Surprisingly Simple Things That Make You Feel Wealthy

📈 Need help with investing? Check out our free guide! When was the first time you didn’t feel broke? Whether you have an answer to that question, or you’re wondering if that day will ever come, today’s episode is for you! Next Steps: · 🎙️ Catch our episode Reacting to: “If I Can’t Buy a Home, Why Don’t I Just Be Gorgeous?” · 🍸 Follow Smart Money Happy Hour on TikTok: @smartmoneyhappyhour · 📱 Submit a Guilty As Charged question for Rachel and George! Leave us a voicemail with your question at 877-306-1517 or send a DM to @rachelcruze or @georgekamel on Instagram! Be sure to type “GUILTY?” at the top of your message so we don’t miss it. · 💵 Create a free budget and find more margin with EveryDollar. Connect With Our Sponsors: · Check out the FAIRWINDS Credit Union exclusive account bundle. · Get 20% off when you join DeleteMe. · Get 20% off with code SMARTMONEY at Cozy Earth. Today’s Happy Hour Special: 🥂 Grand Mimosa Recipe by Inspired Taste · 1/3 cup sparkling wine · 1/3 cup orange juice · 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier Instructions: Add the sparkling wine and orange juice to a champagne flute. Top with Grand Marnier. Serve and enjoy! Explore More From Ramsey Network: 💰 George Kamel 🎙️ The Ramsey Show 💸 The Ramsey Show Highlights 🧠 The Dr. John Delony Show 📈 EntreLeadership Ramsey Solutions Privacy Policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00George Kamel?

  When was the first time you didn't feel broke? Whether you have an answer to that or you're still waiting for that day, today's episode is for you.

• 0:06Rachel Cruze?

  I think I judge the most on cars to people.

• 0:09George Kamel?

  Yeah, there's things that I will always be frugal on. There's things I'll always be willing to spend money on.

• 0:12Rachel Cruze?

  I think I look more at the prices at the grocery store than I do a restaurant.

• 0:22Rachel Cruze?

  Hey guys, I'm Rachel Cruz.

• 0:24George Kamel?

  I'm George Kamel.

• 0:25Rachel Cruze?

  And this is

• 0:26George Kamel?

  Smart Money Happy Hour.

• 0:32Rachel Cruze?

  Cheers, George.

• 0:33George Kamel?

  Cheers.

• 0:37George Kamel?

  What a vibrant drink this is.

• 0:40George Kamel?

  You all right? Uh oh.

• 0:43Rachel Cruze?

  Does that ever happen to you when you drink something? And for a second, you have to like, use your brain to think, to like, swallow, and if you don't, it like, stays there and you're like, oh my, am I about to choke? Does that ever happen to you?

• 0:57George Kamel?

  No.

• 0:57Rachel Cruze?

  That just happened to me.

• 0:58George Kamel?

  I think you had a stroke.

• 0:59Rachel Cruze?

  No, that's what it probably looks like.

• 1:01George Kamel?

  You don't just forget how to

• 1:02Rachel Cruze?

  It happens on airplanes sometimes.

• 1:04George Kamel?

  It's like you problem.

• 1:05Rachel Cruze?

  I think so anyways.

• 1:06George Kamel?

  I'm trying to think like,

• 1:09Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, and then you're like, oh God, it's now been two seconds and I haven't like naturally just swallowed without thinking about it.

• 1:16George Kamel?

  Having the reaction to swallow.

• 1:17Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 1:18George Kamel?

  Wow.

• 1:19Rachel Cruze?

  Anyways, well, this is the show where two friends who happen to be money experts talk about what you're talking about. Everything from pop culture, current events, and money.

• 1:27George Kamel?

  But first, let's talk about what we're sipping on that almost killed Rachel Cruz. This is a grand mimosa. What makes it grand? None of your business. You'll find out at the end of the episode. Stick around for that. We're going to give you our rating and reveal the cost per glass.

• 1:41Rachel Cruze?

  Oh my gosh.

• 1:42George Kamel?

  So Rachel, I have some news. Hot goss, if you will.

• 1:45Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 1:46George Kamel?

  Were you aware that Facebook posts can be positive? Upbeat even, optimistic?

• 1:52Rachel Cruze?

  Upbeat?

• 1:53George Kamel?

  Hopeful?

• 1:54Rachel Cruze?

  Upbeat?

• 1:55George Kamel?

  The Lord is at work on Facebook.

• 1:57Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, I was gonna say, there's still miracles today, I really do believe. So I do think Facebook can be positive, a positive place.

• 2:04George Kamel?

  I was scrolling through one of our, now here's the thing, it's in a Facebook group.

• 2:08Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 2:08George Kamel?

  So the Baby Steps Millionaires Facebook group, there was a post in there and the responses to this prompt were nothing short of inspirational. You ready for the prompt?

• 2:17Rachel Cruze?

  Go.

• 2:18George Kamel?

  What was a financial milestone that made you feel wealthy?

• 2:22Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, that's a great one.

• 2:24George Kamel?

  You wanna hear some of the answers?

• 2:25Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, yeah, give them to me.

• 2:27George Kamel?

  These are from the wonderful people in this group who follow our content.

• 2:31Rachel Cruze?

  Should we give a like, yes, that's so weird, or yes, I get that. Let's give a response.

• 2:35George Kamel?

  A little react, okay. When I could afford Disney World and Universal Studio tickets for six days of fun with my grandkids.

• 2:42Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, that's living the good life. That feels, that feels wealthy to me.

• 2:46George Kamel?

  That's 10 grand, right there.

• 2:48Rachel Cruze?

  And the joy.

• 2:50George Kamel?

  So much joy. With the grandkids. Is there any better way to spend your wealth?

• 2:54Rachel Cruze?

  You should tell Dave and Sharon that.

• 2:57George Kamel?

  Take little Charles and Amelia and Caroline, forget the other ones. I know you have a lot of them.

• 3:01Rachel Cruze?

  No.

• 3:02George Kamel?

  Focus on one at a time. Here's another one. Hitting the $15,000 mark in savings.

• 3:07Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, you know, that 15,000, I do think, you know, 5,000 a month.

• 3:12George Kamel?

  Most emergencies.

• 3:13Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, and it's like, that feels like a solid three months or so.

• 3:17George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 3:17Rachel Cruze?

  For a lot of people. And that, yeah, that 15 mark, I like it.

• 3:21George Kamel?

  Outside of like a nice car or a house, 15,000 buys you pretty much anything.

• 3:24Rachel Cruze?

  Which is cash, liquid, yep.

• 3:27George Kamel?

  That's a sauna, and a hot tub.

• 3:29Rachel Cruze?

  All of it, all of it in one.

• 3:30George Kamel?

  Okay, next one. When I didn't have to pack a lunch for work. Amen.

• 3:35Rachel Cruze?

  You know.

• 3:36George Kamel?

  Amen.

• 3:37Rachel Cruze?

  Sometimes it's the humble side. You don't need the 15 grand. You just need that extra for Chipotle and guac, you know?

• 3:43George Kamel?

  That's right. We are blessed and spoiled with the Ramsey Cafe cafeteria here.

• 3:48Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, yes.

• 3:49George Kamel?

  So I haven't packed a lunch because I found I can get food here as cheap.

• 3:54Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 3:54George Kamel?

  Almost.

• 3:54Rachel Cruze?

  Cause they subsidize some of the pricing, so it's very nice.

• 3:58George Kamel?

  It's like 1950's pricing out here. It's great.

• 4:00Rachel Cruze?

  Real nice.

• 4:01George Kamel?

  All right, here's another one. What was a financial milestone that made you feel wealthy? Being able to give my boss two months' notice that I was retiring at the age of 60, as planned, right on schedule.

• 4:12Rachel Cruze?

  Sounds very

• 4:13George Kamel?

  Wow.

• 4:14Rachel Cruze?

  Efficient. Sounds like an efficient person.

• 4:16George Kamel?

  I feel like two months, like, everyone's kind of like, alright, you can go now. Like, a month in, they're like, wasn't that person leaving?

• 4:21Rachel Cruze?

  I know. I agree. We, yeah, we get some retirement runways here at Ramsey. And they're here for months, you know, but you keep thinking, wait. Oh, yeah, you still got a few more months left.

• 4:31George Kamel?

  I don't want to overstay my welcome.

• 4:32Rachel Cruze?

  Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 4:33George Kamel?

  I'll give you two weeks' notice.

• 4:35Rachel Cruze?

  Not for retirement, George.

• 4:37George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 4:37Rachel Cruze?

  No.

• 4:38George Kamel?

  Well, I guess with my job, it's a little harder. Because if I'm here, and I mean, think about it, I'm 37.

