Cringe or Festive: Judging Your Holiday Traditions

💻 Register now for our Take Back Your Money in 2026 livestream for free! From office Christmas parties to eggnog to the catastrophe that is gingerbread house making—we’re judging all your holiday traditions. Plus, how to financially plan for (and survive) one of the busiest, most expensive seasons. Next Steps: 🎙️ Catch our episode Unpacking Money Lessons From Your Favorite Christmas Movies. 🍸 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 20% off with code SMARTMONEY at Cozy Earth. Today’s Happy Hour Special: 🍸 Cran-Raspberry Martini Mocktail Recipe from TheBump.com 1 ounce lime juice 4 ounces raspberry sparkling water 1/4 ounce cranberry juice 1/2 ounce crushed raspberries Instructions: Pour the lime juice, raspberry sparkling water and cranberry juice into a martini glass. Add raspberries and enjoy! 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?

  Today, we're either cosigning your favorite holiday traditions, or mildly judging them. 'Tis the season.

• 0:10Rachel Cruze?

  It feels like a lot of effort in a season to get nothing out of it.

• 0:14George Kamel?

  Wow.

• 0:15Rachel Cruze?

  I guess, except for joy.

• 0:16George Kamel?

  Let's talk about Elf on the Shelf.

• 0:18Rachel Cruze?

  Our elf is Sprinkles. Sometimes she is so tired.

• 0:22George Kamel?

  We're gonna get roasted for this one. I'm going cringe.

• 0:25Rachel Cruze?

  Shoot, George, I was too. Are we the same person?

• 0:32Rachel Cruze?

  Hey, guys, I'm Rachel Cruz.

• 0:34George Kamel?

  I'm George Kamel.

• 0:36Rachel Cruze?

  And this is Smart Money Happy Hour.

• 0:40Rachel Cruze?

  Cheers, George.

• 0:41George Kamel?

  Cheers.

• 0:44George Kamel?

  And Merry Christmas

• 0:44Rachel Cruze?

  I know.

• 0:45George Kamel?

  to all who celebrate.

• 0:46Rachel Cruze?

  Merry Christmas.

• 0:49Rachel Cruze?

  I do feel like my, um, my effort towards your clinking these days is-

• 0:54George Kamel?

  You noticed it finally?

• 0:55Rachel Cruze?

  I did, actually, just now, because you did, you were reaching far.

• 0:58George Kamel?

  I'm gonna have the team create a montage of every time you clink.

• 1:08George Kamel?

  Can I reach?

• 1:08Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, listen, guys. Cheers, George.

• 1:11George Kamel?

  To show you just how little effort you go. Like, I think my arm is actually elongated

• 1:17Rachel Cruze?

  I think I end up doing this. I think I end up doing this, and like, making you-

• 1:21George Kamel?

  Well, honestly, I just think maybe she has an arm situation where she can't extend it that far.

• 1:26Rachel Cruze?

  I think I'm just like a- I'm a clinking princess. That's all I'm gonna call myself.

• 1:29George Kamel?

  Well, honestly, I go, I don't wanna make Rachel do too much work.

• 1:32Rachel Cruze?

  Little effort.

• 1:33George Kamel?

  That's always my concern.

• 1:34Rachel Cruze?

  Little effort. 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.

• 1:43George Kamel?

  And today, we're sipping on a cran raspberry martini mocktail. That is mouthful, and so is this drink.

• 1:49Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 1:50George Kamel?

  Very tart, very delicious.

• 1:52Rachel Cruze?

  You like tart drinks, right?

• 1:53George Kamel?

  I do. I like to just be punched in the face with a little bit of tartness. I deserve it.

• 1:58Rachel Cruze?

  Merry Christmas.

• 1:59George Kamel?

  So, stick around till the end of the episode. We're gonna give you our rating and reveal the cost per glass. All right, Rachel. Fa, and I cannot stress this enough, la la la la la, la la la la.

• 2:11Rachel Cruze?

  Merry Christmas. Oh, we're like a week out.

• 2:14George Kamel?

  Crazy.

• 2:14Rachel Cruze?

  How you feeling? Stressed, anxious? What's the status?

• 2:18George Kamel?

  I feel whelmed. I'm not overwhelmed, I'm not underwhelmed. I'm just, I'm trying to keep it chill this Christmas because usually around the holidays, things get crazier, especially as it ramps into a holiday break.

• 2:29Rachel Cruze?

  Yep.

• 2:29George Kamel?

  And I feel like I just need to chill. I got a newborn, I got a toddler. Let's just enjoy the chaos of the season.

• 2:36Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, that's good, George. I appreciate that.

• 2:38George Kamel?

  That's on growth. How about you? How are you feeling?

• 2:40Rachel Cruze?

  Um, I'm feeling like, woo!

• 2:44Rachel Cruze?

  Like that. I just, Christmas gives me like the oohs. I just, I just feel great.

• 2:49George Kamel?

  Are you traveling?

• 2:49Rachel Cruze?

  I love it.

• 2:50George Kamel?

  Are you in town? Everybody wants to know.

• 2:51Rachel Cruze?

  We're traveling some, yes.

• 2:53George Kamel?

  Knoxville?

• 2:53Rachel Cruze?

  Yep, heading to Knoxville for the cruise Christmas.

• 2:56George Kamel?

  Buddy Cruise, one of my favorite cruises.

• 2:58Rachel Cruze?

  Buddy and Helen, and the whole family. We got, uh, how many? It's, uh, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11 grandkids on that side.

• 3:06George Kamel?

  Wow.

• 3:07Rachel Cruze?

  I know, uh, seventh, eighth grade and under. We got one per year.

• 3:11George Kamel?

  Do you guys do the gifts all at once with the kids?

• 3:13Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, yeah.

• 3:14George Kamel?

  Oh, that's fun.

• 3:15Rachel Cruze?

  I know. It's so great. His parents are so generous. They're like, I mean, that's a lot of grandkids to buy for.

• 3:19George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 3:20Rachel Cruze?

  I know. Um, but we're doing that, coming, doing the cru- our cruise Christmas we do, and then go to mom and dad's. And then we always go to Mexico with the Ramses.

• 3:30George Kamel?

  I can't wait to be a part of that tradition. I'm hoping one day, it's like a make-a-wish. You guys say, let's bring George along. Just let him one time.

• 3:38Rachel Cruze?

  Just Uncle George.

• 3:39George Kamel?

  So fun.

• 3:40Rachel Cruze?

  The kids would love it if you came.

• 3:41George Kamel?

  I'd love a Cabo Christmas.

• 3:42Rachel Cruze?

  And bring Mia and Whitney and everyone. Just show up. You should just show up one day and just...

• 3:46George Kamel?

  That feels like a lot of work. I don't even have the address.

• 3:49Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, it'd be a lot, but it's great. Um, but yeah, I love it. So if you are feeling a little stressed, though, if you're traveling, maybe you are, uh, hopefully this is a little comic relief for you on this Christmas episode because it's so fun. Yeah.

• 4:02George Kamel?

  Well, we're all about disrupting toxic culture, and sometimes this includes holiday traditions that need to be gently reexamined.

• 4:09Rachel Cruze?

  Mm-hmm.

• 4:10George Kamel?

  Shall we say?

• 4:11Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, and we got a little, uh, festive, red and green paddle, thumb down, thumb up.

• 4:17George Kamel?

  We'll be the judges.

• 4:18Rachel Cruze?

  Of these holiday traditions. So we're gonna rate them and tell you what we think, and, uh, comment below if you have a different opinion.

• 4:24George Kamel?

  So we're gonna play a little round of cringe or festive when it comes to Christmas and money traditions. Play along in the comments. I can't wait to see what people, because people have very strong opinions about this stuff.

• 4:34Rachel Cruze?

  I know, and I love it. Okay, so we're gonna go high level here.

• 4:37George Kamel?

  All right.

• 4:37Rachel Cruze?

  Christmas lights.

• 4:41George Kamel?

  Yeah, I think, now that's a broad statement.

