Are These Social Obligations Worth the Money?

💵 Create a free budget and find more margin with EveryDollar. If an event costs you social energy, should you really have to pay actual money too? Today, we’re saying what we all wish we could write on the next birthday party, wedding shower or gender reveal RSVP—join the unfiltered fun! Next Steps: 🎙️ Catch our episode Date Nights From $0 to $10,000? We’ve Got You Covered! 🍸 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. 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: 🥃 Smoked Rosemary Negroni Sour Recipe from: Join Jules 1 ounce gin 1 ounce sweet vermouth 1 ounce Campari 1/2 ounce rosemary syrup 1/2 ounce lemon juice 1 egg white Splash of orange juice Instructions: Using a lighter, light the tips of a fresh rosemary sprig until it begins to smoke. Flip your coupe glass upside down over the smoking sprig and let sit while you mix your cocktail. In a cocktail shaker, add gin, sweet vermouth, Campari, syrup, lemon juice, a splash of orange juice and egg white. Dry shake. Add ice and shake again. Double strain into the smoked glass. Garnish with a fresh rosemary sprig and a citrus wheel. Explore More From Ramsey Network: 💡 The Rachel Cruze Show 💰 George Kamel 🎙️ The Ramsey Show 💸 The Ramsey Show Highlights 🧠 The Dr. John Delony Show 🪑 Front Row Seat with Ken Coleman 📈 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?

  If you've ever not wanted to attend another gender reveal and you feel like a terrible person for it, this is your safe space. Today, we're talking about social expenses we all dread.

• 0:13Rachel Cruze?

  I feel like this is your, like, perfect episode.

• 0:16George Kamel?

  Okay, this is petty, but if they dip out on my birthday dinner, I dip out on their birthday dinner. This one might be the most dreaded. I think we saved it for last.

• 0:24Rachel Cruze?

  How are we feeling about that?

• 0:30Rachel Cruze?

  Hey, guys, I'm Rachel Cruze.

• 0:32George Kamel?

  I'm George Kamel.

• 0:34Rachel Cruze?

  And this is Smart Money Happy Hour.

• 0:42Rachel 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.

• 0:49George Kamel?

  Before we get to the content of the day, we're gonna sip on a smoked rosemary Negroni Sour.

• 0:55Rachel Cruze?

  It's delicious.

• 0:55George Kamel?

  That's a lot of words for a lot of flavor.

• 0:57Rachel Cruze?

  That's a lot of names.

• 0:58George Kamel?

  So stick around till the end. We're gonna give you our rating and reveal the cost per glass.

• 1:02Rachel Cruze?

  Yep. Okay, George, I feel like there's nothing worse than feeling like you have to spend money on something that you really don't want to go to. Where you're like, oh, my gosh, my social energy, my financial energy, everything's going to this thing.

• 1:17George Kamel?

  It's all gone.

• 1:18Rachel Cruze?

  And when you start mapping it out, there's a lot of these things in life, it feels like.

• 1:22George Kamel?

  As we made this list, I had, I felt the cortisol levels rise in my body.

• 1:27Rachel Cruze?

  Go up, yes.

• 1:27George Kamel?

  Because even if you're in a great place with money, I just hate feeling like this event on my calendar is gonna cost me something.

• 1:33Rachel Cruze?

  I know.

• 1:34George Kamel?

  Socially, financially, emotionally, mentally, especially depending on what it is and who I will be with.

• 1:40Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 1:40George Kamel?

  The people you're around really dictate what's gonna happen.

• 1:43Rachel Cruze?

  You get sucked into some situations, you know. I always think about Ross on Friends when he moved in. And the, I think it's like the, the building maintenance guy's retiring, and they're all like chipping in. And like, he's like, I don't know him. And they're like, you're not gonna give to his retirement party? Wait, what? And he's like, I, I don't know the guy, you know? And then he feels like he has to chip in.

• 2:01George Kamel?

  There is a social pressure to it all.

• 2:03Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, because there is. Or it's something like that. Or even you get sucked into like, going to dinner with people that you kind of don't want to go with.

• 2:09George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 2:09Rachel Cruze?

  And they go to, and they pick like a nice restaurant, and you're like, crap, we're about to drop. Some like, we're gonna drop some money and be with people we genuinely may not want.

• 2:19George Kamel?

  Do you not choose to be with otherwise?

• 2:19Rachel Cruze?

  Does that, does that happen to you a lot?

• 2:21George Kamel?

  It does, and here's what I found. Usually, I, it's just me having a bad attitude and we come back home and I go, "I'm glad, you know what? I'm glad we did that."

• 2:28Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, okay. Have you had one that you didn't feel that way?

• 2:31George Kamel?

  Uh, there's been times I wanna like, get up and leave early, but you can't, cuz you're stuck in a restaurant and you can't fake an emergency.

• 2:37Rachel Cruze?

  Mm-hmm.

• 2:37George Kamel?

  I'm not, I wish I was good at that.

• 2:39Rachel Cruze?

  Or like, I love the...

• 2:40George Kamel?

  Can you roll your ankle under the table somehow?

• 2:43Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, or I see, like, you know, movies, they're like, if like, the, if the single gal's out to her date, and she has the friend that texts her and she's like, "I gotta go, I'm so sorry." You know what I mean? Like, you need an out. Maybe the babysitter could be the out for you next time.

• 2:55George Kamel?

  That's a legitimate out.

• 2:56Rachel Cruze?

  She's sick, we gotta go home.

• 2:58George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 2:59Rachel Cruze?

  Uh, cut, cut the date short.

• 3:00George Kamel?

  Hey, we couldn't get, we couldn't get the babysitter last minute, sorry.

• 3:03Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, and you just cancel on the front end? Oh, that's pretty dirty.

• 3:06George Kamel?

  Pro tip, if I ever say that to you.

• 3:09Rachel Cruze?

  And I, you know what's happening. I know, I'm with you. I feel like most people I enjoy, we ca, I, I have one dinner in my head that happened a few years ago, that was, it just...

• 3:18George Kamel?

  I thought we had fun. I thought the camels and the cruise just had a good time, but apparently not.

• 3:23Rachel Cruze?

  That one dinner with the camels. Yeah, it doesn't happen often, but it did, and I thought, wow, that was not fun.

• 3:29George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 3:29Rachel Cruze?

  That was not, that was not enjoyable.

• 3:31George Kamel?

  It's Whitney's friend and then the husband's also there.

• 3:34Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, yeah, that happens.

• 3:34George Kamel?

  So I'm having to make small talk with the guy.

• 3:36Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 3:36George Kamel?

  And we have nothing in common.

• 3:37Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, and say he's like an outdoorsy hunter, you know, what are you gonna do?

• 3:41George Kamel?

  My greatest fear.

• 3:41Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 3:42George Kamel?

  Is the outdoorsy hunting types. I had this conversation with my neighbor and we had to fake talk about sports.

• 3:47Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, no!

• 3:48George Kamel?

  Cuz he was like, "You watching the game later?" I was like, "Yeah, yeah, big game, huh?" Yeah.

• 3:52Rachel Cruze?

  Who are you going for?

• 3:53George Kamel?

  Uh, just, here's my line. We gotta see how the coaching plays out this season. It's, it gets you out of everything. Like, "Yeah, you're right, he's right."

• 4:01Rachel Cruze?

  The, the, you know, the D, the defensive line.

• 4:03George Kamel?

  I literally asked, "What channel is it on?" I asked him what channel the game was on. Cuz like, "Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna definitely throw it on."

• 4:10Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, what channel is it on again?

• 4:13George Kamel?

  He didn't even know. He's like, dude, if you just.

• 4:15Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 4:15George Kamel?

  You're not gonna watch it.

• 4:16Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, yeah.

• 4:16George Kamel?

  Embarrassing.

• 4:18Rachel Cruze?

  That happens.

• 4:18George Kamel?

  So when there is an obligatory social engagement, you feel like you have to attend, do you, Rachel Cruz, draw a boundary or do you give in and just suck it up?

• 4:28Rachel Cruze?

  I'm gonna say 75% give in, 25% draw a boundary.

• 4:34George Kamel?

  I think it's a good ratio.

• 4:35Rachel Cruze?

  How about you?

• 4:37George Kamel?

  I'm probably similar to you.

• 4:38Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 4:38George Kamel?

  Yeah. And it depends if it's Whitney's thing, you know, if it's on my wife's side, I feel like I just, I go.

• 4:43Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, you're, yeah, you're part of the package.

• 4:45George Kamel?

  Yes. If she's asking me, she wants me there. That's a hint, guys.

• 4:49Rachel Cruze?

  You're gonna go. Yes. Okay. So do you want to go through? I feel like this is your like, perfect episode. Going through different common social events and how they drain your time and your wallet.

• 4:59George Kamel?

  I think we could delete these from society and everyone would be better for it.

• 5:03Rachel Cruze?

  Would be okay.

• 5:03George Kamel?

  That's kind of how I feel about most of these.

• 5:05Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, my gosh.

• 5:06George Kamel?

  So as we go through these, guys, as you're listening or watching, be sure to drop your hot takes in the comments. There are no right or wrong answers. It's just our opinions here.

• 5:13Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, we'll throw them out.

• 5:14George Kamel?

  Yeah, there's some financial advice thrown in there that is right, but the rest is just opinions.

• 5:19Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, should we start off with the big umbrella, if you will, of showers?

• 5:25George Kamel?

  Ah.

• 5:26Rachel Cruze?

  Not to be mistaken with rain showers. No, no, we're talking about baby showers, wedding showers, sprinkles, you know? All of it.

• 5:34George Kamel?

  I'm afraid to admit how long it took me to realize where the name sprinkles came from.

• 5:39Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, no.

• 5:39George Kamel?

  Yeah, they're like, we're doing a baby sprinkle. I was like, what is that? And they're like, you know, shower and then a sprinkle.

• 5:45Rachel Cruze?

  It's like a little.

• 5:45George Kamel?

  It's like a light shower.

• 5:46Rachel Cruze?

  It's a light shower.

• 5:48George Kamel?

  Why are we letting white women in charge of all of these?

• 5:51Rachel Cruze?

  Why does that keep happening?

• 5:52George Kamel?

  We need better marketing, guys.

• 5:53Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, my gosh, I know, but it's the flowers, the plasticware, the napkins, food, drinks, signage, balloons.

• 5:59George Kamel?

  The art, if I see one more balloon arch.

• 6:02Rachel Cruze?

  I mean, yeah, you're Venmo-ing 300 bucks to your sister-in-law to, you know, keep it moving, keep it shaking.

