Smart Money Happy Hour with Rachel Cruze and George Kamel - Overhyped vs. Underhyped: Critiquing Today’s Money and Pop Culture Trends

Episode Date: December 28, 2023

Resolution #1: Don’t fall for the hype! Just in time for 2024, Rachel and George are here to protect your budget (and your sanity) from the Internet trends and must-have products that don’t pay off—and green-light some that do.   In this episode: ·      Is Taylor Swift really worth her weight in gold? ·      George throws some shade on the TikTokers ·      Why paying with cash (and resisting an impulse buy) is always cool   Resources:   ·      Pre-order George’s new book, Breaking Free From Broke, today. ·      Booking a flight with Going is the best and simplest way to pay less and travel more. Sign up for free today at going.com/smartmoney. ·      Get your finances organized, make a plan, build your confidence, and kick money stress out of your life for good with the EveryDollar budgeting app. Go to www.everydollar.com/smartmoney to get started today. Use code SMARTMONEY to get a free two-week trial and $15 off your premium membership to EveryDollar. ·      Do you have a Guilty as Charged question for Rachel and George? 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. ·      Learn more about your ad choices: https://www.megaphone.fm/adchoices ·      Ramsey Solutions Privacy Policy: https://www.ramseysolutions.com/company/policies/privacy-policy   This Week’s Happy Hour Special: Smoked Campfire Mule Ingredients: ·      1 1/2 ounces bourbon ·      1/2 ounce of lemon juice ·      1/4 ounce of maple syrup ·      4 ounces of ginger beer ·      1 toasted marshmallow (for garnish) ·      Wood chips (for smoking)   Instructions: Before mixing the cocktail, smoke the glass. (Pro tip: The smoke will stick better to a chilled glass.) Light the ingredient that you’re smoking (we used a few wood chips) with a match. Turn your chilled glass upside down over the smoke and allow it to fill the interior of the glass. Leave your glass upside down over the smoke and start making your cocktail.   Add the bourbon, lemon juice, maple syrup and ice into a shaker, then shake until chilled. Strain the liquid into the smoked glass and top with ginger beer. Garnish with a toasted marshmallow (use a kitchen food torch to toast it) and cheers to 2024! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey guys, I'm Rachel Cruz. I'm George Camel. And this is Smart Money Happy Hour. Cheers, George. Cheers. Wow, look at this. Burned marshmallow. We put it in the top.

I don't think so. I don't think you want a soggy marshmallow. That's just, you know, I wasn't a Boy Scout, but I feel like that's one of the rules. And I may set it on the, I may set it because I feel like it's tumbling. All right. Well, anyways, 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. And before we get into today's episode, Rachel, I want to say to you and all the viewers, an early happy New Year.

Yes. I know this is like the in-between time between Christmas and New Year. I think this is like fun. You don't really know what time is anymore. That's exactly right. You lose all the beef and cheese and, you know. It's good. So we're so glad you're here with us.

And next time you see us, it'll be a new year. That's wild. 2024. We should sing Old Lang-Zine at the end. I wish we could. I think it's a beautiful song. You could sing, I would do it. I never know what they say in that song.

You don't need to. It's more about the feeling you get versus the lyrics. That's fair. Do you know what it means? Couldn't tell you. Good. Anyways. Google it.

Figure it out. Here we are. Well, today, we're not talking New Year. We're talking about resetting the hype meter, okay? In response to the recent buzz around Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey's relationship, it is our civic duty to initiate a healthy cultural reset. We are the ones who have been tasked with this, Rachel. Yeah, I don't know.

if I want the reset on that specific, but we do know that a lot of things in life and in the last year may have been underhyped or overhyped. So we're going to talk about all different things in regards to you, your life, and your money in this episode. We'll give you our takes and only one of us will be right. That would be awesome. But what are we sipping on, George? We are sipping on this budget-friendly signature cocktail. It is a smoked campfire mule. It's really good. I got to say it's one of the better ones we've had lately. I think it's really fun. It's as fancy as it sounds, but it's actually really cheap to make.

So stay tuned to the end of the episode. We'll give you our rating, reveal the cost per glass, and of course we've got the recipe in the show notes for you. Okay, George, so let's put our instincts to the test with this episode, because we're going to play a big game of overhyped or underhyped. All right, so we've been given a list of products, financial advice, celebrities, et cetera, and we're going to share our thoughts on whether we think they're overhyped or underhyped, or maybe properly hyped.

I think there's an in-between. Yeah, and let's go like, let's like boom, boom, lightning round. Yeah, you're ready? We got a lot to discuss here. All right. Taylor Swift becoming a billionaire,

overhyped or under-hyped. Under-hyped. I feel like it really wasn't a big deal. I feel like people didn't really talk about it. If you become a billionaire, and especially at her age, I feel like everyone should be like, agreed.

