Smart Money Happy Hour with Rachel Cruze and George Kamel - Should You Go All In for All-Inclusives?
Episode Date: May 18, 2023Not all that glitters is gold. Rachel and George are here to crunch the numbers, debate the pros and cons, and decide once and for all if all-inclusive vacations are worth your money. Which costs more...: a trip to 30A or a week at a resort? Why does late-night crème brûlée from room service hit different? And is it all too good to be true? In This Episode: · The current state (and fascinating history) of all-inclusive vacations · George’s love of fire dancing and Rachel’s aversion to mass-produced vacation food · Cost comparisons, nonrefundable contracts and Costco Travel tips Helpful Resources: · Get your finances organized, make a plan, build up your confidence, and kick money stress out of your life for good with the EveryDollar budgeting app. Go to www.everydollar.com/smart to get started today! · Enter The Ramsey Cash Giveaway for a chance at $3,000! https://bit.ly/SMHHgvwy · 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 This Week’s Happy Hour Special: Sidecar Ingredients: · 1 1/2 ounces cognac · 3/4 ounce Cointreau · 3/4 ounce lemon juice · Sugar (for garnish) Instructions: Coat the rim of a chilled cocktail glass with sugar and set it aside. Add cognac, Cointreau, lemon juice and ice to a cocktail shaker. Shake until mixed and chilled. Strain the liquid into your prepared glass and enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcript
Discussion (0)
Hey guys, I'm Rachel Cruz.
I'm George Camel.
And this is Smart Money Happy Hour.
Cheers, George.
Cheers.
Wow.
I love it.
I love a tart drink, and that's what that is.
We will get into the details of that.
But first, this is the show.
We're two friends who happen to be money experts.
Talk about what you're talking about.
Everything from pop culture, current events, and of course, money.
And today we are talking about all-inclusive vacations.
I feel like you enunciated that.
Well, I needed to make sure people knew what we were talking about because it is all inclusive.
It is inclusive of all, Rachel.
So we're going to talk about when and how this became a thing, why some people hate them,
and others swear by them.
And is it a smart way to spend your money?
And we love a good vacation.
So we are here for the topic.
That's right.
Pack your Vera Bradley duffel bags and let's head out on the old open seas, baby.
We're doing this thing.
Get on board.
All inclusive.
But we sip on a cocktail.
Every episode in this cocktail is what, George?
It's called a sidecar, Rachel, and it's very bougie tasting.
It's great.
You ever had a drink that just taste bougie?
Yeah, that's this.
That's this one.
So we're going to give it a...
What are we doing?
We're in a car heading to the all-inclusive, so I was thinking.
There we go.
Way to tie in the cocktail to the episode.
Side car with it, but...
So stick around until the end of the episode.
We're going to give it a rating, reveal the cost, give you the recipe so you can try
for yourself at home.
Okay, so everyone listening or watching,
all-inclusive resorts, like close your eyes and just take it in.
I mean, this is like a really good-looking couple
frolicking through the waves at a sandals.
What all-inclusive are you going to?
Resorts.
Well, think about the commercial of sandals.
Oh, the commercials.
It's not the reality.
Or that, too.
There could be.
So, like, that or, like, I think about, you know, Cabo and Laguna Beach,
the TV show, like, their spring break, like, soak that in for a second.
Do you think about Holiday in the Sun?
Mary Kate and Ashley?
Yes, I do at the Atlantis on jet skis.
That was my first thought.
Take it in.
That wasn't all-inclusive, but that is a resort, a bogey resort that we all wish we were going to.
The word resort just makes me feel good.
I'm like, that just sounds nice.
That just sounds right, doesn't it?
I love it.
And many people, they've taken these and they have very specific thoughts.
Right now there's probably already, there are in the comment section.
Letting us know how they feel about all-inclusives and the one trip they took where this thing happened.
Okay.
