Frugal Hacks That Could Go Too Far

💰 Find extra money in just two weeks with our Money Finder Challenge! Whether you love or hate frugal living, this one’s for you! We’re exposing common frugal “hacks” that secretly drain your bank account. Tune in to make sure you’re not sabotaging your budget. Next Steps: · 🎙️ Catch our episode Old School Money Habits Making a Comeback? (We Have Thoughts) · 🍸 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 up to 40% off the exclusive bundles with code SMARTMONEY at Cozy Earth. Today’s Happy Hour Special: 🍉 Watermelon Mint Mocktail Recipe By: olivianoceda · 1 lime · Dash of maple syrup · 1/4 cup fresh watermelon · 1 ounce lime sparkling water · Fresh mint · Ice Instructions: Slice half of your lime into wedges. Squeeze 4 wedges into your glass. Add a dash of maple syrup, 0.5–1 ounce of lime juice (depending on how tart you want it), 1 ounce of sparkling water. Add watermelon cubes and muddle. Then, take a handful of mint and slap it between your hands 6–8 times. Rub it on the rim of the glass and add it to the drink. Add ice. Top with sparkling water. Mix 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.

• 0:05George Kamel?

  Whether you love or hate frugal living, this one's for you. Today, we're exposing common frugal hacks that might be secretly draining your bank account.

• 0:12Rachel Cruze?

  We're doing a little share the accounts.

• 0:14George Kamel?

  That is my frugality. And are you still on my HBO Max account? Once they were putting like rocks on my body and seeing if my arm moved slightly, I was like, all right, I think I'm good.

• 0:28Rachel Cruze?

  Hey guys, I'm Rachel Cruz.

• 0:30George Kamel?

  I'm George Kamel.

• 0:32Rachel Cruze?

  And this is.

• 0:33George Kamel?

  Smart Money Happy Hour.

• 0:35Rachel Cruze?

  Cheers, George.

• 0:40Rachel Cruze?

  With all of our garnish.

• 0:41George Kamel?

  Wow. This, I feel like I'm in a jungle right now.

• 0:47Rachel Cruze?

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

• 0:54George Kamel?

  And if you're watching on YouTube or Spotify, and I hope you are, you will notice this drink is elaborate today and delicious. So it's the watermelon mint mojito mocktail. And we're going to give you our rating and reveal the cost per glass at the end of the episode, so stick around for that.

• 1:09Rachel Cruze?

  All right, George, tell me if you agree with this statement. Too much of anything can be a bad thing, frugal living included.

• 1:17George Kamel?

  A hundred percent.

• 1:18Rachel Cruze?

  Too much of anything. I think that's true.

• 1:21George Kamel?

  I am a man of moderation.

• 1:22Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, we like a gray. We like a medium, medium scale, if you will.

• 1:27George Kamel?

  Too little, not good. Too much, not good.

• 1:28Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, let's go medium.

• 1:31George Kamel?

  Goldilocks.

• 1:33Rachel Cruze?

  Not too hot, not too cold.

• 1:34George Kamel?

  I'm living proof that this is true. One day, people will stop inviting me to parties because I crossed the line with radical frugality. That's my greatest fear.

• 1:41Rachel Cruze?

  What do you think?

• 1:42George Kamel?

  I just can't shake it sometimes.

• 1:44Rachel Cruze?

  You take things back to the store after you use them. That's just like in the frugal category. Oh, what?

• 1:50George Kamel?

  The grill is going back to Costco.

• 1:52Rachel Cruze?

  Why?

• 1:53George Kamel?

  The ignition. Stopped working.

• 1:56Rachel Cruze?

  How long have you had the grill?

• 1:57George Kamel?

  Which is a pretty crucial part of the grill.

• 1:58Rachel Cruze?

  It is.

• 1:59George Kamel?

  You can light it by hand, but at that point, why don't I just start a fire?

• 2:02Rachel Cruze?

  Well, why don't I just rub two six together, be an outdoorsman?

• 2:05George Kamel?

  Yeah, so I contacted, you know, did the Costco return and said, hey, we'll be in touch to schedule a pickup. And I went, thank you, Jesus, that I don't have to load up this grill.

• 2:13Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 2:14George Kamel?

  To the back of my car somehow. And the truth is, I'm gonna go and get a new grill from Costco anyways, so they're getting my money.

• 2:20Rachel Cruze?

  Are they gonna refund you, you think, completely?

• 2:21George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 2:22Rachel Cruze?

  How long have you had the grill?

• 2:23George Kamel?

  Uh, less than a year.

• 2:24Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, you know what, George? I'm mad at that.

• 2:27George Kamel?

  That's fair.

• 2:28Rachel Cruze?

  That feels like a reasonable person.

• 2:31George Kamel?

  Cause otherwise, I gotta find an ignition part and get under there with the electronics and try to...

• 2:35Rachel Cruze?

  The electronics.

• 2:36George Kamel?

  solder it myself?

• 2:38Rachel Cruze?

  That's right, unbelievable.

• 2:39George Kamel?

  I'm not a solder.

• 2:40Rachel Cruze?

  Don't, don't be trying to get me to be doing these things. No, no. Um, okay, so when do you think, though, it starts to become counterproductive? If you will. Like, maybe it isn't quite making an impact, the frugal living. Like, you're trying to do something and then it ends up, you know, like, we always talk about coffee. You know, like, don't buy the $5 coffees out.

• 3:00George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 3:01Rachel Cruze?

  But sometimes, once you get...

• 3:01George Kamel?

  If you make it at home, and you're like, well, I wanna make it good.

• 3:04Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, you got machines, you got creams, you got frothers, you got beans. Yes.

• 3:09George Kamel?

  Paying 15 or 20 bucks for a great, you know, pound of fresh quality beans.

• 3:14Rachel Cruze?

  Beans, yes.

• 3:14George Kamel?

  It's not that much cheaper. Now, if you're getting, like, fancy $7 lattes...

• 3:20Rachel Cruze?

  Right, but just some, like, black coffee, you know?

• 3:22George Kamel?

  You can go down a rabbit hole and go, well, I can do this myself, cheaper.

• 3:26Rachel Cruze?

  That's where it starts to be, yeah, a little counterproductive.

• 3:27George Kamel?

  Making your own Halloween costumes. You're like, well, this, I could've just paid 20 bucks. Now I paid 50 for the material and my time. So I think when it costs you more time or money than you've been calculating in your head, it's not worth it.

• 3:41Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, so, you know how I get ragged on in the comments for this? Which is fine, cause I get it, we're all adults here. How I think that the dentist is like a scam.

• 3:52George Kamel?

  Oh, that's right.

• 3:53Rachel Cruze?

  To a certain point in your life.

• 3:55George Kamel?

  The dental industry at large is not happy with you.

• 3:57Rachel Cruze?

  So you know what's funny, though, is my kids, which I do take my kids. I do take them every six months. I'm like, I'm on their hygiene. But one of our kids had a cavity. And they were like, we can fill it. It might be fine. You can pull it, but if you pull it, you gotta put spacers in where the baby teeth are because the adult tooth isn't ready to come down, like all this stuff. Or you can just watch it. Of course, I'm like, we'll just watch it, like floss, brush twice a day, like we'll just. Well, she kind of started complaining that it was hurting. And so Winston, like he was, went to the bedroom with her to like, look at the tooth. And all I hear is Rachel. Rachel, get in here. And I was like, what? Winston had like cleaned her tooth.

• 4:42Rachel Cruze?

  Y'all, that cavity, it was like half her tooth was gone.

• 4:47George Kamel?

  Just deteriorated.

• 4:48Rachel Cruze?

  Largest. And I was like, oh my gosh. So I called, I did the next morning, 8:00 AM. I was like, hi, I needed an emergency tooth pulled. Like, I need to get in today. We gotta get this tooth out. It was horrible, George. It was horrible. So I felt like that was the Lord humbling me a little bit. In that maybe I should have done something, but I hate to fill a baby tooth. Do you know what I mean? Like fill the cavity. It's a baby tooth. It's gonna be out. I didn't want to waste the money, but probably should have.