I mean, well-done. And she did it tastefully. I mean, you know, she didn't run like a giant tech company. You know what I mean? Like, obviously, she's a celebrity musician, but this has taken a lot of hard work to get to. There's a business mindset that has to be in place in order to achieve that, right?

So she's, I think she's brilliant. And when you think about a billion, that's a thousand millions. I love saying that about billions. Well, it just helps me go, because when you hear billionaire, you're like, okay, that's a lot of money. When you hear, like, if I had a million dollars, I need to do that a thousand more times, that hurts my brain. So it just helps me put it in context. Yeah. So kudos to Taylor.

I agree. Well done, Tait. Underhyped. That's amazing. And we love a female billionaire. More of that in 2024. George. I hope Rachel, I hope you get there.

Cheers to that. Mostly because I want to just have more billionaire friends. I feel like I'm... You want more? Do you have one? I don't think I have any. Now that you say that... I don't know if I don't think I do either.

Yeah, if they're out there, please let me know if you're secretly a billionaire. Okay, that was a good one. We agreed on that. All right. Underhyhyhyte. I'm getting to say overhyped. Oh, I knew you were going to say that. I'm going to go underhyped.

I knew you were going to say that. You can't be. beat the value. And the fact that it's a middle finger to all name brands, Rachel, when you think about it that way, they're the biggest private label brand in the world. Okay, I love Costco. So this is not me hating on Costco. I just feel like you have an unhealthy obsession with Costco. It's overhyped in Georgia's mind, not in general. It's a little on the fringe of like, we get it. You know what? I shouldn't have told you I bought that Kirkland Signature Pet hoodie yesterday. I know. That, I agree. You were not the target audience.

for that information. I just feel like people talk about it all the time. So I just, and I get it, but I'm also like, okay, like, cool. But you could live in a Costco for the rest of your life and you would survive and thrive. Listen, I shop at Costco. I get their meat. I get their fruit. But it doesn't excite you.

Not like you, George. Like I like to go down the aisles one by one and just see. Is there anything new that I missed last time? Oh, see, I don't have time for that. Okay. Okay, next. The Mona Lisa. That's an interesting one.

I know. So here's what's crazy. So the Mona Lisa. You know, 30 by 21 inches. Famous painting. Worth approximately, are you ready for this? $920 million. It's worth almost as much as Taylor Swift.

I know. Think about that. Oh, Lisa and Te-Tay. I'm, and again, I'm not an art person. People might be offended. I think it's overhyped. Agreed. I had some friends that went to the Louvre

and waited in this long line. Not that special. I know. Did I take a selfie with it? Yes. Because I felt like, well, it's the Mona Lisa. Why? I know. Why did she become so, such a big deal? It's like when you see a long line somewhere and you just jump in because I guess whatever's at the end of that line must be really good.

We should be there. I know. I feel like the Mona Lisa has that. I'm sure there's some like artistic cultural context that we are unaware of. Okay, I will say this. The one we saw, you know how it follows your eyes? That's the whole thing. And we saw, I think it was in, I think it was in St. Petersburg, Russia, in a cathedral, the original painting of the prodigal son. You know that famous painting? Oh, yeah. Is it Rembrandt? That may be terrible at ours.

That sounds right. The way you said it just sounded confident. Thank you. It wasn't confident, but it sounded right. The return of the prodigal son. Rembrandt. Did I say that? Yeah.

Oh my gosh, I'm an art historian. I wouldn't go that far. Anyways, that was one painting. I thought that's like captivating. It's beautiful. Do you own any fancy art? No. Do you?

No. Can I tell you what I do? Mm-hmm. I go to Etsy and I buy the print digitally, and then I send you. it to the online frame company and they send it to me in the frame ready to go for cheap. You know what I mean? So it's a reprint.

Like famous paintings? Um, no, I wouldn't say famous. There's one Picasso. It's the Picasso camel. He does a camel of like a line art. Okay, but that's fine because you're your last name. But it's not like I'm trying to like mimic. Okay.

That's kind of what I was like, oh no, George? No, nothing. I'm not getting like a Da Vinci, but it's just a print to go to my house. I'm not there yet. Good. But I don't know. I don't want to offend art people because I know it's valuable. Handwritten notes. Underhyped.

I'm going to say overhyped. Oh, that's because you don't write them to people. Listen, I grew up in a household where you were shamed if you did not write a thank you note. Oh, there's trauma involved. It was expected two weeks after your wedding, after you receive a gift within 10 to 14 days. Like, that's the expectation of a thank you note. And I'm going to be real honest. they don't do much for me.

When I receive them, I'm like, I mean, it's very kind. But I think if you were like, Rachel, love working with you. What a great friend you are. Words of affirmation. I would be like, oh, thanks, George. I don't need you to, like, write it on a card for me. Okay. Well, I will rip up the one I wrote.