• 4:43Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, yeah, so, so we're gonna go, uh, blue lights.

• 4:47George Kamel?

  Oh, blue lights, I'm out on blue.

• 4:49Rachel Cruze?

  I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Me too, George.

• 4:51George Kamel?

  The other one I'm out on?

• 4:52Rachel Cruze?

  What?

• 4:52George Kamel?

  The super bright white LED, like, give me a warm white.

• 4:57Rachel Cruze?

  Oh no, that doesn't bother me.

• 4:58George Kamel?

  Give me a nice Kelvin.

• 5:00Rachel Cruze?

  Give me a Kelvin.

• 5:01George Kamel?

  Yeah, that's the color. There's a rating, like, 2,500 Kelvin, 3,000 Kelvin.

• 5:06Rachel Cruze?

  Wow.

• 5:06George Kamel?

  Like, from warm to bright white.

• 5:08Rachel Cruze?

  Wow, okay.

• 5:09George Kamel?

  You gotta know your Kelvin.

• 5:10Rachel Cruze?

  Well, I know my noi- I know my, my colored noises, brown noise, white noise.

• 5:14George Kamel?

  Oh, good.

• 5:14Rachel Cruze?

  I know those, but I don't know the colors. See, um, and you know what doesn't bother me? They're colored lights, you know? A colored light tree in a specific, like, I don't know, I think it's fun.

• 5:25George Kamel?

  I was thinking the outside of a house.

• 5:27Rachel Cruze?

  Well, that too. Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 5:29George Kamel?

  But trees are very specific. I could do colored lights, yeah.

• 5:32Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, how about this one? Holiday tradition, flocked trees. Love.

• 5:38George Kamel?

  We own one, so I have to be pro.

• 5:40Rachel Cruze?

  I love it.

• 5:41George Kamel?

  But left to my own devices, would not own one because of the mess.

• 5:44Rachel Cruze?

  I know. Is it, okay, I'm about to say, this is super bougie. Bougie Rachel comes out every now and then. So we have our big Christmas tree in our living room. And then two years ago, I bought a smaller flocked tree that I put in our kitchen.

• 5:58George Kamel?

  Love it.

• 5:59Rachel Cruze?

  We have two trees, and I kinda want more.

• 6:02George Kamel?

  No, that's very normal. It's addictive. Once you, once you pop, you don't stop, though.

• 6:05Rachel Cruze?

  I'm not kidding, yes. And I look at the outside of our house, and I'm like, oh my gosh, we could have a ruin like right in the center in our foyer. How beautiful would that be? And then one, like, off to the side here, oh, I could keep going. And, here, I got another one. I'm just going off the cuff here. Christmas village houses.

• 6:23George Kamel?

  I, I don't wanna be for it. I'll say that. It feels like an addictive hobby to where I'm like, you need to be seen for whatever deeper issue is going on.

• 6:33Rachel Cruze?

  Mine's growing. I went on eBay.

• 6:35George Kamel?

  I just don't think you're old enough.

• 6:36Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, it, it, can I tell you?

• 6:39George Kamel?

  Menopausal Rachel, sure, get the Christmas.

• 6:40Rachel Cruze?

  Can I tell you what just gives me that, like, feeling like I was saying earlier, just kinda, huh? All the lights are out. Okay, 'cause our, our kitchen and living room meets, it's like one big room, you know?

• 6:49George Kamel?

  Yes.

• 6:50Rachel Cruze?

  Okay. Lights are out. Christmas tree on, and my Kelvin lighting. Flocked tree on, beautiful white. And then the Christmas village homes across my kitchen counters.

• 7:03George Kamel?

  Oh.

• 7:03Rachel Cruze?

  Lights on.

• 7:04George Kamel?

  That's nice.

• 7:05Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, my cheese.

• 7:06George Kamel?

  You sold me on the village. I take it back.

• 7:08Rachel Cruze?

  It.

• 7:08George Kamel?

  I'm pro-village now.

• 7:09Rachel Cruze?

  It literally does something inside my soul of warmth, thank goodness. And then a pu- and then, and then like a 75% way puzzle on the kitchen table.

• 7:18George Kamel?

  Oh, like almost done.

• 7:19Rachel Cruze?

  And the children's hot chocolate cups in the sink. Oh, oh my gosh. Give me everything. I love it so much.

• 7:25George Kamel?

  Wow.

• 7:25Rachel Cruze?

  I love it so much.

• 7:26George Kamel?

  You really painted a beautiful picture.

• 7:27Rachel Cruze?

  So happy. Anyways, I'm all for Christmas.

• 7:30George Kamel?

  That's great. Okay, we'll see how for this you are.

• 7:34Rachel Cruze?

  Mm-hmm.

• 7:34George Kamel?

  Yard inflatables, projectors, like the, the aggressive yard ornaments.

• 7:39Rachel Cruze?

  I'm so sorry, y'all. Don't judge me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

• 7:43George Kamel?

  Yeah, I'm out on this one.

• 7:44Rachel Cruze?

  You, you okay?

• 7:44George Kamel?

  Now, here's, now here's my caveat. Would love to take the kids by a house that is fully decked out.

• 7:49Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 7:50George Kamel?

  That went all in. So I'm not mad at it. I just personally wouldn't do it.

• 7:54Rachel Cruze?

  Here's the thing with it. If you do it, you have to go all out.

• 7:58George Kamel?

  Yes.

• 7:58Rachel Cruze?

  You can't be the yard with one.

• 8:00George Kamel?

  It needs to be an HOA violation.

• 8:01Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, you have to like, be like, we are, we are all in, all in on this whole thing. And if you are, I could go more here. But just the one, I can't do it. I can't just do like the one inflatable.

• 8:13George Kamel?

  Yeah. But that feels like a big investment. So personally, like on a financial level, I'm like, I'm not willing to sink in four grand to make this yard.

• 8:21Rachel Cruze?

  What it is.

• 8:22George Kamel?

  You know what I mean?

• 8:22Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 8:23George Kamel?

  So I respect those that do.

• 8:25Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, how about this? Any yard decor, meaning like a nativity or the reindeer and Santa, I'm thinking of Christmas Vacation. But like anything?

• 8:33George Kamel?

  Oh, you're not for it? I do, here's what we do.

• 8:36Rachel Cruze?

  I know.

• 8:36George Kamel?

  I'll green light this one. We do the, uh, like our little reindeer, it's tasteful. And little like gift boxes that are lit up.

• 8:44Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, cute. Yeah.

• 8:45George Kamel?

  And they're like tasteful. They're not like.

• 8:46Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 8:46George Kamel?

  Hokey looking. They're, they're classy.

• 8:48Rachel Cruze?

  I got it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 8:50George Kamel?

  That's all we have out there. And a wreath on the door. I love a door wreath.

• 8:53Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, we have wreaths on our windows.

• 8:55George Kamel?

  Oh, that's classy.

• 8:56Rachel Cruze?

  It was my dream. We did it like probably three years ago and we've done it every year since. It literally makes my heart so happy. Yeah, I know.

• 9:03George Kamel?

  Okay, that's something I need to look into.

• 9:05Rachel Cruze?

  All right, next up, matching PJs.

• 9:07George Kamel?

  Oh, don't hate me. I'm going cringe.

• 9:10Rachel Cruze?

  Festive.

• 9:11George Kamel?

  For the family, I'm going cringe. For the kids, I'll give it a pass.

• 9:15Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, George, that's what I was gonna kinda say.

• 9:17George Kamel?

  It feels like Crocs to me. It's like, if you're a child and you wanna do that, great, good for you, so cute. But you're an adult that you wanna be part of this trend?

• 9:24Rachel Cruze?

  I know. I'm with you. Cringe on the whole family. And I'm the same in the summer with like, I'm sorry, people are gonna get so mad. Matching swimsuits with your kids, like when all the family matches their swimsuit.

• 9:36George Kamel?

  Is that a thing?