• 5:16George Kamel?

  Her pain.

• 5:16Rachel Cruze?

  So I was like, I'm so sorry. I did. I felt like a terrible mom.

• 5:20George Kamel?

  Wow.

• 5:21Rachel Cruze?

  But everything's all fine now. But that's where frugality can get you because you gotta pay for the extra appointment.

• 5:26George Kamel?

  Yeah, avoid that car maintenance and then you need a new transmission.

• 5:30Rachel Cruze?

  Yep, that's it. That's, that's the same feel. That's the same feel. Yes. Okay, so I think we should play a little game, George. We love a game.

• 5:38George Kamel?

  We love a game and you love to win the game, so I'll let you.

• 5:40Rachel Cruze?

  It's gonna be frugal fails, guilty or not guilty of these situations to say, hey, was this good? Was this a good frugal move? Or did you go a little too far and it actually ended up costing you more than what you expected?

• 5:54George Kamel?

  And, and play along in the comments. If you've been guilty of these, we're gonna play along. We're gonna share some personal stories and more confessions than stories along the way.

• 6:03Rachel Cruze?

  All right, first up, we got buying in bulk to save per item. So.

• 6:09George Kamel?

  Guilty.

• 6:10Rachel Cruze?

  You go to Costco, you go to Sam's Club and you're like, listen, I'm gonna buy everything in bulk. And, cause I only needed one thing of ketchup, I might as well get three saran wrapped together.

• 6:19George Kamel?

  Get the gallon of mayo, we're gonna use it eventually.

• 6:22Rachel Cruze?

  That's right.

• 6:23George Kamel?

  And then it goes bad, it expires, and you're like, well, this was a miss. I've done this multiple times. Protein bars, I'm like, I gotta get my protein in, and then I don't wanna chew through that.

• 6:34Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, that's a lot of.

• 6:35George Kamel?

  All that protein.

• 6:36Rachel Cruze?

  That's a lot, yeah.

• 6:37George Kamel?

  So then it goes.

• 6:37Rachel Cruze?

  Some protein bars are boo boo.

• 6:38George Kamel?

  Then it expires and I just have to toss them.

• 6:39Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, it's the worst.

• 6:40George Kamel?

  I have trust issues. I know like expiration dates are like more about quality with certain things, like you could still eat it. It just may not be, it might be a little tougher than you would have liked.

• 6:50Rachel Cruze?

  I get wigged out by expiration dates.

• 6:51George Kamel?

  But if it's anything like dairy or meat, I'm a hard pass.

• 6:54Rachel Cruze?

  For sure.

• 6:55George Kamel?

  But if it's like a processed bar, I'm a little, I'm like, ah.

• 6:59Rachel Cruze?

  We'll be fine.

• 6:59George Kamel?

  It's fine.

• 7:00Rachel Cruze?

  We can figure this out.

• 7:00George Kamel?

  Smell test, chew test.

• 7:01Rachel Cruze?

  Yep.

• 7:02George Kamel?

  But buying in bulk to save per item, in your mind, you're like, we will use this.

• 7:06Rachel Cruze?

  So things that don't, I mean, for me, paper towels, I love a paper towel.

• 7:10George Kamel?

  Can't go wrong with that.

• 7:11Rachel Cruze?

  A paper towel. Toilet paper, I'd say even dish soap, like the dish pods or the, or the liquid soap.

• 7:18George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 7:19Rachel Cruze?

  Like that stuff we buy in bulk.

• 7:20George Kamel?

  Especially when something's on sale at, you know, Costco or Sam's, which is where I'm buying my stuff in bulk. If it's on sale, I am stocking up and I will find room.

• 7:28Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 7:28George Kamel?

  For all those tissues, paper towels, all, you know, water.

• 7:31Rachel Cruze?

  Figure it out, yes. But like you said, the produce, I think we've all been guilty of that and you gotta throw it away.

• 7:36George Kamel?

  Especially when they're like organic strawberries and you're like.

• 7:39Rachel Cruze?

  You know what we started doing is, is freezing our fruit, like when it starts to go bad, like our bananas and stuff.

• 7:44George Kamel?

  That's smart.

• 7:44Rachel Cruze?

  To use for smoothies.

• 7:46George Kamel?

  You're turning into your mother.

• 7:47Rachel Cruze?

  I know, look, put it in the freezer.

• 7:49George Kamel?

  Sharon would be so proud if she heard that.

• 7:51Rachel Cruze?

  She would be so proud, it's so true.

• 7:52George Kamel?

  Things last forever in the freezer.

• 7:54Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, they do, apparently, according to her. Um, okay, how about this, wasting gas to drive to the cheap station. So you drive an extra. 10 miles to save $4.72, you know?

• 8:07George Kamel?

  Oh, this one I will do if I'm on the road. Like if it's like a road trip.

• 8:11Rachel Cruze?

  Yep.

• 8:12George Kamel?

  I'm searching for what gas station has the cheapest gas, even if it's like slightly out of the way.

• 8:17Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 8:18George Kamel?

  Cause no matter what.

• 8:18Rachel Cruze?

  Cause you're gonna fill up a full tank and yeah.

• 8:20George Kamel?

  You're gonna pull off at some stop. And so let it be a stop with the cheaper gas.

• 8:24Rachel Cruze?

  And it's usually in the smaller towns.

• 8:26George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 8:27Rachel Cruze?

  Is what I find. So like, don't stop in the big, the big cities, if you will. But the, the smaller exits.

• 8:32George Kamel?

  Try to go past the city, but not too far out to where there's only one option.

• 8:36Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, that wouldn't be good.

• 8:37George Kamel?

  And you can hear banjos playing. You're like, all right, we gotta get out of here ASAP. This is not a good vibe.

• 8:42Rachel Cruze?

  This is not good.

• 8:42George Kamel?

  So I will use gas apps like Upside or GasBuddy, cause it'll help me find the cheapest price.

• 8:46Rachel Cruze?

  Do you do that like in everyday life, George?

• 8:48George Kamel?

  No.

• 8:49Rachel Cruze?

  Just on road trips?

• 8:50George Kamel?

  My car doesn't use gas. My wife does.

• 8:52Rachel Cruze?

  That's true.

• 8:53George Kamel?

  And for my wife's car, it's just Costco or Sam's Club for gas. And that's like 15 minutes, 20 minutes.

• 8:59Rachel Cruze?

  So that's the only place you will go to fill up on gas?

• 9:02George Kamel?

  Yes. The only place I will go. Now she might stop somewhere and pick up a few gallons. Uh, yeah, I would say it's about 10 to 15 cents cheaper per gallon generally.

• 9:10Rachel Cruze?

  Yep.

• 9:11George Kamel?

  And I'll even pit Sam's and Costco against each other. Generally, they have about the same price. I think they know. They're in cahoots.

• 9:16Rachel Cruze?

  But they're cheaper than like the Shell station across the street.

• 9:18George Kamel?

  Oh my gosh. By a whole lot. By like maybe 40 cents.

• 9:22Rachel Cruze?

  No, I don't do Costco gas.

• 9:24George Kamel?

  The new one is great. They, they renovated it. I didn't know you renovate a gas station, but it's so much better. Now it's, there's like extra lanes. They go further.

• 9:32Rachel Cruze?

  It's a lot of cars. Like when I pull into that parking lot, I do get a, my anxiety goes up a little bit.

• 9:37George Kamel?

  But it moves fast.

• 9:38Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 9:39George Kamel?

  Costco keeps it moving. It's like the Chick-fil-A of gas. You know what I mean? So like it looks like a long line.

• 9:43Rachel Cruze?

  Very efficient.

• 9:44George Kamel?

  But Costco gas is technically a higher quality.

• 9:47Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, I didn't know that either.

• 9:48George Kamel?

  Yeah. Look into it.