• 6:06George Kamel?

  It adds up fast.

• 6:07Rachel Cruze?

  It does. Okay, I feel like I'm out of the shower phase.

• 6:10George Kamel?

  Congratulations.

• 6:11Rachel Cruze?

  I am.

• 6:12George Kamel?

  You've made it.

• 6:12Rachel Cruze?

  I haven't had one.

• 6:13George Kamel?

  Well, you've graduated into the kids' birthday phase.

• 6:16Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, we'll get to that one in a little bit.

• 6:17George Kamel?

  That's a juicy one. Yeah, I've attended a lot of these lately and, you know, the signage alone can get out of hand. You gotta go to like a FedEx just to get this party started.

• 6:26Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 6:26George Kamel?

  That's too much work.

• 6:28Rachel Cruze?

  It's a lot.

• 6:28George Kamel?

  And there's everything's themed. There's a little like grab and go bag at the end with something special.

• 6:32Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, you get like a, like a treat bag, like a child's birthday. Okay. See, I've not been to one of those.

• 6:37George Kamel?

  And it's all very cute. I just want no part in it. So I'm not anti. I'm like, if you want to do that, if that's your gifting is you want to go to Hobby Lobby and have at it.

• 6:45Rachel Cruze?

  That's the thing is I think creative people, this is like their place to shine.

• 6:49George Kamel?

  Yes.

• 6:49Rachel Cruze?

  They love it because you're putting together this look and all the thing. I don't know. They like really genuine. It's like they're, yeah, it's their gifting. They enjoy it. People like, I think me and you are like the, like, we don't.

• 7:00George Kamel?

  We're not that crafty.

• 7:01Rachel Cruze?

  Not that crafty. Don't care that much.

• 7:03George Kamel?

  Some, some social presence. We're really gonna elevate your party socially.

• 7:07Rachel Cruze?

  Bring the energy and keep the conversation.

• 7:10George Kamel?

  We'll make sure drinks are in hand and everyone's having a good time.

• 7:13Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. Conversation keeps going. We'll carry the conversation. You carry the signage. We carry conversation.

• 7:19George Kamel?

  Here's the hot take. Should people in the wedding party or the people throwing the baby shower, should they also have to buy a gift from the registry?

• 7:27Rachel Cruze?

  I know. I think like etiquette wise would say yes, but I think that that's kind of crazy. I think that is your gift.

• 7:35George Kamel?

  Thank you for saying it out loud.

• 7:37Rachel Cruze?

  I do. I think that could be your gift.

• 7:38George Kamel?

  Let me free you all. You don't have to get them a gift. Now, here's what I found. The person who the shower was thrown for.

• 7:44Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 7:44George Kamel?

  Generally they'll get the host a little gift. This is a small gift.

• 7:47Rachel Cruze?

  I would say that's, that is fair. I think having a hostess gift.

• 7:50George Kamel?

  I am a fan of that. It doesn't have to be big.

• 7:51Rachel Cruze?

  Yep.

• 7:52George Kamel?

  But just, hey, here's something I enjoy.

• 7:53Rachel Cruze?

  Would you prefer a baby shower or wedding shower?

• 7:56George Kamel?

  Oh gosh. I think a wedding shower is a little more out of control.

• 7:59Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, really?

• 8:00George Kamel?

  The baby shower is a little more, you know, usually it's the ladies. The guys don't have to attend.

• 8:04Rachel Cruze?

  True.

• 8:05George Kamel?

  A wedding shower feels like a bigger event.

• 8:07Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, okay.

• 8:09George Kamel?

  So I don't know.

• 8:09Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 8:10George Kamel?

  I'd rather go to a baby shower. I think you can get in and out faster. Baby shower is kind of a, you know, stop by.

• 8:16Rachel Cruze?

  Drop in, drop in. Yes. The wedding shower, it's like a party that's like from this time to this time.

• 8:20George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 8:20Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, fair.

• 8:21George Kamel?

  You gotta stick around longer.

• 8:22Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, that's fair. That's fair. I don't know. The new love is kind of fun to be around.

• 8:26George Kamel?

  Oh, of a wedding shower.

• 8:27Rachel Cruze?

  For a wedding shower. I don't know. The excitement, getting some home goods.

• 8:31George Kamel?

  That's true. I like the newlywed type games they play. We did that. You do like to hold up the shoe or the heel.

• 8:36Rachel Cruze?

  Cute, yes, yes.

• 8:38George Kamel?

  Who's more likely to? That part's fun. I can get, I can get done with that.

• 8:41Rachel Cruze?

  I know, but expensive, expensive.

• 8:43George Kamel?

  All right, next up.

• 8:44Rachel Cruze?

  We got birthday dinners.

• 8:47George Kamel?

  This is a.

• 8:48Rachel Cruze?

  I love a birthday dinner.

• 8:49George Kamel?

  There's a lot of birthdays though, when you think about it. Everyone that you know was born.

• 8:54George Kamel?

  So that's a lot of dinners, is all I'm saying.

• 8:56Rachel Cruze?

  It's a lot of dinners to be had.

• 8:57George Kamel?

  Every single one of them is going to have a birthday this year.

• 9:00Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 9:00George Kamel?

  That's so stressful.

• 9:02Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 9:02George Kamel?

  And how many will then have a birthday dinner that you get invited to? At least 10?

• 9:06Rachel Cruze?

  Well, that's what I'm trying to think. I'm trying to think, um, yeah. I know, my friends were kind of fickle with the birthdays. I feel like it's, I think, because everyone's about to turn 40 or has, and the 40th is usually like a bigger thing.

• 9:18George Kamel?

  Yeah, you just had a big, you went to a big celebration.

• 9:20Rachel Cruze?

  But the 39th birthday, I feel like sometimes it comes and goes for people.

• 9:24George Kamel?

  No get togethers with the gals.

• 9:25Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, like I just feel like sometimes it's, I had a friend who just turned 42 and it was like on a Tuesday.

• 9:31George Kamel?

  Ah, forget about it.

• 9:32Rachel Cruze?

  Well, yeah, like it's just, it's like, it's just, yeah, I mean, you kind of just keep living. You know what I mean? I've done that on birthdays for myself even.

• 9:38George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 9:39Rachel Cruze?

  Sometimes it's like a big fun thing and then sometimes it's not. So I don't know.

• 9:41George Kamel?

  Well, some years you're just not in the mood. And I think, you know, that's okay to not want to do a big hoopla.

• 9:46Rachel Cruze?

  I agree. I agree.

• 9:47George Kamel?

  Yeah, usually a birthday dinner.

• 9:48Rachel Cruze?

  But I love a dinner out. I think it's fun.

• 9:50George Kamel?

  I don't know, three, five, maybe 10 people max. I think beyond 10, don't go out to a restaurant.

• 9:55Rachel Cruze?

  When do you, when do you not go?

• 9:57George Kamel?

  To a birthday dinner?

• 9:57Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 9:59George Kamel?

  Okay, this is petty, but if they dipped out on my birthday dinner, I dip out on their birthday dinner.

• 10:04Rachel Cruze?

  Wow, tit for tat.

• 10:05George Kamel?

  I don't make the rules. That's just the rule.

• 10:07Rachel Cruze?

  That's what we like to call that.

• 10:09George Kamel?

  You ditch me, I ditch you.

• 10:10Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, if you do this, I'll do that.

• 10:12George Kamel?

  I don't get invited to many dinners. I want you to know.

• 10:15Rachel Cruze?

  Stop.

• 10:16George Kamel?

  Whitney goes to way more. I feel like this is more important for girls.

• 10:19Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 10:19George Kamel?

  They go out.

• 10:20Rachel Cruze?

  I would say probably more social. Yes.

• 10:21George Kamel?

  Well, for my, my birthday, went to a very fancy place in Nashville with like

• 10:24Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, thanks for the invite.

• 10:25George Kamel?

  Just three other guys. It was a guys thing.

• 10:27Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 10:28George Kamel?

  Whitney set it up for me as a surprise.

• 10:30Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 10:30George Kamel?

  And we had a great time.

• 10:31Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 10:32George Kamel?

  So I'm, I'm not anti birthday dinner, but I do feel like we had to choose the right guys who we knew could stomach the price point of this dinner. You're probably talking, I don't know, 150 bucks per person.

• 10:42Rachel Cruze?

  Sure.

• 10:42George Kamel?

  200 bucks per person after drinks and tax and tip and all that. So it's not cheap. So I don't, I, I understand guys not wanting to opt into that and say, you know what? That's too much for us right now. Nothing but respect.

• 10:54Rachel Cruze?

  Hundred percent.

• 10:54George Kamel?

  But that can get out of hand.

• 10:56Rachel Cruze?

  All right, uh, let's go to the, the big daddy of them all, the wedding. So, man, okay. And especially if you're in the party.

• 11:03George Kamel?

  How many have you been in?

• 11:06George Kamel?

  You're pretty popular.

• 11:08Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, again, this was all like 15 years ago.

• 11:13George Kamel?

  You can name them all. Sally, Nancy, Brenda.

• 11:17Rachel Cruze?

  Probably seven or eight. Debbie.

• 11:20George Kamel?

  Debbie.

• 11:21Rachel Cruze?

  When Debbie got married in 2010.

• 11:24George Kamel?

  Eight weddings, that's a lot. I've probably been in at least four or five.

• 11:27Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, yeah. And again, I hate to, I feel like I'm, I'm making, I'm making it sound like, oh, I'm so old and I'm not. But I'm telling you, 2009, 2010, 2008, that was a different era of weddings of what it is today. Of being involved.

• 11:40George Kamel?

  Oh, your involvement wasn't as intense.

• 11:42Rachel Cruze?

  No, like that, like, I think I went on one bachelorette trip. In all of that, like, everyone just had like a night out in the town.

• 11:49George Kamel?

  Yes, now everything involves travel, Airbnbs.

• 11:51Rachel Cruze?

  I mean, seriously, like, and I think there was like two wedding showers, one from the groom's side, one for, I mean, we may have hosted a friend, like, it was very, very low key. Like, it didn't feel like, like, today, when I hear people talk about being in weddings, I'm like, holy crap.

• 12:06George Kamel?

  Well, the time commitment, the financial commitment, it's a lot.

• 12:09Rachel Cruze?

  It's a lot, yeah.

• 12:09George Kamel?

  Let's add it up. Let's do hair and makeup.

• 12:11Rachel Cruze?

  Well, this is just the day of. Hair and makeup, nails, bridesmaid's dress, alterations.