• 4:42Rachel Cruze?

  But when you retire, you're not, like, rushing to get, I mean, you're like, there's a plan. And I think sharing that with the boss is a good thing.

• 4:49George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 4:49Rachel Cruze?

  Right?

• 4:50George Kamel?

  Who would I share it with? Do you think I should tell Dave?

• 4:51Rachel Cruze?

  Tell me, George.

• 4:52George Kamel?

  I should tell you first?

• 4:54Rachel Cruze?

  Sure.

• 4:55George Kamel?

  As a friend?

• 4:56Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, and a coworker, and a co-host.

• 4:58George Kamel?

  Okay, and as an acquaintance as well?

• 5:00Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 5:01George Kamel?

  That's great. Well, by the way, I love this because it's why investing in retirement early matters. The fact that they were as planned, right on schedule, is so rare in today's world.

• 5:10Rachel Cruze?

  When there's a plan.

• 5:11George Kamel?

  They retire without a plan, without enough money.

• 5:13Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, so planned out, this person.

• 5:15George Kamel?

  So we have an investing guide, for those of you that are interested, we'll drop a link in the description, if you want to be like this person, and actually retire with dignity one day. Alright, next one. You want to take this one?

• 5:24Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, being able to buy groceries at my preferred grocery store and not worry about the total. Man, that's a, that's a feeling.

• 5:33George Kamel?

  When you're not looking at the cart going, okay, that's 60, 70, 80, 90.

• 5:36Rachel Cruze?

  I know. I still will look at prices at the grocery store. You know what's weird? I think I look more at the prices at the grocery store than I do a restaurant.

• 5:45George Kamel?

  That makes sense.

• 5:46Rachel Cruze?

  Is that a toxic trait?

• 5:47George Kamel?

  Well, at a restaurant, I feel like you are so carefree.

• 5:50Rachel Cruze?

  I am.

• 5:50George Kamel?

  You're like, it's time to enjoy.

• 5:52Rachel Cruze?

  It's my place of happiness.

• 5:53George Kamel?

  The grocery store is, it's a war zone.

• 5:55Rachel Cruze?

  It's a war zone, and we're in to, to make ends meet, meaning like, we are eating in, and we are cooking, and we're gonna be smart about this. We are making smart decisions at the grocery store. It just feels like a place that you don't want to be irresponsible, you know?

• 6:08George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 6:08Rachel Cruze?

  Grocery store feels like a responsible place. Chili's?

• 6:13George Kamel?

  Bad decisions happen.

• 6:14Rachel Cruze?

  Not so much. Maybe the extra app is being ordered.

• 6:16George Kamel?

  Where bad decisions meet mediocre food. Chili's. That's good. You know, I was just at Costco yesterday and I had the same thing where I looked at a receipt. Almost everything I bought was on sale. And I was like, why is this my toxic trait?

• 6:28Rachel Cruze?

  Cause you were like looking for it.

• 6:30George Kamel?

  But then I thought, well, I got to get more because things were on sale.

• 6:34Rachel Cruze?

  Now that is fun, too.

• 6:35George Kamel?

  Okay, last one on the list here from the Facebook group, a financial milestone that made you feel wealthy. The HVAC going out and being able to write a check in cash to replace it.

• 6:42Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, it feels nice.

• 6:43George Kamel?

  The HVAC is always our example with the emergency fund, I feel like.

• 6:47Rachel Cruze?

  So on the Ramsey show today, I hosted with Dave.

• 6:49George Kamel?

  You had an HVAC one?

• 6:49Rachel Cruze?

  No, we had the question of the day was specific to Dave and it said, Dave, do you remember when you were starting out the baby steps and like building the program? Did you ever have to dip into the emergency fund? And he, yeah, and he like remembered the house. It was the house that we moved in when I was eight. He like said the exact situation and he said it was like the first time of using an emergency fund. Cause it was like close to 8,000, the whole like then where now it'd be like 18, you know, 18,000.

• 7:17George Kamel?

  Yeah, this was the 90s?

• 7:18Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, 96, I guess. Yeah, but anyways, we just had that and Dave talked about it. So maybe that's why he uses it as an example so much.

• 7:28George Kamel?

  This guy has a memory of an elephant. It's very impressive.

• 7:31Rachel Cruze?

  Wild, but the HVAC thing is real.

• 7:33George Kamel?

  That's a good one.

• 7:34Rachel Cruze?

  Cause it's a high ticket item and it's a need.

• 7:36George Kamel?

  And what's the thing most people go into debt for or put on payments? And so to be able to write the check and be done with it and get your heater air going again? That's a life changer.

• 7:46Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, George, you became a baby steps millionaire a few years ago. Do you remember a time that you were like, I feel like I'm, and it can be something as small as like being able to eat out at lunch, you know what I mean? Or something as big as like an emergency fund.

• 8:02George Kamel?

  Yeah, the moment I felt like I've made it.

• 8:05Rachel Cruze?

  You're like, that feels good.

• 8:06George Kamel?

  So we paid off our town home and then it was a little bit after that, that our net worth hit the million between the house being paid off and our retirement. And so hitting that number didn't do a whole lot. It was cool.

• 8:18Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 8:19George Kamel?

  But there wasn't like a life effect until a little bit later when we got into our next house and we got to retire Whitney from her career. That to me, when you can retire your spouse financially because you don't have debt and you have the income to support the family, I was like, that to me is making it on a like family level was cool. And then probably the nerdier side was doing like the little home upgrades, getting the garage floors epoxied.

• 8:49Rachel Cruze?

  You love an epoxy garage.

• 8:50George Kamel?

  I love an epoxy.

• 8:51Rachel Cruze?

  Loves a garage floor.

• 8:52George Kamel?

  In my head, like only the richest people had epoxied garage floors. So the fact that I could get it for my little home, I was like, what's up?

• 9:00Rachel Cruze?

  My friend, she just did a ton of renovations on her bottom floor. And so we, just this week, and we walked through her garage and I said, I was like, my gosh, Katie, your garage floor looks so good. She said it's like one of the top three things they did that she's obsessed with. She's like, I literally walk in my garage all the time. And she's like, it just feels good. It just feels nice, you know? I was like, it's so true.

• 9:18George Kamel?

  That is a good one. Yeah, but I mean, there's different stages, I feel like, and it kind of gets elevated. Like being able to pay cash for our home was like, holy crap. It was such a monumental goal for us, years in the making. We've worked so hard for it. And then I did it. And it was like, I landed a trick that I didn't know I could do. And even Whitney was like, I can't believe we did that. I'm like, I know.

• 9:38Rachel Cruze?

  I know.

• 9:39George Kamel?

  But it's, you know, when you're on the same page with your spouse and you're just both aligned, you're willing to do anything to get there, it is amazing what can happen. Whether you're in baby step two or in baby step seven.

• 9:48Rachel Cruze?

  For sure.

• 9:49George Kamel?

  With a paid for house.

• 9:50Rachel Cruze?

  No, I love that.

• 9:50George Kamel?

  What about you? Now, you grew up a Ramsey kid. Personal finance was always a conversation. You were born when Dave and Sharon were going through bankruptcy.

• 9:59Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 9:59George Kamel?

  You were super young.

• 10:00Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 10:01George Kamel?

  And then they climbed out of that, starting Ramsey, starting Financial Peace and all of that. But was there a moment where you were an adult, where you were like, oh, we're on our own, independently, we've done this?

• 10:14Rachel Cruze?

  Well, it's funny too, because mom and dad, the way we grew up, we never, I never felt like we were like the rich kids by any stretch of the imagination. We probably weren't for a while.

• 10:22George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 10:23Rachel Cruze?

  But I, you know, but looking back, I'm like, okay, I probably pinpoint with the company and stuff when they were probably doing a lot better than they were like putting off, right, to us. Or, so.

• 10:33George Kamel?

  Because they're, they're very grounded, normal people. They're not like

• 10:36Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 10:37George Kamel?

  the type to want to just flex.

• 10:38Rachel Cruze?

  I went to Chinatown with my mother in New York City to get knockoff purses. So.

• 10:42George Kamel?

  And she would still do that today.

• 10:43Rachel Cruze?

  That's how we roll.

• 10:44George Kamel?

  I'd go with you, Sharon.

• 10:46Rachel Cruze?

  No, no, Sharon will buy the nice stuff today. But you know what's funny? I have this vivid memory, because we're drinking orange juice. Of when Winston and I, when we got married. And we were young when we got married, okay? So like, I still had a semester left of college. Talk about a southern girl.

• 11:03George Kamel?

  So you were like 21?

• 11:04Rachel Cruze?