• 9:50Rachel Cruze?

  The Kirkland brand gas, you know?

• 9:52George Kamel?

  They don't fool around with their gas quality.

• 9:53Rachel Cruze?

  It's always the good thing, for sure.

• 9:54George Kamel?

  But yeah, I would do the math. So go, okay, I'm saving 10 cents a gallon. I'm gonna get 20 gallons. We're talking $2. Is it worth driving an extra 15, 20 minutes for the $2? Probably not.

• 10:06Rachel Cruze?

  For the whole tank?

• 10:06George Kamel?

  Yeah. Well, 10 cents a gallon for 20 gallons. That's my math.

• 10:10Rachel Cruze?

  See, that's where I'm a little bit convenience to me.

• 10:13George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 10:13Rachel Cruze?

  I know. But, but we've cut down on gas because of the Tesla.

• 10:17George Kamel?

  That has helped.

• 10:17Rachel Cruze?

  We don't fill it. Yeah. I mean Winston fills up his truck, but yeah.

• 10:20George Kamel?

  Have you tried a road trip with it though? That's always the fear.

• 10:22Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 10:24Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 10:25George Kamel?

  Oh, no.

• 10:26Rachel Cruze?

  Once.

• 10:26George Kamel?

  Regret.

• 10:27Rachel Cruze?

  And, well, it is inconvenient, George, you know?

• 10:30George Kamel?

  Because you're stopping for like 22 minutes here.

• 10:33Rachel Cruze?

  You stop.

• 10:33George Kamel?

  17 minutes.

• 10:34Rachel Cruze?

  And then I had to be at a thing. So I'm like, I can't sit here for the full 30 minutes. So I could only do like 15 minutes because I had to be at this thing. So then you go to the thing, then you drive and you're like, oh, my gosh, I gotta find the super, like, supercharge station. Then you pay for that.

• 10:47George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 10:48Rachel Cruze?

  It's a lot, like it, for the road trip situation. So, yeah, I'm with you on it.

• 10:53George Kamel?

  That's a good one.

• 10:53Rachel Cruze?

  I get it. But EveryDollar, our budgeting app, you love the gas apps. EveryDollar does help. It's our budgeting app. And, yes, whether it's the gas line item or the Costco line item, or the bulk, or the groceries, like, whatever you're doing, it does help you really kind of solidify, okay, where can I take some convenience? Or where do I need to be more frugal, right? Because sometimes those choices really do help.

• 11:14George Kamel?

  And it frees you to go, okay, I know gas was expensive, but I budgeted for it. And I knew that I was gonna spend 250 bucks on gas this month.

• 11:22Rachel Cruze?

  And it's there.

• 11:22George Kamel?

  So you don't have to feel guilty because you just knew it was gonna happen. You planned for it. I had a time with EveryDollar.

• 11:27Rachel Cruze?

  But one thing I do think about, though, George, is how much our identity is online. And that's why I love and we use DeleteMe, because they go in and actually remove your data from data broker sites. So that's what's wild, is how much our data is scattered, like our email addresses and home addresses and phone numbers and kids' names. Like, all of it's out there. And when it sits on these data broker sites, DeleteMe, they have a team of people that literally go to these sites and delete you off the internet. It's amazing off those broker sites.

• 11:58George Kamel?

  And you could try to do it yourself. It would just take forever. And you have to constantly monitor it, constantly make sure that they removed it. And so DeleteMe does all the legwork for you and sends you a custom report showing you all these different sites that your information was on, what info was there, when they removed it.

• 12:14Rachel Cruze?

  It's always weird, sketchy sites, too.

• 12:16George Kamel?

  How do these sites exist?

• 12:17Rachel Cruze?

  PeoplePeople.com or something. You're like, wait, what?

• 12:20George Kamel?

  Creepy People People. Yeah, even if you're not Rachel Cruz. I mean, the average person's info, like, they don't care who you are. They will target you if they have your info and use it against you for scams, spam, phishing, fraud, all of that. So go check out DeleteMe. It's an awesome subscription to have in your toolbox. And you can go to joindelete.me/smartmoney and get 20% off their annual plans.

• 12:41Rachel Cruze?

  All right, frugal living. That's may not be worth it, George. I'll just get a credit card to build my credit and immediately pay it off every month. Risky little game there, friends.

• 12:53George Kamel?

  Well, they're like, well, I'm doing the right thing. I'm not going into debt, Rachel. Here's the line that gets me. I've never paid a dime in interest. How many times have you heard that? Why is it always a dime?

• 13:02Rachel Cruze?

  What? Why not a penny?

• 13:04George Kamel?

  Why not a penny? Have you paid a penny but not a dime?

• 13:08Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, I'm telling you, there is, I will always say, I think one of the biggest pros about just using a debit card, using your own money, is not only the psychological idea that like you will spend less. It just is what it is. But the idea that it's done. Like, I like purchasing something and then going to my account and like seeing my balance. And like, hey, that's my real time balance. Versus when you pay a credit card off at the end of the month, you don't know, right? Until that bill comes and you pay it in full.

• 13:35George Kamel?

  Paying in bulk later on.

• 13:36Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 13:37George Kamel?

  Going, all right, the balance is three grand.

• 13:38Rachel Cruze?

  And you're like, I'm hoping I have enough in there at the end of the month to pay. Like, I don't know. But the idea that you're just living in the present and in real time with your money.

• 13:46George Kamel?

  You're so in the moment. So present.

• 13:48Rachel Cruze?

  So present with yourself.

• 13:49George Kamel?

  Wow, you should use that. That's a good, that's a good way to get people to stop using their credit card. Like, hey, guys, live in the moment. Be present. Use a debit card.

• 13:58Rachel Cruze?

  Just be hard.

• 13:59George Kamel?

  It's one of the most controversial things we say, is that you don't need a credit score. You can live without a credit card. And then I have to prove to them that I've been living 13 years credit card free, having had a credit score in years. And they think, they just look at you like you got seven eyes. Because they just don't know. They don't know another way. And so.

• 14:16Rachel Cruze?

  It just is what it is.

• 14:16George Kamel?

  People fall into this sad little trap.

• 14:18Rachel Cruze?

  For sure. All right, up next, keeping subscriptions that are just five or $10 a month. Because it's a lot of trouble to cancel.

• 14:27George Kamel?

  Not worth it.

• 14:28Rachel Cruze?

  I'm so guilty of this.

• 14:30George Kamel?

  I think that's how these companies get you, is they make it small enough.

• 14:34Rachel Cruze?

  Apple, y'all. I pay more for Apple. Little $5.99, $9.99. I gotta figure out what this is. I gotta figure it out.

• 14:41George Kamel?

  Should we look into it?

• 14:42Rachel Cruze?

  And I have been.

• 14:43George Kamel?

  Can I see your latest subscriptions?

• 14:44Rachel Cruze?

  For like 18 months. I've done nothing about it.

• 14:47George Kamel?

  All right, let's see.

• 14:48Rachel Cruze?

  Can you see it?

• 14:48George Kamel?

  Yep. This is real talk. Can it, wait, is it unlocked?

• 14:52Rachel Cruze?

  No, sorry.

• 14:53George Kamel?

  What, do you think I know your passcode?

• 14:54Rachel Cruze?

  My passcode. Or my, you don't have my face.

• 14:56George Kamel?

  Not that I couldn't guess it within three tries.

• 14:58Rachel Cruze?

  You think you could?

• 14:59George Kamel?

  100%.

• 15:01Rachel Cruze?

  We should play that game.

• 15:02George Kamel?

  It's a birthday, it's an anniversary, it's four zeros, or it's one, two, three, four, or backwards.

• 15:07Rachel Cruze?

  Ah.

• 15:08George Kamel?

  Oh, so close.

• 15:10Rachel Cruze?

  Wrong. That is not my passcode.

• 15:11George Kamel?

  Whatever. Alright, so I'm gonna go into your settings, and if you're at home, you can play along to figure out all of these subscriptions that you signed up through Apple.