• 12:16George Kamel?

  Tux rental?

• 12:17Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, gotta order the tux. Uh, shoes, jewelry, tie, I mean, that's almost like 500 bucks. For just the day, if you're part of it.

• 12:25George Kamel?

  Right, the bridesmaid dresses are you buying?

• 12:27Rachel Cruze?

  No, you buy.

• 12:28George Kamel?

  And then you never wear them again.

• 12:29Rachel Cruze?

  No, and if you wear a long one, which is what I did, you can shorten it, it can be a great cocktail dress. You try to really sell people on that and...

• 12:37George Kamel?

  Let me tell you, zero tux rentals are tuxes I would want to wear ever again.

• 12:41Rachel Cruze?

  Mmm.

• 12:42George Kamel?

  It's like a trash bag. You know, you're at like a men's warehouse just wishing for another life. As a 68-year-old man tells you, nah, you didn't, I don't trust you when it comes to fashion, so I'm sorry.

• 12:53Rachel Cruze?

  And here you are, doing my measurements, you know?

• 12:55George Kamel?

  What's the point of measuring if this is how the tux is gonna look at the end?

• 12:58Rachel Cruze?

  That's rough. Okay, did a lot of the weddings you were in have the bow tie tux or like the tie?

• 13:02George Kamel?

  That's a good question. Left my own devices.

• 13:04Rachel Cruze?

  I don't think we had any bow tie weddings.

• 13:06George Kamel?

  I may have been a bow tie guy. I think my wedding, I was the bow tie guy.

• 13:09Rachel Cruze?

  Were your groomsmen bow tie guys?

• 13:11George Kamel?

  I think so.

• 13:12Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, that's great.

• 13:13George Kamel?

  I like a bow tie.

• 13:13Rachel Cruze?

  I do too, I think it's classy. I think it's pretty.

• 13:15George Kamel?

  Thank you.

• 13:16Rachel Cruze?

  Very, very nice.

• 13:17George Kamel?

  This is a, a big expense, especially with wedding gifts. Because now the question is, do you have to up it with inflation? I feel like now a hundred dollars is the minimum for a wedding gift.

• 13:26Rachel Cruze?

  I know, to get like a nice gift for someone.

• 13:28George Kamel?

  It used to be like fifty to seventy-five bucks was like a decent wedding gift.

• 13:31Rachel Cruze?

  And now it's like a hundred, is what you're saying?

• 13:33George Kamel?

  I feel, personally. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like.

• 13:36Rachel Cruze?

  It's probably true.

• 13:37George Kamel?

  You'll, you'll get lambasted.

• 13:39Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 13:39George Kamel?

  If you give less than a hundred dollar gift.

• 13:41Rachel Cruze?

  You know what we got most of our gift cards from, and now it's nowhere to be found? Bed Bath & Beyond. That was like all of our gift cards.

• 13:48George Kamel?

  That was the Mecca for newlyweds.

• 13:50Rachel Cruze?

  Man, that was a dream place.

• 13:52George Kamel?

  I might still have some silverware from Bed Bath & Beyond.

• 13:54Rachel Cruze?

  I think, I know, so crazy.

• 13:57George Kamel?

  That's a good one.

• 13:58Rachel Cruze?

  Expensive, though. Uh, you guys have stuff that you never use?

• 14:02George Kamel?

  A hundred percent. It's probably gone by now. I think we've, after like three moves, you eventually sell it, get rid of it, re-gift it.

• 14:08Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, I know.

• 14:09George Kamel?

  But it's a lot.

• 14:10Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, so from a financial perspective, where's your boundary? If someone is, doesn't have all this money, right? Just to throw around.

• 14:20George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 14:20Rachel Cruze?

  What do you do?

• 14:21George Kamel?

  For a wedding, specifically?

• 14:23Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, I'm thinking, if you're going, I think you can get around a hundred dollar gift. And I think, I don't think it has to be a hundred dollars if you're the guest. Now, if you're part of the wedding party, and there's all these expenses, I think you do have to kind of like, plan out, hey, this is how much money I have to spend, and I may have to draw a line somewhere. I can't go to.

• 14:41George Kamel?

  Every single little thing.

• 14:42Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, yeah, especially if you're like having to travel for it.

• 14:45George Kamel?

  And if it's a multi-day thing? If it's local, sometimes if it's like a weekend, you can say, hey, I can't make it Friday night. I'll come by Saturday.

• 14:51Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, that's smart. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 14:53George Kamel?

  So if it's a multi-day event, try to come to what you can.

• 14:56Rachel Cruze?

  Cut it in half if you need to.

• 14:57George Kamel?

  Yeah, but I think if you have the right friends, they'll understand.

• 15:00Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, that's always my hope for people.

• 15:02George Kamel?

  So give people grace, too.

• 15:04Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 15:04George Kamel?

  Don't be mad at everyone because they didn't show up to every single thing.

• 15:06Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, that's right, yeah. It's not a personal, personal slight on you. It's just where they're at, yeah. Oh, man, that's stressful. You know what else is stressful?

• 15:16George Kamel?

  What's that?

• 15:17Rachel Cruze?

  Knowing your data's all over the internet.

• 15:19George Kamel?

  You're adding that?

• 15:20Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, I am gonna add that to the pile. Isn't that crazy to feel like if you are signing up for coupons, newsletters, all of it, your data is then out there and can end up on sketchy data broker websites?

• 15:31George Kamel?

  I hate feeling exposed like that.

• 15:32Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, but Delete Me, we love them, George, we love them. They come in and their privacy team goes on to these data broker sites and removes your data so it doesn't continue to spread throughout the internet. We love that.

• 15:43George Kamel?

  So it's super simple. You go on there, you fill out all your information, they go, cool, this is the stuff we're gonna scan for against the data broker sites. And if they find it, they remove it. And they even send you a report showing you exactly what sites they removed you from, how much time they saved you. And it really is the best peace of mind money can buy is to have the subscription.

• 16:00Rachel Cruze?

  Yep.

• 16:00George Kamel?

  So highly encourage everyone to check it out. It's a great way to protect yourself, your family, your kids. You can go to joindelete.me/smartmoney and get 20% off their annual plans. We'll also drop a link in the description down below.

• 16:14Rachel Cruze?

  Yep, they're amazing, you guys. So make sure to do it to protect your online privacy. Um, all right, let's go to kids' birthday parties. This is the seasonal life I'm in, George.

• 16:23George Kamel?

  I feel like every weekend, another kid was born on that day.

• 16:27Rachel Cruze?

  It is wild.

• 16:29George Kamel?

  Are we done with the trampoline parks? Can you tell me that?

• 16:31Rachel Cruze?

  No, no, no, they are in full-fledged, full. Now, we went to a rock climbing birthday party and that was fun.

• 16:39George Kamel?

  That was fun?

• 16:40Rachel Cruze?

  Charles loved it, yes.

• 16:41George Kamel?

  Is it safe for the kids?

• 16:42Rachel Cruze?

  Well, they have like, like harnesses.

• 16:45George Kamel?

  Oh.

• 16:45Rachel Cruze?

  And like people that work there and like, yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 16:47George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 16:48Rachel Cruze?

  That was great.

• 16:49George Kamel?

  So it's actually safer than a trampoline park?

• 16:51Rachel Cruze?

  Kind of.

• 16:52George Kamel?

  There's no harnesses in the trampoline park.

• 16:54Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, no, no, trampoline park, there's just flipping and flying everywhere.

• 16:56George Kamel?

  It's just a waiver that says, hey, your kid could die.

• 16:59Rachel Cruze?

  I know, and you can't sue us.

• 17:01George Kamel?

  It's wild.

• 17:02Rachel Cruze?

  We all just sign away, like, sure. Um, okay, so, okay, I've realized for me as a mom, that outsourcing the location does not bother me because I know how nice it is when you can do the skate center or the gymnastics place or whatever.

• 17:16George Kamel?

  Not have it at your house.

• 17:17Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah. And you, like, you know, from a price standpoint, you're still paying a good bit to, to get that party room or whatever, but it's kind of nice to have everything somewhere. Everyone comes to this third-party location and you don't have to do all the crazy decorations. I think it's the house parties that people go.

• 17:33George Kamel?

  They're actually more stressful.

• 17:34Rachel Cruze?

  Bounce houses and balloon arch, in photo areas and... And tables set like a wedding reception. I mean, like,

• 17:40George Kamel?

  When we were kids, it was just like a table. Maybe you had a little

• 17:44Rachel Cruze?

  Oh.

• 17:45George Kamel?

  tablecloth that was birthday themed.

• 17:46Rachel Cruze?

  With balloons on it.

• 17:47George Kamel?

  And there was a cake and maybe some pizza.

• 17:49Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 17:49George Kamel?

  But there was no way. I don't remember doing like an activity.

• 17:52Rachel Cruze?

  No, I have a vivid memory. It was our old, I moved out of this house when I was in kindergarten. So I had to have been five or less, five years or less. One of my birthday parties, we'll say I was four, I remember being in the garage and we had an inner tube. And my dad, it was attached to rope and dad would just shake the inner tube and all the kids would sit on it and fall off.

• 18:09George Kamel?

  Just on the garage floor.

• 18:10Rachel Cruze?

  Yes. And then we'd just do it again and he'd shake it and we'd all fall off and that's what we did. That was my birthday party.

• 18:17George Kamel?

  I can just picture Dave being like, oh, we gotta think of something for the kids to do.

• 18:20Rachel Cruze?

  True story. True story. I mean, I'm not kidding. That was it. And it was, that was it.

• 18:24George Kamel?

  And they had a great time.

• 18:25Rachel Cruze?

  I think so. I mean, we were four. Yeah, that's all we knew, you know? Antioch, Tennessee, living it up in the garage. That was it.

• 18:32George Kamel?

  That could be a new sport that they've invented by accident.

• 18:34Rachel Cruze?

  I know, I know. So, yeah. And again, I never want to put like a, this is always when we talk about money, George, always my like conflicting is like, we could say something stupid, but someone may value that. And I don't want to say it's stupid because they value travel sports. You could say that's stupid, but people value that. Birthday parties that are basically as much as a wedding reception. People value that, right? Like, we could say it's stupid. I don't know.

• 19:00George Kamel?

  Because then it's like you gotta invite every kid. There's 30 kids at these parties. There's so many kids running around.

• 19:06Rachel Cruze?

  I think so.

• 19:06George Kamel?

  And then you gotta also feed the adults that are there.

• 19:09Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 19:09George Kamel?