This is awkward. So anyways, I know it's probably not a very popular opinion. It's just not a thing. I just don't think it holds the amount of weight. that was presented to me in life that it does. That's a very nice way to put it. Personally. How about you, George?

I think they're under hype, but in a different way. I agree that thank you cards are a waste, and we should abolish them. Okay. Like, don't make me do this after the wedding. Especially after babies. Can I say that? Yeah, babies, weddings. Let's be done with thank you notes. I made you a meal.

You don't need to think. I'm good. I did this for you. When I hear handwritten note, I think, like, at work, someone took the time to, like, you know, write a note of recognition. Thank you for this. hey, no, you're going through this, whatever. Those I think I cherish and collect.

Now, I only look at them once and put it in my desk. I always go, like, on a bad day, you're going to pull these out and remember, it's going to cost some gratitude. Do you feel like if the person said it to you in person that it would mean as much, or you think it really means more with it? I think it means more written down. There's a finality to that. Because you could tell me one day that I'm great. The next day, you could tell me I suck. But on a thank you, on a handwritten note, I can make Rachel Cruz said.

Okay. I am awesome. So I think there's power to the handwritten note, but not in the traditional sense. I hear you. Okay, next. Cargo pants. Why did that even make the list? I'm going to go, I guess, overhyped.

Are they even hyped? Who's hype in cargo pants? They're kind of coming back. Just no. The Gin Ziers. I think I'm going to just X-Nay. And here's the thing. It's not even cargo pants.

It's the cargo shorts era that we lived in. Cargo shorts. I just can't. I did it when I was a kid. Oh, yeah. Even into my teenage years, I own the zip-off. You have the zip-off cargos? Just in case it got a little hot that day, you could just zip down into the shorts.

What do you do with the rest of the pant? You just shove it in the cargo pocket. And it's terrible because around the knee and had the flap. They look terrible. I guess you were a Capri person. Oh, yes. Still are, technically. I guess it made it to my back.

But no, cargo pants should be abolished. And I think Gen Z is doing it to just be like cringe and it's trendy to be dressed cringially. I don't know. Okay, fantasy football. Overhymed. Overhyped. I'm with you on this, George. I don't get it.

Acting like your football team, like you had something to do with their winning, is already fantasy enough. But now to play a make-believe world. And put money to it? That is a next level. It weighs so much time. I think it's so sad. I don't get it. Yeah.

Find a real hobby, guys. Come on. Go build a table with your hands. Right. With a circular saw. With a circular saw. That costs $1,000. Okay, next. Investing advice on TikTok. Whoa. Overhyped. They're everywhere, aren't they? And it's terrible. Because I feel like a lot of it, they're going to a financial product for you to buy into. 100%. A lot of it is a whole life insurance, permanent life insurance, indexed universal life insurance. So run far away. And if they don't tell you what it is, it's life insurance. They're always like, there's a tax-free way. It's how the ultra wealthy. Yes.

It's always tax-free retirement strategies. They don't want you to know about. If they say 401Ks are a scam, they are selling whole life insurance. I guarantee it. I'll give you $100 if they're not. Funny. There you go. Way overhead.

So there's so much bad investing advice on TikTok. A lot of it is either get rich quick. Go buy my investing course because I've got the secret. All of that. Yeah, my big thing with that is like if it's a, oh, nobody knows, but I'm going to give you the secret. That's when I bounce. on really anything. Yeah.

Because I'm like, I'm sorry. If you're trying to like tell me how to make more money and there's a thing that certain people know but no one else does, I'm like, there's not a trick. They were that easy. I feel like everyone would do it. So no. What is your investment advice that you would give on TikTok?

I would say, it would be so boring. I'd do it fun with like different Amazon outfits. Oh, like every new outfit? I would make it fun. Yeah, my advice would be out of debt, have some cash saved three to six months of expenses. and then invest 15% of your income into retirement. And here's the deal.

After the baby steps, after you pay off your house, kids are good with college, all the things. And then that's when you're like, okay, I have my whole paycheck at that point. And then, like, you can do some fun stuff. You can buy some, like, paid for investment real estate on, like, the low, low, right? Like, that's how we started. Yeah. It was in a short sale, and that's how Winston and I got our first property.

And, like, there's some fun things you can do with money and exciting things. But also do the stuff that is guaranteed. Like do the stuff that is guaranteed like your 401K and Roth IRA. So that's mine. That's simple. Yeah, I like the simplest advice. It's five words and we use it around here. Match beats Roth beats traditional.

Invest up to the match. If you've got one with your employer, then used your Roth options, Roth IRA, Roth 401K, then move to traditional if you are still not a 15%. Yeah. That's simple. Yeah. And I think the problem is though like a lot of the TikTok investing advice, it's exciting. Oh, yeah.