• 15:18Rachel Cruze?

  Tell me. Oh my gosh.

• 15:19George Kamel?

  Settings?

• 15:20Rachel Cruze?

  I'm, this feels so overbored right now.

• 15:22George Kamel?

  And then subscriptions. So it's just three clicks to get there.

• 15:24Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, name them off.

• 15:26George Kamel?

  Oh, wow. Okay, you're mostly paying for storage.

• 15:29Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 15:30George Kamel?

  You have Dropbox. Did you know that?

• 15:31Rachel Cruze?

  I do. I keep my pictures in there.

• 15:33George Kamel?

  It feels like a lot of money to spend on pictures, but okay, we'll get there.

• 15:36Rachel Cruze?

  How much is it?

• 15:37George Kamel?

  Well, you know, it's free through Amazon Prime, through Google Photos. You can save all your photos through there for free.

• 15:43Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, good to know.

• 15:44George Kamel?

  iCloud, which I have as well. Two terabytes of storage.

• 15:47Rachel Cruze?

  That's what we need, right? That's our, that's our world.

• 15:49George Kamel?

  That's how Apple gets you.

• 15:50Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, that's the cloud.

• 15:51George Kamel?

  Then you have Apple Music.

• 15:52Rachel Cruze?

  That's Winston.

• 15:54George Kamel?

  Okay, you're not a Spotify family.

• 15:55Rachel Cruze?

  I'm a Spotify. He's a Apple Music.

• 15:58George Kamel?

  A house divided.

• 15:59Rachel Cruze?

  House divided. I know.

• 16:00George Kamel?

  And then, of course, Marco Polo, which we've talked about on this show.

• 16:04Rachel Cruze?

  Love Marco Polo.

• 16:04George Kamel?

  You gotta have the 2X speed, all the premium features.

• 16:07Rachel Cruze?

  Is that all I pay for?

• 16:07George Kamel?

  That's it.

• 16:08Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, I'm doing pretty good. That's pretty good.

• 16:11George Kamel?

  Those are like very much utility. Those aren't like, oh, I didn't even need that, and I just signed up for no reason.

• 16:15Rachel Cruze?

  That makes me feel better. So, but Apple, I swear I get a couple of charges each time. Is it just one then? Oh, no, it's the Apple Music and iCloud.

• 16:23George Kamel?

  Oh, that makes sense. I was like, are you buying apps or something?

• 16:25Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, I, I feel really good about myself.

• 16:28George Kamel?

  You should feel so good about yourself.

• 16:29Rachel Cruze?

  I mean, seriously. Okay, look, inactive. Look at me. Taking Audible off because my Spotify, I can listen to audiobooks on that.

• 16:36George Kamel?

  That's true.

• 16:36Rachel Cruze?

  ChatGPT Plus, don't need that. Just regular ChatGPT's fine by me. Okay, I feel so good. What apps do you pay for, George?

• 16:45George Kamel?

  Um.

• 16:45Rachel Cruze?

  More than me?

• 16:47George Kamel?

  I don't know if that's more, because what I, I split a lot with my brother. So like, I'm on his like family account, you know? Then I Venmo him every year.

• 16:54Rachel Cruze?

  We're doing a, we're doing a little share the accounts.

• 16:57George Kamel?

  That is my frugality. And are you still on my HBO Max account? Because I still see the profile that says The Cruises.

• 17:05Rachel Cruze?

  Talk about that.

• 17:05George Kamel?

  So before you come at me for sharing accounts, I just want to know if you were still enjoying my generosity. I haven't clicked, what I wanted to do is click in.

• 17:14Rachel Cruze?

  We're not like going to it all the time.

• 17:16George Kamel?

  I need to click in and see what the last thing you guys watched.

• 17:18Rachel Cruze?

  It's not like Netflix or Disney Plus.

• 17:20George Kamel?

  It was, I don't even know if you guys are using it, but I don't want to take it away in case you are.

• 17:23Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, where's my Netflix and Disney Plus on that, that you just looked at?

• 17:26George Kamel?

  That's not through Apple. So those are only subscriptions that you did through

• 17:30Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, okay, got it. Yeah.

• 17:30George Kamel?

  The, you know, App Store kind of thing.

• 17:32Rachel Cruze?

  That makes sense. I was gonna say, because we spend more on subscriptions, but that's, okay. That's going directly to the company.

• 17:37George Kamel?

  I have Gmail for storage.

• 17:41Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, so that's my Dropbox. That's your, so you pay for it, George?

• 17:45George Kamel?

  Yeah, but mine's a lot less. It's a, it's like 10% of the cost. Maybe a little more.

• 17:50Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 17:50George Kamel?

  And then iCloud. But that's it.

• 17:53Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 17:53George Kamel?

  I have an Apple Music free trial, because I purchased some Apple products, so I'm just not using that.

• 17:58Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, enjoying it then. Yeah, yeah, okay.

• 18:00George Kamel?

  You know how they get you? If you cancel the free trial with an Apple subscription, they will cancel it immediately. But if you do it, cancel free trial with other apps, they'll let you ride out the rest of the trial.

• 18:09Rachel Cruze?

  Finish it out, finish off the 30 days or whatever. Yeah. Tricky.

• 18:11George Kamel?

  See? If you cancel, your service will end immediately. Rude.

• 18:15Rachel Cruze?

  Rude. We're not doing that.

• 18:16George Kamel?

  Because they're hoping that I'll forget and it'll renew.

• 18:18Rachel Cruze?

  We're gonna keep it.

• 18:19George Kamel?

  You gotta think about, how often have I used this in the past? How often am I using it now?

• 18:23Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, I feel great about my purchasing apps.

• 18:26George Kamel?

  Good.

• 18:27Rachel Cruze?

  Situation.

• 18:28George Kamel?

  This show exists to make you feel good.

• 18:30Rachel Cruze?

  It's good. Um, all right. How about preventative maintenance? So you want to think about taking care of your car, your dental hygiene, um, all those things, yeah.

• 18:45George Kamel?

  That is true.

• 18:45Rachel Cruze?

  I'm glad Winston's in my life for this one.

• 18:48George Kamel?

  That's true.

• 18:48Rachel Cruze?

  I'm a terror, I'm a much more urgent person, so it'd be like if something breaks or it's in trouble is when I would fix it.

• 18:53George Kamel?

  You'll wait for the crisis.

• 18:54Rachel Cruze?

  Yes. I'm not good at preventative.

• 18:56George Kamel?

  Because you actually enjoy the drama.

• 18:57Rachel Cruze?

  I do.

• 18:58George Kamel?

  You thrive in crisis.

• 19:00Rachel Cruze?

  Oh my gosh, what is happening?

• 19:01George Kamel?

  And Winston's life goal is to avoid crisis.

• 19:02Rachel Cruze?

  All crisis. Yes, yes.

• 19:04George Kamel?

  Wow.

• 19:06Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, yeah, the whole like oil change or like he just went and rotated his tires. I was like, you're very adult, adults to do that.

• 19:12George Kamel?

  See, I forgot to do that. And they're like, you could have waited to get new tires, but because you didn't rotate them, you wore out the front ones too fast.

• 19:19Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, so silly. They're all tires. They're just round.

• 19:22George Kamel?

  They're so expensive now. In my head, I could, I could get four tires for like 500 bucks back in the day.

• 19:29Rachel Cruze?

  Sure.

• 19:29George Kamel?

  And now it's like 1,200 dollars.

• 19:31Rachel Cruze?

  Instead of tires.

• 19:31George Kamel?

  Two thousand dollars for some of these tires.

• 19:33Rachel Cruze?

  And I'll complain about the Tesla tires.

• 19:35George Kamel?

  Yes, they wear out faster.

• 19:37Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 19:38George Kamel?

  Because of the weight. It's a heavier car with the battery.

• 19:41Rachel Cruze?

  Terrible, terrible.

• 19:42George Kamel?

  That is the one thing. You don't have to do a whole lot of maintenance on Tesla.