  So you just double or triple your number.

• 19:11Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah. Yes.

• 19:12George Kamel?

  And then the siblings, well, can I bring the sister one? Okay, now the sister is here.

• 19:17Rachel Cruze?

  Right, right.

• 19:17George Kamel?

  It feels like it can get out of control real quick.

• 19:19Rachel Cruze?

  It's, yes, it is. It is. Yeah.

• 19:22George Kamel?

  And a lot of waste. I feel like kids can be wasteful.

• 19:24Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, can you? Okay.

• 19:25George Kamel?

  Well, once they touch something, it's to throw it away. You know what I mean? They're gonna drop it on the floor, knock it over.

• 19:31Rachel Cruze?

  I know. So it's that. And then it is, I'm always like, God, do people feel like they have to do this? Like the extravagance of something, you know?

• 19:39George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 19:40Rachel Cruze?

  You know, like, do you feel like you have to do that? Like, I don't know, but again, some people enjoy it. That's like their outlet, their creative outlet.

• 19:45George Kamel?

  Well, are the kids comparing their other friends' birthday parties to theirs? Like, is there almost a measuring up?

• 19:50Rachel Cruze?

  Well, okay, so a little bit, but it's not about the decor or like the food quality. It's always the place, like, oh, so and so had it here. Do you know what I mean? It's not the aesthetics that they're, that they're like comparing. It's like, oh, well, she had a skating birthday party. I want a skating birthday party. You know what I mean? It's more like the location.

• 20:08George Kamel?

  I was at the roller skate center recently.

• 20:10Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, that's a, that's a great, that's one of the cheapest birthdays. For Whitney, your wife?

• 20:14George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 20:15Rachel Cruze?

  Well, that's fun. What happened, what's that situation?

• 20:18George Kamel?

  We went and I skated. And I realized I'm good to never do this again.

• 20:23Rachel Cruze?

  Did you have all your friends?

• 20:25George Kamel?

  Um, yeah, she had like three or four friends there. And then me and one of the other husbands were there too. We didn't fall.

• 20:32Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 20:32George Kamel?

  But let me tell you.

• 20:33Rachel Cruze?

  Wait, hold on, I need to get this straight.

• 20:34George Kamel?

  Weird energy in the roller skate centers.

• 20:35Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, I know, it is, yeah. Okay, so I just want to make sure I get this right. Whitney was like, hey, I just really want to go roller skating.

• 20:41George Kamel?

  Her friend Maddie, you know Maddie?

• 20:43Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 20:43George Kamel?

  She decided I'm going to throw her this birthday at the skate center. So she sent a little invite and we all went. And had, we had a time.

• 20:50Rachel Cruze?

  Did you have a party room?

• 20:51George Kamel?

  We didn't. They looked into it and then I'm glad because that party room was so depressing. It was like a jail cell with a neon light.

• 20:59Rachel Cruze?

  I know, yes. We've done two birthday parties there. But it's the cheapest place to do a birthday party.

• 21:04George Kamel?

  I get why.

• 21:05Rachel Cruze?

  It is the cheapest out of all the places. It's the cheapest.

• 21:08George Kamel?

  When all the food they have can be made in a microwave, I get why it's cheap.

• 21:12Rachel Cruze?

  I know, I know. Well, that's fun, George, good for y'all.

• 21:14George Kamel?

  But it was fun, it was nostalgic. And I realized there's a lot of adults who have staked their entire personalities on being a roller skater. It's a lot.

• 21:22Rachel Cruze?

  When the adults are like, swi- slide swiping kids.

• 21:26George Kamel?

  They're trying to impress me.

• 21:27Rachel Cruze?

  You're like, all right, you are a 32-year-old man out there on roller blades. Just going around that circle.

• 21:32George Kamel?

  Great people watching.

• 21:33Rachel Cruze?

  Going around that circle.

• 21:35George Kamel?

  And I'm also bad at it. So when you're bad at something, it's less enjoyable.

• 21:38Rachel Cruze?

  That's rough, that's rough.

• 21:38George Kamel?

  So, yeah, there's an idea for you guys.

• 21:40Rachel Cruze?

  All right, engagement parties.

• 21:41George Kamel?

  Oh, I forgot about engagement parties.

• 21:44Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 21:45George Kamel?

  What happens at those?

• 21:49George Kamel?

  So the couple, he just proposed and then they're all partying right after.

• 21:53Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, yeah, that's fun. I would think a lot of champs and some excitement celebratory. Great. I love, I love new love.

• 22:03George Kamel?

  Well, that feels different because you don't get a gift at the engagement party.

• 22:06Rachel Cruze?

  No. I think I'd rather do an engagement party than a wedding shower.

• 22:09George Kamel?

  Hot take, I think we should swap them.

• 22:10Rachel Cruze?

  I think we should love an engagement party. Yeah.

• 22:13George Kamel?

  And it just happened. The love is so fresh.

• 22:15Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's fun. You get the story. That's all. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're not, yes, okay.

• 22:20George Kamel?

  I'm here for that.

• 22:20Rachel Cruze?

  We're pro engagement parties.

• 22:22George Kamel?

  A little banner and it feels like the decor is very minimal at these parties.

• 22:25Rachel Cruze?

  Because they're kind of the center of the story of what just happened is the main theme.

• 22:30George Kamel?

  That's so true.

• 22:30Rachel Cruze?

  Not what's going to happen.

• 22:33George Kamel?

  No balloon arch needed. Just love.

• 22:37Rachel Cruze?

  Celebrating the past versus the future.

• 22:40George Kamel?

  That's beautiful. Who should be paying for the engagement party? That's the question.

• 22:45Rachel Cruze?

  The dude.

• 22:46George Kamel?

  The parents?

• 22:47Rachel Cruze?

  Well, ideally, but.

• 22:49George Kamel?

  We can't leave it to the parents.

• 22:50Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, I don't want to leave it to the parents.

• 22:51George Kamel?

  Okay.

• 22:52Rachel Cruze?

  Ideally, the parents.

• 22:53George Kamel?

  And if the parents want to chip in, that's great.

• 22:54Rachel Cruze?

  That's the dude. He's got the ring and the party.

• 22:57George Kamel?

  That's true.

• 22:57Rachel Cruze?

  Because she can't know about it. She can't plan it.

• 23:00George Kamel?

  Please do not ask her to plan an engagement party.

• 23:02Rachel Cruze?

  I know.

• 23:03George Kamel?

  Dead giveaway, guys.

• 23:04Rachel Cruze?

  All right. Chad, get on your savings plan.

• 23:07George Kamel?

  Oh.

• 23:08Rachel Cruze?

  It's coming your way. Uh, housewarming parties.

• 23:11George Kamel?

  Oh, that's a fun one.

• 23:12Rachel Cruze?

  I don't go to many of these.

• 23:14George Kamel?

  I don't think they're as much of a thing anymore.

• 23:16Rachel Cruze?

  They should be. Should we bring them back?

• 23:18George Kamel?

  I'd like to. Well, I just know.

• 23:19Rachel Cruze?

  I love a tour of a home. Parade of homes. So fun.

• 23:23George Kamel?

  I've been to that. It's impressive.

• 23:24Rachel Cruze?

  Walk me around your, walk me around your new home.

• 23:25George Kamel?

  I gave you a tour of my house.

• 23:27Rachel Cruze?

  You did? And I loved it.

• 23:28George Kamel?

  We had a great time. That was essentially my housewarming.

• 23:30Rachel Cruze?

  You know what? Our friends just moved and this past weekend, uh, we all went to the new house. It's like right down the street from us, which is so fun.

• 23:38Rachel Cruze?

  It didn't feel like a housewarming. It was just like a, we're all getting together and she's like, here's the tour.

• 23:41George Kamel?

  Your first time at their new house.

• 23:42Rachel Cruze?

  But I love a tour. And you know how I love to bring with the tour?

• 23:45George Kamel?

  What's that?

• 23:46Rachel Cruze?

  Winston Cruz.

• 23:47George Kamel?

  Is he impressed by the tour or is he a good commentary?

• 23:51Rachel Cruze?

  Uh, commentary after.

• 23:54Rachel Cruze?

  He is very picky on design and architecture. He looks at baseboard. He is scaling the whole thing.

• 24:01George Kamel?

  Can Winston's secret shop my house?

• 24:03Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, I should. He would.

• 24:04George Kamel?

  And he would roast it.

• 24:06Rachel Cruze?

  No, you wouldn't roast it, no.

• 24:07George Kamel?

  Agreeable gray in this room?

• 24:09Rachel Cruze?

  No, no, it's not even color. It's a...

• 24:12George Kamel?

  How the quality of the build?

• 24:13Rachel Cruze?

  His baseboard, um, expectations are very high.

• 24:17George Kamel?

  Wow.

• 24:17Rachel Cruze?

  He loves a big baseboard.

• 24:19George Kamel?

  And does he like it to be ornate or minimal?

• 24:21Rachel Cruze?

  Uh, no, more, uh, more character. He said, "A lot of homes feel cold. A lot of the new builds, very cold."

• 24:27George Kamel?

  Wow.

• 24:28Rachel Cruze?

  So, uh, yeah.

• 24:29George Kamel?

  I think he'd be proud of our baseboard game.

• 24:31Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 24:31George Kamel?

  We really...

• 24:32Rachel Cruze?

  Did you up it?

• 24:33George Kamel?

  We swung for the fences with the baseboard.

• 24:35Rachel Cruze?

  I know, that was when we built, he was like, "We're getting large baseboards on the first floor." And I was like, "Okay." It was like a non-negotiable.

• 24:41George Kamel?

  Wow.

• 24:42Rachel Cruze?

  I know. His like, his little, his, he has the critic's eye, if you will.

• 24:47George Kamel?

  Okay, it's a new show. It's a housewarming party that takes a turn when Winston shows up.

• 24:50Rachel Cruze?

  I think so.

• 24:51George Kamel?

  And he's like the food inspector.

• 24:52Rachel Cruze?

  Cause I just walk through, I'm like, "Whoa, whoa, beautiful."

• 24:56George Kamel?

  Rachel's impressed by everything.

• 24:57Rachel Cruze?

  Cool light fixture. I love a light fixture. We leave and I'm like, "What'd you think?" And he's like, "Did you notice the so-and-so didn't have the closed door and the doors didn't match?" And I was like, "No, it did not."

• 25:07George Kamel?

  Did you not see?

• 25:08Rachel Cruze?

  He's like builder grade.

• 25:09George Kamel?