  My gosh.

• 11:04George Kamel?

  Or what, 22?

• 11:05Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, I was 21, y'all. Mm-hmm. Winston was 23. I know, we were babies. How our parents let us got married, we don't know. Uh, but Winston was working at his dad's heating and air company, doing installs. And, and I was still in college. I mean, like, yeah. So that was our, that was us. And it was not like my parents by any stretch of the imagination was like, here's money every month. It was like, alright, how are you guys gonna pay bills? How are you gonna do this? Um, so yeah, so it was, it was, uh, yeah. We lived, we lived, you know, with a tight budget. So I'm saying, I was saying, when we got married, the night of our honeymoon, we spent the night in a hotel in downtown Nashville, at the Hermitage Hotel, which is a very, very nice, it's one of the nicer hotels for sure in Nashville. The only at that point, 16 years ago, really the only super nice hotel then.

• 11:50George Kamel?

  Now there's like a thousand downtown.

• 11:51Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, there's like J L B, yeah, there's all these other nice hotels. But it was really like the main one before we flew out for our honeymoon. And I remember we woke up and we were like, okay, let's get room service before our flight. And we were looking at the menu and looking at the prices and we like split pancakes, I remember. I think we split a pot of coffee. And then I remember seeing orange juice. I was like, gosh, orange juice kinda sounds nice. But it was $7. I mean, how much is orange juice at like a, you know?

• 12:16George Kamel?

  Especially if it's like fresh squeezed.

• 12:18Rachel Cruze?

  I mean, it was not like outrageous, but it was enough that I'm like, oh, that, I would feel that. We would feel that in the check.

• 12:24George Kamel?

  Gave you some pause.

• 12:25Rachel Cruze?

  At that point, yes. And I remember talking to mom and dad when we got home from the honeymoon and all of this. And I remember saying like, okay, if you guys were to order room service, like, when do you just order the orange juice? And not like, think about it. True story. Dave's like, ah, I'll order it now, you'll be fine, you know, whatever, whatever. My mom was like, I still don't order orange juice. They overprice it. It is too much. She still won't, you know? But I remember thinking, when I can just order orange juice at room service, right? I'm not just talking about at a restaurant, like, because they charge, they upcharge you for room service. So that would be making it. And I remember when I did, George, and it felt good. And I ordered that orange juice and I just said, I'm doing that. Yeah, years later.

• 13:07George Kamel?

  Good for you.

• 13:09Rachel Cruze?

  So that's mine, George. Yours is paying, paying for a house in cash. Mine is just ordering orange juice.

• 13:14George Kamel?

  That's pretty good.

• 13:15Rachel Cruze?

  But I do feel like thinking like, oh, my gosh, we were doing good.

• 13:18George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 13:19Rachel Cruze?

  We're doing good.

• 13:19George Kamel?

  Well, I do think there's a muscle built there to where like the first car that I bought that was not like a beater $6,000 car. It like scared me to write that check and to swipe that card.

• 13:29Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 13:30George Kamel?

  And now it's, you're used to it. And so it doesn't like scare you as much.

• 13:34Rachel Cruze?

  Right.

• 13:34George Kamel?

  Like, you're still like, that's a big number. You still understand that.

• 13:37Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 13:37George Kamel?

  But there's not that like, oh, we're doing it.

• 13:40Rachel Cruze?

  Do you still have your quirks of like, when you get a thing, when you get a situation, you're like, okay, I could, I'll be fine. Like, I was just thinking, I moved my car at lunch. Actually, I left a meeting we were at. I don't even know if you knew when I-

• 13:52George Kamel?

  I saw you skedaddle.

• 13:54Rachel Cruze?

  Snuck out real quick and I came back because there was an open spot to charge the Tesla.

• 13:57George Kamel?

  I did wonder where you went.

• 13:58Rachel Cruze?

  Charging at work. When I get to charge at work and I'm at like 30% and you get to charge all day, I feel like I've won the lottery.

• 14:05George Kamel?

  That's a weird frugal hack for you.

• 14:06Rachel Cruze?

  I have a weird thing about that. Yes, it gives me such energy. Yes, it gives me such energy.

• 14:11George Kamel?

  So the team gave us some categories of common things people spend money on, and we have come up with the I've made it moment within that category. Of how you know you're at a different level with your finances.

• 14:23Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, so first up is food. What can splurging look like when it comes to the food category of your budgets?

• 14:30George Kamel?

  Okay, let's start with like groceries, not eating out. We'll get to eating out. Groceries, I feel like, is when you are not thinking about the price per item that you're putting in the cart.

• 14:40Rachel Cruze?

  As much, yeah.

• 14:41George Kamel?

  You're getting what you need, maybe even a few other things, and you're no concern in the world.

• 14:46Rachel Cruze?

  Right, lots of buffer. Yes.

• 14:48George Kamel?

  You're getting like the name brand over the generic brand or the one that's on sale just because you want it.

• 14:53Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, that's fair.

• 14:54George Kamel?

  That's an I've made it moment.

• 14:55Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, I think going out to eat would be not really looking at prices.

• 14:59George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 15:00Rachel Cruze?

  Would you say?

• 15:00George Kamel?

  Yes.

• 15:01Rachel Cruze?

  To a degree. I mean, obviously, if you're like at a super-

• 15:03George Kamel?

  Well, you know, when you're like, well, the chicken is half the price, or I just do the chicken even though I want the steak.

• 15:08Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 15:09George Kamel?

  It's 25 bucks versus 50 bucks.

• 15:11Rachel Cruze?

  But when you go for the steak- You've made it, right?

• 15:14George Kamel?

  It's always, the steak is how you know you've made it.

• 15:16Rachel Cruze?

  Especially if you grew up in the 90s. I swear, there were no restaurants in the 90s. Did you feel like this? I talked to some other podcasters about this. And yeah, we were like thinking through, and I don't know if it's where we lived in Nashville, but people, you just didn't go out to eat. Like, the Olive Garden was a treat.

• 15:30George Kamel?

  Oh, yeah.

• 15:30Rachel Cruze?

  They like, there was Olive Garden, there was a Shoney's. And of course, like, a little bit of fast food, but nothing.

• 15:35George Kamel?

  There were some like chain kind of places.

• 15:37Rachel Cruze?

  Like, you drive through Brentwood Franklin right now, and I'm like, I mean, restaurant after restaurant after restaurant. And I just don't think it was like that then.

• 15:43George Kamel?

  Yeah, I do think the world changed where people wanted a higher end experience. And we had foodies start to come on the scene.

• 15:50Rachel Cruze?

  I guess so. And that, they could just make so much money in the food industry. And they just started popping up everywhere. But I just don't think that there were, I don't think we eat out like we did in the 90s. I think the 90s was, or maybe it's just because we were poor.

• 16:02George Kamel?

  It's a different time.

• 16:02Rachel Cruze?

  We didn't, and we didn't go out. I don't know.

• 16:05George Kamel?

  Oh, you know what a good one is for eating out, and I still struggle with this, as you know, is the appetizers and desserts. That's an I've made it moment, when you start going, oh, let's get some apps. I go, wow.

• 16:14Rachel Cruze?

  Wow.

• 16:15George Kamel?

  You've made it.

• 16:15Rachel Cruze?

  Look at you go.

• 16:16George Kamel?

  Because if you grew up, like, not having much, that was not even a, on the table.

• 16:21Rachel Cruze?

  No, yeah, you don't do apps.

• 16:22George Kamel?

  It was like, maybe you get an entree, but it's a lower tier.

• 16:25Rachel Cruze?

  For sure.

• 16:25George Kamel?

  Maybe you're gonna split it.

• 16:26Rachel Cruze?

  And the kids' meal's free, probably.

• 16:27George Kamel?

  Kids' meal, you go on the Tuesdays when the kids' meals are free.

• 16:30Rachel Cruze?

  Hundred percent, yep.

• 16:31George Kamel?

  So I do think when you get the appetizers, especially multiple.

• 16:34Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, you know what's, you know what's real bougie?

• 16:37George Kamel?

  What's that?

• 16:37Rachel Cruze?

  You've really made it, when you order a decaf coffee with your dessert.

• 16:40George Kamel?

  Oh.

• 16:41Rachel Cruze?

  And you go to the next course. And you're still talking and having a good old time.

• 16:46George Kamel?

  That's next level.

• 16:47Rachel Cruze?

  That is, right? A decaf, can I get a decaf?

• 16:50George Kamel?

  Yep. I went out for my birthday with two of my guy friends.

• 16:53Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 16:53George Kamel?

  And he got decaf espresso, and we got gelato. We each got our, like, ice cream for dessert.

