5-Minute Time Out: Kate Gosselin
The mother of eight says parenthood has made her more laid-back. Really.
by Gwynne Watkins
December 30, 2008
In an alternate universe, Jon and Kate Plus Eight's Kate Gosselin could have been the mom we all love to hate: children with coordinated outfits, a spotless home, every detail of her life meticulously planned and executed. However, in this universe, Kate Gosselin gave birth to twins, followed by four years later by sextuplets — and with her type-A personality subverted by the constant chaos of eight children, she's become one of reality televison's most sympathetic characters. When I went to interview Kate at a New York City Brandsaver promotion, two hundred female fans were lined up outside in the freezing cold, hoping to get a moment with her (along with a handful of Proctor & Gamble coupons). Babble talked to Kate about her obsessive money-saving strategies, why text messaging is her favorite form of communication, and how the Gosselin kids really feel about living on camera. — Gwynne Watkins
So, you're here to talk about saving money. How has your own financial situation changed over the past couple of years?
Well, actually you know, we're still the same. We're still clipping the coupons, saving the money, watching for sales. That's me. I'm still the same person.
Did you ever have a moment of financial panic before the show when you thought, "Oh my God, how am I going to do this?"
Well, seeing as how Jon was unemployed for nearly a year and we had eight kids, yeah! That is when my coupon-clipping and my sale-watching and my literal obsession — I had a "prices/places" book that I started back then and still have, to figure out the cheapest place to buy any number of things — toilet paper, everything toiletry-wise that we buy, food, whatever — down to the tenth of a cent.
You literally keep a list of the prices of every single item you buy at every place you shop?
It's a book that I wrote out. Sam's Club drives me nuts because they keep changing prices by four cents. [Laughs.]
"Jon lost his job because of the pregnancy, and of course I lost my job because of the pregnancy."
How old were the kids when Jon lost his job?
He lost his job before they were born, because of the pregnancy, and of course I lost my job because of the pregnancy, that goes without saying. He was unemployed for ten months, so we survived. We got smart fast. We learned what to cut out and it was then that I realized that saving money is not optional; it's mandatory.
On the show, we rarely see your kids with anyone except you or Jon. What kind of help do you have?
Very minimal, because we want it that way. We patch our help together as we need it, but it's important that one of us is with the kids 95% of the time. We've always switched our shifts off and on, like Jon would work days, I would work evenings back when we had two kids and then he would work days and I would work weekends when we had all eight. Now we're blessed enough that we can work from home, but then when I travel he is home, and when he travels I am home. As much as possible, we want to be the ones to raise them, so it's important.
Is he home with them now?
Yes he is, holding down the fort. And he does a good job.
©2008 Gwynne Watkins and Nerve Media
About the Author
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Gwynne Watkins was Babble's founding Senior Editor. She has written for a variety of web and print publications, and her theatrical work has been produced throughout the New York area. Her new family musical, Tea with Chachaji, will premiere in early 2010. |
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