Where it's like, oh my gosh, wait, what? Okay, there's like a little bit of, like we're going to get in this. And there's a new thing. that didn't exist two years ago that I need to get in on. So I do feel like when people hear us that were like 401K and Rothairate are great places for retirement. It's like, oh, I want some excitement. You know what? It's giving OK boomer energy when you say that, Rachel.

Yeah, I know. I know. So that's why I'm like, listen, do all of that. And then after, then you can look and be like, okay, what's some other things that we could do with our money? But be in a place where you actually have money to do that. Right? Yeah. Love it.

Next cold plunges. I've never done a cold plunge truthfully, but I'm going to say overhyped. I'm going to say under. Wow. Have you done one? I think the cold plunge infrared sauna world is actually like really beneficial to our health and I don't feel people talk about it enough.

Oh, I guess everyone talks about it in my world. Oh, do they? All I hear about is the cold plunge. Okay, okay. But I do think I have seen, is it Andrew Huberman, has like, has talked about saunas and the benefits of sauna. Yes, we got a sauna, George. And I know there's benefits to cold plunge,

but I just wonder if the benefits are overhyped. Like, is it really going to change your physiology and your life? I don't know. It's just going to make you, like, forget about the other things you're angry about because you're so cold, probably. No, but here's what's crazy is I look at, there's the book, The Comfort Crisis. Oh, yeah, Michael Easter. So good.

And he talks about how there's a small village, I think it's in Japan, maybe, where women have the longest lifespan. And one of the reasons is their lung capacity is huge because they dive into cold water to fish and to do different things. So like other cultures and parts of the world and history, right? Like not just right now, but you look back on history, people that were very healthy internally to externally. They did these crazy things with their body and there were benefits to it. So I do think that there's something. And the infrared sauna, we have one.

And I will give Winston all the credit because he like researched it and knows this whole thing. And so infrared, it mimics a fever inside your body. So your white blood cell count goes up to like protect your body. And let me say this. Let me say this. I could be eating my words in the next 24 hours. But our kids have gotten sick. People around us have been sick.

Y'all, I. You didn't. I have felt, I've been fine. And I swear it's because I do this freaking sauna for 20 minutes, five days a week. And I think there's something about internally, I don't know. And again, I could eat my. words, I could get sick. But... Please don't.

Isn't that interesting? Yeah. I'll give you a counterpoint for the women in that village who have a longer lifespan, they're diving in these cold waters. What if they're living longer because they don't have TikTok? You know what I mean? Like, there's other factors I play. Japan has technology.

You said they're in a village somewhere. I was picturing a remote area where they're diving into cold water. You're telling me that Japanese women are just diving into freezing cold water every day for survival? I'm not sure. Okay. Feels outlandish. I'll try it.

I could be persuasive. Someone take me on a cold plunge. Okay, next. Used cars. Oh, under hype. I'd say under hype too, George. I'm with you. This is what's funny.

People when we say use cars, they automatically think like... 28 years old. The door's falling down. The window doesn't work. The air's out. There's no... It's just a radio, not even a CD play. Like, they just go back to like a 1970s car.

But the truth is, I'm like, you can get a great eight-year-old car. Yep. And here's the deal. The way they make cars today are, it's unbelievable. They will last and last and last. So the quality of cars these days, they're unbelievable. So a 10-year-old, 8-year-old used car, it's going to last you. And the stats show a new car depreciates 60 percent, loses 60 percent of its value in the first five years.

Oh, gosh. And I have now proof of that, Rachel. So we just got a new-to-us car. That's right. And I did the math. You ready for this? 35% off the MSRP and it's a year old. That's insane.

Yeah. So it just shows you like how depreciation will just totally rob you. Yes. If I had bought that car brand new, I would have lost so much money. You would have just hurt my soul. So I'm a big fan of buying you. Do it the smart way. I'm not saying just go buy one off some random guy at the side of the road.

You know, do it a pre-purchase inspection. Get a reliable, make and model. Do your research on that year. See what the recalls are, what the fixes are, what the normal problems are, establishing a maintenance and repair fund. But people like to come at us and be like, they're telling us they want, the court's going to have $5,000 in repairs in the first month, Rachel. That's the energy that we get.

Yeah, that's right. That's right. And I'm sick of it. It's just not true. It's not true. It's people justifying why they need a brand new shiny truck. Oh, man. To haul one thing of mulch at Lowe's once a year.

Looking at you, truck bros. Not Jordan, Lindsay's husband, who you. uses his truck for good. He's just a tall man. And he's like seven feet tall he's a lumberjack. Winston has a truck too. That's true. But Winston has a rock garden.

