Sex and the City is glorious, glamorous, luxurious, and like most of Darren Starr's creations, aspirational. This iconic series is all about the most glamorous version of New York possible, where everyone wears designer labels to designer events, and dates politicians, financiers, and millionaires. It's supposed to be a little unrealistic, of course, because it's pure escapism. Sex and the City deals with some realistic and relatable topics, of course, but these are tough topics in designer labels.
From the stunning apartments, labels, fancy nights out, and opulent lifestyles to the seemingly part-time careers that support them, there are lots of ways that money just doesn't add up in this show. Fans love it anyway, of course, but these are some of the most ridiculous financial moments.
Carrie's Earnings
Of the four main characters, at least two have careers that would actually be high paying (or have the potential to be): Miranda is a lawyer, and Samantha is in PR. Given that Charlotte deals in fine art, it's likely she would be dealing with some hefty commissions, too. But Carrie seems to earn as much as the rest of them (at least, she never really has money problems), despite the fact that she writes a grand total of one column a week, for a newspaper. Unless the New York Star is paying four figures per column, it makes absolutely no sense that she would be earning as much as she seems to.
Never-Ending Expensive Drinks & Dinners
At one point, Carrie jokingly exclaims that she 'keeps sweaters in my stove' to explain that she does not cook, she only eats out - and that fits with the scenes in the show. She and the girls are constantly eating out - brunches, lunches, and phenomenally expensive dinners. They are always seen at the best, newest, coolest places in town, and can only get in in the first place because of Samantha's connections (and once, a lucky tampon). These meals and all the champagne and cosmos that go with them would be costing hundreds of dollars a head, yet the ladies never seem concerned about the tab.
The Iconic Manolos
Ah, the labels. Fashion is a huge part of the series, but like all those fancy cocktails, dinners, and vacations (and the ring that Samantha bought in the first movie, that costs more than many people would earn in a year), there's just no way that these women should be able to afford it. Perhaps Samantha works with a huge range of fashion houses and gets incredible freebies, but how would a columnist afford dozens of pairs of shoes that are hundreds a pop? Some of these outfits cost thousands, and yet they are worn once, and never seen again. Even if they could afford all this designer wear, presumably they would wear them more than once!
The 'Loan' For The Apartment
In the fourth season, Carrie moves from renting to buying, when her apartment comes up for sale. However, she has only a couple thousand in savings (and given the discrepancy between assumed earnings and spending, it's amazing she isn't saddled with huge debt), so she reaches out to friends for loans.
In a controversial episode, she essentially bullies Charlotte into loaning her tens of thousands, despite the fact other people offered to give her the money first - but more than that, the loan is never mentioned again. Given that Carrie couldn't save anything up until this point, and continues to spend money like water, how on earth did she pay it all back?
How Could Steve Afford To Buy A Bar?
Steve Brady is probably the most realistic character, financially speaking, for most of the show - when Miranda meets him, he is bartending, and he has the wardrobe to match. He can't afford a nice suit for one of Miranda's work events, and lives in a small apartment (like a lot of New Yorkers). However, later in the series, he has suddenly managed to save enough to afford to buy a bar, and buy a townhouse in Brooklyn, and renovate it. Was he earning vast amounts in tips, and just hoarding it all? Where did this massive influx of cash come from?
A New York Without Credit (Or Proof Of Income)
One of the most perplexing things about this version of New York City is that there never seem to be any issues with loans or credit - at least, it's never mentioned. Carrie may be able to "borrow" enough from her friends to put a deposit down on her condo, but how did she even manage to get a mortgage, given that she has no savings, no financial security, and no steady income (as a freelancer)? Before she bought the apartment, how did she manage to swing the rental, given that a standard in Manhattan is for renters to prove that they have multiple times the rent in income (and again, Carrie is a freelancer)? Similarly, even if Steve had squirreled away thousands, how did he get approved for a loan for the bar and a mortgage on a bartender salary, relying on tips? It seems that here, loan requirements are wildly different.
Mr. Big Buys A Penthouse Like A Coffee (But Sells It)
Big is, admittedly, supposed to be a multi-millionaire 'financier' (and his job isn't really explained beyond that), but even for him, the penthouse-buying scene in the Sex and the City movie is shocking. He and Carrie are looking at an apartment in the building (presumably in their price range) that is absolutely minuscule... and yet, when they are shown the absolutely stunning penthouse, he casually says 'I got it' as he offers to buy it.
Even for him, presumably he would want to at least ask the price? And if his pockets are indeed so incredibly deep that he could blow $40-50 million without blinking (according to estimates of the cost), why did he need to sell it as soon as they split up? He didn't need her contribution and could have paid it back and still kept the apartment, which would presumably be an incredible investment that would only increase in value.
They All Own Homes
Speaking of homeownership, it seems that absolutely everyone owns their own home. In the series, the women (in their 30s, for the most part) all manage to own property in the nicer parts of Manhattan. Miranda, at one point (when separated from Steve in the movie) rents an apartment in Manhattan and part-owns a house in Brooklyn. Aidan, a man who sells custom-made furniture, part owns a bar with Steve, his own place, almost helps Carrie buy her place, and seems to own a country cabin. Real estate in this version of the city is cheap and plentiful, it seems.
How Can Carrie Afford An Assistant?
In the movie, Carrie manages to pull off some of her most impressive 'how can she afford this' moves yet, as she pays for an all-expenses-paid vacation to Mexico for her honeymoon to a luxury resort, buys back her apartment (at an inflated cost), completely redecorates that apartment (with a 'fancy decorator' to help), and hires an assistant full time. Why a woman who writes the occasional column or Vogue article needs a full-time assistant is a mystery, as is how she is paid. How did Carrie afford a total apartment renovation and an assistant (on top of her usual lavish lifestyle) on the advance from one book?
Carrie Is Clueless - But Nothing Ever Goes Wrong
Other than not being able to immediately drum up a down payment for an apartment, Carrie never seems to mention anything about money, taxes, savings, retirement, or any other financial matter... and although she seems utterly clueless in many practical ways, this is never a problem. Carrie seems terrible with money, as well as being terrible with technology, and freely admits to having essentially no savings, but fans are supposed to believe that this lines up with a freelancer who would have to buy their own health insurance and save for their own retirement and taxes on a regular basis. At some point, she would have surely blown her rent on a designer bag, or worried about how to live when she is retirement age, but it just doesn't come up. Perhaps this is why she decided to marry Big - it's nothing to do with him being the 'one', and everything to do with him being a multi-millionaire!