Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I ate a lot of pie and watched a lot of TV. In fact, I'm now down to 47% capacity on my DVR (anytime I get below 50% is a big accomplishment for me). I got caught up on most of my favorite shows, including the fantastic How I Met Your Mother . But the series' "Dowisetrepla"  episode — though hilarious — left me worried about some of my beloved television characters.

Here's why: Lily (played by the terrific Alyson Hannigan ) is over her head in credit card debt and refuses to tell her new husband Marshall. Together the two of them make a terrible decision to purchase an overpriced apartment down wind of the sewage treatment plant. With Lily's financial baggage, they qualify for a mortgage — but at 18% interest, gasp — and decide to buy!

C'mon, Lily! You were Willow on Buffy the Vampire Slayer , for heaven's sake! You're stronger than that! I expect more from you!

Sorry about that. Sometimes I have a tough time separating television from reality.

See, in television, a series of poor financial decisions like Lily and Marshall's are funny. In reality, not so much. So take note: If you're married and have a lot of credit card debt, tell your spouse. If you're considering buying an expensive piece of real estate near a sewage treatment plant, think again. And if someone offers you an 18% interest mortgage, run.

But if someone offers you pie and time in front of the DVR, by all means, settle in and enjoy.