I actually drove it today. No way. What was it like? It was very tall. Yeah. I don't think. And it's very manly. I looked in the dash and it's like

max X something something. And even the words like testosterone. Tobacco. It's just like. It's like, like, it's just like all these words. Oh, my gosh. Wow. It just feels like a, just like, a man.

That explains it. Did it smell like man smell in there? Yeah, it did. In a good way? There was a cigar. Oh, yeah, there we go. There we go. It's great.

That's the truck life. Okay. Next, the old Stanley Cups. The viral Stanley Cup. Not the hockey award. Oh, that's right. Someone thought we were talking about the Stanley Cup. It did.

I was like ways to family cup overrated. And that someone is my co-host, Rachel Cruz. All right, y'all, man. Be honest. I'm not, man. Are you team George on this? I can't believe it. I'm now about to, I know.

And the only reason I'm going to say overhyped is because I don't use it anymore. Oh my gosh. You've moved on to other cups? And I see one right here. I see one right there. Can we get it in the shot so people know? All right. For those that don't know, this is producer Lindsay's Stanley Cup.

I'm going to put it next to my head. So you guys understand just how obscenely large and heavy this. My hand hurts already from holding this. This is a 78-ounce tumbler. Here's what we love about it. We love that the ice doesn't melt. It keeps things cold for days. The Stanley is like it's a brand that was well established before all the young women.

Since 1913, Rachel. There you go. Okay. So they know what they're doing. They know what they're doing. And it fits in your cup holder. So like there's a lot of. benefits to it. That is the craziest thing to think this is the first tumbler that fits in a cup holder.

It is like the thing that all this girls say and I don't know why. Because it's big. Most big things, big yetis, they don't. You're right. Just admit that you love that it comes in a matte and there's a handle and a lavender and you can collect the colors and admit that influencers have them and it became trendy. That's all we're able to admit. So all to say, I think it's a great cup. It's a great cup. But here's the deal. I... Don't use it anymore as much as... Do you use another cup? No.

I don't have like a cup that I drink out of. I've never seen Rachel drink anything except the drinks on SmartWRWA. To be fair. She's not a big... Only a happy hour kind of girl. She doesn't imbibe. I only sip cocktails. It's the only liquid that hydrates me.

Yeah, I think it's overhyped. And there's other, you know, there's other brands out there, guys. There's one called Swig, Owala. I've seen a lot of other cups out there that also you can drink from. That's right. They have straws. fit in cup holders. The technology these days is amazing. All right, next, George, compound interest. Overhyped or underhyped. Are people underhyping compound interest? It's so crazy.

But it's not talked about enough, in my opinion. Well, let's tell the people what it is. It's kind of one of these things you're like, I know about it, I kind of understand it, but compound interest is simply when your principal balance. Let's go, let's go like easy math. Okay. So Rachel puts $100 in an investment. Beautiful. And let's say the investment. earns 10% that year. Now my investment is $110. The next year, it earns $10%. I don't make 10% on the 100 I put in.

I now make 10% on the $110. So what happens is the balance that continues to be in your account, the interest is now on top of that balance, not the original balance, which is like... Beautifully said. Your money makes money, and that money makes more money. And you sit there and it just keeps making more money and more money and more money. And it's fabulous.

But there was a great stat I read. and it was like 80% of the value of your retirement account at retirement age is not money you put in. It's compound growth. Oh, yeah. That's crazy to think about it. So if you have like $2 million, you may have put in $300,000 of money from your paycheck. But the rest was all compound growth doing its thing. Yeah, it's just you just letting it crow.

And so I'm going to say under hype. Didn't Albert Einstein? They claim, but like no one knows. He's not around to defend it. He said that it was the eighth wonder of the world. It's beautiful. And it's one of the reasons we tell people to invest as early as you can once you're debt-free with a fully funded emergency fund into the right things. And the stock market over time, we've seen the S&P 500, the largest 500 American companies, 10 to 12% growth on average over a long track record.

Let's go to the Olympics, George. Olympics, that's a juicy one. Are you a big, like, every four years you're watching the Olympics? We will have it on. Okay. For sure. I'll say overhyped. I think the tradition is.

beautiful and like the fact that it goes so far back and it's a thing that like all the world cultures come together. But as far as like watching curling, it's not really giving me the juice. You know, like most of the sports, I'm like, we can fast forward through this. There's like three sports you really want to see. Do you know what I think about some of these athletes? I'm like, oh my gosh, they're at the pinnacle, right? Like being an Olympic athlete. That's like what people joke about. Like it's like, oh, you're going to be an app like that. It's basically the top of the top of the top of the top and then for some of them I'm like

okay so then once it's there what happens after that are you done you're you're done I would open like a training facility where I would train the youngsters I'm sure you have like some career that is after that for sure some of them some of them go on to be famous so here's what's interesting and I would love

like Sean Johnson or someone I would love to ask somebody you were on their show because do you know like that feeling like after you got married where you're like oh my gosh I'm getting married I'm getting married and then you get married And then, like, you wake up the next day and you're like, oh, I'm still me. I'm still me.