• 19:45Rachel Cruze?

  No, you do no maintenance.

• 19:45George Kamel?

  Even the brakes, very rarely because it has regenerative braking.

• 19:48Rachel Cruze?

  Yep, it's literally just the tires.

• 19:50George Kamel?

  Is how they get you.

• 19:51Rachel Cruze?

  Yep.

• 19:51George Kamel?

  That's a, that's a real one. What about, I think boomers and doctors, there's some beef there. You know, like older people just refuse to go to the doctor.

• 20:00Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, yes.

• 20:00George Kamel?

  They don't do their physicals and that part worries me.

• 20:03Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, taking care of the health, the preventative. I will do that. I do, I've gotten better at my consistent.

• 20:09George Kamel?

  A yearly checkup?

• 20:10Rachel Cruze?

  Health, health appointments. Yes, well.

• 20:13George Kamel?

  Not like a yearly physical?

• 20:14Rachel Cruze?

  I don't do yearly physical.

• 20:15George Kamel?

  Okay.

• 20:16Rachel Cruze?

  I do like my girl doctor. I do my dermatologist.

• 20:19George Kamel?

  Yep.

• 20:20Rachel Cruze?

  And then now I love getting blood work done.

• 20:22George Kamel?

  Really?

• 20:22Rachel Cruze?

  This is super fun. So you go to like LabCorp on Walgreens and you buy the women's panel. It's like a hundred bucks.

• 20:28George Kamel?

  Okay.

• 20:28Rachel Cruze?

  And they take a couple of vials of blood and then they run like 25 tests on your blood. Everything. And you're like, thank you. And I was pretty, uh, down the middle, George. You know how we said we like, we like, you know?

• 20:41George Kamel?

  Like you want too low numbers, you want them too high and you were right there.

• 20:44Rachel Cruze?

  I was right in the middle. Yeah. So I felt very healthy.

• 20:46George Kamel?

  Wow.

• 20:47Rachel Cruze?

  But that's what I'll do. Probably should go to like a doctor.

• 20:50George Kamel?

  I mean, that's close to a physical, other than a physical examination, but.

• 20:53Rachel Cruze?

  Do you do yearly doctor appointments?

• 20:55George Kamel?

  Uh, I skipped for a couple of years because my doctor said, why are you here? I said, I thought you're supposed to get a yearly physical. And he said, you're a healthy young man. Why are you here? How do I know if I'm healthy if I don't come to see you?

• 21:07Rachel Cruze?

  I'm surprised you don't do like a functional medicine doctor.

• 21:10George Kamel?

  I've been to those. Yeah, Whitney is much more crunchy than me.

• 21:12Rachel Cruze?

  I was gonna say, I can see Whitney doing those.

• 21:14George Kamel?

  But once they were putting like, rocks on my body and seeing if my arm moved slightly, I was like, alright, I think I'm good. Might as well become Scientologist at this point. We're just gonna believe that this is doing anything. But I truly believe in functional medicine.

• 21:26Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 21:27George Kamel?

  I just don't believe in that that was doing anything.

• 21:29Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, yes, yes.

• 21:30George Kamel?

  So, I think, I think a good mix of both is wise.

• 21:33Rachel Cruze?

  Is wise. I think, middle.

• 21:35George Kamel?

  In the middle.

• 21:36Rachel Cruze?

  Middle ground, people. Middle ground.

• 21:38George Kamel?

  I believe in, in modern medicine, and I also think there's things they are not doing well.

• 21:43Rachel Cruze?

  I agree.

• 21:44George Kamel?

  Is that controversial?

• 21:45Rachel Cruze?

  It's not at all.

• 21:46George Kamel?

  Maybe.

• 21:46Rachel Cruze?

  It's like the banking system. There's some banks that are doing horrible, not great, and then some that you're like, great.

• 21:52George Kamel?

  They're not all evil.

• 21:53Rachel Cruze?

  You're mixing all the things we want in a bank, and that is Fairwin's credit union for me.

• 21:57George Kamel?

  They're the Goldilocks.

• 21:58Rachel Cruze?

  They are. It is like, okay, it's everything you want. You want nice people. You want people on your side that are like, hey, actually wanting you to win financially. What a concept.

• 22:07George Kamel?

  Yep.

• 22:07Rachel Cruze?

  To put your money with people that are actually fans and like, hey, I want, I want all of you all to win. Uh, they make it easy and accessible, and they have a cute debit card. Can I say that?

• 22:17George Kamel?

  That helps. Aesthetic does matter. And I like the actual services they provide. You can, there's like 33,000 fee-free ATMs. You can use the ATM finder, even credit unions. Someone said, hey, it's, you know, it's in, they're based in Florida, but they're a national bank, and so they partner with thousands of credit unions across the country. So there's one right down the street. I can go in if I need to do a personal, in-person transaction.

• 22:38Rachel Cruze?

  Do something there, yes.

• 22:39George Kamel?

  So they've thought of everything, and it's just super easy. And that's what you want. When you're trying to win with money, make it easy for me.

• 22:44Rachel Cruze?

  Absolutely. And they have a great deal for our listeners, George.

• 22:47George Kamel?

  Yeah, the Smart Bundle, no-fee checking account, high-yield savings, that Ramsey-themed debit card. Go check it out. Fairwins.org/Ramsey.

• 22:55Rachel Cruze?

  Alright, next up, buying things that weren't on your list just because they're on sale.

• 23:01George Kamel?

  This is my guilty pleasure.

• 23:03Rachel Cruze?

  This is least, this is not mine as much. Okay.

• 23:05George Kamel?

  You don't care about sales as much.

• 23:07Rachel Cruze?

  What's yours?

• 23:08George Kamel?

  So my, I don't have many hobbies, but one of my hobbies is I'll go on Instacart and I'll go to like Sprouts because they have in-store prices.

• 23:16Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 23:16George Kamel?

  So this is my, the frugal in me goes, I don't want to pay an upcharge.

• 23:19Rachel Cruze?

  I know.

• 23:19George Kamel?

  And then I'll go to Sprouts and I'll just see what's on sale and start adding the things to cart that are just like, that looks fun. That looks like a nice little treat. Let's try that.

• 23:28Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 23:29George Kamel?

  So I will buy things just because they're on sale to sort of try it out, give it a test run.

• 23:34Rachel Cruze?

  Okay. I'm less on food. I am on clothes. We went to Academy Sports and Outdoors.

• 23:39George Kamel?

  Wow.

• 23:40Rachel Cruze?

  Uh, yes, because we're doing a trip with the kids and Charles also needed new shoes. So we were like, well, let's just run in here real quick. Anyways, they had a clear, so get this, they had certain racks, racks on racks and racks of clothes. And everything was, it was like that 50% off lowest marked on the tag. So you look at all the tags and there's like three or four that have been marked down, marked down. There were shirts, George, and it would be like $4.95. You take 50% off that.

• 24:09George Kamel?

  That's $2.50?

• 24:10Rachel Cruze?

  $2. Yes. I said, girls, look at the racks.

• 24:15George Kamel?

  Shopping spree.

• 24:16Rachel Cruze?

  Let's go shopping. Yes. And I was like, oh my gosh. And we got like, um, there's like a fishing brands. This is very me.

• 24:23George Kamel?

  With the little flap in the back?

• 24:24Rachel Cruze?

  I want to fit in with like the vibe. So we're going to this like family camp thing and it's all like outdoorsy people, you know? So I bought a fishing brand shirt.

• 24:33George Kamel?

  I'm trying to see you in a fishing shirt.

• 24:35Rachel Cruze?

  Well, it's just a t-shirt. It just has the name on the side. So it's not like that exciting, but I was like, $2? I'll take it.

• 24:42George Kamel?

  I couldn't, okay, this is sad.

• 24:44Rachel Cruze?

