,

and that in some ways, it almost seems like maybe you're closer. is there anything positive that's coming out of these tough times? - we have a weekly movie night that we do at our own home where we have popcorn and drinks and snacks, and the kids get to watch a movie they haven't seen before and for them it feels like they're actually going to the movies and they're not. - and you don't have to worry about anybody going, "shh" behind you. - exactly. - oh, you have movie night? well, elmo has game night with elmo's family. - that sounds like fun. - oh, it is. ha ha ha! - ok, have we got all the pieces? - yeah, elmo thinks they're all there. - it's a little dusty. why don't we clean it off? - oh, elmo did. - all right. well, what color do you want to be, elmo? - oh, elmo wants to be red this time. - yeah, but you're always red. - oh, that's right! ha ha ha! - ha ha ha ha! - yes. yes, well, i'll see you then. thank you. good-bye. - come on, dear. we're setting up the game. - and mommy's on elmo's team, daddy. - oh, ok. - oh! oh, guess what! - what? - i got a job interview tomorrow. - hey, that's great. - what does that mean, mommy? - oh, well, it means i'm going to go and meet some people

and talk to them about a job. now, it's something very different, but different can be good. - oh, good! elmo hopes mommy gets it. - oh, thank you, darling. i just hope whatever happens, that it all works out for the best. - oh, it will, sweetheart, but we know what's really the best thing of all, don't we, son? - pizza? - ha ha ha! - ha ha! no, no, no. ha ha! ♪ if we have love and - ♪ we have each other ♪ we got everything we need - elmo, daddy, and mommy? - hey, that's right, son. ♪ together we're family ♪ and we'll stick together ♪ taking each day in stride - ♪ making our way together ♪ side by side by side ♪ we can do anything, you and me ♪

♪ love is all we need ♪ no matter what comes our way - we're a family! - ha ha ha! ♪ love is all we need ♪ all we need ♪ and we'll stick together ♪ taking each day in stride - ♪ making our way together ♪ side by side by side ♪ we can do anything, you and me ♪ ♪ love is all we need ♪ no matter what comes our way we believe! - ha ha ha! ♪ love is all we need - ♪ all we need - ♪ all we need - all we need! ha ha ha! ♪ 'cause we're a family [all laughing] - i have this lovely boa here. would you like to see this?

i think your coloring-- you look like an autumn. i know. isn't that stunning? i mean, talk about an entrance. - oh, wow! look at all this food! - ooh, nice tomatoes. - yeah, they are. - i'm going to get a few. - they're beautiful, and, guys, the balli family here actually grew all of these fruits and vegetables in their own garden. - wow. - well, they all look so yummy. - they do actually look very good. i hope a lot of people think so. you know, selling these will help them bring in some extra money. joe lost his job, and the new one he found doesn't exactly cover all the expenses. - there's a mom in there with all her babies. throw it with two hands and let the string go. straight over your shoulder. you got it, matthew? - ok. cast out? - all right, go ahead. there you go, straight up. i come from an italian family

and, you know, sunday pasta dinners and stuff like that, so it's very important. erin's family, you know, a big family, irish and, you know, you get together and you had to have a place, you know, a home, to do that. see, what we should have done is daddy should have made some dough ball, huh? - yeah. - and we could have fished for carp. - when the economy turned, he lost his job and our belt got really tight, and we had to make some major changes, including deciding to let the house go. - we physically still own the home. it's ours, until we can short-sell it or it goes into foreclosure to complete foreclosure process. toughest question came from matthew: "what about all our stuff, dad?" and i said to him, "well, i don't understand." he says, "well, my bed, my toys. are they going to take my toys?" you know, then reality hits you.

i can still see the table here. i can see the china hutch sitting right there. i can even see the "hope" thing hanging on the wall, and even right down to this is where all our christmases were. the tree would be here... and we'd be around it. - the day i signed the papers for the short sale, i'm glad i was by myself. i lost it. my god, we're losing everything. and it was hard. just... i felt like a total failure. we could not live on my income alone. there's no way. - there is time for it. you just tell yourself, you know... [sighs] tomorrow will come. it will get better.

- the opportunity to rent this house came at a time that we're like, "ok, we got to do this." and it also gives the kids a sense of security, you know. you're not looking over your shoulder, going, "ok, when are they're going to knock on the door and say 'get out'?" - you're going from a very large 3-bedroom home, 3-car garage, to a two-bedroom manufactured home, so they went from their own bedrooms to sharing a bedroom. - this room is a lot tinier than what our old room used to be. - it's much smaller, but we have a bunk bed, and it's much funner like that. - sharing this room with my brother is awesome. - most of the time. - i think they did better than joe and i did. - they looked at all the positives. watch where you guys are going. - my old house, i miss it,

but i really like this house more because i'm with my family. - see the chili? the garden saves us a lot of money. - it helps alleviate some of the costs, and they eat more when it's fresh, too. it gets us out there as a family, you know, digging in the dirt. - we plant tomatoes and peppers and jalapenos. - one of the boys' favorite meals before was lemon-flavored chicken, and we used to get the marinade. now we just juice up a lemon, put some rosemary in it, so it saves you, you know, $3.00 for a bottle of marinade. when you start adding that up day in and day out, it takes a-- it's a big saving. - my kids are going to have good values and know that you have to work hard for things you want. - we mostly save up money when we do chores around the house for our mom and dad.