Like, oh, it's just me, but I'm married. Like, I, you think that, like, something is going to, a big event is going to change who you are. And is that, like, graduation, right? Like, I graduated college and you're like, oh, but you wake up the next day and you're like, oh, but I still me. Even as a parent. I'm still unemployed. I'm still unemployed. So I wonder, too, the hype for the athletes.

Oh, yeah. If so much identity is put into that because of the training and the life dedication that after the, even a gold medal. It's one. And then what? And then you wake up the next day. You're like, oh, okay. Like, I wonder. I don't know.

Very existential, Rachel. This is very ecclesiastical, if you will. Thank you. I'm a very deep thinker. Rachel's like, everything is meaningless. Your Olympic gold medal is going to rust. You can't take it with you. So I just wonder, yeah.

Yeah, how it is. But it's amazing. And I really wish they had an event where they had a normal person doing the event next to the Olympian. Yeah. Because I think that would be so great. Like swimming. You watch them swim.

You're like, come on. I could go a little faster. But if you like, maybe he saw a normal person, you'd be like, oh, that's like a- 90 miles an hour. Or trying to do like gymnastics or something. Yeah, let me make it clear. I don't think I could be an Olympian. Just in case people thought, Rachel and I were like, well, it's pretty easy.

You could just get into the Olympics. Do you think that's what we were saying? I think so. I think Rachel was getting at that. I'm glad you really made that clear. Well, you were a big athlete in college. You ran track probably? I'm kidding.

I know you were busy socializing. You weren't doing sports. It's fine. I was on the inner mirror of fields, cheering people on. That's good. You're cheerleader, but not the official kind. No. Moving on, Rachel, Crocs.

Just gut feeling about Crocs. I just think they're just terrible. Thank you. I put them in the same group as cargo pants. I would agree. They should have never existed. We tried it. It didn't work.

They should have never come back. That's how I feel about it. I love it. Okay. All right, George, our last one. Only going out to eat when hanging with friends. Should you be able to hang out with friends without constantly spending money? Only going out to eat when hanging with friends.

Or like when you hang with friends, you only go out to eat. Oh, that's a good one. I'm going to say, I'm going to say overhyped. I agree. We have a supper club tonight and we do Pollock style once a month. Oh, that's fun. We all bring something to the table and it's very inexpensive and we get a full meal out of it. That's great.

I love that. It's a huge win. You don't always have to go out, and I'm going to tell you it's way more fun at someone's house versus always going out to eat. It's a different experience. Yeah, it's different. Yeah, going out to eat's fun. I think it's fun to enjoy. Once in a while.

Yeah. A birthday or something like that, big celebration. Yeah. I think that's fine. But there is something intimate about being with people, and there's a casualness to the relationship that I think you naturally get to know people better. True. When you're just there versus, like, sitting at a restaurant and you have a waiter. And the waiter's interrupting.

Yeah. Yeah. That's good. So yeah, overhyped. Overhyped. We both agree. For your budget and your friendships. Okay, George, so to sum it all up.

What is the summary here? Please tell me. I know. When we look back on different subjects, everything from cargo pants to... Used cars. Used cars, investing advice on TikTok. There are things in our culture that naturally are going to get a hype. Stanley Cups, whatever.

Travis and Taylor. And Taylor, yes. So like... Natural hype. Yeah. And I think when it comes to especially trends like... cause you to spend money, you have to stop and be like, okay, do I really like that? Do I really need that? Or is it kind of this like subconscious social idea of like, oh, I'm part of the group and this is

just what we do, right? And I think that's what happens. Like, things are just ushered in in our lives. And we expect to have those things or to buy those things or be like everyone else, whether it's vacations or whatever, that it causes, I think, like a real mental thing. And when you, But here's the thing, when you decide not to be part of that, even though people probably still like you and they're like not going to not be your friend because of it, there is an outside feeling of having to say no. And I think that's hard for people. Yeah. Well, we all want to feel like we belong and fit in. Our brain naturally wants that. Yes.

So it's hard to then have the boundary or say no or go against the grain and be like, I'm not getting the name brand. I'm going to get the off-brand crox because I'm a psychopath who still wants the look of crocs, but not the name. But there's a lot of that in our life where we let companies and influencers and friends tell us what we want. Yeah. Instead of really going, no, I know who I am. I'm self-aware. I don't need that right now. Yes.

I don't have the money for that right now. Yep. I have other financial goals. And I'm going to like what I like despite what is being hyped right now. Yes, that's right. And that's a maturity that I think we should all aspire to. And I still fall for some of this stuff. You know, there's still trends out there that.