  The bronze knob with the nickel faucet? Are you kidding me?

• 25:12Rachel Cruze?

  Wow. But he'd say you could do it on a budget. That's his thing. He's like, "There's like so many architecture things that like, don't have to cost a lot." Now, the bigger baseboards, maybe. But like, there's small things you can do to create some like, I don't know. He's, he has opinions. It's funny.

• 25:25George Kamel?

  HGTV, call up Winston Cruz, get this show greenlit. You can get a nice bottle of wine. You can get, you know, a little cheese board.

• 25:33Rachel Cruze?

  That made him sound terrible. He's very encouraging.

• 25:36George Kamel?

  No.

• 25:36Rachel Cruze?

  People saw him, so I was like, "He just destroys..."

• 25:40George Kamel?

  Well, and he's in the real estate world, so I feel like it makes sense that he cares. He's built buildings before. So, he cares about materials and...

• 25:47Rachel Cruze?

  He notices, yes. So funny. Okay, yeah, but let's bring back the housewarming parties and let's all bring a gift to it. But you're right, a nice bottle of wine or, you know what I love? A good soap dispenser. Give me a cute thing with a little plate with like your dish soap, hand soap and like adorable.

• 26:04George Kamel?

  A really fancy candle that you would not buy for yourself?

• 26:07Rachel Cruze?

  Yes. Yes.

• 26:09George Kamel?

  Maybe go three-wick, maybe wood wick. Who am I to judge?

• 26:12Rachel Cruze?

  Get a couple of friends together, get one nice candle. They would appreciate it, homeowners, I know.

• 26:17George Kamel?

  And a coffee table book? That's always a fun thing.

• 26:20Rachel Cruze?

  Get ready to spend 50 bucks, though.

• 26:22George Kamel?

  They ain't cheap. They know they're worth.

• 26:24Rachel Cruze?

  They are expensive.

• 26:25George Kamel?

  That one is a party I can get behind.

• 26:27Rachel Cruze?

  I think so, too. You know what else you could bring?

• 26:29George Kamel?

  No expectation.

• 26:30Rachel Cruze?

  Um, like a great cozy blanket from Cozy Earth?

• 26:34George Kamel?

  Now you're speaking my language.

• 26:35Rachel Cruze?

  That's a great housewarming gift. Cozy Earth has good products for the home. Bath towels, bed sheets. Maybe kind of weird to get someone bed sheets, but hey, I wouldn't be mad if someone got me Cozy Earth bed sheets.

• 26:45George Kamel?

  Listen, if they're Cozy Earth bed sheets, you're gonna say, how did, how did you even think of something this quality and luxury for me?

• 26:52Rachel Cruze?

  It's wonderful. I know.

• 26:53George Kamel?

  We don't deserve this. But they do deserve it.

• 26:55Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, they're your friends.

• 26:56George Kamel?

  Everyone deserves great sleep.

• 26:57Rachel Cruze?

  I know. So yeah, whether it's the, yeah, it's the quilts, it's the throw blankets, the pajamas, the socks. The socks I've been wearing out this winter.

• 27:06George Kamel?

  Got mine on as we speak.

• 27:08Rachel Cruze?

  And I always make sure it says Cozy Earth, my pairing.

• 27:11George Kamel?

  I am OCD that way.

• 27:12Rachel Cruze?

  I never want to switch it. I like to see the Cozy Earth.

• 27:14George Kamel?

  Yeah, I'm glad you're with me on that.

• 27:15Rachel Cruze?

  So good. But their new sheets, they have some, um, of this new, it's the bamboo.

• 27:20George Kamel?

  Are you talking about the Baja collection?

• 27:21Rachel Cruze?

  The Baja collection. Have you seen it?

• 27:22George Kamel?

  I have stocked the Baja collection.

• 27:24Rachel Cruze?

  Y'all, it is unbelievable.

• 27:26George Kamel?

  It makes me want to go to Cabo and just be eating a taco, sipping on a moray.

• 27:30Rachel Cruze?

  It's like right there, I know. But it's that bamboo material, but the pattern is beautiful. Um, and also the towels, they have those bamboo towels now?

• 27:39George Kamel?

  Oh, yeah.

• 27:39Rachel Cruze?

  Which I just got some. So soft.

• 27:41George Kamel?

  It's the little things in life.

• 27:42Rachel Cruze?

  It's incredible. A washcloth.

• 27:44George Kamel?

  Can I read this? I think this is from their website.

• 27:45Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, go.

• 27:46George Kamel?

  Inspired by the serene colors and dramatic textures of the Baja California landscape, the Baja collection brings a lively yet elegant blend of texture and pattern to your top of bed. Your top of bed? I might as well summer in Martha's Vineyard.

• 28:00Rachel Cruze?

  Well, that's the other side. That's East Coast.

• 28:02George Kamel?

  I know, I just feel so elegant reading that. Great job, team. So go check it all out, cozylearth.com/smartmoney and use our code SMARTMONEY to get 20% off. And if you get a post-purchase survey, mention that you heard about it on Smart Money Happy Hour. We appreciate that.

• 28:18Rachel Cruze?

  Beautiful. Um, all right, gender reveals.

• 28:21George Kamel?

  Oh, boy, we're back. We're back into cringe territory.

• 28:24Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, are we?

• 28:25George Kamel?

  I just feel like back in the day, you went to the doctor and they told you and you went, oh, how nice. And then you go home. What happened to that?

• 28:33Rachel Cruze?

  I know. It changed. I can tell you when, because it was my kid. I swear during my kids.

• 28:37George Kamel?

  Social media?

• 28:37Rachel Cruze?

  Charles. 2019, pregnant with Charles, 2019 was the first time I felt like, oh, I need to do something about this.

• 28:45George Kamel?

  You can't just keep it to yourself.

• 28:46Rachel Cruze?

  Because before, we took it to a bakery, and we just had them put a pink cupcake or a blue cupcake. And we went out to dinner, and we opened the box to see what color the cupcake was. And then we FaceTimed the parents after in the car. FaceTimed the family. Everyone knows we're gonna see, you know. But that was it. Charles, I was like, oh my gosh, people were doing stuff, yes. That was 2019.

• 29:06George Kamel?

  People want to know, what's Charles gonna be?

• 29:08Rachel Cruze?

  I know. So you know what I did? Now I look back, I'm like, actually, it was pretty funny. I have a video. I'll try to find it, and maybe y'all can play it in this episode. I did, with our family, for Easter, this is so random, are you ready for this? I colored six blue eggs, six yellow eggs, hard boiled all of them but one blue egg, and made my whole family stand outside, and they all had to take an egg and hit it on their forehead. And whichever one broke, that color was the gender of my kids.

• 29:41George Kamel?

  That is wild.

• 29:48George Kamel?

  God bless Sharon, because out of all people, it was the right person, because she could handle that.

• 29:52Rachel Cruze?

  I know.

• 29:52George Kamel?

  I would go home immediately and shower.

• 29:54Rachel Cruze?

  Well, it just was like on our forehead, but.

• 29:56George Kamel?

  Doesn't matter.

• 29:56Rachel Cruze?

  Anyways, that was my gender reveal. Why did I do that?

• 30:00George Kamel?

  Literally, egg on my face.

• 30:01Rachel Cruze?

  What was your gender reveals?

• 30:03George Kamel?

  Um, we did a, you know, the old backyard thing for the first one.

• 30:06Rachel Cruze?

  Did you like, smoke?

• 30:07George Kamel?

  We had a hundred people in our, in our home.

• 30:09Rachel Cruze?

  Good night, George.

• 30:10George Kamel?

  Someone bumped the microwave on and just left it running, and it melted the cover inside. So that was stressful. I just smelled burning plastic.

• 30:19Rachel Cruze?

  No, George.

• 30:21George Kamel?

  I couldn't get my grill working. It was one of those pellet grills, and it ran out of pellets.

• 30:24Rachel Cruze?

  Were you making food for this gender reveal?

• 30:26George Kamel?

  Yep. It was an attempt.

• 30:28Rachel Cruze?

  Gosh, y'all do the most.

• 30:29George Kamel?

  I know. So that was stressful.

• 30:31Rachel Cruze?

  Was it smoke? Was it a balloon? What'd you do?

• 30:33George Kamel?

  The first one, we did the like, confetti thing. And it's still in the backyard to this day.

• 30:40Rachel Cruze?

  In the balloon?

• 30:40George Kamel?

  It's just a confetti cannon.

• 30:41Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, a cannon?

• 30:42George Kamel?

  Yeah. The second time, we did smoke.

• 30:44Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 30:44George Kamel?

  Went to a park, much smaller group. Highly recommend. 10 minutes, we were all sent home.

• 30:48Rachel Cruze?

  Did you know the gender before the party?

• 30:50George Kamel?

  We didn't.

• 30:51Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, so y'all found out with the people?

• 30:52George Kamel?

  Yes.

• 30:53Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, that's fun.

• 30:54George Kamel?

  I think that's the key. I don't like it when the couple knows.

• 30:57Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, I agree with that.

• 30:58George Kamel?

  I want the couple to be not in the loop with everyone else.

• 31:01Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. We want to be part of it.

• 31:02George Kamel?

  And there's one trusted outside party that knows.

• 31:04Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, okay. That's fun.

• 31:06George Kamel?

  I prefer it that way.

• 31:06Rachel Cruze?

  Is that most gender reveals? The couple doesn't know?

• 31:08George Kamel?

  I hope so.

• 31:09Rachel Cruze?

  Most people don't know. And they find out with the group.

• 31:11George Kamel?

  Maybe if you're real type A and you have to be like a planner, you gotta know.

• 31:14Rachel Cruze?

  Well, I knew to do my eggs. You know what I mean? I had to know.

• 31:18George Kamel?

  Who else is gonna boil eggs at midnight?

• 31:19Rachel Cruze?

  Who else is gonna boil those eggs and dye them?

• 31:22George Kamel?

  The good news is, gender reveals don't cost you a lot, other than a little bit of time. Because there's no gift at the gender reveal, I don't think.

• 31:28Rachel Cruze?

  No, no, no, no, no.

• 31:30George Kamel?

  So this is one of the cheapest options.

• 31:31Rachel Cruze?

  We love a giftless party. Invite us to those.

• 31:34George Kamel?

  More giftless parties.

• 31:35Rachel Cruze?

  That's a good one.

• 31:35George Kamel?

  When you just have to bring yourself.

• 31:37Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, my gosh. All right, kids' school events. Field trips, Valentine's swap, Christmas programs, chipping in for the third grades, quarterly, you know, spa.