Give me your overarching, like, history of all-inclusive resorts and what you think about.
them now, George. Ready, go. Okay. I've only, I think I've done two total. Okay. They're both with my wife. One was the
honeymoon and one was an anniversary trip. Cancun and Cabo were the two that we've done. And what are
your overarching thoughts? I personally loved it. We had weird experiences because Whitney got very sick both
times. Oh no. So it was mostly like me watching like the fire dancers by myself and everyone's watching
like, was this guy just, did he show up alone? I'm like my wife is sick. I'm not creepy. I'm not creepy. She's in the room. She's
sleeping. Oh my gosh. How about you guys? Um, mom and dad started, we took, we took all-inclusive
vacations when I was like, maybe a freshman in high school. It's like for spring breaks and stuff,
we would go as a family to those, uh, Mexico. I feel like it was mostly it, like the playa del karma
Carmen or whatever outside of Cancun. Yeah, that sounds like a real place. I think it is a real place.
I think it is a real place. And then we did one on our honeymoon. Um,
And I'll be honest, I don't know if we've been back to an all-inclusive since then.
Wow.
We've done more just like standard hotels versus like the all-inclusive.
So I'll let's say, I think they're great.
And I think, yeah, there's some pros and cons to them, obviously.
But a big thing for us right now is food.
Like I just enjoy really good food.
And I just feel like, oh, all-inclusive.
Because it's so mass-produced, you just don't get that part of it, you know?
That's fair.
But when my kids get older, when my kids get older,
though, and it's like you all are participating in everything and we're traveling all the time together with them, or not all the time, but when we do trips, I could see that being coming back into our lives. So I feel like it's full circle. Yeah, I've never been with kids. So that worries me of how the experience would change. Yes. When it's just like, because that means it's kid friendly, which means it could be chaos. Oh, we're yours all like adult only? I think we did the adults only. I've never done that before. I didn't want to see a child within a 30 mile radius. And now that we're having a baby, we're like, well, we got to take the kids on vacation. Oh my gosh. So.
So I think my opinion on that will change.
Yeah, your heart is shifting.
But there's something nice about never hearing like a screaming child by the pool.
That's so true.
We've never done that before.
I've never done like an all-adult thing.
I'll take the kids.
You and Winston go on your own.
We'll have a great time.
And we'll see what happens.
We'll see what happens.
But yeah, but there are some pros and cons.
So I feel like a pro.
So where's some of the pros?
Yeah, pro is that you typically know exactly what you're getting.
So going in, you know the price up front.
You can be budgeting for it and you know what all is included.
So whether it's drinks and food, beach service.
cost versus variable with other vacations.
That's right.
That's right.
So that's really great.
For people with my personality type, that's huge.
Because I'm the guy who's like looking on the menu going, oh, the chicken's cheaper
than the steak.
Oh, no, George.
You know what I mean?
Like I'm a little more frugal, a little more researched when it comes to prices.
Yep.
And so all inclusives make me feel great.
Because I just get what I want.
If I want another drink, I just get another drink.
And that is pretty awesome.
Yeah.
That's great.
I think that's a pro.
That's a huge pro.
For sure.
Cons.
Mm-hmm.
Limited flexibility.
once you agree and pay.
And so you're stuck with the restaurant that are on the property.
Yep, yep.
You're stuck with the food and drinks you already paid for,
and you sometimes feel pressure to consume.
And there's non-refundable contracts.
So most of them...
Oh, really?
I don't know that.
You know, you pay, and it's over.
Oh, yeah.
You've got to make sure you select non-refundable rooms,
and so that can be more expensive.
That can be tricky if you've got to cancel last minute.
Yeah.
That's, yeah.
But again, the food you mentioned, it's mass-produced.
You're not going to get, like, crazy high-quality food.
Right, right.
When it's all-inclusive.
Yep.
But hey, you don't have to think about caring around a wallet and not looking at prices because you can just order whatever you want.
I love being in the room.
It's 11 p.m.
I'm like, I want creme brulee and pizza right now.
Right now.
Give it to me now.
And someone just makes it and brings it.