• 16:59Rachel Cruze?

  Uh huh.

• 17:00George Kamel?

  And we poured it over the ice cream to make an affogato.

• 17:03Rachel Cruze?

  What?

• 17:04George Kamel?

  And let me tell you.

• 17:04Rachel Cruze?

  What is that?

• 17:05George Kamel?

  Affogato is when you have espresso poured over ice cream, and it creates this really delicious, the bitterness and the warmth of the espresso mixed with the cold sweet of the ice cream.

• 17:13Rachel Cruze?

  It's beautiful, wonderful.

• 17:14George Kamel?

  It's otherworldly.

• 17:15Rachel Cruze?

  It's just wonderful, yes.

• 17:16George Kamel?

  And so that was, that to me is like, that felt luxurious.

• 17:19Rachel Cruze?

  A hundred percent.

• 17:21George Kamel?

  The fact that we'd already spent a good bit of money.

• 17:22Rachel Cruze?

  Are we in Italy, or?

• 17:23George Kamel?

  Yeah, we got like a couple cocktails, entrees, a bunch of apps. Then we're doing dessert.

• 17:28Rachel Cruze?

  George, I'm so proud of you. Where did you go? Can you name drop the restaurant? Oh, yes, Pilato's great.

• 17:32George Kamel?

  Yeah, the new one by the, uh, the Cool Springs Mall nearby.

• 17:34Rachel Cruze?

  We had Mother's Day there.

• 17:35George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 17:36Rachel Cruze?

  Delicious.

• 17:37George Kamel?

  And you know what? So generous, they covered the whole meal for me. Which I was like, guys, no, I cannot.

• 17:42Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, the friends, they think I'm at the restaurant.

• 17:44George Kamel?

  No.

• 17:44Rachel Cruze?

  I was like, give me, give me the name of the restaurant.

• 17:47George Kamel?

  No, they weren't like fans, like, guys, the meal's on, I'll say.

• 17:49Rachel Cruze?

  I thought you meant the restaurant covered it.

• 17:50George Kamel?

  No, my two friends, they cover, and I, it was so nice.

• 17:53Rachel Cruze?

  That is very nice.

• 17:54George Kamel?

  Outrageous generosity. You know, that's another, how you know you've made it? You cover the tab for the table.

• 17:59Rachel Cruze?

  For the table, or you see someone else in the restaurants that you know.

• 18:02George Kamel?

  And you cover the tab for them. Or a stranger.

• 18:05Rachel Cruze?

  We'll pick up their bill. You know who's good at that? Winston Cruz. He thinks about that all the time.

• 18:08George Kamel?

  Really?

• 18:08Rachel Cruze?

  He picks up the bill. Yes, for people. Yes.

• 18:11George Kamel?

  Has that rubbed off on you to think about others?

• 18:12Rachel Cruze?

  No, but I'm, I'm usually the giver between us.

• 18:16George Kamel?

  You are.

• 18:16Rachel Cruze?

  I'm more of the one to be like, here, take my money. But like, yeah.

• 18:20George Kamel?

  Which we learned in a previous episode, very generous tipper. At one point tipped like 2,000% or whatever it was. A hilarious amount.

• 18:29Rachel Cruze?

  That's right. But a very attractive quality.

• 18:32George Kamel?

  Generosity?

• 18:33Rachel Cruze?

  Yes. Be generous in front of your wife.

• 18:35George Kamel?

  Well, I mean, the opposite of that.

• 18:36Rachel Cruze?

  It's a very attractive quality.

• 18:37George Kamel?

  A stingy man is not generous, because you go, wow, my whole life is going to be extreme cheapskates with this guy.

• 18:42Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, yeah, but when you have someone that's like, hey, you want to live freely?

• 18:44George Kamel?

  I love that. Okay, that's a good one.

• 18:45Rachel Cruze?

  Good next.

• 18:46George Kamel?

  And where you shop as well for food. I should mention that.

• 18:48Rachel Cruze?

  What do you mean?

• 18:49George Kamel?

  Like, if you're always shopping at the discount grocery.

• 18:52Rachel Cruze?

  I don't know, though. I, I still love an Aldi.

• 18:55George Kamel?

  Oh, you don't have to get me started.

• 18:58Rachel Cruze?

  Well, that's what I'm saying, though. I think you could have made it.

• 19:00George Kamel?

  But when you can pop into a Publix or Whole Foods once in a while, you're like, whoo.

• 19:03Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I'll still, I don't know, the grocery level for me, I have no I've made it moment feeling there. It's the restaurant where you're like, oh, my gosh.

• 19:12George Kamel?

  That's where the real decisions happen.

• 19:14Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, the other one, George, this is like my, all my favorite things, vacations.

• 19:18George Kamel?

  Okay, what is the I've made it moment for vacations?

• 19:20Rachel Cruze?

  On vacation. I mean, we're talking about food, food on vacation. I think when you, um, when you go out to eat on, for meals, especially if you have a kitchen where you're staying. For so long, it was like turkey sandwiches for lunches. You're making, you know, scrambled eggs in the morning. And then maybe some nights you go out, some nights you don't. But when you're like, no, every dinner, we're gonna go out. That feels nice. That's a, that's a good spot.

• 19:46George Kamel?

  Or a delivery to the beach condo.

• 19:48Rachel Cruze?

  I don't think I've ever done that.

• 19:50George Kamel?

  Should try it.

• 19:50Rachel Cruze?

  We, I should go to the beach.

• 19:52George Kamel?

  Yeah, vacations have such a scale. Cause you can do vacations that are super cheap, not ritzy. And then there's, there's no ceiling for how nice of a vacation you could take. But I do feel like we used to stay at a lot of like Best Westerns.

• 20:06Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 20:06George Kamel?

  You know?

• 20:07Rachel Cruze?

  For sure.

• 20:07George Kamel?

  Which no shade on Best Western, it's a quality establishment.

• 20:11Rachel Cruze?

  We're a Holiday Inn family.

• 20:12George Kamel?

  That's a step above, I feel like.

• 20:14Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, the Best Western?

• 20:15George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 20:15Rachel Cruze?

  All right, all right, I'll take it.

• 20:17George Kamel?

  And so I think staying in those hotels and now when you're at like a Marriott property.

• 20:22Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 20:22George Kamel?

  You know? Even a Courtyard might do the trick.

• 20:25Rachel Cruze?

  At a Courtyard Marriott, where they have the buffet in the morning for you. You pour your own, pour your own waffles.

• 20:32George Kamel?

  That's a big one.

• 20:33Rachel Cruze?

  Yep.

• 20:33George Kamel?

  And even, I don't know if we're gonna cover this.

• 20:35Rachel Cruze?

  I'd say the rental chairs at the beach versus bringing your own.

• 20:39George Kamel?

  That's such a perfect example.

• 20:41Rachel Cruze?

  That's a, that's a bougie move.

• 20:43George Kamel?

  Cause it's like.

• 20:43Rachel Cruze?

  It's convenient.

• 20:44George Kamel?

  It's a lot of money when you think about it, but then also what you're getting for the value. To not drag all of that stuff out there.

• 20:52Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, and you got some college kid with a big drill getting your umbrella.

• 20:56George Kamel?

  Yes. Some super tan fit dude, you're like, hey.

• 21:00Rachel Cruze?

  Thanks, Jason.

• 21:00George Kamel?

  Get my umbrella.

• 21:01Rachel Cruze?

  Appreciate it.

• 21:02George Kamel?

  And you got like a nice reserved spot, the umbrella's up.

• 21:05Rachel Cruze?

  Mm-hmm.

• 21:05George Kamel?

  You're not having to like finagle your own umbrella in the sand.

• 21:08Rachel Cruze?

  It's nice, it's nice.

• 21:10George Kamel?

  The wind's taking it away.

• 21:11Rachel Cruze?

  For sure.

• 21:12George Kamel?

  That's a good one with vacations.

• 21:13Rachel Cruze?

  Yep, I love that. But when you go on vacations, you know, you're filling out so many forms, right? Your hotels and your booking flights, your journalists and all your personal information's online when that is happening. And so having Delete Me on your side in 2026 is so crucial.

• 21:28George Kamel?

  It's like a vacation, buddy.

• 21:30Rachel Cruze?

  It is.

• 21:30George Kamel?

  They're coming alongside cleaning up after you.

• 21:32Rachel Cruze?

  And you don't even know.

• 21:33George Kamel?

  It's wonderful. It's like a digital house cleaner and they will actually keep it clean. So all year long, a real digital privacy expert behind the scenes, making sure your info stays off of those data broker sites to help protect you from spam, scam, phishing and fraud.

