Twenty-seven year old Kyla calls in Gail to deal with her sixty year old mother, Valerie. Kyla knows that this will be an all family process, including her brother/Valerie's twenty year old son, Conor, due to circumstances. Valerie had been retired when the unexpected upended her life seven years ago: her husband asked for a divorce. An entire inheritance was used to pay for Valerie's divorce expenses. Valerie was forced to go back to work into a job in which she earns $60,000 annually. Kyla - who makes $32,000 annually - her partner, and their infant daughter rent the basement in Valerie's house, both to be close to and support Mom, but also to save some money. Conor, who just finished university and has a part-time job earning him $14,000 annually, still lives at home rent-free, with Mom still acting as Mom, largely paying his way. Valerie's primary problem is that she didn't change her spending habits following the divorce despite her changed financial circumstances, keeping things the same in part to maintain an even keel for Kyla and Conor. An added expense is being Grandma, as she spoils her granddaughter. The three of them have never had the money talk, Valerie who feels it's her role to protect her kids, despite they being adults, from those sorts of problems. She, in turn, also doesn't want to be a financial burden on them in her retirement years. Gail finds that all three knew that there was a money problem, but suffered by themselves in silence until now. Gail wants the most fundamental change to happen with Valerie as the role model for her kids. Beyond curbing the spending, Valerie also has to plan for what will hopefully be her imminent retirement with some financial security, that imminence which includes being an empty-nester and downsizing.
—Huggo