• 31:46George Kamel?

  Oh, yeah.

• 31:47Rachel Cruze?

  Gift card, all the things.

• 31:49George Kamel?

  I'm less mad at this one. Field trips make sense. You know, I don't expect the teachers to be funding this. So, you know, I'm happy to chip in.

• 31:58Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, totally.

• 31:59George Kamel?

  We had to pay $3 for little Mia to get pizza at her little school party day.

• 32:04Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, sweet.

• 32:04George Kamel?

  And I was like, back in my day, it was a dollar a slice.

• 32:07Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, my gosh.

• 32:08George Kamel?

  And now they're charging $3? I'm like, did they even use a promo code when they ordered?

• 32:12Rachel Cruze?

  Wait a little, I know. Were they even looking for a deal? Unbelievable.

• 32:15George Kamel?

  But anything for our little Mia.

• 32:17Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 32:17George Kamel?

  So, yeah, I'm for school events.

• 32:18Rachel Cruze?

  I think, yeah, I think they're fun.

• 32:19George Kamel?

  Do they get out of hand as the kids get older? Does it get more expensive and crazy?

• 32:22Rachel Cruze?

  No, it goes the opposite. Or at least for us. Our kids are in public school. So really, only the homeroom moms are the ones that do.

• 32:29George Kamel?

  What is a homeroom mom?

• 32:31Rachel Cruze?

  George, you know what a homeroom mom is.

• 32:34George Kamel?

  I don't know if I just didn't grow up.

• 32:35Rachel Cruze?

  They may call it the homeroom parents now. Maybe that's what they call it now.

• 32:38George Kamel?

  Is it a volunteer?

• 32:39Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you gotta be on it. Like this mom.

• 32:42George Kamel?

  I feel like these people should be paid.

• 32:44Rachel Cruze?

  Um, they should. We end up getting homeroom gifts sometimes. Because they do everything. They really do.

• 32:50George Kamel?

  Are they in the classroom?

• 32:52Rachel Cruze?

  Um, no, but they're the ones that usually do the parties.

• 32:55George Kamel?

  They're the liaison.

• 32:56Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, they're the liaison. Yes, from teacher to parents. So there's always a group me now of the kids' class and then they got, I mean, some of ours are all, they're amazing. They got like QR codes for the teacher's favorite thing, QR codes for like, like we have like a Friday store our kids do at our school. So it's like things to find, I mean.

• 33:12George Kamel?

  Where's the homeroom dads at?

• 33:13Rachel Cruze?

  I know. I think it's homeroom parent now, but no, it's all moms. And these moms, we know who they are every grade and you kind of pray your kid gets in the class with that kid because that mom will be the homeroom mom. So you're like, yes, Rebecca, go girl, go.

• 33:26George Kamel?

  It's gonna be a good year.

• 33:27Rachel Cruze?

  Yes. Denise, Denise Whitmore, always a homeroom mom for one of the kids.

• 33:30George Kamel?

  Denise would be a great homeroom mom.

• 33:32Rachel Cruze?

  She's a great homeroom mom. You got charts, you got communication. Everyone Venmo's her, you know, like whatever, the price is 50 bucks. Right at the beginning of the year. So she coordinates the teacher appreciation week.

• 33:42George Kamel?

  They should be called teacher liaisons.

• 33:44Rachel Cruze?

  I mean, they're.

• 33:44George Kamel?

  Let's give them some pannache.

• 33:46Rachel Cruze?

  I think that's good. I think that's what they are. Yep. So they do it all as the kids get older. It's the preschool years that's a lot. The moms do everything.

• 33:53George Kamel?

  And then teacher gifts, which I think we should make even more of a thing.

• 33:56Rachel Cruze?

  Hundred percent. I, yes.

• 33:58George Kamel?

  I don't know what we're getting teachers these days, but it's not enough.

• 34:02Rachel Cruze?

  You know what I got?

• 34:02George Kamel?

  Whatever it is.

• 34:03Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, it's not enough. I always love the jewelry.

• 34:05George Kamel?

  Oh, that's fun.

• 34:06Rachel Cruze?

  So since we're after Christmas. Yeah. So there is a place I always loved to bobble bar. I always loved their jewelry. And they have like these great bracelets with birthstones. And so I got each teacher their birthstone bracelet.

• 34:16George Kamel?

  That's cute.

• 34:17Rachel Cruze?

  And then some stackables. Isn't that nice?

• 34:18George Kamel?

  Stackables?

• 34:19Rachel Cruze?

  Well, just like multiple bracelets to like go with it. I love a birthstone these days. I don't know. There's something kind of like.

• 34:25George Kamel?

  What's your birthstone?

• 34:26Rachel Cruze?

  Diamonds.

• 34:29George Kamel?

  I feel like you planned that.

• 34:30Rachel Cruze?

  April, I know. I was born in like the perfect year.

• 34:32George Kamel?

  What's mine? Emerald?

• 34:33Rachel Cruze?

  What are you?

• 34:34George Kamel?

  May.

• 34:36Rachel Cruze?

  May? Is that Ruby? No. Emerald? Oh, green.

• 34:41George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 34:41Rachel Cruze?

  You're so wicked.

• 34:43George Kamel?

  Thank you.

• 34:43Rachel Cruze?

  Emerald City.

• 34:44George Kamel?

  I'm an alpha, but I took the BuzzFeed quiz. Wow, that's fun.

• 34:49Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, man.

• 34:50George Kamel?

  Next up, reunions.

• 34:52Rachel Cruze?

  Oh.

• 34:53George Kamel?

  Do you look forward to a reunion? I feel like you do. Cause you have good fond memories of your past.

• 34:58Rachel Cruze?

  I've never done a college, okay, no, I've never been to a high school reunion. Isn't that terrible? No shade to the Burnwood High Class of 2006. But I like heard from other friends after they're like, yeah, I was just at like a bar, like everyone just showed up. Where Denise's 20 year, they did it at like a hotel downtown and you, you had to pay like 150 bucks to attend and there's like name tag, it's like, was nice. So I hope that's my 20 year and I-

• 35:20George Kamel?

  You want something a little fancier than just like-

• 35:22Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, then like a lot of bar, cause I'm like, I don't even know if I remember who you are. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like-

• 35:26George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 35:26Rachel Cruze?

  It's a lot. But I would love it. It made me a little nervous.

• 35:30George Kamel?

  Yeah, it kind of feels like a, like a first date.

• 35:32Rachel Cruze?

  Feels like a little, it feels like a little like-

• 35:34George Kamel?

  Plus your past trauma.

• 35:36Rachel Cruze?

  It all is right there on these-

• 35:37George Kamel?

  Oh yeah, you used to beat me up. Yeah, I remember you, man. What's up? How you been?

• 35:40Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, no.

• 35:40George Kamel?

  You just got out of prison. Now that makes sense. I assume that was your future.

• 35:43Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 35:44George Kamel?

  That's how I would feel.

• 35:45Rachel Cruze?

  Did you have a-

• 35:45George Kamel?

  Dedham High, class of 07, never been to a reunion.

• 35:48Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, and not interested?

• 35:50George Kamel?

  I would go, but more of out of dark curiosity and less of like a, let's relive the glory days.

• 35:56Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 35:56George Kamel?

  You know what I mean?

• 35:57Rachel Cruze?

  Sure, yeah. Yeah.

• 35:58George Kamel?

  But I think a where are they now is one of the most fun, especially if you bring your spouse and you're telling them all the stories.

• 36:03Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 36:04George Kamel?

  After you leave.

• 36:05Rachel Cruze?

  I know, I know.

• 36:06George Kamel?

  But I do feel like a part of it is a flex of like, look at me now haters, you know?

• 36:10Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 36:11George Kamel?

  I'm married. You didn't think it would happen.

• 36:13Rachel Cruze?

  Look at this, like, yeah, totally.

• 36:14George Kamel?

  Family reunions, you guys do those?

• 36:16Rachel Cruze?

  We do.

• 36:16George Kamel?

  You guys do one every year?

• 36:17Rachel Cruze?

  Every year.

• 36:18George Kamel?

  The Reedy's?

• 36:18Rachel Cruze?

  The Reedy reunion. Look at you.

• 36:20George Kamel?

  Reedy dogs.

• 36:21Rachel Cruze?

  George, you know our family so well. Yes.

• 36:24George Kamel?

  It's, can you explain the Reedy dog to people that are not aware?

• 36:28Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, so my pet ball owned-

• 36:30George Kamel?

  You have to explain that one.

• 36:32Rachel Cruze?

  Pet ball, that's a southern pet ball mammal.

• 36:34George Kamel?

  That's a grandparent.

• 36:36Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, my pet ball owned a gas sta- like a convenience store with, with gas pumps, like a gas station, growing up. That was his job. And so in the gas station in Madisonville, Tennessee, he coined these hot dogs. He like would steam these hot dogs and then he made chili.

• 36:55Rachel Cruze?

  And homemade, like, everything was homemade. And they were called Reedy Dogs. So, people would come all the time to Madisonville to this gas station.

• 37:03George Kamel?

  From all over.

• 37:03Rachel Cruze?

  And he had tables and stuff. All, oh, all over.

• 37:06George Kamel?

  World famous Reedy Dog.

• 37:07Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, they became like a thing, like mostly kind of through the late seventies, eighties, nineties.

• 37:12George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 37:12Rachel Cruze?

  That was like the timeframe.

• 37:13George Kamel?

  Back when you could trust a gas station hot dog.

• 37:14Rachel Cruze?

  I know, yeah. Um, but yeah, the Reedy Dogs and cigarettes were the number two sellers at this store. Uh, but all my cousins that lived in town, they worked it in the summer. Like, so we always just got to go visit. Um, but yeah, and then Papal, they, they closed the store all of it, but, uh, but the, so the Reedy Dog, they still have the steamer from the gas station, so they bring it every reunion and they still do Reedy Dogs.

• 37:34George Kamel?

  That's beautiful.

• 37:35Rachel Cruze?

  Isn't that funny?

• 37:36George Kamel?

  Are they that good?

• 37:37Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, they're so good.

• 37:39George Kamel?

  What's the secret?

• 37:40Rachel Cruze?

  He makes his homemade chili. It's like a homemade, like concoction, all of this stuff.

• 37:44George Kamel?

  To put on top of the hot dog. So, the hot dog is fairly normal.

• 37:46Rachel Cruze?

  And then you do sauerkraut, mustard, it's like a whole shebang.

• 37:49George Kamel?

  I'm in.