Well, yeah. And some of them are great. I love Apple products. It's trendy. Yes. Sure. iPhones and all that. But I just think it's a great product.

So it's okay to like something, but like it for the right reason. Buy it with the right motivation. And then you don't have weird regret and resentment later on going like, why did I do that? Yes. When you look back at old photos of you and ugs and crocs. Ugg family, I'm coming for you. I'm talking to my wife here too. Man, hugs.

With the Uggs come back. Not on my bingo card. Not on the bingo card. Yeah. And what's funny, I have a friend. and she does do some influencing on Instagram. She has a following and, you know. Nothing wrong with influencers.

And I was talking to her about it, though, and she was like, yeah, her big thing is she's like, I want to tell people about products that legitimately work. I don't care how they look on my stove or in my, I don't care how they look. Genuinely, the functionality of this product has helped my life. And that's what I share. So she said that. And I was like, that's really good because this morning I opened up our pan drawer to make some oatmeal for the kids and there is a certain brand I will not name because I just don't want to

bash people that I bought a set of pans last Christmas. That was my Christmas present. That were hyped. That were hyped. They were all over. And I will say two of them still are great. Two of the frying pans, they're terrible, y'all. Like they, these are expensive like higher end. Yeah, and I got them as a Christmas gift for my mom. Yeah. Thanks, Sharon. But I'm like, and I use my Amazon frying pan more than I do this thing? Like, I'm like, oh, man. So I look, and so her comments me has stuck with me where I'm like, you know what? Like, there is something about it. So Stanley Cup, you know what? The functionality of the Stanley works. Fits and Cup holders keeps the ice long. I will take it. So there is something to say, okay, what is the functionality of something? And that will truly

help enhance your life, right? But if you're just going for just like, I don't want to say the shallowness, but just like, oh, this is what everyone has and all of this. And I'm just going to just jump on the train and go, go, go, you end up spending money that you don't need with stuff you don't need. Amen. Did that make sense, George? Absolutely. Well, and I walk through, so in my new book, Breaking Free from Broke, I have a whole chapter

on marketing and consumerism where I break down how these companies, how they go after us psychologically, financially, and then I show people, there's a whole chapter called spending a self-control where I walk through the smart spending plan and a lot of it comes down to, is this really going to add value to my life? Am I buying it for the right reason? Yep. Where's all this urgency coming from? can I wait a day?

All of that sort of little check marks can just slow us down from this impulse spending of like the hype, the urgency, I got to have it now. The running out of Stanley's and the color I want. All of that, you're like, where? I didn't know Stanley existed yesterday. And now all of a sudden I'm, I'm Jonesing to get the last one in lavender. You know what I mean? It's that kind of mentality that you wake up one day and you're like, who am I?

What have I become? I know. I'm a Stanley girl. We all have that awakening, Rachel. We do. And it's a good one. We're trying to help people, you know, just stay on a butt. budget, do it for the right reason, do it with cash, and then you'll have no regrets.

And when you buy stuff, let it be stuff that really helps out your life. Long term. Long term. Think long term. Yeah, for sure. So, so good, George. So, so good. We really tied that with a nice bow on it.

The team didn't think we could do it. We did it. All right, so it's almost the end of the episode. And we close out every episode with Guilty as charged. And this is where our producer, Lindsay, gives us a new guilty-as-charge question every week. And if we are guilty, we take a sip. Lens. Okay. Have you ever tried a DIY home repair or renovation to save money ended up making it a lot more expensive? Oh. I'm looking at you because I feel like probably maybe have you ever done that?

Oh my gosh. So I am, I have a like aversion to anything where I'm like, there's a YouTube video that shows me how to do this. I could do the board and batten myself. Now, your husband Jordan is very handy and you guys did this and you're very capable. I know myself. enough. Capable too. No. You misunderstand. Oh, yeah. The board and badden requires saws, and you know how I feel about the sauce.

Oh, yeah, you only know about the circular saw. I only know the circular saw. I don't even know what you cut with a circular saw versus a table saw. To be perfectly frank. Or just being all honest here. I haven't done one where then it costs more money, but I did have one where it backfired. I did a DIY repair that backfired and now it's going to take more work. Hopefully no handyman work.

I'll tell you what it is. Okay. I found a hack. So we had the baby. And I was like, there's so many squeaky doors in this house. It's going to wake up the baby. Let me remove all the squeaks. I found a hack where you can just use like olive oil spray.

With one baby. You can just use it like an oil spray in all of your hinges. And it will remove the squeaks. Sure. I did that. It worked beautifully. The doors were like butter. The problem now is all of the doors,

naturally float open and shut. They don't stay put. Oh, no. So what happened is my dog, Olive, keeps getting locked in the bathroom. Because the door naturally closes. She wants to go in and eat toilet paper. Door closes. We don't know where she is for hours.