• 21:47Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, because I think that's what's wild when you learn about this world is that some companies will sell your data and then it goes to these data broker sites that end up, again, selling your data to other companies. It's like, and so when they can take the middleman out and say, no, your information is not there. Then again, yeah, your information's not going to be all over the internet to all these other places and you're not getting crazy, you know, emails and texts and all of this. So Delete Me is amazing.

• 22:13George Kamel?

  That's a good I've made it moment. Go to joindelete.me/smartmoney and you can get 20% off their annual plans.

• 22:20Rachel Cruze?

  Let's go to cars, George.

• 22:22George Kamel?

  This is a great category.

• 22:24Rachel Cruze?

  Is it? See, I don't feel that as much in my bones. I felt it more on vacations. I don't know, the car thing just doesn't.

• 22:32George Kamel?

  Doesn't do much for you.

• 22:33Rachel Cruze?

  And I have a Tesla, I mean, I have a nice car, so I probably, I mean, like, I don't want to be completely like, oh my gosh, I don't care. And it's a nice car, but like when I'm in my Honda Odyssey, I'm good too. I mean, genuinely, I'm like, yeah.

• 22:44George Kamel?

  Hey, the Odyssey's a sick whip, as the kids say. I think that's a, that's the I've made it vehicle for a family.

• 22:52Rachel Cruze?

  That is true. Okay.

• 22:53George Kamel?

  Every family wants the Honda Odyssey if they're in the minivan space.

• 22:57Rachel Cruze?

  It's a good one.

• 22:58George Kamel?

  They'll settle, they'll settle for a Pacifica or a Carnival.

• 23:01Rachel Cruze?

  Or a Sienna.

• 23:03George Kamel?

  Or a Sienna, no shade to the Sienna, they're neck and neck.

• 23:06Rachel Cruze?

  But the Odyssey.

• 23:07George Kamel?

  But I'm a Honda man.

• 23:08Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, that's fair. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But yeah, I don't know, I think I ju, I think, okay, if I'm being honest, I think I judge the most on cars to people. Like if I'm gonna be in my like evil side of Rachel, judgy side, I'm not really judging the vacations as much. Like I see someone in Italy and I'm like, good for you. Like, that's great. I see someone driving like a brand new Escalade and I automatically think probably car payment.

• 23:34George Kamel?

  Oh, whereas vacation, you're not thinking about who paid for it.

• 23:37Rachel Cruze?

  No, yeah, I think they probably just saved up and paid for it. I don't know. It's like a subconscious weird thing to me.

• 23:41George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 23:41Rachel Cruze?

  So cars is a hard gauge for me with people because I get, I can be, not judgy that they're driving it, I don't care, but of how they acquired it.

• 23:50George Kamel?

  That's important.

• 23:52Rachel Cruze?

  I'm probably a little bit more judgy on that.

• 23:53George Kamel?

  Well, for the Ramsey principles and what we recommend is buying a used car in cash and not buying a new car until you're a net worth millionaire.

• 24:01Rachel Cruze?

  That's right.

• 24:02George Kamel?

  Where you can stomach that hit on depreciation. And even with used cars, I think being able to pick out a specific make and model is kind of an I've made it moment in and of itself.

• 24:11Rachel Cruze?

  Now, that's a good point.

• 24:11George Kamel?

  Where you can be choosier and not go, well, I don't love that color.

• 24:15Rachel Cruze?

  But I'm gonna do it because it works.

• 24:17George Kamel?

  Not what I want. It doesn't have the features I want.

• 24:18Rachel Cruze?

  Yep.

• 24:19George Kamel?

  And so my last car, so I've had, you know, my old Tesla, which is now getting, it's up for auction pretty soon here.

• 24:25Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, it is. I thought they sold it.

• 24:26George Kamel?

  Well, they're in the making of selling it.

• 24:29Rachel Cruze?

  Mm-hmm.

• 24:30George Kamel?

  But I got a newer Tesla that has the self-driving.

• 24:32Rachel Cruze?

  Yep.

• 24:33George Kamel?

  That to me was the I've made it moment. That's truly the one thing I think has added the most value to my life in the past year.

• 24:40Rachel Cruze?

  And you wanted it before you had it. You're like, if I can get that.

• 24:42George Kamel?

  And it was the specific make and model and I had to get it shipped from like a dealership in Virginia.

• 24:47Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 24:48George Kamel?

  And deal with a shipping company.

• 24:49Rachel Cruze?

  Do you use the, yeah, the self-driving all the time?

• 24:52George Kamel?

  I would say exclusively. It has like six cameras.

• 24:55Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, yeah. No, it's great.

• 24:57George Kamel?

  I have two eyeballs and I'm a human with a lot of distractions. That car's one job is to watch and it's saved my life multiple times already.

• 25:03Rachel Cruze?

  Because you were like.

• 25:05George Kamel?

  I didn't see a car coming out and it went to a full stop and I went, what's the deal? Or it pulls me on the side of the road and I'm like, what's going on? Oh, there's an ambulance and cop coming right behind me and it pulls over to make, give room.

• 25:17Rachel Cruze?

  Wow.

• 25:18George Kamel?

  So there's some pretty cool features.

• 25:19Rachel Cruze?

  That's amazing. That's a good one.

• 25:20George Kamel?

  That's a good one. Being able to like just walk into the dealership or just know you're paying cash, you have that kind of buying power is a very much an I've made it moment because so many people, they can't fathom saving up 10 grand, 20 grand, 30 grand, 40 grand for a car.

• 25:35Rachel Cruze?

  Mm-hmm.

• 25:35George Kamel?

  So that to me is a great sign that you're savings muscles there.

• 25:38Rachel Cruze?

  You're doing really well.

• 25:39George Kamel?

  You have the margin to save up.

• 25:40Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, yes, that's fair.

• 25:42George Kamel?

  That's, and you don't have to worry about, you know, as much maintenance and repairs hopefully as you get nicer cars that you can maintain.

• 25:48Rachel Cruze?

  For sure. Love it. Flights. When's the I've made it?

• 25:54George Kamel?

  R.I.P. Spirit, by the way.

• 25:56Rachel Cruze?

  Not, isn't that wild?

• 25:58George Kamel?

  What a wild story.

• 25:59Rachel Cruze?

  I saw videos on Instagram, like during the, like at 8:00 PM. They like went to a gate full of people like, well,

• 26:06George Kamel?

  Shutting it down.

• 26:06Rachel Cruze?

  We shut down just about an hour ago, so we can't fly.

• 26:09George Kamel?

  The funniest thing, they were like, hey, no more flights, no more customer service. And the joke was, they had customer service? At what point?

• 26:18Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, God bless.

• 26:19George Kamel?

  But that's true. I think like booking the non-budget airline

• 26:23Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 26:24George Kamel?

  is already like a step where you go, oh, wow.

• 26:26Rachel Cruze?

  You know, I felt like I made it when I chose not to connect.

• 26:32George Kamel?

  The non-stop.

• 26:33Rachel Cruze?

  The non-stop. And usually, not always, sometimes pricier. And so we would always just like, I'll just connect to get the better deal.

• 26:42George Kamel?

  Have a layover, it might take a few more hours.

• 26:44Rachel Cruze?

  Mine's not so much like the time of booking. Like I'd, I'd still get up early to make a flight.

• 26:49George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 26:50Rachel Cruze?

  You know what I mean? The, the time doesn't bother me as much, but the connection, that was big.

• 26:54George Kamel?

  That's true.

• 26:54Rachel Cruze?

  Mm-hmm.

• 26:55George Kamel?

  I'm a time guy. Like if I-

• 26:57Rachel Cruze?

  You are. You hate an early flight.

• 26:58George Kamel?

  I hate an early flight.

• 26:59Rachel Cruze?

  Man, I love an early flight.

• 27:00George Kamel?

  Because I reverse engineer and go, okay, the flight's at 5:45. I gotta wake up at 2:30 to get to the airport by 3:45.

• 27:06Rachel Cruze?

  Wait, wait. You get to the airport at 3:45 if your flight's at 5:45?

• 27:09George Kamel?

  No, I'm just saying, in general.

• 27:11Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, okay.

• 27:12George Kamel?

  And you gotta, especially with like a family that takes even more time and you're, you're just like bleary-eyed, exhausted.

• 27:18Rachel Cruze?

  That's true. It can take you out.

• 27:19George Kamel?

  You get to your destination tired. I don't sleep well on planes. And so being able to go, you know what? I'm gonna get to 11:00 AM.

• 27:25Rachel Cruze?

  I'm more-

• 27:26George Kamel?

  It's a little more expensive. I'm gonna do it. I'm not doing the red eye.