• 37:50Rachel Cruze?

  I know, it's great.

• 37:51George Kamel?

  Sign.

• 37:51Rachel Cruze?

  But yeah, we've got like, golly, it's probably sixty. We got, mom had, mom's one of five, married. Everyone had like three to five kids. They, that most of them are all married. And then now we all have three to five kids. No, three, two to three kids.

• 38:08George Kamel?

  Is this like a hundred people in attendance?

• 38:09Rachel Cruze?

  I was gonna say, I mean, it had to have been, what, seventy? I mean, yeah, it's a lot.

• 38:12George Kamel?

  That's wild.

• 38:13Rachel Cruze?

  I know, but the question is, do you keep it going with Papal?

• 38:15George Kamel?

  Oh.

• 38:16Rachel Cruze?

  And I think my mom's generation will keep it going. And all of us cousins are like, do we keep it going?

• 38:20George Kamel?

  It'll dwindle over time.

• 38:21Rachel Cruze?

  Stop, stop that. Geez.

• 38:23George Kamel?

  Is it gonna grow?

• 38:24Rachel Cruze?

  Well, it look.

• 38:25George Kamel?

  I guess you need more coming in than there are going out.

• 38:27Rachel Cruze?

  So far, that's the, that's, that's what's happening.

• 38:29George Kamel?

  All right.

• 38:30Rachel Cruze?

  But it may turn the corner.

• 38:31George Kamel?

  Oh, gosh. So you know you're getting old.

• 38:34Rachel Cruze?

  I know, right?

• 38:35George Kamel?

  Oh, you ever hang out with old people and they just talk about how, like their friend's health? And like, who's dying?

• 38:40Rachel Cruze?

  All the time.

• 38:41George Kamel?

  Why is that the only conversation point?

• 38:42Rachel Cruze?

  My parents are slowly turning into that. She's like, did you hear? And I'm like, I don't wanna hear, I don't wanna know. I don't wanna know who had a stroke. I'm sorry, it makes me sad. Don't tell me. I don't wanna know.

• 38:50George Kamel?

  Old people, find some more fun conversation.

• 38:52Rachel Cruze?

  I don't know, I don't, uh, reunions, family reunions for you?

• 38:55George Kamel?

  Um, we don't do them as, as much anymore. I think everyone's just so scattered.

• 38:59Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 38:59George Kamel?

  Nobody's together, so it's hard. Usually it's like one side, like my dad's side, we'll all get together. If it's a wedding or a funeral, that's usually when the family reunions kind of naturally happen sadly.

• 39:08Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 39:09George Kamel?

  Or happily, if it's a wedding.

• 39:10Rachel Cruze?

  Wedding, wedding funeral. Uh, any costs in those?

• 39:13George Kamel?

  Uh, travel. I mean, travel is always the big cost of just, you know, flights, transportation.

• 39:18Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 39:18George Kamel?

  Some lodging potentially, but usually no gifts really. So that's nice.

• 39:21Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, that's right. That's a giftless party.

• 39:23George Kamel?

  You don't have to get your family a gift at the reunion.

• 39:25Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah. It's true.

• 39:27George Kamel?

  Just avoid drama. That is the gift you can bring.

• 39:30Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, I would, I would say that's fair. That is fair. All right. Last but not least, the group gift.

• 39:36George Kamel?

  This one might be the most dreaded. I think we saved it for last.

• 39:38Rachel Cruze?

  How are we feeling about that?

• 39:41Rachel Cruze?

  I.

• 39:43George Kamel?

  It depends. If it's gonna help me out because someone's already thought of it, they're running with it, they're gonna get it.

• 39:47Rachel Cruze?

  There's a little bit of me, I'm like, the Venmo's great.

• 39:49George Kamel?

  Happily, we'll Venmo 20 bucks to make this happen.

• 39:51Rachel Cruze?

  Yep.

• 39:52George Kamel?

  And I'll, I'll take partial credit on the assignment.

• 39:54Rachel Cruze?

  Yep.

• 39:55George Kamel?

  But sometimes there's people, you're like, why are we getting this person a gift?

• 39:59Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah. What is, yeah. What is this for?

• 40:01George Kamel?

  Now, when there's a need, a real need, like someone's going through something, happy to do it.

• 40:06Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 40:06George Kamel?

  Never feels like an obligation.

• 40:07Rachel Cruze?

  Hundred percent.

• 40:08George Kamel?

  We did this recently for a, a friend of ours.

• 40:10Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, I know.

• 40:11George Kamel?

  And that was really fun. So thank you for orchestrating that.

• 40:14Rachel Cruze?

  You're welcome. I did. I had help. But, yes.

• 40:18George Kamel?

  But you led it. You led the charge. You were keeping us up to date. You collected the Venmos.

• 40:22Rachel Cruze?

  Giving to it.

• 40:22George Kamel?

  First time I've ever had to Venmo you.

• 40:24Rachel Cruze?

  Oh.

• 40:25George Kamel?

  It felt weird.

• 40:26Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah. And you were very generous. Thank you, George.

• 40:29George Kamel?

  You're so welcome.

• 40:30Rachel Cruze?

  Thank you.

• 40:31George Kamel?

  It's because it didn't feel like I had to.

• 40:33Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, you didn't really want to.

• 40:35George Kamel?

  Doesn't that make all the difference?

• 40:36Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, a hundred percent.

• 40:36George Kamel?

  When it comes to any of these, is if it's your motivation, it's like the ball's in your court versus, hey, you have to do this thing. Well, now you've already taken the joy out of it.

• 40:44Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, yes. When it feels, yep. Well, you know, it's not an obligation, George, for me.

• 40:48George Kamel?

  What's that?

• 40:49Rachel Cruze?

  Is when I am about to buy something and I get to whip out my Fairwinds Credit Union debit card.

• 40:55George Kamel?

  That's an opportunity.

• 40:56Rachel Cruze?

  Do you have one? You do.

• 40:57George Kamel?

  I have one on my person.

• 40:58Rachel Cruze?

  Yes. Show it. Ah, debt is normal. Beware, y'all. It's my favorite debit card to use because Fairwinds Credit Union is incredible. We love them and the fact that they've come alongside Ramsey and partnered with us to give you a great banking experience, us one. I just transferred some money into the account actually this morning because I was like, ooh, it does. Cause I'm like, I.

• 41:19George Kamel?

  I got the direct deposit set up. So I wake up and it's Christmas morning in there.

• 41:22Rachel Cruze?

  I love it. It's so great, y'all. And because to have a credit union that is working with you and supporting you in your financial goals, even like saving, getting out of debt, all of that, like they are so behind Ramsey and we so appreciate that. And so they actually have a smart bundle where you get a no fee checking account, a high yield savings account, and that debit card all together. And it's amazing. Yeah. We set it up in the Cruz household. We use it. I was actually looking through our Fair Ones, the app. It's so easy to use. And I was looking through our transactions and it's literally like Rachel, Rachel Winston. Rachel, Rachel Winston, Winston, Rachel.

• 41:56George Kamel?

  I'm seeing a theme here.

• 41:56Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, Winston loves it too. He's using it all the time. So it's so fun. Yeah.

• 42:00George Kamel?

  It's so great. Check it out. I've got mine loaded in my Apple Pay. So my Fair Ones card.

• 42:04Rachel Cruze?

  You know what? I've not done that yet.

• 42:05George Kamel?

  Load it up there. That way if you're like, oh gosh, I don't have the card on me.

• 42:08Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 42:09George Kamel?

  You're still ready to go. Go check it all out. Go to fairwins.org/Ramsey or use the link in the description to sign up for the bundle today.

• 42:16Rachel Cruze?

  All right. All right. What's all the teaching? We are so, were we so antisocial or realistic?

• 42:22George Kamel?

  I don't know. Maybe I'm just getting old.

• 42:24Rachel Cruze?

  I think we're realistic. I think we're feeling what you're feeling up there.

• 42:26George Kamel?

  It's a lot of, it's a lot of boundary conversations. As you get older, there's just, you feel like there's more things you can say no to.

• 42:33Rachel Cruze?

  I agree. Oh, that's a good question. Yeah. The older you get, the more comfortable you are saying no.

• 42:37George Kamel?

  I think you just care less about what other people think.

• 42:39Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 42:39George Kamel?

  And you care less about the expectation others put on to you. I used to take a, you know, a coffee meetup with almost anybody.

• 42:46Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 42:46George Kamel?

  And now it's gotta be like life or death for me to meet up for coffee.

• 42:50Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, totally.

• 42:51George Kamel?

  For you to pick my brain or something. You know what I mean?

• 42:53Rachel Cruze?

  Pick my brain.

• 42:54George Kamel?

  I reserve that for like a friend I haven't seen in two years.

• 42:57Rachel Cruze?

  Right, right.

• 42:58George Kamel?

  Yes, we'll get coffee.

• 42:59Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, totally.

• 42:59George Kamel?

  So I have gotten more selective, especially being a dad now. Your time just, you know, you feel like your time is just worth something and it matters more and you want to put your energy towards things that will not drain you.

• 43:10Rachel Cruze?

  I know.

• 43:11George Kamel?

  I think that's okay to say out loud.

• 43:12Rachel Cruze?

  No, it is. It is. And again, the boundary conversation, I think sometimes it goes too far where it's like people are so like, I have to protect my peace. I'm going to say no to everything. Like there's a part you have to be an adult and like live in society, right? And be kind and like, yes.

• 43:28George Kamel?

  Show up for your friends even when it's not convenient.

• 43:30Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, totally.

• 43:31George Kamel?

  I know you don't want to go to the birthday party at the skate center, but show up for our girl Whitney.

• 43:35Rachel Cruze?

  For Whitney means a lot, right? Yeah. So there is a part that like you play in someone's life that I think is important. But again, in the same breath, I'm like, I think you still have to be able to say, okay, I can't say yes to everyone. Cause I think the people pleaser. I think is a bigger population than those not like I think people have to work more on saying no, right versus like saying yes, I feel, I don't know, maybe I'm an extrovert thinking that.

• 43:59George Kamel?

  I think the pendulum swings for me. I'll say no to a whole lot and then I'm like, you know what? I need to say yes more. I need to get plugged back in.

• 44:05Rachel Cruze?

  Right.

• 44:05George Kamel?

  Cause you do need community. It's healthy for you to have people in your life and they're not going to be perfect.

• 44:10Rachel Cruze?

  Totally, yes.

• 44:10George Kamel?

  So this idea that you're gonna have this perfect friend group that only energizes you.

