Top 10 TV Characters Who Live Financially Unrealistic Lives
#10: Rachel and Kurt “Glee” (2009-15)
Top 10 Unforgettable Rachel & Finn Moments
New York apartments in TV shows are notoriously more affordable than they are in real life, and it’s especially unbelievable for Rachel and Kurt to be able to afford theirs. Not only is it gigantic, but the two of them don’t even have paying jobs when they get it. Although it’s possible some of their combined 3 dads helped with the rent and other expenses, having a dad who’s big on Broadway or a congressman isn’t a reliable way to make your way in the world for most of us.
#9: Dexter Morgan “Dexter” (2006-13)
Top 20 Serial Killers on Dexter
Dexter may be a serial killer, but what’s really criminal is how he juggles all the expenses he accrues! By day, Dexter works as a blood analyst for Miami Homicide. Most lab technicians make around $50K a year. And yet Dexter is able to buy or pay rent on a beachside apartment, a boat, a car, and a house during the show. Not only that, he’s also the sole earner for his wife, step-children, son, and manages to pay for a nanny in later seasons. Then there’s all the money he spends on plastic wrap, gas for his boat and car, and everything else it takes to be a successful murderer. Are we sure he’s not moonlighting as a thief too?
#8: Spencer Shay “iCarly” (2007-12)
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Spencer Shay is the titular Carly’s eccentric older brother. Her sole guardian, they live together in a huge apartment in Seattle. Spencer doesn’t hold down a steady job throughout the show, mainly pursuing his art projects, most of which tend to end up on fire…just like everything else. Although their father is a colonel in the Air Force, and is stated to send money home, it still stretches belief that someone like Spencer is able to budget responsibly, particularly with everything he and his sister get up to. Maybe he’s supplementing things with some money leftover from when he dropped out of law school.
#7: Max and Caroline “2 Broke Girls” (2011-17)
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C’mon – it’s right in the title! These two gals primarily work minimum wage, or less, albeit with tips at a diner. Despite this, they’re able to afford a decent apartment, again – in New York. Also, contrary to what the show would have us believe, the part of Brooklyn they live in is actually pretty upscale, so it would not be cheap! After the duo launches several businesses, their lifestyle becomes slightly more believable, but for much of the show we have to take the title and premise with a pinch (or a bucket or two) of salt.
#6: Jack McFarland “Will & Grace” (1998-2006; 2017-20)
Top 10 Jack & Karen Moments on Will & Grace
Jack may be an icon, but he shouldn’t be a role model for your career path. For much of the show, Jack switches jobs practically every episode, albeit with the ultimate goal of supporting his acting career. Still, as any actor will tell you, it’s best to have a steady job to support what can be an inconsistent career. Jack’s approach is inconsistent on both counts. Although he does receive support from Will, Grace, and especially Karen, it’s a little puzzling how he managed to make ends meet without their help. Also, he didn’t pay taxes until after the show began!
#5: Joey Tribbiani “Friends” (1994-2004)
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The characters on “Friends” are consistently pointed out as living lives that aren’t financially sensible, and while it was tempting to choose Rachel, she at least has pretty steady employment and lives in a rent-controlled apartment. Joey does not. Mostly. A struggling actor for most of the show, Joey does get several high paying gigs, such as his stint on “Days of Our Lives.” However, most of the time, Joey doesn’t have steady employment, only occasionally supplementing his income by working at Central Perk or other odd jobs. He owes his roomie/bestie Chandler a lot of money too. Then there’s that time he got a hernia and couldn’t pay insurance…the guy doesn’t have his finances together.
#4: Hannah Horvath “Girls” (2012-17)
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It’s really hard to take Hannah seriously as a struggling writer when her struggles are way easier than they would be in real life! Although initially supported by her parents, Hannah is cut off and goes through several jobs early on. Although her time working for GQ paid well, she quit and became a teacher, which, in case you’re unfamiliar with the American education system, pays poorly. There’s no way that Hannah could realistically afford her apartment with the kind of money she makes, much less be able to support a child, something she’s well aware of before she goes ahead with it anyway! And then she just happens to luck out and get a high-paying teaching job. “I think I might be the voice of my generation. Or, at least, a voice of a generation.” She’s a voice alright…of herself.
#3: Cosmo Kramer “Seinfeld” (1989-98)
We’ll say this for the rest of our entries – at least they have jobs! Kramer, not so much. Jerry Seinfeld’s wild-haired neighbor hardly ever seems to do any work and seems to do whatever he wants, whenever. He even pretends to go to a normal job just for fun! Although he seems to get most of his food by leaching off of Jerry, it’s still baffling how Kramer manages to make rent without a steady source of income. We’ll grant that he’s had some million-dollar ideas, like his coffee table book about coffee tables, but they’re few and far between among his legion of hair-brained schemes to get rich quick. George is right – people would pay to live like Kramer for a week!
#2: Carrie Bradshaw “Sex and the City” (1998-2004)
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This is a big one people! Carrie is a weekly columnist for a newspaper for much of the early part of the show, with her writing about she and her friends sexual escapades providing much of the fodder for the titular column. And yet, she’s able to live in a nice apartment, afford designer clothes, and all those cosmos with her girls, just by writing, what, 4 or 5 pieces a month?! We “couldn’t help but wonder” how this is even possible! It becomes slightly less unbelievable after she starts writing for Vogue and some of her articles are made into a book, but not by much. Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: Peter Griffin, “Family Guy” (1999-2003, 2005-) Crazy Schemes and Outrageous Purchases – How Can He Afford These Things?! Dethklok, “Metalocalypse” (2006-13) The Richest, Most Powerful Rockstars in the World Are Also Complete Morons Kara Zor-El, “Supergirl” (2015-) Supergirl Works as An Assistant, Yet She Has a Huge Apartment and No Roommates April and Andy, “Parks and Recreation” (2009-15) Sure They Live Pretty Frugally, But They’re Still Assistants For Government Officials
#1: Penny “The Big Bang Theory” (2007-19)
Top 10 Times Penny was the Most Relatable on The Big Bang Theory
Penny may live across from and become romantically involved with scientists, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that she can’t afford to live the way she does. Unlike Leonard and Sheldon, she spends a significant portion of the series living in her apartment alone. It’s baffling how she’s able to afford her big apartment on a salary working at the Cheesecake Factory, much less all her shoes. Her attempts at an acting career are pretty disastrous too. It’s possible her parents are supporting her, though she definitely owes Leonard for covering her rent. Sure, Penny eventually begins making bank as a pharmaceutical rep, but how she stayed afloat before she got that job is a mystery.