• 9:37Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, where the dad swims trunks and the mom swimsuit and the kids swimsuits. I don't know, I just don't, I don't like it. I don't like it. It's too monochromatic for me, if you will. But the kids matching PJs, I'm 100% festive.

• 9:50George Kamel?

  Yeah, that's cute.

• 9:51Rachel Cruze?

  I like that.

• 9:51George Kamel?

  I don't care who you are, what you did, where you're from.

• 9:54Rachel Cruze?

  All right, tacky Christmas sweater parties.

• 9:58George Kamel?

  Ooh, I think those are out.

• 9:59Rachel Cruze?

  I know, I'm going cringe too.

• 10:01George Kamel?

  That feels like it was a bygone era.

• 10:04Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, it was like really fun.

• 10:05George Kamel?

  We all went to that party.

• 10:06Rachel Cruze?

  15 years ago, and now we're like, we get it. Okay, everyone has a tacky Christmas sweater or vest or whatever, but like, can we just? You know what I want? I want like a fancy.

• 10:15George Kamel?

  Classy.

• 10:16Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, dress up. We don't dress up anymore. Like a dressed up Christmas party.

• 10:20George Kamel?

  Now that I'm all for.

• 10:21Rachel Cruze?

  I'm going festive on that one.

• 10:23George Kamel?

  I just think anything tacky on purpose is just tacky. Tacky plus tacky just equals tacky.

• 10:29Rachel Cruze?

  What's the Christmas gift exchange where people get you like weird silly gifts?

• 10:34George Kamel?

  Like a white elephant?

• 10:35Rachel Cruze?

  Is that white elephant?

• 10:36George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 10:36Rachel Cruze?

  Are those silly gifts, like stupid gifts?

• 10:38George Kamel?

  They can be if you decide it is. We do one, our friends throw this every year, and it has to be stuff you already own that like you, is just stupid stuff.

• 10:48Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, I don't like those parties.

• 10:49George Kamel?

  The stupider the better.

• 10:49Rachel Cruze?

  That's a boo for me.

• 10:50George Kamel?

  And we have a good time. I will say that. It is fun to see what people like collect from their house that they decide to give away. So it's not meant to be like, ooh, am I gonna get the cool thing?

• 11:01Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, that's true. I guess that's true.

• 11:03George Kamel?

  It's meant more to be like.

• 11:04Rachel Cruze?

  It feels like a lot of effort in a season to get nothing out of it. I guess, except for joy.

• 11:11George Kamel?

  Yeah, I thought joy mattered. Yeah, Rachel wants the Amazon gift card, guys. Make sure she gets that.

• 11:19Rachel Cruze?

  Uh, I like a gift exchange, I think that's fun. Where you like, um, steal, what is that, Dirty Santa, I guess?

• 11:25George Kamel?

  Yes.

• 11:26Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, I'm going festive on that.

• 11:28George Kamel?

  Festive on Dirty Santa.

• 11:29Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, I think those are fun. I think those are fun.

• 11:31George Kamel?

  I think we should do more of that.

• 11:32Rachel Cruze?

  Yep.

• 11:32George Kamel?

  All right.

• 11:33Rachel Cruze?

  You know what else is fun? When your data's not stolen from the internet.

• 11:36George Kamel?

  Now, that is festive.

• 11:38Rachel Cruze?

  That is festive.

• 11:38George Kamel?

  Always in style, never going out of trend.

• 11:41Rachel Cruze?

  And that's why we love Delete Me. Because Delete Me goes in and removes your data from data broker websites, because those data broker websites then sell your data to other companies, and that puts you at risk for scams and fraud and robocalls and spam texts. We don't want any of that now.

• 11:57George Kamel?

  Especially during the holidays. Think about every, like, promo, discount, wheel, email, signup. You're basically handing out your personal info like candy canes.

• 12:04Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, your data is out there even more because of it. Yes, because of all these signups. So Delete Me goes in and helps, yep, get that information out of here.

• 12:12George Kamel?

  Clean it up. That's the most festive thing you can do. And you'll get 20% off their annual plans when you go to joindelete.me/smartmoney or use the, uh, link in the description below. That'll get you there just fine. And you know what? Makes a great Christmas gift.

• 12:25Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, and then they send you a report and tell you everything. And it's actual people in there going and finding your data and removing it. So we love that. We love Delete Me, and we're thankful, thankful for them.

• 12:37George Kamel?

  Yep. And speaking of protecting your family, you may want to turn down the volume on the next two. If you have little ears nearby, you've been warned.

• 12:45Rachel Cruze?

  Hmm.

• 12:45George Kamel?

  Let's talk about Elf on the Shelf.

• 12:47Rachel Cruze?

  Hmm. Our elf is Sprinkles. And Sprinkles, um, Sprinkles is not adventurous. Sprinkles is not creative. Sprinkles just goes from...

• 13:03Rachel Cruze?

  The kitchen lights hanging to a knob in the kitchen, to the Christmas tree, to the fireplace. She, she just ends up moving around.

• 13:13George Kamel?

  She, okay.

• 13:14Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, she just moves around, but she's not having elaborate situations, if you will. Um, and I appreciate that about her. So because of that, I'm giving Elf on the Shelf a green, a festive.

• 13:29George Kamel?

  If you do it, uh, in a minimalist way.

• 13:32Rachel Cruze?

  Cause that is what Sprinkles' capacity is.

• 13:37George Kamel?

  Emotionally.

• 13:38Rachel Cruze?

  Emotionally.

• 13:39George Kamel?

  Busy, chaotic holiday time.

• 13:41Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, and maybe Sprinkles' trip to the North Pole is very fast.

• 13:46George Kamel?

  Or delayed.

• 13:46Rachel Cruze?

  Or delayed. Sometimes she is so tired, she didn't make it out that night.

• 13:51George Kamel?

  She's doing the most.

• 13:51Rachel Cruze?

  So if that is my Sprinkles Elf on the Shelf, I go festive. Anything else is exhausting to me and no.

• 14:00George Kamel?

  Okay, here's my, I'm going cringe if you, if it's posted on social media.

• 14:06Rachel Cruze?

  Oh.

• 14:07George Kamel?

  I think it should be a, a private, Sprinkles should be kept in the family. We don't need to know about it. Well, you, whatever Sprinkles adventures are, let that be your little thing. Don't tell me. You will be blocked. That's how I feel about it. And again, I have very young children. We haven't, well, Sprinkles has not, uh, entered into our home yet.

• 14:26Rachel Cruze?

  Will, uh, an elf come to the camel household or no?

• 14:30George Kamel?

  I don't know. I need to Google it to find out if my, if it's okay, if my mom's gonna be okay with it. She's very Arabic Baptist. I don't know where elves fall. You know what I mean?

• 14:38Rachel Cruze?

  So it's up to your mom?

• 14:40George Kamel?

  Yeah, I'm gonna let my mom decide.

• 14:41Rachel Cruze?

  Wait, what? You're a grown man.

• 14:43George Kamel?

  I know, but I don't want her to, to come over for the holidays and go, what's this doing here? And I go, it's an elf. And she goes, is that kosher?

• 14:50Rachel Cruze?

  Is your mom, um, how is her feelings towards Saint Nicholas?

• 14:55George Kamel?

  Big fan.

• 14:55Rachel Cruze?

  Well then she would be a big fan of the elves that help Santa, correct?

• 15:00George Kamel?

  Yeah, I would say so. I'll say this. I wasn't, she didn't, she didn't like us reading Harry Potter growing up. So I just don't know how she feels about elves. It feels like a similar category of whimsical woodland creatures, if you will.

• 15:14George Kamel?

  TBD on the Elf on the Shelf.

• 15:16Rachel Cruze?

  Oh my gosh, that's funny.

• 15:18George Kamel?

  Alright.

• 15:18Rachel Cruze?

  Let's move on to eggnog and fruitcakes.

• 15:22George Kamel?

  Okay, feels rude to put those in the same category.

• 15:25Rachel Cruze?

  I'm going cringe. I don't like either of them.

• 15:27George Kamel?

  I'm going festive on the eggnog if it's made fresh.