• 44:14Rachel Cruze?

  Right.

• 44:14George Kamel?

  That only gives you everything you need is also ridiculous.

• 44:17Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, 100%.

• 44:17George Kamel?

  So show up for people and you'll find that they show up for you in return.

• 44:21Rachel Cruze?

  That's right. And to be smart financially with it, right? And so again, I think if they are good friends, if you're not able to put forth the financial expectation, whatever that is, communicate that, talk about that. And hopefully if you're that good of friends with them, they know beforehand. Do you know what I mean?

• 44:36George Kamel?

  They're not gonna be in shock.

• 44:37Rachel Cruze?

  You lost a job or something and then they're like, oh, we're gonna go on this trip and you're not able to go. They're gonna know, but oh yeah, totally. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, I feel like there's like a obvious information that is being shared amongst good friends, that they're gonna kind of know where you're at, have a pulse on how you're doing.

• 44:53George Kamel?

  And if there is something that's coming up in the future, just save up for it in your budget. Create a line item, a sinking fund for, you know, Cabo Destination Wedding 2027.

• 45:02Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 45:02George Kamel?

  And then start saving. Don't act like everything's a surprise and everything's stressful just because you weren't proactive about it.

• 45:08Rachel Cruze?

  That's right. Yep. So be looking ahead too. So it's good. Yeah. Some boundaries around our energy and finances.

• 45:14George Kamel?

  I want to stay home now after reading all this.

• 45:16Rachel Cruze?

  We're tired. Just tired.

• 45:19George Kamel?

  You ever do the math on how much it costs you just to live in your house?

• 45:22Rachel Cruze?

  What do you mean?

• 45:23George Kamel?

  It's shocking. Add up everything you pay for. So add up your rent, your utilities, the food and the, and you go, this is costing me $48 a day to just to stay in my own house like a hotel. So why would I leave?

• 45:35Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, wow.

• 45:37George Kamel?

  I'm paying for this privilege.

• 45:38Rachel Cruze?

  Already. Just get the biggest bang for your buck.

• 45:41George Kamel?

  This is how I justify being a curmudgeon.

• 45:42Rachel Cruze?

  Oh my god. Unbelievable. All right. Before we spill the tea on our guilty charge segment, give us the details on the drinks, George.

• 45:50George Kamel?

  This is the smoked rosemary Negroni Sour and it, it's hidden. It's a really good one.

• 45:55Rachel Cruze?

  We're doing, yeah, I think we're pretty even and we're pretty even.

• 45:57George Kamel?

  I'm going nine out of 10 on this one.

• 46:00Rachel Cruze?

  No, I may go 10 out of 10. I think I would order this at a restaurant. I don't know if I would pick it out of a, on a menu, like Negronis aren't my go-to on the menu, but I like it better than a regular. There's something about the sour or something that like-

• 46:12George Kamel?

  I'll tell you what's in it. You'll find out. It's got gin, sweet vermouth, Campari, rosemary syrup, lemon juice, egg white, and orange juice. So the egg white creates that nice little foam on top. It's got the orange juice in there, the lemon juice that really helps balance it out.

• 46:28Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 46:28George Kamel?

  The Campari has that kind of bitter, that really deep red color in there that's nice.

• 46:33Rachel Cruze?

  And the rosemary feels winter to me.

• 46:35George Kamel?

  It is a great wintertime drink.

• 46:36Rachel Cruze?

  I just like, yeah, it's a good cocktail.

• 46:38George Kamel?

  Total cost, $3.48.

• 46:40Rachel Cruze?

  Beautiful.

• 46:41George Kamel?

  So not cheap, but also way cheaper than what you'd pay for this at a nice cocktail bar.

• 46:45Rachel Cruze?

  Hundred percent.

• 46:46George Kamel?

  Get the recipe in the show notes. Give it a try this weekend if you're of age.

• 46:50Rachel Cruze?

  All right, now it's time for Guilty as Charged. And this is where we ask each other a new Guilty as Charged question every week, and if we're guilty, we take a sip. All right, you ready, George?

• 47:00George Kamel?

  Okay.

• 47:01Rachel Cruze?

  Have you ever been influenced by a celebrity to buy something?

• 47:05George Kamel?

  Oh, gosh. Is the, does the Flex Seal guy count as a celebrity?

• 47:11Rachel Cruze?

  The what?

• 47:11George Kamel?

  The Flex Seal guy who does the ass scene on TV, Flex Seal. Have you seen those old ads? It's like the Shamwow guy back in the day.

• 47:17Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, yeah.

• 47:18George Kamel?

  It's called Flex Seal. And there'll be like a hole coming out of a boat and he'll just slap some Flex Seal in it.

• 47:22Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes!

• 47:24George Kamel?

  That is the only product I've been like, I want that and I need that.

• 47:28Rachel Cruze?

  It's a bucket with what, and he's like-

• 47:29George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 47:30Rachel Cruze?

  He's like, look, no more drip. Yes, that's good.

• 47:32George Kamel?

  So those are the true influencers in my book.

• 47:35Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, my, okay, I think from a celebrity standpoint, I have three. I know, the most recent was probably Kendall Jenner's, the 808 tequila. It was at a restaurant. I was like, I'll try that. That was my most recent. And then my two old school ones, never forget, Jessica Simpson had the white Louis Vuitton with like the rainbow color. And I got a knockoff wallet from New York City, and I was like in the eighth grade, of that white material. But it's like the colored, yeah. I got that. And then I did get Britney Spears's, um, blue perfume with, it's like a, it's shaped like a crystal,

• 48:17Rachel Cruze?

  and then it had the rope with like the little squeezer thing, you know?

• 48:21George Kamel?

  The old school squeezer.

• 48:21Rachel Cruze?

  With the tassel.

• 48:22George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 48:22Rachel Cruze?

  God, what was that? I can't remember what that, curious. Savnose, curious, let me show, I gotta show you, because it's beautiful. Um, man, that was, that was the old school.

• 48:33George Kamel?

  So, really female pop stars is what influences you?

• 48:36Rachel Cruze?

  That is, Jessica Simpson, and, oh yeah, there she is.

• 48:39George Kamel?

  What about Taylor Swift?

• 48:40Rachel Cruze?

  There she is.

• 48:41George Kamel?

  Did she influence you at all? Oh, that is a beautiful, some beautiful packaging.

• 48:43Rachel Cruze?

  You see that? I know. Keep going.

• 48:44George Kamel?

  Mine, uh, this is the one that just is living in my brain rent for Utah. I have not bought it, but The Rock released a hair care line. The Rock famously is bald. Why is he releasing a line of shampoos?

• 48:58Rachel Cruze?

  Because he's brilliant, I don't know.

• 48:59George Kamel?

  I don't know, but that has stuck with me.

• 49:00Rachel Cruze?

  I love Dwayne Johnson.

• 49:02George Kamel?

  You're gonna buy it.

• 49:02Rachel Cruze?

  I do, I just think he's wonderful.

• 49:05George Kamel?

  If he's, I mean, Terra Mana, his tequila, became a bajillion dollar brand.

• 49:09Rachel Cruze?

  He's, and he's older than we think. He's older than I am.

• 49:13George Kamel?

  Is he 50?

• 49:14Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, I think he's, yes, I think, for sure. Oh, for sure.

• 49:17George Kamel?

  Okay.

• 49:17Rachel Cruze?

  Hold on, I got this.

• 49:19George Kamel?

  I guess I never-

• 49:19Rachel Cruze?

  How old is Dwayne Johnson?

• 49:22George Kamel?

  I love that she calls him Dwayne.

• 49:23Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, 53.

• 49:24George Kamel?

  53.

• 49:24Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, so no, okay. But man, uh, yeah, there, I mean, I usually don't go for like the huge, uh, but Dwayne?

• 49:32George Kamel?

  You're not, you're not a fan of the bulky types? I'll let Winston Cruz know. Like the scrawny guys.

• 49:37Rachel Cruze?

  Winston's a great, I'm, I'll, yeah, I like Winston's look, but, yeah, there's, I don't know, I just think he's great.

• 49:45Rachel Cruze?

  No, Dwayne, he just feels like a good human being, too. You know what I mean?

• 49:49George Kamel?

  Sure. Like, if you met him on the street, he'd be a nice guy.

• 49:52Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, I think he'd help.

• 49:53George Kamel?

  He would be helpful.

• 49:54Rachel Cruze?

  He'd be a very helpful person. That, or like you're in trouble, I don't know, I just feels like he's like-

• 49:59George Kamel?

  I would do the same, I'm just not huge and muscly.

• 50:01Rachel Cruze?

  I know.

• 50:02George Kamel?

  I would also help you.

• 50:03Rachel Cruze?

  But he goes like Fast and Furious and then Moana, and you're like, wow.

• 50:06George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 50:07Rachel Cruze?

  So many sides.

• 50:07George Kamel?

  Such range.

• 50:08Rachel Cruze?

  Such range, Dwayne.

• 50:10George Kamel?

  All right, you're very influenced by him. Uh, we did buy the Kardashian popcorn, cloud with a K.

• 50:15Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, how was it? I guess, that's Courtney, or, um, Chloe's.

• 50:18George Kamel?

  I wanted to hate it, but it was good. Would buy again. Is it worth like $7 a bag? Absolutely not.

• 50:25Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, like Kylie Jenner makeup, not going.

• 50:28George Kamel?

  Oh, wow.

• 50:28Rachel Cruze?

  Not feeling that one, yeah, I don't need it.

• 50:30George Kamel?

  I will return it.

• 50:33George Kamel?

  Sorry, Whitney, Christmas is canceled.

• 50:35Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, my gosh. All right. Well, if you have a guilty as charged question, make sure to DM us at Rachel Cruz and at George Kamel. We see them. We screenshot them and send them to our producer Jenna. We really do see them. And actually, we did one and someone messaged me and she was like, you used it. And she had messaged me back in August.

• 50:52George Kamel?

  Oh, that's nice.

• 50:53Rachel Cruze?

  And we had used hers. So.

• 50:54George Kamel?

  We should probably start giving credit. So I apologize, whoever that was. We'll try to track down names.

• 50:58Rachel Cruze?

  We should. That's a good point. I know.

• 50:59George Kamel?

  Submitted by blank.

• 51:01Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, that's actually, that's a great idea. Now, if you enjoyed this episode, make sure to check out our episode when it comes to tips on social experiences. Our episode, Date Nights, from $0 to $10,000. We've got you covered. We'll put a link for you. And make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an all new episode of Smart Money Happy Hour.