  I got my kids all over them. I was like, y'all, we're outdoorsy family. We're an outdoorsy family. Uh, we got that. And then there was a whole thing of Nike shoes, George. No joke. Uh, and they were like, um, they, they, I mean, they're like tennis shoes, obviously, but they're not like workout tennis shoes, like running tennis shoe Nikes. They're like more like just like the everyday wear.

• 25:03George Kamel?

  Yeah, sort of athleisure.

• 25:04Rachel Cruze?

  And I guess people didn't like the color and they were, it was like a tan and brown. Like it wasn't bad. $19 for a pair of Nikes. And I was like, I don't need these, but do I?

• 25:14George Kamel?

  Do they have your size?

• 25:15Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, I do for $19. Yes, they had my size.

• 25:17George Kamel?

  That's great.

• 25:17Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, grabbed it, tried it on. I thought these are cute.

• 25:20George Kamel?

  If I ever see a size seven that I'm like, Rachel would love this, I'm just gonna buy them.

• 25:24Rachel Cruze?

  Thank you, George. But anyways, that was the last sale. Do you, do you see how excited I am right now?

• 25:28George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 25:28Rachel Cruze?

  I did. I got so like, guys, we can get so much.

• 25:31George Kamel?

  It's something you already love and you're adding like another dopamine rush on top of that.

• 25:35Rachel Cruze?

  Cause it's like half off, half off, half off. I mean, it was amazing. I couldn't believe it. So.

• 25:39George Kamel?

  Wow.

• 25:39Rachel Cruze?

  I was so happy. It made me so happy. We went in for fishing poles. Actually, genuinely.

• 25:44George Kamel?

  How much fishing are you guys doing?

• 25:45Rachel Cruze?

  I know. I know Winston, like we, the kids needed new poles because the kids like to fish with Winston. So we, maybe we are a fishing family. Maybe I'm not.

• 25:53George Kamel?

  Have you tried fly fishing?

• 25:55Rachel Cruze?

  Uh, not like, not like a fisher.

• 25:58George Kamel?

  Okay.

• 25:58Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 25:58George Kamel?

  Cause my buddy, he's big fly fisher. He's gonna take me and I'm gonna learn.

• 26:01Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 26:02George Kamel?

  So next time you see me, I might have some fishing gear.

• 26:04Rachel Cruze?

  You know, and you go out west in a, in a river, it's flowing. You got your waders on.

• 26:09George Kamel?

  Yep.

• 26:10Rachel Cruze?

  It's very like, very zen.

• 26:11George Kamel?

  Do you think I could, do they have like kid sized waders that would fit me?

• 26:14Rachel Cruze?

  I bet so.

• 26:15George Kamel?

  I feel like they would just drown me.

• 26:16Rachel Cruze?

  No, I think, I think you can do it.

• 26:17George Kamel?

  All right.

• 26:18Rachel Cruze?

  I think you can do it.

• 26:19George Kamel?

  I love a sail.

• 26:20Rachel Cruze?

  We love a sail, people. You like food. I like clothes.

• 26:23George Kamel?

  Yeah. The key is if you weren't planning on it, you gotta go, do I really need this? Is it actually in the budget? Will I move stuff around?

• 26:29Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 26:30George Kamel?

  Or is this just gonna sit somewhere?

• 26:32Rachel Cruze?

  A hundred percent. Yep. I'll wear the fishing shirt on one of these episodes. How about that?

• 26:35George Kamel?

  How many clothes you have in your closet that still have the tag on? That you're like, it was a good deal, but.

• 26:40Rachel Cruze?

  I usually wear things pretty quick.

• 26:41George Kamel?

  Wow. Well, it's Amazon usually, so that helps.

• 26:46Rachel Cruze?

  All right, next up, seeing something and thinking, I can make that myself.

• 26:50George Kamel?

  Oof.

• 26:52Rachel Cruze?

  And you think, oh, crafty Carol, she's like, I don't need to buy that, I can make it myself.

• 26:57George Kamel?

  Yeah, all the supplies that it requires.

• 26:59Rachel Cruze?

  DIY, I'm not a great DIY-er. I'm not good at details. I don't do things exactly how it should be, so it always ends up looking not great.

• 27:06George Kamel?

  I think some people just love the idea of making it themselves.

• 27:10Rachel Cruze?

  I think people can do it too.

• 27:11George Kamel?

  It's like fun for them.

• 27:12Rachel Cruze?

  And I think it can actually be cheaper. I think people really can, and it looks great.

• 27:17George Kamel?

  If you have, it's certain things. If it's dangerous, I'm out. Like, if someone requires a license to do some of this work, I'm like, well, who am I?

• 27:25Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 27:26George Kamel?

  To try to do this electric work myself?

• 27:28Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 27:29George Kamel?

  But if it's something small, or like, that doesn't matter that much, I'm more willing to DIY it if it's a quick type thing.

• 27:35Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, that's fair, yep.

• 27:37George Kamel?

  But making something from scratch, that's a different ballgame.

• 27:40Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, for sure. Well, and depending on what it is. But I know people that, like, made jewelry and things, and like, really, actually this, this was a lady in a neighborhood a few neighborhoods away.

• 27:50George Kamel?

  Oh, that's beautiful.

• 27:51Rachel Cruze?

  Isn't that pretty? I know. She makes jewelry.

• 27:53George Kamel?

  That's impressive.

• 27:54Rachel Cruze?

  That's impressive. So, I mean, obviously, that's for a business, but...

• 27:57George Kamel?

  But even food, I've attempted to make. So, Whitney loves these acai bowls.

• 28:02Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 28:02George Kamel?

  Women love them.

• 28:03Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 28:04George Kamel?

  It's ice cream for breakfast at 16 bucks a pop.

• 28:06Rachel Cruze?

  That's right.

• 28:07George Kamel?

  Throw some fruit on there, make yourself feel better. Great. Still 98 grams of sugar. So, I went, I can make this at home. So, I got the packets, I got all the ingredients. I spent probably $64 getting, like, the coconut shreds, and the sliced almonds, and the fresh fruits. And I was like, I see why they're $16 now.

• 28:25Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 28:26George Kamel?

  And she was like, this just doesn't taste the same. It's not good.

• 28:28Rachel Cruze?

  It's just not as good, George.

• 28:30George Kamel?

  So, I had to eat all these...

• 28:31Rachel Cruze?

  George was a great husband, though. That was a nice, that was a nice thing.

• 28:33George Kamel?

  It was an effort thing.

• 28:34Rachel Cruze?

  For sure. All right, next, paying for the cheapest version of something, and then having to pay for the real thing because it doesn't last.

• 28:44Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, man. Yeah, I could, I could see cheap. I'll say jewelry, like some of my stuff, it'll like, I'll like take an earring out and you can tell it's like from Amazon because sometimes it'll like split or something and I'm like, oh geez.

• 28:58George Kamel?

  Quality just wasn't there?

• 28:59Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, not real gold. The old Amazon.

• 29:03George Kamel?

  I do this with like tech products because sometimes like, okay, there's a robot vacuum. I don't need the

• 29:07Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, that's a good one, yeah.

• 29:08George Kamel?

  Like name brand, but then I get the generic brand one and it dies and the functionality is confusing.

• 29:14Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, it's not as good.

• 29:15George Kamel?

  And then I go, well, I might as well have just gotten the name brand one.

• 29:17Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, you know, we bought these like, I was, I'm on a, I'm on a new aesthetic kick in my home.

• 29:22George Kamel?

  What does that mean?

• 29:22Rachel Cruze?

  It's like, I like the Nancy Meyers aesthetic. Have you heard of this?

• 29:26George Kamel?

  Isn't she a novelist?

• 29:27Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, my gosh, yes. Think like father of the bride, the whole, she's cozy and warm. It almost has a little 90s flair to it. Anyways, now I want to redo my whole house and I just

• 29:38George Kamel?

  If I search Nancy Meyers aesthetic, will it show up?

• 29:41Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, it will, and it's going to make you all warm inside.

• 29:43George Kamel?

  Is it like Hallmark movie?

• 29:44Rachel Cruze?