• 27:29Rachel Cruze?

  Not, no, I would do an early over a red eye.

• 27:32George Kamel?

  That's a good one.

• 27:32Rachel Cruze?

  Well, that would not be good.

• 27:33George Kamel?

  But I still think first class is a scam and I will not do that.

• 27:36Rachel Cruze?

  You know, I've started, you know, for a while, George, in our friendship, I was a little pro where I was like, if, that feels fine. It's fun if you get to do it. And I started backing off that stance. I'm more with you now.

• 27:48George Kamel?

  Wow.

• 27:48Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 27:49George Kamel?

  I just think most airlines, it's not enough of a premium experience. Sure, international's a different story.

• 27:54Rachel Cruze?

  But if I'm flying to Dallas, why pay $700 more?

• 27:59George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 27:59Rachel Cruze?

  That's insane to me. Like, that's pretty crazy. So, I'm with you. I'm with you. Well, all I know is if I did have to take a red eye, I'd have to be comfortable, which means I'd have to be in all my Cozy Earth athleisure, because I'd have to snuggle up in that seat, hold myself, like, the fetal position, and try to go to bed through the night, which would be so bad.

• 28:19George Kamel?

  You're hoping the flight's longer. You're so comfy.

• 28:20Rachel Cruze?

  So bad. That's right. That's right.

• 28:21George Kamel?

  Don't bother me.

• 28:22Rachel Cruze?

  No, but Cozy Earth has amazing products. Just the quality of what they have, you guys. The sheets, the bedding, the towels might be my new favorite.

• 28:31George Kamel?

  I've been rocking those.

• 28:32Rachel Cruze?

  They're amazing. I mean, so wonderful.

• 28:35George Kamel?

  When I have to put that towel in the laundry, I'm a little bit depressed.

• 28:38Rachel Cruze?

  A little sad.

• 28:38George Kamel?

  Until it's clean again.

• 28:39Rachel Cruze?

  Like, I want that clean and back in my drawer. Yeah.

• 28:41George Kamel?

  Hundred percent.

• 28:42Rachel Cruze?

  I know.

• 28:42George Kamel?

  And the sleep sets. My wife loves the sleep sets. I got my own now.

• 28:46Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 28:46George Kamel?

  They have a new, like, first-layer lounge set, like, shorts and a tee.

• 28:49Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, those are fun.

• 28:49George Kamel?

  Because I sleep hot.

• 28:51Rachel Cruze?

  Especially for the summer. It's fantastic.

• 28:53George Kamel?

  The best. It's got, like, that stretchy, cool-feeling material.

• 28:56Rachel Cruze?

  And actually, the shorts are cute.

• 28:58George Kamel?

  Thank you.

• 28:58Rachel Cruze?

  For the guys and the girls. They've got the band. It's like the Calvin Klein look.

• 29:01George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 29:02Rachel Cruze?

  Um, yes.

• 29:03George Kamel?

  Very stylish. So, go check it all out and get up to 20% off. Go to cozylearth.com/smartmoney and use our code SMARTMONEY at checkout. And when you get the post-purchase survey, which I know you will, make sure to let them know that Smart Money Happy Hour sent you.

• 29:16Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, George, let's end on the same inspirational notes that the Facebook comments gave us earlier.

• 29:23George Kamel?

  Love inspiration. So, one of the ultimate "I'm not broke anymore" milestones we hear is when people have an emergency fund, which is, we say, three to six months of expenses in liquid savings, like, in a high-yield savings account, to cover those unexpected costs.

• 29:36Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah. So, we asked our teamer on the office to share an emergency fund success story. And we talked about that 15,000 one at the beginning of the episode. So, again, the amount ranges, depending on stage of life, where you are, what you have, all the things.

• 29:50George Kamel?

  Yeah. And the age range here is, like, 26 to 63. So, very different places financially, but they're all working the baby steps. And if they can do it, you can too.

• 29:58Rachel Cruze?

  Okay. So, the question was, what are some emergencies you were able to cover that the past version of yourself would never have been able to afford? Uh, we had Luke W. say, "I had to get four new tires last week, $987. No problem."

• 30:16George Kamel?

  Brilliant. What are you singing there?

• 30:19Rachel Cruze?

  No problem.

• 30:20George Kamel?

  Kenny Chesney?

• 30:21Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 30:22George Kamel?

  No shoes, no shirt, new tires, no problem.

• 30:24Rachel Cruze?

  Did you hear that humming? That's how, that's how musical I get.

• 30:27George Kamel?

  Honestly, that was the best I've heard from you. So stay right in that zone. I think it's a sweet spot for you. It was so good. All right, Andy B., one of my favorite guys. "My daughter came home from college with, quote, 'nubs for tires,' so I used my emergency fund to buy her a new set before she drove back to Knoxville."

• 30:47Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, what a dad.

• 30:49George Kamel?

  That's such a sweet dad thing to do.

• 30:51Rachel Cruze?

  We love an American dad.

• 30:52George Kamel?

  Can't send her back out without the, without new tires.

• 30:54Rachel Cruze?

  I'm gonna take care of those tires. That feels good.

• 30:56George Kamel?

  Isn't that why daughters come home? For their dads to like fix all the things in their life?

• 31:01Rachel Cruze?

  I remember my dad filled up my gas tank one time. I was home riding and we stopped at a, at a gas station. And I remember he was like, "I'll, I'll get it." And I thought, I, you do feel like you won the lottery at that?

• 31:11George Kamel?

  That makes me emotional.

• 31:12Rachel Cruze?

  When you're a teenager, you're like, "Thank you so much for taking care of it."

• 31:14George Kamel?

  My daughter's like two, but this makes me want to do all these things for her, so she knows what a real man is. That's what's up.

• 31:20Rachel Cruze?

  Um, Abby W. said, uh, I just got the first little whiff of this sentence. George, this is for you.

• 31:25George Kamel?

  I love this.

• 31:26Rachel Cruze?

  "My corgi broke her toe and I was able to cash flow it for $700. George."

• 31:33George Kamel?

  That is a tune-up compared to what I had to spend. Sweet Abby. Okay, color me stupid, but I never thought about dogs having like toes.

• 31:43Rachel Cruze?

  Broken toes? No.

• 31:45George Kamel?

  Like, I know you have a paw, like a broken paw, but like there's separate little bones in each?

• 31:49Rachel Cruze?

  I mean, I think so. If it's, but a human toe.

• 31:52George Kamel?

  They feel nubby to me though.

• 31:54Rachel Cruze?

  Cause I have broken a toe on my human foot. And, and all you do is just tape it together. There's nothing you really do.

• 32:01George Kamel?

  Yeah, it has to heal up on its own.

• 32:02Rachel Cruze?

  Yes. So would the corgi toe be like taped?

• 32:05George Kamel?

  Did it have a little cast? Did people, did other dogs sign it?

• 32:08Rachel Cruze?

  No, there's no cast. That's what I'm saying. There's no cast. They only wrap. They wrap your toes with your other toe.

• 32:12George Kamel?

  Interesting. We'll have to ask Abby about that.

• 32:15Rachel Cruze?

  Abby, we got more questions.

• 32:17George Kamel?

  But those corgis, they're built different. They're very just low to the ground and awkward. I love it. All right. Samantha E. said, "My third kid."

• 32:26George Kamel?

  That was an emergency?

• 32:28Rachel Cruze?

  She's the best.

• 32:29George Kamel?

  Was it a surprise?

• 32:30Rachel Cruze?

  She's the best.

• 32:31George Kamel?

  What makes that an emergency?

• 32:32Rachel Cruze?

  We love her. Sav, one of our writers we love, or our writer, not one of.

• 32:38George Kamel?

  She is the writer.

• 32:39Rachel Cruze?

  She is it.

• 32:39George Kamel?

  What we're looking at here, it's all thanks to her.

• 32:42Rachel Cruze?

  All gold for her. I cash flowed a $40,000 home renovation and the week I moved in, my HVAC went out. Hey, what's $5,000 more when you got it in the emergency funds?

• 32:55George Kamel?

  I love this story. Because most people think, well, I'll just use the emergency fund for the home renovation.

• 33:00Rachel Cruze?

  Yep.

• 33:01George Kamel?

  Because I have the money.

• 33:02Rachel Cruze?

  That's right.

• 33:02George Kamel?

  And then an emergency happens.

• 33:03Rachel Cruze?

  That's right.

• 33:03George Kamel?

  So it's why we say, no, keep it separate. The home renovation, not an emergency. Cash flow that, save for it separately.

• 33:09Rachel Cruze?

  Because if the emergency comes up during it, you can still cash flow it.

