Willie Aames

Willie Aames is best known for his portrayal of neighbor “Buddy” on “Charles in Charge.” Others may know him as “Tommy” from “Eight is Enough.” A few of you may have heard of “Bibleman,” the video series and Aames’ superhero alter ego.

However, now he may be more popularly known as “that guy who used to be famous but had to have a yard sale yesterday to make money.”

Before you make fun …

It seems laughable at first. And it’s a perfect story for a tabloid or whatever reality television show it ends up on. There was a TV crew there filming the whole thing. That’s probably where Aames will make most of his money. I wonder if we could get video of Aames taking out a payday loan …

But it’s hard to laugh when you find out what happened when a reporter from The Pitch asked if he could use the bathroom.

“Actually the house has already been foreclosed, and I think all the utilities have already been shut down,” a crew member said. “Sorry.”

A lesson in frugality

No doubt Aames made a fortune on his sitcom appearances in his early years. He probably thought it would last forever. He probably thought he’d always have work, always be rich and certainly would never have his house foreclosed.

Let his story be a warning. Among the many possessions Aames was selling, you might be able to find a lesson about buying things you don’t need. Perhaps if he had tucked his money away instead of buying a telescope, six-foot-tall candle holders and a  house that was a lot bigger than what he needed, he wouldn’t be in this situation.

Where will he go?

Like many Americans who have lost their homes, Aames isn’t sure what he will do.

He doesn’t seem to know where he’s going to go, or even if he’s leaving Kansas City, just that he can’t stay in that house anymore, Pitch writes.