• 15:30Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, you've said that in a different episode.

• 15:32George Kamel?

  Fruitcake, I've never had fresh fruitcake. Fruitcake feels like it's always existed in that same packaging.

• 15:37Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, and it's being shipped around.

• 15:39George Kamel?

  If the expiration date is like 2028 on that fruitcake, I'm out. That's cringe for me.

• 15:45Rachel Cruze?

  2028.

• 15:46George Kamel?

  But eggnog fresh, festive. Eggnog from a carton, risky.

• 15:51Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah. Yeah, I'm going cringe on both.

• 15:53George Kamel?

  Wow.

• 15:54Rachel Cruze?

  I'm going apple cider vinegar. Listen to me, what am I talking about? Apple cider, what is it? Apple cider, right? Warm apple cider.

• 16:02George Kamel?

  Apple cider vinegar is a thing.

• 16:03Rachel Cruze?

  So sorry, not apple cider vinegar. I'm saying apple cider. I like apple cider. On the stove, warm it up with cinnamon sticks.

• 16:11George Kamel?

  Yeah, skip the fruitcake, just bring cookies.

• 16:14Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, that's fair. Okay, how about this? Gingerbread house making.

• 16:19George Kamel?

  We're gonna get roasted for this one. I'm going cringe.

• 16:22Rachel Cruze?

  Shoot, George, I was too. Are we the same person?

• 16:26George Kamel?

  Well, here's my take. You tell me if you agree. It's a nightmare of an experience. Nobody's looks good. So if it's a competition, I'm out. I'm like, just, no one's eating it.

• 16:38Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 16:38George Kamel?

  The stuff you put on it after everyone's put their hands on it, disgusting and vile.

• 16:42Rachel Cruze?

  Sure.

• 16:43George Kamel?

  I wouldn't give it to my dogs.

• 16:44Rachel Cruze?

  Oh my gosh.

• 16:45George Kamel?

  And then you've got a mess to clean up and you're like, that was fun. Now, while the children are children, sure, festive, let them do it a few times. But it's not something that I'm gonna do out of my own volition. I don't wanna be a part of it.

• 16:56Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, so I follow this influencer. She lives in Salt Lake City.

• 17:01George Kamel?

  As they all do. Why are they all from Salt Lake City?

• 17:03Rachel Cruze?

  Rachel Purcell, a lot of them are from Salt Lake City, yes. But Rachel Purcell, I have followed her for like 10 years and every year... I follow her during Christmas because her and her husband put on, I guess it's at their house, I can't remember, this elaborate adult gingerbread making contest. And the table of like ingredients is like, I mean, it's like a dining room table. It is full and all the adults come and it's like this whole thing. And so that's fun to watch via my phone, but I don't know if I would participate.

• 17:33George Kamel?

  Cause it's like the most excessive, craziest, coolest version of it.

• 17:37Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, which is great for them. Like it's not bad, but I'm like, I just am not creative. Like, I don't even know architecturally where I would begin to make a gingerbread house on my own.

• 17:46George Kamel?

  You know, Winston would be good at that, though.

• 17:49Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, he can build things. So yeah, maybe he was my partner in it, but, but I'm going to go cringe all the way around. I don't know. I don't like it. I just, I don't know. It's too much.

• 17:57George Kamel?

  I don't want to do it if it's at a party and they're like, we're doing gingerbread houses. I'm like, I'll pass. I'll be out in the back porch drinking my.

• 18:03Rachel Cruze?

  Your eggnog.

• 18:03George Kamel?

  My martini. All right. Next up on the list, cringe or festive, Christmas themed restaurants.

• 18:10Rachel Cruze?

  Ooh, so festive. Yes.

• 18:12George Kamel?

  I'm going festive, but I'm also going overrated and too crowded. The ones I've been to, there is a line out the door and you're standing there for an hour to look at Christmas lights inside of a restaurant. And it's cool.

• 18:26Rachel Cruze?

  True.

• 18:27George Kamel?

  But it's like, do I want to spend a whole night waiting in a line?

• 18:30Rachel Cruze?

  For it. Yeah.

• 18:30George Kamel?

  No line, a hundred percent festive. Otherwise it's cringe if it's like a tourist hotspot that I have to wait a long time.

• 18:36Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, that's fair. That's fair.

• 18:38George Kamel?

  There's actually a place in Nashville called Santa's Pub. I've not been there, but it's a year round, like trailer bar. That's, that's very popular among the locals.

• 18:46Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, it's so fun. I've been there. So fun. I know. And the owner, you know, um, I think he has passed away, but he used to look like Santa.

• 18:53George Kamel?

  Oh, that's fun.

• 18:54Rachel Cruze?

  The beard, red shirt, the whole thing. Yes. But it was like in like a trailer, basically, uh, but it was so fun. Yeah.

• 19:00George Kamel?

  And then there's other like trendy, like you can reserve an igloo on top of a hotel in downtown Nashville.

• 19:06Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, yes.

• 19:07George Kamel?

  And you're like, you're in a little plastic bubble with like a little fire. Again, I'm, I'm halfway on those. It feels like a thing you want to post on your Instagram versus like, we're actually having a good time.

• 19:16Rachel Cruze?

  See, I feel like it would be an experience for a group. I think it'd be more fun with like a double date or like doing it with people, you know? I hear you.

• 19:22George Kamel?

  And if there's no crowds. I just feel like, once there's crowds involved, I go cringe.

• 19:26Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, no, I hear you. I know. We like, uh, no wait times, George.

• 19:29George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 19:29Rachel Cruze?

  Well, I can tell you one thing I am confident in this season. It is festive restaurants and banking with a financial institution that is working for you, not against you. That's why we love and are big fans of Fairwin's Credit Union. Because they have come alongside Ramsey Solutions and, I mean, I've done an incredible job. They've partnered with us because we've been looking for a banker credit union who is for the consumer and they are. They are for you guys. And for the Ramsey plan and they actually created a bundle specifically for our Ramsey audience. Called the Smart Checking and Savings Bundle. And with it, you get a high-yield savings account. You get a checking account

• 20:09Rachel Cruze?

  and a Ramsey debit card that says, "Debt is normal, be weird" on the debit card. It's blue, it's beautiful, so fun. It's got the chip everything.

• 20:19George Kamel?

  Yes.

• 20:20Rachel Cruze?

  It's a new and improved debit card and I love it.

• 20:22George Kamel?

  And what's cool, when we talk about credit unions, usually it's local, but they've now gone national. And they have 33,000 ATMs that are fee-free and 5,000 credit union partners. So there's likely one right in your neck of the woods.

• 20:34Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 20:35George Kamel?

  So go check them out. Fairwins.org/Ramsey. Get the Smart Bundle. Get the debit card that's Ramsey branded. To make it clear, this is what I'm all about.

• 20:43Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 20:43George Kamel?

  You can get the link in the show notes as well.

• 20:45Rachel Cruze?

  All right, next up, George, modern remixes of classic songs.

• 20:50George Kamel?

  Whew. In general, as a category, I'll, I'm gonna say festive.

• 20:56Rachel Cruze?

  I'm gonna say cringe.

• 20:58George Kamel?

  Why do you hate Joy?

• 20:59Rachel Cruze?

  I don't like a remake always.

• 21:01George Kamel?

  You've never put on Michael Bublé's Christmas album?

• 21:04Rachel Cruze?

  Mm-hmm.

• 21:04George Kamel?

  Amy Grant, Kelly Clarkson, Josh Groban, Mariah.

• 21:08Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, okay, see, no, too, too much, too much, too much. Uh, Frank Sinatra. Love.

• 21:15George Kamel?

  Okay.

• 21:15Rachel Cruze?

  Who's Christmas? So good.

• 21:17George Kamel?

  He didn't write those songs.

• 21:19Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, but that feels classic to me.

• 21:21George Kamel?

  Okay.

• 21:21Rachel Cruze?

  If we're going like, um, I don't know. I don't know why this person's name came to my mind. And I don't need the Bachelor, like a Kelsea Ballerini or something like, I don't know. I'm like, I don't want to listen to her Christmas music. I don't even know if she has a Christmas album. I don't like, I don't like people my age putting out Christmas music.