• 33:12George Kamel?

  And that's where a sinking fund in a budget in your EveryDollar app really comes in handy. All right, John V. said, "One night after dinner, my oven decided to fry itself."

• 33:22Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, no.

• 33:22George Kamel?

  Melted wires and all. We replaced it on a random Tuesday and moved on with our lives.

• 33:29George Kamel?

  Love that.

• 33:30Rachel Cruze?

  That's a nice, that's a nice one.

• 33:31George Kamel?

  Also kind of frightening, like what was going on behind the scenes?

• 33:33Rachel Cruze?

  What was happening?

• 33:34George Kamel?

  Who installed that thing?

• 33:36Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 33:36George Kamel?

  I feel like there's a class action lawsuit there waiting to happen.

• 33:39Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, my gosh.

• 33:40George Kamel?

  Wow.

• 33:40Rachel Cruze?

  Well, there's something else we need to talk about, George, that not really an emergency, but could be seen as an emergency, is switching your bank.

• 33:48George Kamel?

  Well, a good place to put your emergency fund.

• 33:50Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, is in the bank too, that's right, yes, at a high-yield savings account with FairWinds. So FairWinds has a smart bundle where you have a no-fee checking account. You can have up to 10 high-yield savings accounts, so one of those can be your emergency fund.

• 34:04George Kamel?

  One can be the home renovation fund.

• 34:06Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 34:06George Kamel?

  One can be the car fund. A great way to upgrade your life.

• 34:09Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, just keep on saving in those high-yield accounts. And then you also get the debt-as-normal, be-weird Ramsey debit card with it. But FairWinds is amazing. We've switched our banking and I love using my FairWinds debit card. It's the best.

• 34:22George Kamel?

  Have you seen the wand thing where people use a wand and put their, like, credit card in?

• 34:25Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, I have.

• 34:26George Kamel?

  So I want to do that with my FairWinds debit card.

• 34:28Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, that'd be funny.

• 34:29George Kamel?

  And make a video of me using a wand to pay at Starbucks.

• 34:32Rachel Cruze?

  When you use your...

• 34:32George Kamel?

  To be the most.

• 34:33Rachel Cruze?

  Because you have your own money, so you don't need to borrow money. You don't need a credit card, you just...

• 34:36George Kamel?

  So that's what I'm going to do with my Ramsey-themed FairWinds card. What are you going to do? Go get one for yourself at fairwinds.org/ramsey. You can get that whole smart bundle with the fee-free checking and high-yield savings.

• 34:46Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, here's what's wild, George.

• 34:49Rachel Cruze?

  37% of people cannot cover a $400 emergency in cash.

• 34:54George Kamel?

  Woof.

• 34:54Rachel Cruze?

  So if you can, you're probably doing better than you think you are. But again, it's kind of a little bit of that wake up call of things are going to happen in life. And yes, you may, we hope you're on the Ramsey plan to have some stability with your money and actually make it. So you can do these fun things we've talked about in the episode, ordering apps at a restaurant, you know.

• 35:17George Kamel?

  That's living.

• 35:18Rachel Cruze?

  Uh, but for real, starting out wherever you are. So some of you, you are starting out with the emergency fund. So even a starter emergency fund, baby step one is a thousand dollars for, if you have that, you're doing better than almost a fourth, yeah, a fourth of America, which is wild.

• 35:33George Kamel?

  Well, did you see my post from last night that I'm sure you don't follow me on Instagram too closely?

• 35:37Rachel Cruze?

  I, I do follow you. I don't think I saw it though.

• 35:41George Kamel?

  This is what I posted. Can you read it to the audience?

• 35:45Rachel Cruze?

  Okay. It's all these different cans. You got Spindrift, Waterloo, La Croix.

• 35:49George Kamel?

  She's using Instagram.

• 35:50Rachel Cruze?

  Costco fridge stock is unrivaled. To me, this is living like no one else. Fun, George.

• 35:57George Kamel?

  This is my most recent I've made it moment is stocking the fridge with like eight different cans all the way back from my Costco run. We'll put it on the screen for the people. I don't mind sharing that with the world.

• 36:07Rachel Cruze?

  Beautiful. Now that makes me feel safe.

• 36:09George Kamel?

  It just makes me think there's such a spectrum of like fun I've made at moments, but really what it is, is you have some margin.

• 36:16Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 36:16George Kamel?

  You're not worried about something happening in life because you have the right insurance, you have the emergency fund. You've got the margin to invest and build wealth for the future. So I just want to let everyone know.

• 36:24Rachel Cruze?

  And it's worth the short time, the short term sacrifice to get there. It really is.

• 36:28George Kamel?

  And the goalpost always moves. So if you're waiting for this like, well, one day I'm going to know I've made it. We kind of joked today with some milestones, but the goalpost is always moving. So enjoy your life, live and give generously now. There's always going to be a bigger, better thing you could have. And so learning to be content, which Rachel preaches a lot.

• 36:46Rachel Cruze?

  Be present, be, yeah, grateful for what you have. I love it.

• 36:49George Kamel?

  Good lessons learned today.

• 36:50Rachel Cruze?

  Well, before we spill the tea on our guilty as charged segments, uh, let's give the details and our rating, George.

• 36:57George Kamel?

  This is the Grand Mimosa. It's got orange juice, sparkling wine, and Grand Marnier. Which is like a-

• 37:04Rachel Cruze?

  I don't like not like it. It's pretty sweet, maybe the orange juice?

• 37:08George Kamel?

  Well, the Grand Marnier is a little sweet.

• 37:10Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 37:10George Kamel?

  It's like an orange liqueur.

• 37:11Rachel Cruze?

  So it's a pretty sweeter drink. So I'm gonna go seven out of 10 for me. Just cuz it's, it feels very sweet. And I like more of a salty.

• 37:19George Kamel?

  Yeah, it reminds me of an Orangina. You ever had one of those?

• 37:22Rachel Cruze?

  Mm-mm.

• 37:23George Kamel?

  Very classic-

• 37:24Rachel Cruze?

  Never heard of it.

• 37:24George Kamel?

  In a cool glass bottle, but kind of a sparkling orange beverage.

• 37:27Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, yeah.

• 37:28George Kamel?

  I'll give it a seven out of 10 as well.

• 37:29Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 37:30George Kamel?

  Like, I like a mimosa, but again, it's very sweet.

• 37:33Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 37:33George Kamel?

  So I prefer like a more Bloody Mary. I know you hate those with a burning passion.

• 37:37Rachel Cruze?

  I do not like Bloody, gross.

• 37:38George Kamel?

  But if I'm gonna go for like a brunchy thing, I'm gonna go more brin- I mean, you like dirty martinis, which are very briny and all of it. I figured you'd like-

• 37:45Rachel Cruze?

  Very salty, I know. And every time I try a Bloody Mary, I wanna like it. Because I would think I would, but I don't.

• 37:50George Kamel?

  Maybe you hate tomatoes.

• 37:51Rachel Cruze?

  I don't-

• 37:51George Kamel?

  What do they do to you?

• 37:52Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, I'm not a big fan of tomatoes.

• 37:53George Kamel?

  Well, hey, it comes out to $3.30 for a glass of this. And if you're a big fan of mimosas, you're gonna love this one. So get the recipe in the show notes, give it a try this weekend.

• 38:02Rachel Cruze?

  Alright, now it's time for-

• 38:03George Kamel?

  Guilty as charged.

• 38:05Rachel Cruze?

  And this is where we ask each other a guilty as charged question every week. And if we're guilty, we take a sip. Alright, George, the question is, were you ever guilty of stealing something as a kid?

• 38:16George Kamel?

  Oh, my gosh.

• 38:17Rachel Cruze?

  Did you ever steal anything?

• 38:18George Kamel?

  Other than the hearts of many young ladies?

• 38:20Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 38:23Rachel Cruze?

  Of course.

• 38:24George Kamel?

  Other than that, yeah, there was a thing that still sticks with me. It's like, why did I do that? Like, that was so out of character.

• 38:29Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 38:29George Kamel?

  It's not who I am. But there was like a wallet on the floor of the school.

• 38:34Rachel Cruze?

  Uh-huh.

• 38:35George Kamel?

  In the classroom, and I grabbed it. And I was like, I just took a wallet. Like, what am I doing? And so I felt so bad that I had to like sneak the wallet back to the persons it was, without them knowing that I took it. So I had to be like, oh, man, I think you dropped your wallet.

• 38:51Rachel Cruze?

  How long did you have it in your possession?

• 38:53George Kamel?

  Like, less than a day. Like, within the school day.

• 38:55Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, yes.

• 38:55George Kamel?

