How Much Money Did This Hingham Family Get on The Briefcase?

Finding the balance between taking what you need and showing generosity was all part of the struggle for one Hingham family on the new CBS reality TV series “The Briefcase.”

On “The Briefcase,” two struggling families are given a briefcase filled with $101,000. A producer tells both families that there is another family they will meet and after 72 hours, they will have to decide whether to keep all the money or give some or all of it away. Both families are under the assumption that they have the only briefcase and are not told that there are two in play until the end of the episode.

Wednesday night, the Melanson family was given that unique opportunity, having to decide whether to keep or share their new found cash with the Mata family of Boyle Heights, Calif.

Like the Melansons, the Mata family struggled with trying to decide how much they should keep for their substantial debts and how much to give away.

During the episodes, both families visited each other and saw their homes; debts; and how they live, adding to the difficult decision of deciding what to do with the cash.

So how much money did the Melanson family walk away with?

After discussions and debate, the Melanson gave their entire briefcase to the Matas. The family from California, however, chose to give half of their money to the Hingham-based family.

“This whole experience, you start thinking about your family and what’s important in life. There’s a difference between wants and needs and you want to make an impact and give back. We know it will help you and it will go far in the community,” Mark Melanson said after giving the briefcase to the Matas.

At one point, the Melanson chose to give $25,000 to the Matas with the Matas initially considering giving the Melansons $95,000.

Photo Credit: CBS Broadcasting