• 21:36George Kamel?

  Your age? All right. Hey, if you're in your 30s, don't even think about putting out Christmas music.

• 21:42Rachel Cruze?

  I like all.

• 21:44George Kamel?

  20s, 40s, go for it.

• 21:45Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, if you lived in the, yes.

• 21:47George Kamel?

  No, I'm saying if you're in your 20s.

• 21:48Rachel Cruze?

  Amy Grant is an exception. She is a classic of the Christmas world.

• 21:53George Kamel?

  Oh, so you have to be like, you've been around for a long time. Like Dolly Parton, put out that Christmas music.

• 22:00Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 22:00George Kamel?

  Kelsea Ballerini? Wait 20 years.

• 22:03Rachel Cruze?

  Kelsea, I'm so sorry. I don't even know why I thought of you. I just thought of like someone hip and cool. Or, um, who's the girl with the blondes, Kay, or she dances? Sabrina Carpenter.

• 22:13George Kamel?

  Oh.

• 22:14Rachel Cruze?

  No.

• 22:14George Kamel?

  Yeah, well, here, I'll say cringe to this. I think capitalizing on Christmas to like put out an album because you can make money around the holidays. When you clearly phoned it in, that's cringe to me. But if you really brought something unique and special and made.

• 22:27Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, Mariah Carey, exception, that one song, exception.

• 22:32George Kamel?

  You want to do the first?

• 22:32Rachel Cruze?

  I have another exception.

• 22:33George Kamel?

  Oh, okay.

• 22:34Rachel Cruze?

  Shoot, maybe it is festive. Martina McBride's Silver Bells.

• 22:39George Kamel?

  Oh.

• 22:39Rachel Cruze?

  Oh. Man, that's a good one. That's a good one. And that's it. That's it. I draw the line. Ooh, Do You Hear What I Hear? It's one of my favorite Christmas songs. Do you like that one?

• 22:52George Kamel?

  That's a real snooze fest.

• 22:53Rachel Cruze?

  No.

• 22:55George Kamel?

  Like, that's on your top 10.

• 22:56Rachel Cruze?

  Do you? Yeah, if I could sing, I'd sing it. Gosh, Christmas music is so great.

• 22:59George Kamel?

  I'm guessing you love Mary, Did You Know?

• 23:01Rachel Cruze?

  No.

• 23:02George Kamel?

  That's gotta be in your top 10.

• 23:03Rachel Cruze?

  That's, that was a, that was a newer one. That was in like the 90s, was written.

• 23:08George Kamel?

  Okay, that's one like we were children, so I figure that's a classic to you.

• 23:12Rachel Cruze?

  No, I'm saying like old songs. Okay, but your festive all the way? I'm picking, I'm picking.

• 23:17George Kamel?

  I don't love them all, but I, I respect the, the artistry to try to bring something to an old song.

• 23:23Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, what an artist you are, George.

• 23:25George Kamel?

  Thank you. All right, next up, Die Hard as a Christmas movie, cringe or festive?

• 23:31Rachel Cruze?

  Cringe.

• 23:32George Kamel?

  Here's why I'm saying cringe. You can make the argument that it is a Christmas movie because it takes place around Christmas time. There's some visuals that make it Christmasy. But the people who say this are uninteresting people. They're always like, "Die Hard's a Christmas movie, fight me." I'm like, dude, nobody wants to fight you. Like, let it go. You know what I mean?

• 23:50Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, how about The Holiday?

• 23:52George Kamel?

  The Holiday?

• 23:54Rachel Cruze?

  Because that was a story not about Christmas, but around Christmas time.

• 23:58George Kamel?

  I wouldn't say it's a Christmas movie, but it's a great movie to watch around Christmas.

• 24:02Rachel Cruze?

  Around Christmas, yes.

• 24:03George Kamel?

  Is that fair?

• 24:04Rachel Cruze?

  Yep, that's fair. That's fair.

• 24:05George Kamel?

  Okay.

• 24:06Rachel Cruze?

  Um, Hallmark Channel.

• 24:09George Kamel?

  I mean, to me, as a grown man, I'm going cringe.

• 24:12Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah. I know. I mean, any, I know, I hate to say, I'm gonna say cringe. I don't enjoy those kind of movies.

• 24:19George Kamel?

  Well, like, people that enjoy it, enjoy it in spite of the cringe and because of the cringe.

• 24:23Rachel Cruze?

  True. It's like, kind of a thing, yes.

• 24:25George Kamel?

  Yeah, but like, it's so bad, it's good. Like, that crowd?

• 24:28Rachel Cruze?

  I know.

• 24:29George Kamel?

  I get it, but then why not just watch something good?

• 24:31Rachel Cruze?

  I get bored of them, I think. And I lose interest, I start scrolling. So, um, I need my classic Christmas vacation, It's a Wonderful Life, Home Alone.

• 24:40George Kamel?

  Four Christmases?

• 24:41Rachel Cruze?

  Funny. That is one of the funniest Christmas, yes. Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn.

• 24:46George Kamel?

  Santa Claus?

• 24:47Rachel Cruze?

  My gosh.

• 24:47George Kamel?

  Home Alone?

• 24:48Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, Home Alone's so good. Home Alone one or two.

• 24:51George Kamel?

  Oh, man. I mean, it's hard to beat one. Now, Two held up. As far as sequels go, like, it was impressive.

• 24:58Rachel Cruze?

  I kind of think it was better. Plaza Hotel?

• 25:00George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 25:00Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, my gosh. But I know, I memorized the whole movie. Here's your, yeah, here's your very large cheese pizza. He smells it and gets in the limo. It's so fun. It's so good.

• 25:11George Kamel?

  I don't watch enough Christmas movies, I realize.

• 25:14Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, you need to watch it.

• 25:15George Kamel?

  All right, next up on the list, cringe or festive? Christmas Parties at the Office. Okay, I can say this, if it's the Ramsey Christmas Party, insanely epic and festive all the way.

• 25:26Rachel Cruze?

  Always fun.

• 25:28George Kamel?

  But like, the break room, we're gonna get some cupcakes and hang out? That's cringe to me.

• 25:34Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, feels cringe.

• 25:35George Kamel?

  So it depends on your workplace.

• 25:36Rachel Cruze?

  It reminds me of The Office, like, the TV show.

• 25:37George Kamel?

  Yes.

• 25:39Rachel Cruze?

  Michael Scott, what a great show.

• 25:41George Kamel?

  So good. Really represented the worst of all workplaces.

• 25:46George Kamel?

  Now, I don't know. I don't want to judge everybody's workplace because, you know, you don't have to be a giant company to have a great Christmas party.

• 25:51Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, I think some people have really fun Christmas parties. Oh, yeah, for sure.

• 25:54George Kamel?

  If you ran a company, what would your Christmas party be? If it was like, you know, 50 people?

• 25:59Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, my gosh. That's fun. I'd probably rent out a fun restaurant somewhere. And have everyone come.

• 26:06George Kamel?

  I like it.

• 26:07Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah. I would go like a dinner. I like a dinner. Give me like some food and drinks.

• 26:10George Kamel?

  Like a restaurant buyout?

• 26:12Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, I think that is fun. And then afterwards, everyone decides like, where were you gonna go after?

• 26:17George Kamel?

  Oh, if you want to join after, you're welcome to, or you can go home.

• 26:20Rachel Cruze?

  And then you'd have another rented space somewhere with like couches and stuff, but you can like listen to live music in Nashville and all of it.

• 26:25George Kamel?

  Are you a fan of silent disco? That's a Ramsey Christmas party favorite.

• 26:29Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, my gosh.

• 26:30George Kamel?

  If you've never done silent disco, highly recommend.

• 26:32Rachel Cruze?

  You know what? I thought about doing that for like my 40th birthday party.

• 26:34George Kamel?

  That's a great idea.

• 26:36Rachel Cruze?