I go in there. It's just her and all this toilet paper. Oh, George. And so now I'm having to figure out how to get all of the hinges out, take them into the garage with a hammer to beat them to create. to create more tension so the door stays open. So that has created more headache than I would prefer. That is my story, and I will be honest.

It's actually more of the dog's fault than your fault. Thank you for that. But also all of the doors closing naturally or staying open naturally, not what you want in the house. How about you? I guess that's fair. Me personally, no. I don't think I've, yeah, Winston. He's never screwed up in his life.

Now, the only thing that I will say that he didn't do, this is so funny. So in our bathroom, in our master bathroom, the tulip paper holder is one of those that has like a, like a claw. So you like just set it. It's not like a. Just an easy set it on it. Yeah. So our kids have like pulled on it and messed up. So they broke it.

They ended up breaking it. So the drywall like was out. The tool paper wouldn't be hell. It was terrible. So Winston went to go fix it, but it still is like at a major incline. Oh, no. So the roll of toolpaper just keeps slipping off? I mean, most every day, yeah.

Winston, it's a five-minute fix. We got to go up. Let me come over. I'll fix it. I will feel like micro dirty jobs in there. I'll be a hero. That's the only thing I think. But Winston, like, fixed our dry.

I mean, he's fixed a lot of things. He's pretty handy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Winston can fix a lot. But, um. Call Winston. Just call when 180 Winston. He's not for hire.

You wish. 1,800 Winston. You imagine if he started an Andyman business, he would crush it. You know what I told him he needs to do, though, is an Instagram account, which he would probably never do. Called, like, the Renaissance Man, where it's like you teach people how to build a proper fire and how to make candles and how to play the piano and how to fix a air vent plug that he can do it. He can do it the range. How to trim your cuticles maybe. It's just big.

Just that every man needs to know, you know, what tools to have. He, like, started pumping up my tire the other day. I was like, where'd you get that thing? He's like, I always have this thing. And I'm like, okay. Is it a portable tire and flutter? And then our van battery wouldn't work, so it comes out and starts jumping the cables. And I'm like, people need to know how to do these things.

You just follow him around and film him, and you start the Instagram without him. You should. It would go viral. I think other men. Renaissance Winston. Especially men like 32 and under would really appreciate it. 33? Forget about it.

Yeah, woman goes viral secretly filming her husband, fix things around the house. There you go. That's fun. Oh, man. Fun questioning. Okay. George, I think I finished before you.

Well, look at you. That's a first. That is a first. Usually, yeah. It was really good, though. I love this one. One of the best we've had. I may say 10 out of 10, y'all.

I think I would get this at a bar. Like, if we were going out for drinks and I saw this on the menu, I think I would do it. You're welcome mixologist, Michael. I'm going to go 10 out of 10 as well. I don't know how I could improve upon it. I think the little smoked marshmallow. Extra great touch. That was a really nice touch.

So if you're going to make it at home, I would highly encourage you to do that. And I'll tell you what is in it, Rachel. This is a smoked camfire mule. And here's what's in it. It's got bourbon, lemon juice, maple syrup, ginger beer, and a marshmallow. Now you're thinking, man, that marshmallow must really set it up there. It's only $255 per glass. Oh, that's not bad.

Not terrible. You would pay, what, maybe eight times that at a restaurant? Oh, my gosh. Nashville these days? 18. 18 dollars, Rachel Wood Cruz would pay. So if you want the recipe, we highly encourage you to try it out for yourself, including how to properly smoke a glass, which makes this drink feel super fancy.

You ever smoke a glass before? I haven't. I've seen people do it. I got a little kit and I do it at home. Is it fun? It's really fun. You get little wood chips and you have a little thing you put on top, you light it, and the glass fills with this wood smoke, and it's a little bit.

It creates this wonderful flavor. Love it. I'll come over. We'll make one for Winston. So great. So great. All right. Well, it's closing time, George.

You guys, thank you for watching and listening to this episode. And as always, leave a review if the spirit leads because we love reading them. We love to know what you guys like. We really appreciate it. Subscribe. Share this around. You know, when you're a New Year's Eve party, just say, have you guys been listening to Smart Money Happy Hour to your friends and family? That's a great idea.

They say no. Pull it up. When the party started eight, it's now 10.30 and we're all still sitting around waiting an hour and a half. Like, all right, what do we do now? Pull up an episode and just say, hey, you want to learn about money and cocktails? Maybe lead with the cocktails and then maybe hit play. You want to learn about cocktails and money? Anyways, we really appreciate you guys.

Happy New Year. We are so excited about, gosh, 2024. Here we are. It's going to be a big year. I'm ready for it. I'm ready for it. You guys, thanks again. And we'll see you next Thursday in a new year.

a new episode of Smart Money Happy Hour.