- they take their scooters and they smash all the cans that way, and then they'll separate them. - we put them in our car and we drive them to the recycling center. - they've collected them, they've separated them, they've crushed them. they can keep the money. makes them learn the theory of earning a buck. - recycling. - i've learned from the situation that a house is built of sticks. it's a home only if you make it a home. otherwise it's just a house. - when we moved in this house, it was empty. they're like, "ok, yeah, i can live here," but when we started bringing in things that were special, important to us, and putting it on the walls, putting it in the house, it made it a home. the bench was from our very first house. same with the mailbox. makes it more us. - this used to be out in front of our condo before you were born. the door jamb was a big thing. when we moved in the old house, we decided, ok, this was our home.

we're going to start marking the boys' height on the door jamb. we both said to each other, if there was one thing that we could take from this house, it would be that. and make sure your heel's all the way back, buddy. erin's birthday was in february and she was just turning 40 and i couldn't afford anything. so i was thinking, what can the boys and i do? so out of the blue, i load the boys up in the car, i said, "grab a hammer. we're going to go get the door jamb." this is where it was. this door jamb will go-- whatever rental or if we ever buy another house, this will stay with us. - it was the best birthday present ever. - all right. ready, buddy? it's been a tough road, but i could not imagine having to do this with anyone else than my two kids and erin. - it really has brought us closer together. it really has. and those are the plusses of this.

- i get to see my dad more than usual. - the cars, the house. the toys--can't take with me. but everything i put here, all the memories, they come with me. - i know it's wrenching selling a home. i mean, watching you in that room that you spent so many memories in, and it's hard for you. what's the update now on the house? what did you do with it? - we just had signed all the paperwork recently, and we have short-sold it. i mean, it's done. - for folks who don't know, jean, what's a short sale? - a short sale is where you agree with your bank, and the bank allows you, to sell the house for less than you owe on that mortgage. the nice thing about a short sale compared to a foreclosure is that it doesn't stay on your credit report for as long a time, so within a couple of years, you can actually get on with your life.

- well, looks like the kids are doing ok. - [giggles] boy, that orange is really good. [laughter] you look funny! ha ha ha! - well, it's nice to see that they can still make light of these moments, but, joe and erin, i'm sure they've had their low points during this time, right? - it's been a big adjustment. they've had their ups and downs, and, a matter of fact, a few months ago, we started noticing some signs that weren't normal, and we just wanted to be proactive, so we seeked family counseling. - joshua coleman's a psychologist, friend of ours, and, josh, you might have some thoughts on this, right? - first of all, i think it's such a great idea that the two of you got help because what we're seeing is that in a big economic downturn like this, that's when we really start seeing problems in our kids. that's when the little kids you want to worry about if they're having problems with sleep, if you just see a big change in their behavior. and with teenagers, what's common to see is perhaps academically. you see decreases in motivation, you may see an increase in aggressive behavior, so it's really, really important.

if you see a shift of their behavior, that's when you want to get help. - now, when you're tightening your belt like this, it can't be easy to afford this kind of help, which is great that you're doing, but how are you paying for it? - we use our local county health benefits program. - yeah, it's low-cost insurance that we've picked up through the county, and actually a friend of the family had referred us onto it. granted, there's a lot of paperwork to fill out, but-- - totally worth it. - yeah. sit down, bear down, do it, and it's well worth it. - and, you know, so many states actually have programs like this, through the state or through the county, where if children don't have health insurance through their parent, they can get it through the government. - what's really great is, i mean, you guys have this spread here. were you kind of thrilled about the ability to not only provide food for your own table, but to actually add a little extra cash to your pocket? - yeah, i mean, it's helped in multiple ways; not only with the cash in the pocket, by using this stuff instead of going and buying store-bought, but also it's grown us really close as a family.

i mean, we find ourselves enjoying dinnertime again. - well, everything looks so great. you guys have been doing a terrific job. - everything has sold very well today except for our lemons. - oh, well, you know, you make the best of it. - it's kind of like that old saying: when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. - hey, mr. al just gave elmo an idea. ooh, matthew, joey, grab the lemons and come on! - hmm. i can't believe that boa didn't sell. - hello, everybody! listen, can i get your attention, please? ok, at the end of the community market, if there are any items that you have not sold that you do not wish to keep, you can donate them, give them away to folks in need, ok? - that's nice. - yeah, that's what i thought. ok, i'll tell you what, i'm going to collect all the donations. once everything's over, you can put everything in boxes which will be given to you by my assistant. my assistant. grover, come on! - coming! i got all the boxes i could find. see, chris? ooh, ooh. - yeah. oh. - i knew i could find a job i am good at. whoa, whoa, whoa! oh! oh!