  And inviting like everyone I know, because you've got to have a lot of people to make it fun.

• 26:39George Kamel?

  Yeah, you need like 100 people on the dance floor, minimum.

• 26:42Rachel Cruze?

  I think it, because a lot of people have not experienced silent disco, and the only reason I have is because of Ramsey.

• 26:47George Kamel?

  You know what I'm thinking? Why don't they do that at every wedding? Just make it a silent disco.

• 26:50Rachel Cruze?

  That would be a fun reception. Hey, there's, there's an idea. And actually, it might be cheaper, I don't know, than like a band and stuff, like.

• 26:58George Kamel?

  That's true.

• 27:00Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, okay.

• 27:01George Kamel?

  We'll have to do, we have to do this with weddings. Our whole episode on that. Let us know in the comments if you want that episode.

• 27:06Rachel Cruze?

  Yep. Now, if you are going to a wedding, a great gift you can give is anything Cozy Earth.

• 27:13George Kamel?

  You know what? That's the gift that might not be on the registry because they weren't thinking of it, but it's what they really need.

• 27:17Rachel Cruze?

  It's what they want. Christmas gifts, wedding gifts, gift to yourself, whatever you want. Cozy Earth has the products. Everything from the blankets, the bedding, the athleisure, the slippers, George?

• 27:28George Kamel?

  Oh, my, my lake house clogs.

• 27:30Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, my gosh.

• 27:31George Kamel?

  They've held up wonderfully.

• 27:32Rachel Cruze?

  How are they?

• 27:33George Kamel?

  Every time I put them on, I just go, I've made it.

• 27:35Rachel Cruze?

  I've made it.

• 27:36George Kamel?

  That's how they make you feel.

• 27:37Rachel Cruze?

  You know, it is one thing about coming into the colder season is I was excited to get all of my like joggers. And my sweatshirts and the blankets, all of that back out with Cozy Earth. Cause I'm like, oh, it's just like, it's so wonderful.

• 27:50George Kamel?

  A warm hug from an old friend.

• 27:52Rachel Cruze?

  It's so cozy, so wonderful. And they have a great deal going on for us.

• 27:55George Kamel?

  Oh, yeah.

• 27:56Rachel Cruze?

  And for our listeners.

• 27:57George Kamel?

  Get this, the discount is now up to 20% off when you go to cozylearth.com/smartmoney and use the promo code SMARTMONEY at checkout, or you can use the link below. And they stand by their products. I mean, their bedding, 10-year warranty on their bedding.

• 28:11Rachel Cruze?

  Yep.

• 28:11George Kamel?

  That's amazing.

• 28:12Rachel Cruze?

  Absolutely incredible.

• 28:12George Kamel?

  So check it all out. You can't go wrong with anything from Cozy Earth.

• 28:16Rachel Cruze?

  All right, next up, we got kids' pageants.

• 28:18George Kamel?

  I'm going festive. How do you hate a kid's pageant?

• 28:21Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, my gosh.

• 28:22George Kamel?

  It's so cute.

• 28:22Rachel Cruze?

  Just precious. And we're, we're in Nashville, so the kids all there.

• 28:27George Kamel?

  Pageantry.

• 28:28Rachel Cruze?

  Well, no, we don't have any this year. That kind of makes me sad.

• 28:31George Kamel?

  Well, I, you know, the pageants in my world, we're at the Arabic Baptist church.

• 28:35Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, see, our church.

• 28:37George Kamel?

  Kids up there to like, sing the songs and we'd all practice and we were all like awkward and you know.

• 28:42Rachel Cruze?

  You know, a really cute movie is that, what is it? The, um, the worst Christmas pageant ever, or the, what's that called?

• 28:48George Kamel?

  I heard about this movie.

• 28:49Rachel Cruze?

  The best, is it the best, worst Christmas pageant ever?

• 28:52George Kamel?

  I think the best Christmas pageant ever.

• 28:53Rachel Cruze?

  The best Christmas pageant ever. Why did I think it was called worst? Cause I guess part of it wasn't its worst. But it ended up being the best. But they redid the movie. Cause it was a book and then like an old movie and then they redid it recently. Have you seen it?

• 29:07George Kamel?

  No, I wanted to.

• 29:08Rachel Cruze?

  Last year. I cried.

• 29:10George Kamel?

  Really?

• 29:10Rachel Cruze?

  It's a really, really sweet story and my kids loved it. Oh, my gosh. Yes. It's so good.

• 29:18George Kamel?

  I need to watch it this year.

• 29:19Rachel Cruze?

  It's really good.

• 29:20George Kamel?

  But yeah, pageants, I feel like it's, it's the best of us. Those kids up there, pure joy. They practice, they rehearse. They're doing their best and yet it's awkward and uncomfortable and hilarious all at the same time.

• 29:31Rachel Cruze?

  Torch.

• 29:32George Kamel?

  It's funny. I watch old footage of like when we were kids doing it. And they're just like, why was I doing that? Who's that kid picking his nose?

• 29:39Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah. What are they doing over there? Waving at the parents.

• 29:42George Kamel?

  Exactly.

• 29:43Rachel Cruze?

  Just so sweet. Um, okay, new cars with red bows.

• 29:47George Kamel?

  Oh, boy. I gotta go cringe on this one.

• 29:51Rachel Cruze?

  I think so too. Here's my thing, even if you could afford it, I think I would be a little bit like, you bought me a car? I didn't get to pick it out and like the color I want and what I want, what if it's not like exactly what I'd want?

• 30:05George Kamel?

  The context of this is you probably didn't tell the other person you were doing this and it's y'all's money if you're married. And if you're not married, why are you buying another person a car unless it's for like, you know, someone in need and you want to do a really nice thing?

• 30:18Rachel Cruze?

  That's fair.

• 30:19George Kamel?

  But then there's the like, the posting about it. That's also kind of cringe.

• 30:23Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, sure. Totally. Yeah.

• 30:24George Kamel?

  If you're the spouse and you post and you're like, oh my gosh, he got me the Lexus.

• 30:28Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, yes.

• 30:29George Kamel?

  You need to go watch, everybody watching this needs to go see the SNL sketch.

• 30:33Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, it's so funny.

• 30:34George Kamel?

  The husband surprises his wife with the car and she's mortified because they're broke.

• 30:38Rachel Cruze?

  Yes. And she's like, you haven't been working, you haven't had a job.

• 30:41George Kamel?

  You're unemployed. We can't afford the payment.

• 30:43Rachel Cruze?

  We can't afford this.

• 30:44George Kamel?

  But as long as it's with cash and you're not like flaunting it, I think it's, that's cool.

• 30:49Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, it's great. Uh, Christmas cards.

• 30:54George Kamel?

  Oh, no.

• 30:55Rachel Cruze?

  I'm going festive.

• 30:56George Kamel?

  I do think it's festive, but then here's my dilemma. I don't know what to do with it after.

• 31:01Rachel Cruze?

  I know.

• 31:02George Kamel?

  Cause I collect it.

• 31:03Rachel Cruze?

  Yep.

• 31:03George Kamel?

  And then a year later I go.

• 31:05Rachel Cruze?

  January hits. I know. You gotta throw them out. Well, here's the funny thing. The reason I think people did them is so that you can update and show everyone your family year to year because no one sees them. But now that we have the internet.

• 31:17George Kamel?

  That's true.

• 31:18Rachel Cruze?

  We see the families all the time.

• 31:20George Kamel?

  And here's the other thing, I love getting them. So it's not that, I don't think it's cringe to do them.

• 31:24Rachel Cruze?

  No, we do.

• 31:25George Kamel?

  I just don't know what to do with the stack that I get at the end of the year.

• 31:28Rachel Cruze?

  I just think that they're unnecessary nowadays. Where before it'd be like, oh, let's send

• 31:35Rachel Cruze?

  the Clarks in Minneapolis, our Christmas cards to show how the kids are growing up because we never see the Clarks, you know? But now, yeah, you open up Instagram or Facebook, there they are. We see them.

• 31:45George Kamel?