It's amazing.
And they're always so nice.
The staff at these all-inclusives in Mexico are just the sweetest people.
So kind.
I know.
I agree.
I agree.
Okay.
So where did these even become a thing?
I mean, this is like this.
Oh, I'll spill the tea on this rate.
Yeah.
Yeah, give me the history, George, because you were talking about this earlier, and I was like, what?
Here's the crash course on where all-inclusives came from.
So this Belgian entrepreneur named Gerard Blitz trailblazed all-inclusives back in the 1950s.
The 50s?
Yeah.
They've been around for a hot minute.
And tell me the name Blitz doesn't give some fancy European beach energy.
This guy was after it.
So he founded a place called Club Med, which you may have heard of, short for Mediterranean.
And his mission was, create a place to be happy, which I think is a beautiful mission in life.
Right?
Yeah, you're serving the population.
I mean, your taglines, you know, create a life you love.
He's trying to create a place for people to be happy.
And not have to think about their money because once you go, you just can eat and do whatever you want.
Exactly.
And apparently, this mindset and belief of life is meant to be enjoyed became popular after World War II.
I think people started taking stock with their lives going, oh, my gosh, what we just went through.
Like, that was a lot.
And so his main goal was to eliminate all these extra charges that can put added strain on vacations,
which again a very noble goal
for the conscious consumer
and so he opened a low-priced summer
colony of tents on the Spanish
island of Mayorka
Majorca
which is also a fun fact
the fake hometown of Boston native
Hilaria Baldwin
Alex Baldwin's wife
so there's a
What is up with her?
You drop that at your next trip you night
She like will randomly throw in an accent
right isn't that the joke
Just like I did with Mayorka
Mayorca
Yeah you could totally pass
It's like a Middle Eastern man with an accent
You could have stopped that.
You could pass as a Middle Eastern man.
You could.
Because I am one and I can't pass for it.
You can't.
So kind.
Go back to your roots, George.
Well, hey.
I would be found out if I tried to fake an accent.
We'll get you there.
So let's talk about the breakdown in cost.
Because cost is one of the major reasons people take these all-inclusive vacations.
And I'm happy to share what I spent on my previous ones.
Oh, well, do.
Because I want to compare a 30-A trip.
Okay.
which is a destination that a lot of people in our area go to for the beach.
And I'm like, that's a good comparison of like, yeah, if you just go to the beach or do an all-inclusive, what's cheaper.
But give me your breakdown of your – this is your all-inclusive experience.
Is that correct?
So honeymoon in 2018.
Okay.
We went to –
Which is pre-COVID and all that.
That's true.
So the prices probably have cranked up a little bit.
So we did five nights.
I booked it through Costco travel, which if you know me, Kirkland King.
I only book all-inclusive through Costco.
Costco travel. Hashtag not sponsored. I don't know why. I'm obsessed. So they upgrade your room for free.
Through Costco travel? Yes. Sure. Upgraded room. I got 178 Costco gift card that I could use towards Costco.
Wow.
And a $50 daily resort credit. How does Costco do this? Who knows? So all of that cost me for five nights for both of us and flights were included, 2970.
No. So under three grand total. No way.
Way.
And that was, and y'all, it was a nice.
It was nice.
Yeah.
I mean, I think, I don't remember the star rating, but it had really good reviews.
Yeah.
I had done a lot of research.
And it was like a.
Where was it?
Tell us.
The name of the resort.
It's called Livaqua.
Live aqua.
It was in Mexico?
Cancun.
Cancun.
And it was really great.
Then I did one in Cabo back in October.
Oh, recently.
Okay.
Yeah.
Of 2021.
Yes.
Okay.
So fairly recently.
Okay, yeah.
And this was five nights.
Costco King, too?
Costco as well.
Kirkland King, sorry.
Kirkland King.
Didn't mean the mess of your label.
And this was at Los Cabos Marquis.
And the total was 2272 for five nights.
Man, it got cheaper.