  So I, no, not Hallmark necessarily. It's like, it's just, it's, it's like warm and inviting. Lots of lamps, okay? So that's like the thing with Nancy, lots of lamps. So I love a lamp now. I want lamps everywhere.

• 29:56George Kamel?

  Okay, you tell me which one's the closest to what you're talking about.

• 29:58Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 29:59George Kamel?

  We'll put it up on the screen for the, the viewing audience at home who are also confused. Especially the men who have no clue what is going on. You said aesthetic, you said Nancy Meyers.

• 30:08Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, we're gonna go this vibe.

• 30:09George Kamel?

  Okay.

• 30:11Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 30:13George Kamel?

  How to get the Nancy Meyers aesthetic? Okay, so it's very, it's very like lived in.

• 30:18Rachel Cruze?

  Lived in, yes, that's a great adjective.

• 30:20George Kamel?

  It's not like super modern. It feels a little more traditional.

• 30:23Rachel Cruze?

  No, it's not very modern. Um, okay, my friend.

• 30:25George Kamel?

  It feels like you bought, you took some stuff from grandma?

• 30:28Rachel Cruze?

  Uh, yeah. Here, can I give you the actual feels right now? Um, my friend, the cheese gal, she was on my show a couple of times. She redid, they just, they moved, so she like got their house all in order and she put this Instagram, this was like a, not jealous of like, oh, I don't want her to have it.

• 30:45George Kamel?

  A little bit of house envy.

• 30:46Rachel Cruze?

  But I want it, you know, this feel. Look at this.

• 30:53George Kamel?

  Oh, that's nice.

• 30:54Rachel Cruze?

  Do you know what I mean? It's just like warm.

• 30:56George Kamel?

  Yeah, it is warm and cozy.

• 30:58Rachel Cruze?

  Warm and cozy. Look at these lamps. Okay, so anyways, I'm saying all I say.

• 31:02George Kamel?

  No overhead lights, that's the key.

• 31:03Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, so I went on Amazon because I wanted little lamps everywhere. And I was like, I need my kitchen to have little lamps. And then they have these touch lamps.

• 31:10George Kamel?

  Oh, yeah.

• 31:11Rachel Cruze?

  I already have, they always plug in. Anyways, I got, I found like, I was like, I don't want it to like, look super cheap. So I want like, pretty ones, but I want, I don't want to buy nice ones. Like, from a price point perspective. So I bought some, I think they're maybe in like 15 bucks.

• 31:26George Kamel?

  Oh, wow.

• 31:26Rachel Cruze?

  I bought two. Anyways, they last like, an hour and a half, the battery.

• 31:30George Kamel?

  You're just recharging them?

• 31:31Rachel Cruze?

  And then you have to keep plugging it in.

• 31:32George Kamel?

  Just sitting on a counter with wires coming out?

• 31:34Rachel Cruze?

  Dad gum it, I know, but I want that like, warmth, you know?

• 31:38George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 31:38Rachel Cruze?

  So that is one that I'm like, alright, if I really, because we've had our stuff for seven years now.

• 31:43George Kamel?

  The furniture, since you moved and got it.

• 31:46Rachel Cruze?

  So like, there were a couple of pieces that we went like, less expensive, because I was like, I can't stomach having like, like our couches and rugs, coffee table, like our living stuff, we just, we didn't go overly nice. I mean, they're pretty, but I had babies at the time and I was like, I can't. But now, I'm like, okay, when do you upgrade, you know?

• 32:03George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 32:04Rachel Cruze?

  We talked about this in another episode, but.

• 32:06George Kamel?

  But can I tell you, the grass isn't always greener? Because we have a coffee table that is like, high-end, like, we went all out on this coffee table. And it like bubbled up, like the veneer on the top came off from the glue. And I was like, this is insane. And so they sent a repair guy.

• 32:21Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, my gosh.

• 32:22George Kamel?

  To come fix the table.

• 32:23Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 32:24George Kamel?

  For a little arts and crafts project.

• 32:25Rachel Cruze?

  Well, I don't need like, nice.

• 32:27George Kamel?

  And I'm like, this is crazy, like, this could have happened on a much cheaper.

• 32:29Rachel Cruze?

  Is it pretty, is it a pretty coffee table?

• 32:30George Kamel?

  It's nice, but you couldn't, it's not like you walk in and go, wow, that is a luxury coffee.

• 32:35Rachel Cruze?

  I know, I know. Totally, I know. Yeah, so the price point doesn't matter, but it's, it is the, yes, the products that last over time. Even my little touch lamps. Because of Nancy, I blame Nancy.

• 32:46George Kamel?

  So that's where I go, how often am I going to use this thing? If it's going to be in constant use, let me just get a good version of it. I know Winston is that way, your husband. He's like, let me just get a high-quality version, because I don't want to have to.

• 32:56Rachel Cruze?

  Sounds like about it, yep.

• 32:57George Kamel?

  Re-buy this.

• 32:58Rachel Cruze?

  Absolutely. Yes. And honestly, buying like high-quality pajamas from Cozy Earth, that was a splurge where I'm like, listen, I want nice products. There are certain areas in my life that I'm like, I want it to feel good. I want it to last because I'm gonna be washing it a lot. So like our sheets, pajamas, those kind of things, towels even. That's why I love Cozy Earth.

• 33:18George Kamel?

  Here's what's really cool. They allowed us to create our own bundles and they're 40% off. So there's a Rachel bundle and a George bundle. What's in your bundle?

• 33:27Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, so my bundle is the pajamas, because I love the bamboo pajamas. And then I wear a robe almost every day. I love a robe. And there's like a thin one especially. It's like a bamboo, that material. And it's like kind of a kimono, so it's shorter. Oh my gosh, but it's fantastic for the summer. That's and then the Luxe Bath Sheets. So bigger than the towel.

• 33:47George Kamel?

  I just used one this morning and I, it's like a cocoon for me because I'm a little guy. So you give me a sheet, I'm fully wrapped. It's great. My bundle, I threw in the lake house clog, which I'm a huge fan of. Very comfortable and very good looking. Because a lot of guys, you know, they're just walking around in Crocs around the house. Let's step it up, gentlemen. And then the first layer pajama, short sleeve tee and short set, which I love. I got that one in a nice, cool blue color. And then the Men's Essential Calf Sock Four Pack. Because socks are one of those things that you just get enough of them. You don't want to have to worry about if you lose one, where'd that one go? So just get a pack of them.

• 34:20Rachel Cruze?

  It's great.

• 34:21George Kamel?

  It's wonderful. So all of those bundles, 40% off right now. When you go to cozylearth.com/smartmoney, get that exclusive bundle. It's a limited time offer. Get yours while supplies last.

• 34:33Rachel Cruze?

  All right, next, frugal habit that, yeah, not my, not my favorite. Washing dishes by hands, George. Dishwashers, more efficient.

• 34:42George Kamel?

  Isn't there data on this now that washing by hand actually takes more water?

• 34:47Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, I bet. Because, okay, I am a pots and pans hand washer.

• 34:51George Kamel?

  Yes, I will hand wash those.

• 34:52Rachel Cruze?

  And my knives. I hand wash my knives.

• 34:54George Kamel?

  Quality knife you want to hand wash. It'll get dull and they'll wash faster.

• 34:58Rachel Cruze?

  But yeah, definitely plates ofware, all of that.

• 35:00George Kamel?

  Do you rinse to where they almost look clean?

• 35:03Rachel Cruze?

  I do.

• 35:04George Kamel?

  I'm a clean rinser. And I've heard that helps.

• 35:06Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 35:07George Kamel?

  Some people are like, no, if you keep the gunk on there, it actually washes better. I'm like, well, that doesn't.

• 35:11Rachel Cruze?

  Makes sense.

• 35:12George Kamel?

  There's no science behind that.

• 35:14Rachel Cruze?

  I am. I'm a, I clean off the dishes before I put them in. Yeah.

• 35:18George Kamel?