  But do I still expect one from the Cruz family every year? Yes. And if I don't get one, I'll think we're not friends anymore.

• 31:49Rachel Cruze?

  You change your address. You need to let me know. New address.

• 31:52George Kamel?

  That's how I avoid getting future Christmas cards. Oh, went to the wrong address.

• 31:56Rachel Cruze?

  Don't know what to do.

• 31:56George Kamel?

  But here's what I do, and this might be.

• 31:58Rachel Cruze?

  Do y'all do Christmas cards?

• 31:59George Kamel?

  We haven't, but not because we don't want to. It's just because it sneaks up on us. Then you gotta schedule the photo shoot.

• 32:04Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 32:04George Kamel?

  Get it printed at the Walgreens or get them online, get them in time, get everyone's addresses. It's just so much work.

• 32:10Rachel Cruze?

  It's a lot.

• 32:10George Kamel?

  And I respect those that go through the effort. I just don't have it in me.

• 32:14Rachel Cruze?

  Yep.

• 32:14George Kamel?

  In a busy Christmas season.

• 32:16Rachel Cruze?

  Yep, I agree.

• 32:17George Kamel?

  But don't stop sending them to me. We love to see them. We love putting them on the fridge. We display them.

• 32:21Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, I know. I think they're fun. All right. Christmas Eve church services.

• 32:26George Kamel?

  Wow, how can you call this one cringe? That feels wild.

• 32:30Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, can I say this? This throws off my church calendar love, but our church, we got the same one in Nashville, and it's so big that they spread out their services.

• 32:43George Kamel?

  Over like a week.

• 32:45Rachel Cruze?

  So we will sometimes do a Christmas Eve service on the 23rd.

• 32:48George Kamel?

  Oh, love that.

• 32:49Rachel Cruze?

  And honestly, I'm not mad about it. Now, the Christmas calendar in me, my church history love right now in life, I kind of die inside a little bit, you know?

• 32:58George Kamel?

  Because you're doing it wrong?

• 32:59Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 33:00George Kamel?

  Like, it's out of order!

• 33:01Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, yeah, and I'm like, ah.

• 33:02George Kamel?

  Do you do like the Advent calendars and all that? That seems to be all the rage.

• 33:07Rachel Cruze?

  I know.

• 33:07George Kamel?

  Especially the women.

• 33:09Rachel Cruze?

  People love them. I don't, I never, no, we don't do them.

• 33:11George Kamel?

  But then like Costco will have like the Advent calendar, but like with beer.

• 33:14Rachel Cruze?

  You know?

• 33:15George Kamel?

  I'm like, I feel like we've lost the reason for the season at this point, guys. Like, crack open a new can every day!

• 33:20Rachel Cruze?

  You know, we did get two years ago, and we love is an Advent puzzle. I love puzzles. So it is every day, you take out a little box, and it has like probably six pieces, and you put them together. The next day is the next box, six pieces, and it creates a puzzle throughout the 25 days. So we do that.

• 33:38George Kamel?

  That's cool.

• 33:39Rachel Cruze?

  I know. It was like one of my favorite ideas. Someone on Instagram, I think, messaged me, telling me, I love, I love puzzles. White Mountain Puzzles, it's the only brand I do.

• 33:48George Kamel?

  Oh, that's a brand.

• 33:49Rachel Cruze?

  They are great, wonderful. They're, um, they're like, kind of like thicker pieces, they don't peel, and when you hit it in the right spot, it's perfect. You know sometimes how like two puzzles, you're like, I'm not really sure.

• 33:59George Kamel?

  You get a lot of satisfaction when it clicks in.

• 34:01Rachel Cruze?

  Beautiful pictures, White Mountain Puzzles.

• 34:04George Kamel?

  Not a sponsor, but I guess they should be.

• 34:06Rachel Cruze?

  Look on Amazon, they're my favorite puzzles.

• 34:08George Kamel?

  I can name zero puzzle brains off the top of my head.

• 34:11Rachel Cruze?

  I love a puzzle.

• 34:12George Kamel?

  That's really fun. Oh, this one's very, this is probably the most controversial one in here.

• 34:17Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 34:18George Kamel?

  Cringe or festive, real trees versus fake trees.

• 34:24Rachel Cruze?

  Okay, let's just pick one and go cringe or festive.

• 34:26George Kamel?

  Okay.

• 34:27Rachel Cruze?

  Let's go real, real tree.

• 34:28George Kamel?

  Real tree, I think is very festive.

• 34:31Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 34:32George Kamel?

  I wouldn't say it's cringe.

• 34:32Rachel Cruze?

  Well, I'm gonna have to say cringe. I don't do it because it's just too much work.

• 34:37George Kamel?

  Yes.

• 34:37Rachel Cruze?

  So I'm going fake.

• 34:39George Kamel?

  Similar to the Christmas cards, it's so much effort to go down to the Christmas tree farm, get it chopped, throw it on the car, get it back home.

• 34:46Rachel Cruze?

  Yep.

• 34:47George Kamel?

  Pine needles everywhere. It's dying and then you gotta dispose of it.

• 34:50Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 34:51George Kamel?

  Leave it outside for three months until the town takes it away. It's just like, what are we doing, guys?

• 34:56Rachel Cruze?

  What are we doing? I know.

• 34:58George Kamel?

  And then it's like poisonous if my dog eats it. I'm like, I can't handle this right now.

• 35:01Rachel Cruze?

  I think those are poinsettias that are poisonous, right?

• 35:03George Kamel?

  Either way, I've told my wife that are poisonous to dogs so that we don't get one.

• 35:08Rachel Cruze?

  You don't have to do the cleanup.

• 35:09George Kamel?

  It's true.

• 35:09Rachel Cruze?

  I think it's fun when people have them, but I can't.

• 35:11George Kamel?

  Yeah.

• 35:12Rachel Cruze?

  I don't have time. I can't do it.

• 35:13George Kamel?

  But here's the cringe part about real trees, people who think they're better than the fake tree people.

• 35:17Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, that's true. There's a pride there. Will you humble yourselves, people, before the Lord? That is, don't be judging.

• 35:23George Kamel?

  In the Advent season, may we all humble ourselves before baby Jesus.

• 35:26Rachel Cruze?

  Just as Jesus did coming to earth.

• 35:28George Kamel?

  Fake trees, though, I'm saying festive. I think it's all about the decor.

• 35:34Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 35:35George Kamel?

  It's what you put on the tree that matters.

• 35:36Rachel Cruze?

  Yep. Yep.

• 35:38George Kamel?

  A little sad Charlie Brown tree can be cute in the right spot with the right vibe.

• 35:41Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, 100%. Love it, George. Wow.

• 35:45George Kamel?

  I feel like I'm more in the spirit now, so thank you for this episode. I needed it. I was a little bit Bah Humbug.

• 35:50Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 35:51George Kamel?

  A little Scrooge, if you will. Even Scrooge McDuck.

• 35:56Rachel Cruze?

  I'm glad you're in a better, better season. Okay, so as we end, you guys, a few tips for you this holiday season. Number one, you know, Santa had a great example of writing things down.

• 36:08George Kamel?

  Making a list.

• 36:08Rachel Cruze?

  Yes, so.

• 36:09George Kamel?

  Check it twice.

• 36:10Rachel Cruze?

  Write down things in this moment that have been fun for you this Christmas season. Write down things that were not fun for you and stressful, so that way when next year comes, you can look at the list and remember, okay, we're not doing that. We're not overbooking this for those, but we are gonna do X, Y, and Z because it was actually fun and enjoyable, so.

• 36:29George Kamel?

  That's a great reminder. Another reminder, Christmas movies are scripted and your real life is messy and doesn't always have a perfect ending. It's loud, it's emotional, it's imperfect, and that's okay. I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves around the holiday time, especially the moms and the women. I'm just like, it has to be, everything has to be perfect. I want everyone to be happy, having a good time, no fights, no food burn.

• 36:52Rachel Cruze?

  Merry Christmas, everyone.