Oh, never mind.
It was seven nights.
We did longer.
And it was a whole week.
And it was cheaper.
I can't remember if this one included flights.
I cannot remember for the life of me.
But it was a very nice kind of more boutique resort.
Yes, okay.
And it was a great time.
There you go.
So there you go.
So mine all were.
23 to 3 grand.
Okay, because when you do 30A, which again
is a beach town area in Florida
and the panhandle, so if you are
anyone that is in... Near Pensacola, Panama City.
Yeah, if you're in the southern part of the U.S., Texas, all the way up, I'd say
to Kansas, 30A has become a destination
place because the beaches are beautiful and there's like
all these cute little beach towns all the way down this highway of 30A.
You got Rosemary Beach, Alice Beach, Santa Rosa Beach,
Blue Mountain Beach. Yeah, there's a lot. There's a lot down there.
So we tallied up
and went through and said, okay, yes, if you're in that
and just envision like bikes and Yeti coolers going to the beach.
That's like 30A.
So everything from like a condo rental for two.
So I did that for like a one to two bedroom.
Is it like five nights?
No, a week long, seven nights.
Oh, wow.
Cleaning fee, gas, if you're going to drive there and back,
oil change and car maintenance.
Okay.
Because, you never know what's going to happen.
Everything from like sunscreen, new swimsuits,
supplies, all that, parking, groceries, dinners out, miscellaneous shopping, chair and umbrella
rental, bike rentals, all that. I mean, it came out to about 3,500, George. Whoa. Yeah. And that's for two
people. If you've got a family of four, five, six, you're going to multiple, yeah, you'll be
spending in probably five grand doing that, for sure. And that's stateside. And that's the state side. So,
that's the thing is vacations in the U.S. are more expensive. Are going to be more expensive. Yeah,
Because of the labor market, the economy, the dollar exchange.
Yeah, versus the Caribbean or Mexico or something.
Yeah, you do.
Labor is, it is cheaper.
Those are other places than the U.S.
And so it is going to be more, yeah, it's going to be more expensive doing that.
Well, let's compare it to Punta Kana in Dominican Republic.
So these are.
That's where we went on our honeymoon.
How was it?
From great, it was great.
I really remember 13 years ago, we were there over Christmas because we got married
December 19th.
So we spent Christmas over there.
I just remember being in a sundress, sipping on a cosmopolitan in the lobby with families everywhere, opening gifts.
Winston and I were like, here we are on our honeymoon on Christmas.
There were like families that were there.
So we didn't do that all adult.
Oh, so it's all kids around.
Yeah, it was like a big Christmas.
That's what I remember.
If you don't want, if you're not bringing your kids, just go for the adults only.
I don't know why we did that.
There's lots of it.
But it was an excellence resort, I think, is where we stayed.
Yeah.
So it was very nice.
It was great.
They're playing Jimmy Buffett
Christmas music the whole time.
Well, this is what's crazy.
The Punta Kana All Inclusive
could cost you $2,400
including flights.
Oh, wow.
Rides to and from the airport.
Food, drinks, luxury, sweet.
So it is a, it's a cost savings.
It's a $24-hour room service.
Okay, then let's throw in this little, this little wrench.
Dengie?
I don't know what I was going to say this.
It's a dingy.
Okay.
I don't know why that was the word that came to my head.
Sure.
Throw in this little part.
It's your show, Rachel.
We're just living in it.
This little part.
Cruise it.
Okay, so we're talking about all-inclusive here.
Now, we're talking about resorts, but when you go on a cruise, it's all-inclusive.
Yes.
I expect a very different experience on a cruise, to be fair.
Okay, so Royal Caribbean, are you ready for this?
Seven nights with a balcony suite is $1,900.
Royal Caribbean Holy Land's cruise, which means you get to go to the Holy Land for 12 nights.
You know, get baptized in the Jordan, see some biblical side.
Yeah.
Whatever they do?
Stuff is going to happen there.
Now that's $3,800.