  That's a tough one.

• 35:20Rachel Cruze?

  But I like it so good. All right. Next, last one, George, is the Money Finder Challenge. So this is something people can do.

• 35:28George Kamel?

  A hack that is tried and true.

• 35:29Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, and you actually can like fill it out, go through it, and people on average are finding $400 in their budget. So this is a frugal hack for sure to check out. If you need some margin, we'll put the link in the show notes and check out the Money Finder Challenge.

• 35:44George Kamel?

  We created it for our frugal friends out there who are like, "Listen, I don't want to have to do a ton of work, but help me find some money that's already existing in my life that I can find." And the Money Finder Challenge is it. We'll leave a link in the description so you can start finding that hidden cash ASAP.

• 35:57Rachel Cruze?

  All right, so some frugal things, checkmark. I think it's a go. It's a green light. Some frugal things, not worth it.

• 36:02George Kamel?

  Yeah, and I really do think the more you know yourself and your own values, and for some people, it's aesthetic, and for some people, it's convenience, then do what you feel like is beneficial for your life. But don't be under the guise that you're saving a ton of money when you're not. Because you might be costing you a whole lot of time, or in the long run, it's going to cost you more money. So you really have to think through each one and go, "Is this worth it for me in this season?" And I've noticed that in certain seasons, I'm frugal, and some I'm not. And some things I'm frugal, and some things I'm willing to spend.

• 36:33Rachel Cruze?

  And depending on where you are in the money journey, sometimes you're going to be way more frugal for a longer period of time, just to get that margin. So that's great. All right, before we spill the tea on our Guilty as Charged segment, give us the details of the drink, George.

• 36:46George Kamel?

  This is the Watermelon Mint Mojito Mocktail.

• 36:49Rachel Cruze?

  Y'all, I make oh, 10 out of 10 on this.

• 36:52George Kamel?

  It's a 10 out of 10.

• 36:53Rachel Cruze?

  I loved it.

• 36:54George Kamel?

  There's no other way to say it.

• 36:55Rachel Cruze?

  It was so good.

• 36:56George Kamel?

  Maybe a 10.5, because they added more lime, which I constantly request.

• 37:02George Kamel?

  It needs more lime.

• 37:03Rachel Cruze?

  Lime on lime.

• 37:05George Kamel?

  It's got fresh watermelon, as you can see.

• 37:08Rachel Cruze?

  I mean, beautiful.

• 37:09George Kamel?

  Is it muddled in there? So there's watermelon muddled in there, plus there's some cubes and a little wedge. Then you've got fresh lime juice, maple syrup as the sweetener, that's exciting. Then you have the mint, of course, which I just love. The smell of mint in a drink can't go wrong.

• 37:25Rachel Cruze?

  I know.

• 37:26George Kamel?

  And then lime sparkling water, which adds some effervescence, a little bubbly.

• 37:31Rachel Cruze?

  For sure.

• 37:31George Kamel?

  Which adds to it. And then it's really dolled up beautifully with the lime wedge, all the mint, the watermelon wedge.

• 37:38Rachel Cruze?

  I would say it starts to not look as pretty, all the color, like, you know what I mean? So it tastes better than it looks right this second.

• 37:45George Kamel?

  The flavor is there.

• 37:46Rachel Cruze?

  Yours looks pretty, though.

• 37:47George Kamel?

  This comes out to a dollar forty-three cents.

• 37:50Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 37:50George Kamel?

  That's a great price. I would definitely be making this one at home. And I noticed, this is a life hack, for those of you who love the show, someone went into the show notes before they watched the episode, saw the drink, made it to enjoy with us.

• 38:04Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, that's fun. Just sipping and listening.

• 38:07George Kamel?

  So instead of making it after the fact, just check the show notes, say, hey, what are they making today? That looks good. I'll whip one up and then hit play.

• 38:14Rachel Cruze?

  Love it. Appreciate that.

• 38:15George Kamel?

  That's great.

• 38:17Rachel Cruze?

  Jinx, you owe me a Coke.

• 38:18George Kamel?

  Do you drink Coke? Diet Coke?

• 38:20Rachel Cruze?

  Diet Coke. I know.

• 38:21George Kamel?

  I'll take a Coke Zero, maybe a Diet Dr. Pepper if I'm feeling crazy.

• 38:24Rachel Cruze?

  Ooh, Diet Dr. Pepper. God.

• 38:26George Kamel?

  If I'm at Chick-fil-A, it feels like it's un-American to not get a Diet Dr. Pepper.

• 38:30Rachel Cruze?

  So my new thing is a Diet Lemonade at Chick-fil-A.

• 38:33George Kamel?

  Hmm.

• 38:33Rachel Cruze?

  And you know where I get a Diet Dr. Pepper every time I go?

• 38:36George Kamel?

  McDonald's.

• 38:37Rachel Cruze?

  Nope.

• 38:37George Kamel?

  Nope.

• 38:38Rachel Cruze?

  Firehouse Subs.

• 38:40George Kamel?

  Not on my bingo card.

• 38:42Rachel Cruze?

  I love a Firehouse Sub.

• 38:43George Kamel?

  I forgot that people like you can go in a Firehouse Subs.

• 38:46Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, I love a Firehouse.

• 38:47George Kamel?

  I just haven't thought about them.

• 38:48Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, they're so good.

• 38:49George Kamel?

  I'm sure it's still great.

• 38:49Rachel Cruze?

  It is so good. The Italian. There's one a few exits down from us, George.

• 38:55George Kamel?

  Okay, we'll go together as a family.

• 38:57Rachel Cruze?

  All right, now it's time for Guilty as Charged. This is where we ask each other a guilty as charged question every week, and if we're guilty, we take a sip. All right, the question is, are you guilty of any boomer money habits that you refuse to let go of?

• 39:11George Kamel?

  Oh, wow.

• 39:13Rachel Cruze?

  Oh man.

• 39:14George Kamel?

  I don't know if it's a boomer habit, but I am a bag collector.

• 39:17Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 39:18George Kamel?

  I love a bag.

• 39:19Rachel Cruze?

  You love a bag. Um, plastic bag, tote bag.

• 39:23George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 39:23Rachel Cruze?

  Anything.

• 39:24George Kamel?

  I have a large assortment of bags and I've ne- I've never let go of any bags.

• 39:27Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, I'm with you. I love a, I love a, a plastic grocery bag.

• 39:31George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 39:32Rachel Cruze?

  That can be used for anything.

• 39:33George Kamel?

  If I'm doing self-checkout, sometimes I'll, I'll be very generous with my bag usage.

• 39:38Rachel Cruze?

  Do you add, do you add a couple more to the?

• 39:40George Kamel?

  Sometimes by accident, but oftentimes it's just one item gets one bag.

• 39:44Rachel Cruze?

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

• 39:46George Kamel?

  The eggs get their own bag.

• 39:47Rachel Cruze?

  I do love a bag. Um, I would say I'm probably, I'm gonna go the bag theme because I am a gift bag keeper.

• 39:57George Kamel?

  Oh, the gift bag. So like tissue paper?

• 39:59Rachel Cruze?

  I don't do tissue paper. My sister and my mom do that. They go around Christmas and they're like flattening out the tissue paper and they keep it. I don't do that. Even though I should, because I actually probably need more of that. Um, but yeah, a bag. Okay, I'm gonna go bag with you, George.

• 40:12George Kamel?

  Boomers love bags.

• 40:14Rachel Cruze?

  They love bags and we're here for it, y'all.

• 40:16George Kamel?

  What is it with boomers and bags?

• 40:18Rachel Cruze?

  We are here for it. Um, make sure to DM us at Rachel Cruz and at George Kamel with some guilty as charged questions. We are getting them and so appreciate it. So good. And if you love this episode, make sure to check out our episode, Old School Habits, Making a Comeback. We have thoughts. So we'll link that down below. And make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an all new episode of.

• 40:39George Kamel?

  Smart Money Happy Hour.