• 36:53George Kamel?

  And then inevitably, something happens and it's chaotic. And so just give yourself some grace, especially moms. And to the guys, step it up, alright? The women have a lot of mental load happening this season and the guys are checked out.

• 37:05Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, step up, men. Step up.

• 37:07George Kamel?

  Step up, men. That's all I'm gonna say.

• 37:09Rachel Cruze?

  Oh my gosh. Okay, lastly, remember that even if all of your wishes weren't checked off this Christmas, we have time. Sometimes different, you know, Christmases, depending on the year, depending on your financial journey, your season, all of it, things are gonna look different. But, you know, we all pray that, you know, there'll be a next Christmas and a next. And so have patience. It's okay to have some delayed gratification if not everything was bought of what you want gift wise or experiences, all of it. So just be present and be grateful. And I'm saying that to myself too.

• 37:44George Kamel?

  She's so good.

• 37:44Rachel Cruze?

  No, I'm saying that to myself too.

• 37:45George Kamel?

  I have one more to throw in here.

• 37:47Rachel Cruze?

  Okay.

• 37:47George Kamel?

  At the end of the year, we tend, it tends to be very reflective. And you might be like grieving on the year that was, maybe you didn't make progress, maybe something terrible happened, reminders come up around the holidays, maybe you're anxious about the year to come. And so I want to give people a little dose of encouragement. We have a free livestream happening in January that I hope will encourage you as you enter the new year. And so you can check it out and register for free. We'll drop a link in the description below and I hope you all can be there and maybe you'll see us in it. Who knows?

• 38:17Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, who knows? Who knows what's gonna happen? Alright, before we get to guilty as charged, again, what were we sipping on, George?

• 38:23George Kamel?

  We are sipping on a cran raspberry martini mocktail.

• 38:26Rachel Cruze?

  Hmm. I like it.

• 38:28George Kamel?

  It hit the spot.

• 38:30Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 38:31George Kamel?

  What's your rating on this?

• 38:33Rachel Cruze?

  I think I'm gonna go 10 out of 10. Yeah. I mean, honestly, maybe like a, like a drop or two of like some simple syrup. Maybe like a tad sweeter. Um, but for a mocktail martini, I think it's fun.

• 38:49George Kamel?

  I am a hundred percent with you. It's a 10 out of 10 for me. I love the tartness. I just think it could have used a touch of sweetness to balance it.

• 38:57Rachel Cruze?

  Yep.

• 38:57George Kamel?

  But I like tart. Again, I could like tart sour all day long. It tastes, it kinda tastes like cran, like cran raspberry candy almost.

• 39:04Rachel Cruze?

  Yes.

• 39:04George Kamel?

  It's got lime juice, raspberry sparkling water, cranberry juice and crushed raspberries. And the team did a great job in this little cute martini glass and the, uh,

• 39:16Rachel Cruze?

  The raspberries.

• 39:16George Kamel?

  Raspberries on top.

• 39:17Rachel Cruze?

  They always make it so beautiful. Thank you guys. So good. So good.

• 39:21George Kamel?

  10 out of 10 for effort and heart.

• 39:23Rachel Cruze?

  And ta- and taste.

• 39:25George Kamel?

  And ta- I said taste. I was making sure they knew that I appreciated the effort. And it comes out to $2.44, which is not cheap for a mocktail, but it's cheap overall in the land of going out and buying drinks. So.

• 39:37Rachel Cruze?

  That's right.

• 39:37George Kamel?

  Make it for the whole family. The kids will love it. So give it a try this weekend. We'll drop the recipe in the show notes. This is fun and safe for the whole family and you can spike it if you're of age. You have my permission.

• 39:49Rachel 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, George, have you ever thrown something away? And then needed to buy a new one shortly after?

• 40:06George Kamel?

  Oh, so the regret of going, shouldn't have thrown that away because I thought I'd never need it again.

• 40:10Rachel Cruze?

  That. I did that recently.

• 40:12George Kamel?

  What was it?

• 40:13Rachel Cruze?

  I was, I'm kinda, I was a little upset about it. Okay. So I had these orange shorts. Okay. Um, that I wore almost every season for UT games, like with a white tank top or something.

• 40:25George Kamel?

  Okay. So Tennessee Vols.

• 40:27Rachel Cruze?

  Yep. Orange. Yes. And they were super cute. I don't know where I got them, but I had them for probably like eight years. But I, I wouldn't wear them a lot, maybe like three times a year, right? For like games or if we went like, and then I was cleaning out my closet, trying to be a minimalist and was like, oh, I probably don't need these. We haven't been to a game. You know, in maybe two years, I'll just buy some other ones if I need them. So I gave them, whatever, gave them away. And then this year, just like two weeks ago, we went to a UT game and I looked in my drawer for those orange shorts that I've had and I forgot that I like gave them away and I was like, "Oh, my gosh." And I was genuinely sad about it. So be careful when you clean out your closet next. Trying to be all good and be all minimalist on all the things, like, I get it. But sometimes

• 41:13Rachel Cruze?

  you give away something that you think, "I shouldn't have done that."

• 41:15George Kamel?

  And you can't find them again?

• 41:16Rachel Cruze?

  No, because I think they were like banana repo- I mean, it was like, again, it was like some random style at some random year of some random store and they are gone forever.

• 41:25George Kamel?

  Wow.

• 41:25Rachel Cruze?

  Makes me really sad. Because they were cute. They were like good mom shorts.

• 41:28George Kamel?

  Were they like in the trash? Are they like in a Goodwill? Like, can we find them somewhere?

• 41:32Rachel Cruze?

  That's a good question.

• 41:33George Kamel?

  Go on the hunt?

• 41:34Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah, it would be a Goodwill. I mean, it's usually where I give a lot of my clothes away. So, I know.

• 41:38George Kamel?

  All right. If you're-

• 41:39Rachel Cruze?

  We'll see.

• 41:40George Kamel?

  I'll go to my local Goodwill.

• 41:41Rachel Cruze?

  They have gold buttons. Yeah, I know. They were super cute.

• 41:44George Kamel?

  Wow.

• 41:44Rachel Cruze?

  I know. How about you?

• 41:46George Kamel?

  Um, you know, throwing something away, I did use, this sounds crazy. We had a baby gate and it was squeaky. Every time you opened the gate, it was squeaking super loud. So I got this like little like oil you can put into it.

• 42:00Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, yeah, sure.

• 42:01George Kamel?

  To make it not squeak anymore.

• 42:03Rachel Cruze?

  Yeah.

• 42:03George Kamel?

  So I did that and then I returned it on Amazon, thinking, "I'll never need this again."

• 42:07Rachel Cruze?

  George, you used it and then returned it?

• 42:09George Kamel?

  I was, it was one drop.

• 42:11Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, my lord.

• 42:11George Kamel?

  And I was like, "I'm not gonna need this again." You know what?

• 42:13Rachel Cruze?

  You are so cheap.

• 42:14George Kamel?

  I know. And then we got another baby gate.

• 42:18George Kamel?

  At the same issue. Because apparently you need them at both ends of the stairs to avoid the danger of stairs.

• 42:24Rachel Cruze?

  That's right. Yeah, yeah.

• 42:25George Kamel?

  So I had to rebuy it.

• 42:26Rachel Cruze?

  Oh, my gosh. That's funny, George.

• 42:29George Kamel?

  They got my money.

• 42:29Rachel Cruze?

  There you go. They got it.

• 42:31George Kamel?

  You're welcome, Jeff Bezos.

• 42:34Rachel Cruze?

  Fund his life.

• 42:34George Kamel?

  He needed the eight dollars.

• 42:35Rachel Cruze?

  Fund his life, George. Oh. Well, if you have a great guilty charge question for us, make sure to DM us at Rachel Cruz and at George Kamel. We love getting them and appreciate them. And if you loved this episode, you're going to love our episode, Unpacking Money Lessons From Your Favorite Christmas Movies. That is coming up. We'll link it for you. And make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an all-new episode of Smart Money Happy Hour.