But that's 12 nights.
That's almost two weeks.
And that's international travel we're talking.
Way further than just Mexico.
Now throw in a Disney cruise.
Those feel expensive.
Those are expensive.
I've never done one.
Those are like three to five grand.
Have you done one?
Yeah, we have for three nights.
Three nights, three to five grand.
So just prepare yourselves.
We did a Disney cruise, yes.
We convinced Mom and Dad to take the whole family.
That's legit.
Dave was on a Disney cruise.
Was he miserable?
Was he just like getting me?
Not his happy self.
Because I imagine it's just, there's a lot of children.
Just imagine it all.
Just imagine it all.
And it happens on that.
Oh, my goodness.
But, you know, he was a trooper.
He did it for the kids.
And Denise and I, we strategize.
And our strategy, we shot that gun a little too early, if you know what I mean.
We should have waited and pulled the trigger later in life.
Our kids were so little.
Oh.
So I was pregnant with Charles.
Caroline was like two, a million of four.
I mean, they were so small.
Even now, it would be a totally different experience.
Yes, so wait.
I'm going to say that.
If you want to do a Disney cruise, I think it's a fun thing.
If they're five and up, go.
No.
Uh-uh.
I would say, I'd say third grade and up.
I don't know what age that is.
Okay.
That's like, uh...
Let me think.
Amelia's about to go on.
Yeah, 8, 9.
8, 9, 10 is the youngest.
Okay.
I wouldn't go any younger than that on a Disney cruise personally.
All right.
Because they're freaking expensive.
Did you see that?
Did you see those prices?
For three nights, George.
For five grand, I could go to,
have a nice European vacation.
That's a lot.
That's a lot.
Okay.
So with all of these trips and all-inclusives,
there's some fine print because it feels like, you know, could be.
It sounds too good to be true.
It could be too good to be true.
It could be too good to be true.
I know.
So what's the catch, George?
Well, like I mentioned, they can be non-refundable.
So that's a big part of this is make sure if there's any chance that you might cancel this trip,
that you book a non-refundable room where it goes, hey, if you, which Costco travel, again,
is great because I think I think.
up to a few weeks out, you can cancel and get all of your money back.
Yep.
So they have different staggered days there.
So that's a big one.
The other one is eating and drinking.
There's a lot of different packages.
Some exclude alcohol.
So beware of your preferences here.
And if you want an authentic cultural experience and want to try a local culture,
all inclusive may not be your vibe.
You're not going to get a super traditional.
They're kind of catering to the every man.
That's right.
That's right.
And excursions, this is another thing.
So with cruises, specifically, it's really the prices are going to depend.
on what excursion, so you need to actually price them out and see.
Oh, that's true.
We spent money to do the all swimming with the dolphins.
Oh, yeah.
How was it?
So that was an extra thing.
It was life-changing.
I was very anti, and then I did it.
And it was like, you were enjoying this too much.
We did that in Jamaica one year.
And did this dolphin come up with your feet and you come out of water?
I mean, yes.
Did it just, like, do something to your soul?
I mean, it was like the theme song of Free Willy started playing in my head.
It was like, do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do.
It was amazing.
It just felt one.
Magical moment.
One with the fish.
We also did a glass boat excursion where you can see in the bottom of the boat.
That one was kind of frightening.
Yeah, I couldn't see that.
But yeah, those add costs.
And when it comes to kids, again, this is the fine print.
Make sure, because as we just said, some resorts do not allow kids.
Other places they do.
And sometimes their kids are free.
Wow.
Depending on their age.
The activity, some of them are free.
All of it.
So regardless of price, if you have your kids, make that part of the equation.
Yeah.
And then lastly, amenities.
So all the flashy amenities may look tempting, but just because you have access doesn't mean it's always completely unlimited or free to use.
Exercise equipment may be free for all, but some workout classes may not be.
Or the spa.
You got to pay extra to get the spa treatment, of course.
And so you've got to be aware of what is being offered with the package you're buying.