- only 25 cents! lemonade here! get your lemonade! only 25 cents! - hey, this is really cool. elmo, did you come up with this? - oh, well, mr. al gave elmo the idea. yeah, the ballis have a lot of lemons left over, so we just turned them into lemonade. - hey, i'll take a cup. how much? - oh, 25 cents. - you want some? - oh, yeah. me, too. - all right. - mmm! you know, elmo, your idea that i gave you? you just gave me an idea back. - what you talking about, mr. al? - never mind. it's just now i know what i'm going to do with all these tomatoes. - make tomato-ade? - well, kind of. i'm going to make tomato sauce for spaghetti. it's my daughter leila's favorite dish. i'm going to make it for her birthday. - ah! - now, that's a really good idea that she'll like. - i'm feeling the love. - yeah. [guitar playing] ♪ if we have love and we have each other ♪

♪ we've got everything we need ♪ ha ha ha ha! ♪ friends and family - oh, there he is. - elmo. - mommy! daddy! - oh, darling, i got good news. i got the job. - whoa! way to go, mommy! - oh, thanks, darling. oh. now, listen, we still need to be careful with our spending. - but can we keep having family game night and the picnics in the park and everything? - well, sure, because, you know, family is the most important thing of all. - mm-hmm. - mm-hmm. - [giggles] ♪ and we'll stick together ♪ taking each day in stride ♪ making our way together - ♪ side by side by side - ♪ we can do anything, you and me ♪ ♪ love is all we need

♪ no matter what comes our way, we believe ♪ ♪ that love is all we need ♪ all we need ♪ 'cause we're a family yay! - for more family-friendly stories and strategies, visit pbsparents.org. this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. we are pbs.

>> hi, i'm karen gibbs. in just a moment we'll be continuing our evening devoted to improving financial literacy with the special "your life,

your money." this program is packed with empowering information that will help you get your financial life on track. and at anytime during this broadcast, you can get free, confidential, referral information and advice by calling 2-1-1. they have operators standing by to take your questions and they can help refer you to someone who can help. i'll also be checking in during the show to talk with some of maryland's top financial advisors who will provide us with important info and advice that you're going to want to hear. so get ready to get some great tips on improving your financial health. here is "your life, your money." a lot of us love to go shopping. and we sure don't have a problem spending money. but holding onto it and living within our means can be a real challenge.

hi. i'm donald faison. and if you're like me, dealing with money was not something you learned in school. i picked it up by trail and error -- and i'm still learning. man: you live in a society that sells every new toy. that's their job -- to sell you a toy, one you don't need. so, young people have to make choices. you have to know what your financial goals are. woman: we want our restaurant to take us to our retirement. but i have to be realistic. and like, you have to start planning now. man: i decided to break off into my own business because i personally love having creative control, and a close relationship with the clients from start to finish. whether times are good or bad, we all need help managing our money. and it's up to each of us to get it right. woman: with interest, late fees, penalties, i acquired over $30,000 in debt. i'm trying to get things situated so i don't go into my life with all this debt and i can actually have credit -- good credit.

being in debt, it's bad, but staying in debt is worse. i started small, and i worked my way up. you'll meet folks just like you with money issues of their own. and you'll hear from people with the know-how to help them stay on track. man: there is never going to be a good time to get started on your financial life, so you might as well get started today. woman: when you're young, the good news is you're just starting out and it's really easy to get organized right now because pretty much everything is online. woman: you always heard, "don't sweat the small stuff," but when it comes to your money, you have to sweat the small stuff. faison: if you're in school or working full time, we've got news for you. basic info on banking, credit cards, taxes, and insurance. this show is all about your life and your money.

i took that paycheck and bought myself a shiny new jeep. man, i loved that car. but by the time the third payment came due, i was out of money and had to hustle to try and hold on to it. the fact is, most of us are carrying debt -- and lots of it. it's no wonder we have money problems. when you factor in inflation, the average person makes less money than their parents did 30 years ago. it's a jungle out there -- a financial jungle. and it's easy to get lost unless you have the skills to find your way. woman: i've grown up with a family that's always been in debt and always had trouble with finances and always worried about money. i've kind of turned away from that and just tried not to think about it. in high school, i remembered a couple of speakers about, you know, managing your credit and your money and, you know, looking for a job and all that. but it didn't really have a great impact just because it was that one time. my mom was a single parent,

so when she did get money in, we tended to spend it right away. and so i kind of grew up with a mind-set of, when you have money, you know, go out to eat, go buy something. i really haven't had anybody to show me how to manage my money or anything like that. faison: here's a man who can show you a thing or two about making and managing money. russell simmons started out hustling on the streets in queens, new york. now he's a multi-millionaire. but he learned about money the same way i did -- the hard way. simmons: when i grew up, i always wanted every toy that i saw. i see young people are the same way today. i made some bad choices early on, but i was a little conservative. i was lucky enough that my parents taught me some things. you heard about managing your life kind of trial and error. faison: when russell began his business career, he had little to guide him except street sense and a keen interest in a new music genre that would come to be known as hip hop.