  I had returned it by-

• 38:56Rachel Cruze?

  But you felt so bad.

• 38:57George Kamel?

  I was so overcome with guilt.

• 38:58Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, totally, totally.

• 38:59George Kamel?

  That I had to give it back. And I still think about that to this day. Because I'm like, why did I do that?

• 39:03Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, yes.

• 39:04George Kamel?

  What was I gonna do with the $3 that were in there? You know, like, we're all, we're like in third grade.

• 39:09Rachel Cruze?

  Some middle school kid, yeah, totally, totally.

• 39:11George Kamel?

  Oh, how about you?

• 39:13Rachel Cruze?

  Um, yes, I, I'm not trying to think how old I was. I was maybe like sixth grade and we were in Claire's.

• 39:21George Kamel?

  Oh, classic place for theft.

• 39:24Rachel Cruze?

  No, and there was a keychain and I'm genu-, um, you're alive. I'm genuinely trying to remember if I like intentionally took it or accident. You know how you're like looking at stuff? I sure walk, I have the memory because I can't, I don't remember my motivation. I really don't. And I don't steal stuff. So I just remember thinking like, oh crap, I have this keychain from Claire's and I didn't pay for it. And I did, I went back.

• 39:47George Kamel?

  Oh, wow.

• 39:48Rachel Cruze?

  Yes. And I may have even told the manager that like, I have this and this, and I didn't pay for it, kind of thing.

• 39:55George Kamel?

  Did they, were they upset?

• 39:56Rachel Cruze?

  No, they just took it. Cause I remember thinking, I'm gonna go to jail. Like I was so young that you think like you're gonna go to jail. The police are gonna come and arrest you.

• 40:03George Kamel?

  Can you imagine like, what are you in for? Like keychain from Claire's? How about you?

• 40:09Rachel Cruze?

  They're like robbing a bank.

• 40:10George Kamel?

  Grand larceny.

• 40:11Rachel Cruze?

  I know, I know. Um, yeah, that's, that's the closest thing I can remember. I don't, I wasn't really much of a stealer.

• 40:21George Kamel?

  What were you doing?

• 40:21Rachel Cruze?

  I lied.

• 40:22George Kamel?

  Oh, okay. Manipulative pathological liar.

• 40:24Rachel Cruze?

  Exactly. More my cup of tea.

• 40:27George Kamel?

  But no theft, just a theft of trust.

• 40:29Rachel Cruze?

  You know what else I did? We had a T9 calculator with a case. So you'd slide the case up and I'd put math formulas in the key. So I would just raise up the, raise up the case behind the calculator like I'm, and I'd get my formula. Terrible, George.

• 40:42George Kamel?

  That's a big one.

• 40:43Rachel Cruze?

  No, I did never cheated in college because at UT they said like they would kick you, you would get kicked out of college.

• 40:47George Kamel?

  That was a big enough consequence.

• 40:49Rachel Cruze?

  Yes. I didn't feel that pressure in middle school and high school.

• 40:51George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 40:52Rachel Cruze?

  It's terrible.

• 40:53George Kamel?

  Wow.

• 40:53Rachel Cruze?

  I know that. And I didn't feel bad about that one. Claire's keychain, horrible.

• 40:57George Kamel?

  That one would have stuck with you.

• 40:59Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 41:00George Kamel?

  Thank you for your honesty.

• 41:01Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, you're welcome. Yeah. Did you cheat in high school ever?

• 41:05George Kamel?

  No, but I cheated in a Wana. Have you heard of a Wana? It's like a little bible school thing. But they made us memorize all the books of the bible and I was so stressed out.

• 41:15Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 41:15George Kamel?

  And I had this little like card that had the, you know, the books on it. And so I kept it like real-

• 41:20Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, it's like my T9 calculator thing.

• 41:21George Kamel?

  Yes, I had it on the side and I was kinda like, looked like I was thinking and I was reading off of the card. So I was so stressed out that I was gonna like fail this test. And looking back, I'm like, why did they make us do, like, what benefit is there?

• 41:33Rachel Cruze?

  I don't know, but I am jealous of, I am jealous of the people, the kids that went to Christian school. It's like Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1st Corinthians, 2nd Corinthians. They can like-

• 41:42George Kamel?

  Yes.

• 41:42Rachel Cruze?

  Name off the books of the bible. I get to, Romans, Ephesians, I get to some point and-

• 41:49George Kamel?

  It's over.

• 41:50Rachel Cruze?

  I don't, I have to like think through it. Or Old Testament.

• 41:53George Kamel?

  Skip to Revelation.

• 41:54Rachel Cruze?

  Heck no. You know what else I wanna know is the presidents in order?

• 41:58George Kamel?

  Oh, yeah.

• 41:59Rachel Cruze?

  Some people that can rattle off those songs?

• 42:01George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 42:01Rachel Cruze?

  Man.

• 42:02George Kamel?

  I just find that that has no utility in the real world. Like unless you're at a trivia night that's themed-

• 42:08Rachel Cruze?

  No, I think it does, cuz someone's like, oh my gosh, you know, Ulysses S. Grant, so and so. And you could be like, yeah, and-

• 42:14George Kamel?

  The 7th president?

• 42:16Rachel Cruze?

  James Polk, before him. I don't know, you sound really smart. I think Polk and, and they were in very different parts of the presidency.

• 42:23George Kamel?

  Polk and Grant.

• 42:25Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 42:25George Kamel?

  Did you know, this is a fun fact that we talked about in a meeting. Rosa Parks-

• 42:31Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 42:31George Kamel?

  Could've watched Shrek 2.

• 42:34Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, Rosa Parks, y'all, Rosa Parks signed a book that my 2nd grader's teacher has.

• 42:41George Kamel?

  Wow.

• 42:42Rachel Cruze?

  Yes. And Caroline came home and was like flipping out about it. She's like, I literally saw Rosa Parks's signature. Yes.

• 42:48George Kamel?

  That's amazing.

• 42:49Rachel Cruze?

  And I think Ms., yes, her teacher got it from a friend or whatever the story is. Yes.

• 42:53George Kamel?

  That's something worth knowing.

• 42:55Rachel Cruze?

  I know.

• 42:55George Kamel?

  Forget the presidents.

• 42:57Rachel Cruze?

  Who else weird? Leonardo da Vinci.

• 42:59George Kamel?

  What about him?

• 43:00Rachel Cruze?

  How close he was to it. Was that him? Who's the guy that?

• 43:03George Kamel?

  Picasso?

• 43:03Rachel Cruze?

  No, it was Picasso.

• 43:04George Kamel?

  I was like Da Vinci?

• 43:06Rachel Cruze?

  In an earlier, in an earlier episode of Smart Money Happy Hour.

• 43:10George Kamel?

  Da Vinci was alive when the Hangover movies came out.

• 43:13Rachel Cruze?

  Picasso was like really not that far away from us, George.

• 43:18George Kamel?

  Yeah, wasn't it like the 70s or something?

• 43:19Rachel Cruze?

  It was like oddly close, because I always put Picasso and Leonardo da Vinci in the same art category of time.

• 43:26George Kamel?

  We should never be invited to a trivia night.

• 43:28Rachel Cruze?

  No, we'd be terrible, terrible.

• 43:30George Kamel?

  That would be very specific knowledge, like Real Housewives trivia night.

• 43:34Rachel Cruze?

  And my toxic trait would be like, I would be so convincing.

• 43:37George Kamel?

  You're so confident.

• 43:37Rachel Cruze?

  That I know it. And then we lose.

• 43:40George Kamel?

  And then she's like, no, sorry, that was Picasso, not Da Vinci.

• 43:43Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, yeah. Sorry, guys, that's not it. Oh, hey, well, we're both guilty, George.

• 43:47George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 43:48Rachel Cruze?

  Man, rough childhood.

• 43:49George Kamel?

  We're not good people.

• 43:53George Kamel?

  But who among us is without sin?

• 43:55Rachel Cruze?

  That's right. That's right. Well, if you have a guilty as charged question for us, make sure to DM us at Rachel Cruz and at George Hamel. We get them, we screenshot them, and we send them to Jenna, our producer.

• 44:05George Kamel?

  And they've been really good lately.

• 44:07Rachel Cruze?

  Thank you. Yeah, seriously, y'all have been so helpful.

• 44:09George Kamel?

  Be creative. If you listen to the show, you'll know which ones we've done. So don't send us any repeats.

• 44:12Rachel Cruze?

  Now, if you enjoyed this episode, you're gonna love our episode on reacting to, "If I Can't Buy a Home, Why Don't I Just Be Gorgeous?" We'll link that one for you. And make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an all-new episode of Smart Money Happy Hour.