That's right.
That's a big one.
But again, they're cheaper because the cost of labor is so much lower.
The economies are very different.
Yes, and all these other countries and islands and all that, yeah, for sure.
Your dollar goes a lot further when you leave the U.S.
and go to some of these countries.
All right.
So I think to wrap it up, George, first and foremost,
all-inclusive vacations, they can be great,
especially depending on your season of life.
So it's a good option if you want to save some money.
We've just done the price comparison.
You can take a great vacation.
Absolutely.
That's way more budget-friendly.
And what's fun is all the destinations
that these all-incluses are in
are all over the map.
So you can kind of just travel where you want.
That's true.
And for the planning side.
People don't talk about this,
but planning a vacation is so much work.
And it can be fun.
until it gets kind of stressful and mind-numbing.
And with an all-inclusive, they have activities built in,
and you show up and they go,
here's the calendar of what's going on,
here's what you can do,
and you don't have to do as much planning.
Okay, can I say this may be bougie?
But can we level set, though?
Would you say majority of all-inclusives, though,
compared to a standard hotel,
a freestanding hotel,
will lose some quality?
Oh, that's interesting.
And, like, bedding and food.
Like, you look at some of the...
I feel like they have to skimp on some...
quality because of the quantity that all-inclusive.
That's fair.
I guess I've chosen like a higher tier.
I try not to go for the bottom of the barrel, all-inclusive.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
But I found the ones I've stayed in are comparable or better than hotels.
There you go.
That's what I was curious about, which you were thinking.
It depends.
It's so dependent that we can't just say overall.
That's right.
That's right.
But the ones I've stayed in our, I'm like, oh, this is nice.
We get the soaking tub.
There's a remote to take the shades down.
Like there's some cool features.
Fancy, I don't know.
That's good.
I would also say again to reiterate, read the fine print.
Yes.
Because this is big, again, whether it's food, drink, transportation, all of that.
Cancelation policies.
Exactly what is included.
And last, no matter what, budget and save you guys.
Save up for your vacations.
Do not swipe the credit card.
Don't go into debt for vacation.
It's not worth it.
It's not worth it.
Never.
And so an easy way to do this is go, all right, I did my research.
The trip's going to cost three grand.
So if it's six months out that I need to book it, I need to save $500 a month for six months.
Yep.
And so until you have the money in full, do not.
book the trip. But what's nice about all-inclusives is once you pay for it, it's done. You
have to think about it anymore. There's nothing else to pay for unless you do stuff on top of that.
That's true. That's true. Yeah, because we just took a trip a few weeks ago. And every dollar
in the app, I was just tracking some transactions last week that were just now coming in. So you're
like, oh my gosh, because we were still paying for a restaurant. We didn't do an all-inclusive.
Oh. So yeah, so some of the restaurant charges and the parking and like a couple of things were
still those transactions were just now hitting and you're like oh man okay I had it budgeted so we just
stuck in that line item but there is something to be said about just paying everything up front and you're
done yes well we just took a baby moon and we were just talking about this my wife and I and we were like
for what we spent it was a great trip yeah you know three nights but for what we spent we could have
gone to an all-inclusive and so we were like for longer yeah for longer we could have spent four five
nights at an all-inclusive and so there is a ton of value that is packed in and so if you have
taken one, I would highly recommend it.
I am personally a fan. We are not sponsored by all-inclusive
resorts. Is that a thing? Can you just get
sponsored by the general idea? It may sound like we're trying
to sell them. Are you currently
saving up for a trip? Are you going to go anywhere soon with Winston
that's like, this is an exciting big trip for us?
We're taking the girls to Florida right after school's
out, but we already have that in the budget.
So we've already saved for that one.
But no, other than that, we don't have like another
big trip on the horizon. I would love to do Europe.
I feel like a lot of people are like going international
these days. I know we
had some friends that tried to get a passport and they could not get a passport.
Is this hard right now?
Yes, everything.
Everything is backed up because people are traveling.
I guess because of COVID and all the revenge travel.
Told you.
It's all happening.
It's a thing.
It really is.
Wow.
So I think that would be so fun to do something like that.
Something crazy.
But no, we don't have anything on the books.
Okay.
How about you?
You guys.
What we'd really love to do is once babies here and everything's great, months later,
you know, probably a year from now.
Yeah.
Do a trip to an all-inclusive but with friends.
We've never really done that.
I know you've been a lot of travel with friends.
We do so much travel with friends.
But all inclusive is feel like the perfect spot with friends because then you're not worried about, hey, he's not here yet.
You know, like we got at the reservation.
Oh, yeah.
It's just kind of like show up when you want.
We'll be at the pool.
Yes.
So I like that level of no one's upset.
That's great.
You know, very diplomatic.
Travel with friends is so fun.
You got to pick the right people, though.
That's right.
Lindsay, are you in?
You and Jordan?
You know we're always in.
Okay.
As long as they're in, that's all that matters.
It's all that matters.
Okay, well we had a good time with this one
That's great
I just I love travel George
You do
This is where I would spend all my money
I would I would cut other places in our budgets
But I love a good travel
Don't you think that our generation
The millennials
They value travel and experiences
Over things and stuff
Yes we're like boomers probably are more stuff
oriented
Is that what you're comparing us in like our parents generation
Exactly
Oh I think so yeah
I think there's more of like the yolo
Like let's go have some fun
Let's go have some amazing experiences
is stuff is just stuff.
That's right.
You don't need that stuff.
So I aspire to that where I'm more experienced-driven versus stuff-driven.
So good.
So good.
Well, you guys, we're all for vacations.
I feel like on our Ramsey Solutions platforms and shows, sometimes I feel like we say no a lot.
I'm like, you got to sacrifice.
You got to do this and that and that, which is all true.
But again, our motto always is you live like no one else.
So get out of deck, get that emergency fund, be responsible, get yourself in a good place financially.
So later you can live and give and do all-inclusives.
Like, no one else.
And if you've been following the Ramsey plan and you're now past baby step three,
which means you're out of debt with an emergency fund, you're investing, take a vacation.
Some of y'all out there, you're just so in that mode of just like, ah, I can't spend money.
Spend a little bit.
It's okay to spend a few grand to have an amazing experience.
Spend, what, $2,500 and go to an all-inclusive.
Costco travel.
Costco travel, all the way.
All right, George, so it's almost the end of the episode.
and we like to close out every episode with guilty as charged.
And this is where our producer, Lindsay, gives us a new guilty-as-charged question every week.
And if we are guilty, we take a sip.
Impress us, Lindsay.
Okay.
I don't know why I said that.
Okay.
I'm always impressed.
Are you guilty of buying multiple outfits just because you're about to go on vacation?
Oh, man.
I feel like you've for sure done that.
Yes.
Whatever.
I can't think of a, like, a guy needing a vacation outfit is just strange to me.
Like, did you just get, like, a couple swim trunks because you're like, I need to lip it up.
I don't think I'm, like, need to impress anyone.
I need that in blue and I need that in green.
Before a trip.
No, I don't think I've ever bought something.
For like a part, like a Christmas party, you know, maybe something like that.
No, you for a trip.
But I don't think so.
I think you buy things for, like, you to get from your house to the place.
So, like, you're going to have all the tech inside the plane.
Like, you've got all.
all these things going on to make your...
That is more like me.
But never for the trip itself.
Okay.
I will say a lot of the all-inclusives, I love...
There's a T.J. Max brand.
I don't know if it still exists called denim and flour.
And they have a lot of like floral, cool, like short sleeve shirts.
So I wore those a lot.
Middle-Ageau?
Like the Hawaiian shirts?
Like the old man shirts?
Yes, but like think tasteful.
That doesn't...
But denim and flour doesn't go with that.
Think tasteful.
It does this.
I'm telling you.
Nothing connects.
It was very tasteful.
Nothing.
Nothing connects there with those two things.
It's not the Tommy Bahama, like, old guy shirts.
That's what I'm envisioning?
No, please don't.
Okay, what did you buy?
You remember, like, a trip?
You're like, oh, yeah, I thought.
I mean, yeah, this last one.
Yeah, I bought a dress.
Every time we go on a trip, he's like, I need four new swimsuits.
Oh, yeah, like, I feel like I was in here like, I don't need a outfit forever day.
Yeah.
I'm a new woman.
I'm a new woman every day.
Yeah, I did buy a dress.
I know.
And, like, swimsuit cover up.
Like, yeah, you have your things that you're just like, because I buy so much stuff from
Amazon, so it's so inexpensive.
new cover up for $9.99.
And I'm like, oh, that's cute and fun.
You don't need to get the designer brand.
No, no, no, no, no.
You're not trying to impress anyone with these all-inclusives.
No.
So it's, uh, it's low quality, but it's fun and new.
Yeah.
The biggest thing is invest in sunscreen.
I've got some serious sunburns from all-inclusives.
Oh, no, George.
You know what?
Can I tell you this?
I think one of my first all-inclusives, I was like eighth grade or freshman year.
And it was the first time you ever, like, as a girl, I don't know if every woman probably
has experienced this where you're like,
quote unquote lay out for the first time.
Like normally when you're a kid, you're just like running around.
And then you get to be a teenager and like, no, you lay out.
And you like, and you have your Walkman, your CDs with your burnt CDs case.
I remember bringing that.
Yes.
And you lay out and all this.
So anyways, I went with my friends, Kelly, who is naturally has very dark pigment in her skin.
Like she's just tans very easily.
Me, rather fair.
Y'all, I did banana boat oil.
Oh, no.
That's a classic.
Mm-hmm.
At one of these resorts.
It's like buttering up a chicken before he putting one.
What are you thinking?
And y'all, and I got freaking sun poisoning.
I had rashes.
I got a rash over my hole.
I had to sit in a tub, y'all, for the last two days.
Cold tub.
And I had a fever.
I mean, it was terrible.
And Kelly Kelly was all tan.
I'm walking around.
I was like, I can't.
I can't.
It was so bad.
So I learned about sunscreen.
That trip.
And that wasn't all-inclusive.
That was an all-inclusive.
Take care of your skin.
You only get it once.
You only get it once.
Wear sunscreen on your face, girls.
There's my BSA.
The wrinkles.
You know.
It's not worth the tan you have when you're young.
The crow's feet, yeah, put the hat on, get under the umbrella, read a book.
Your 40-year-old self will be happy.
We both finished our drink.
It was really good.
It was delicious.
The sidecar.
I don't think I've ever had one before.
Yes.
It's a classic cocktail, though.
I'll tell you what's in it.
It's very simple, actually.
It's just cognac.
Quantro, which is a.
Triple sec, and lemon juice.
Okay.
Three ingredients that when come together just...
We're great.
Are they usually served up like this, like in a martini glass?
I believe so.
It is, okay.
Yes, and the cost comes out to $2.86 per glass, which is not bad.
Yeah, that's so great.
And what would you rate it?
I mean, I'm feeling generous.
I mean, maybe 10 out of 10.
The elusive, 10 out of 10.
I think I would order it at a restaurant.
That's kind of how my 10 out of tens is like, would you go order it at a restaurant.
And I think I would.
I think I would have that as a cocktail to restaurant.
That's fair.
I'll go nine out of ten.
I loved it.
I'm not like a huge cognac person.
Okay.
But it was an amazing drink.
So I recommend all of you go make it.
The recipe is in the show notes.
And give it a try.
Let us know what you think.
All right, you guys, it's almost closing time.
So if you don't want to miss a future episode of Smart Money Happy Hour,
make sure to subscribe and always leave a review.
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So you guys, hopefully we'll see you next Thursday on a whole new episode of Smart Money Happy Hour.
