Smart Money Happy Hour with Rachel Cruze and George Kamel - The DUMBEST Things People Actually Spend Money On!

Episode Date: May 1, 2025

📈 Are you on track with the Baby Steps? Get a free personalized plan. Dropping $10 on latte art . . . Waste of money or totally worth it? In this episode, Rachel and George call out the dumbest things people spend money on, plus you’ll find out what questions to ask next time you’re tempted to splurge. Next Steps: 🎥 Watch our video Frugal Fails That Might Actually Ruin You. 🍸 Follow Smart Money Happy Hour on TikTok: @smartmoneyhappyhour  📱 Submit 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. 💵 Start your free budget today. Download the EveryDollar app! Connect With Our Sponsors: 🔒 Get 20% off when you join DeleteMe. 🌿 Get up to 40% off with code SMARTMONEY at Cozy Earth. Today’s Happy Hour Special: 🍹 Sparkling Pear Mocktail Recipe: Cotter Crunch 3 Anjou pears 1/3 cup water 1 tablespoon mulling spices 2 cinnamon sticks 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup maple syrup 24 ounces sparkling apple juice Instructions: Place the peeled, sliced pears and water in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth. Add the pear puree in a small pot along with the mulling spices, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla. Mix together and let the pot simmer for 15 minutes on medium low. Remove from heat, mix in the maple syrup and cool. Once cool, strain and store the remaining syrup in a sealed jar. Place in the fridge until ready to use. To make the mocktails, place sugar on a large plate. Coat the rim of a wine or cocktail glass with egg white then dip in the plate of sugar. Add 1/4 cup pear syrup followed by 5–6 ounces of sparkling apple juice. Stir then add ice, if desired, and garnish with herbs. Repeat to get 4–6 mocktails. 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

Today we're talking about the dumbest things that people spend money on. And let me tell you, there was no shortage of content here. Oh, and there was a lot. Everyone's got their thing. You know, some people, it's their coffee and their lattes. And this time, we're going to roast each other for the things that we spend money on that are done. Okay, hold on. Let me, like, prepare my sensitive soul.

Hey, guys, I'm Rachel. I'm George. And this is Smart Money Happy Hour. Cheers. Cheers. A very delicate cling today, because this drink is very, it's doing the most. Oh, it's delicious. 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. What are we sipping on? We are sipping on a sparkling pear mocktail. And I can tell you right now, this might be one of the top three we've had. It's really good. It's unstoppable. It's a force to be reckoned with. So stick around until the end.

We're going to give you the rating and we'll be at the cost per glass at the end of the episode. Yes. So I'll just say this. As we were prepping for this episode, we were like, okay. Let's list off a couple of things that, you know, we think are just dumb in general. We might step on some toes here. Can we say that?

Yeah, we could. We could. I know. But we went kind of high level. So, like, we'll give them, like, our, like, I don't know, high level view of some dumb things. And then it started to get a little personal, George. Oh, wow.

Like, we're going to roast each other at the end? Yeah, well, yeah. And then the list after this one is like, oh, no, like, you've done that or I've done that. I don't know. And then at the end, a total roast of each other, because there's stuff that George spends money on that I'm, I think is... Was this episode

just made to be a personal attack on me because I am here for it and ready to defend my honor? Okay, what are the high level that you and I agree on that we're like... I think you and I and almost all of the financial space agrees that new cars are one of the dumbest things you can spend money on

and people justify it all the time because they're like, Rachel, I want a reliable safe car for my family. Why do they sound like that? I don't know. That's the accent. But they do. So why is this? Why do we hate new cars?

Well, because they lose so much value pretty much immediately. Like, once you drive it off the lot. 10% right there. Yeah, and then over the first year, it's like 20%. I mean, it's just, it is something that costs a lot. Right? And a new car these days, George, $50,000? I'm like, and what's wild?

Totally normal for $50,000 new cars. Yes, and cars that are not even that like glamorous or crazy. That's how high they've gotten in price. Yeah. So again, you could buy a $40,000 brand new car. We're not even talking like luxury cars. No, yeah. Just, yeah.

So all that to say, let someone else take the hit and just buy a two-year-old car or, you know, older. I think it's great. Yeah, people here will buy a used car in cash and they go, oh, my gosh, they want me to buy a $2,000 beater car from 1992. No, there's a gap between 2025 car and 1992. That's right. So buy a five-year-old car, two-year-old 10-year-old car. You know what I mean?

Like, they're still great. There's so great cars. Now, once you have a million dollar net worth, then if you have the money, you can buy a new car. And we say that because you can take the hit financially. It's not a big part of your financial world. But going into debt for a new car and paying interest on something that is going so far down in value so quickly. It's not worth it. Go buy a two-year-old car.

And I will say this, till the day is long, George, if I am at a stoplight and a car pulls up next to me, name a car, George. Go. Oh, Kia Sorrento. I don't see that. Kia Sorinto and I'm not like, ooh, that's a 2025. What a brand new Kia Syrentra. Sorry, I shouldn't have chosen a culture name.

It's a lot for you right now. Oh my gosh. No. Or I wouldn't even know if it's a 2022, a 2021, a 2020, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017. No one knows but you. Honestly, the older the car, the more respect I have. I'm like, dang. Like, we saw an old Lexus SUV, like one of their G-X or one of those. Those are cool.

And they were like, it was like older, boxy SUV. It looked like it was from the late 90s. Can I tell you one of my favorite older SUVs that I get that same feeling is the land cruiser? Do you were the land cruiser that used to be like super high and boxy? I think those are the, I think those are some of the coolest SUVs. Now the brand new Lexus has that look now, George. Uh-oh. You feel like it's gone downhill?

Well, it's just really fun when you see like an old land cruiser and I just think they're like the coolest SUV cars. And cars, I mean, it's like airplanes. Which I think they're probably still expensive. And some of them do hold their value. We'll give them that. Maintain your cars, get a pre-purchase inspection. We're not asking you to buy a lemon that's going to have $20,000 in repairs the first year. That's what's in everyone's mind.

Yes. But just pay cash, save up over time, buy what you can afford, upgrade over time as you can afford it. And your life will be so much better and you'll be able to build wealth. For sure. Okay, let's talk about insurances. Yes. Because we get, you know, you're like, get this one and this one and this one and this one. There's only certain kinds of insurances that you actually need.

and there are certain insurances in the same category that are more expensive than others. So you want to be smart in this area because I could actually save you a lot. Yeah, some people have the right insurance, but they have not enough coverage or too much coverage that they're paying for that they don't need.

Some people have stupid kinds of insurance that they were sold by a good salesperson, and they need to cut it out of their life. And so auto insurance is one that people can save money on. Home insurance is another one you can save money on. And I helped a friend recently save $80 a month plus get better coverage. Just by reshopping with an independent broker.

So not going with your, you know, I've had State Farm since college from my old roommate. It's time to reshop with an independent broker. So jump on Ramsey Solutions.com and reshop your coverage. You can also go to ramsysolutions.com slash checkup and we'll help you figure out, do you have the right coverage? Do you have too much? Not enough. Find the Goldilocks level and pay the best price.

That's all I'm asking. Good for you, George. It's all I'm asking. Not all heroes wear capes. And it's one of the best ways to save in your budget without having to quote sacrifice. That's actually very true, very true. All right, next, I'm going to say it.

Warranties. Ooh, people love their warranties. I know. And every time they get offered, it's like this, I don't know, my dad always used to say this and maybe it's just ingrained. It's like one of those childhood things you have in your head. It's called trauma.

We bought a new washer and dryer. And I do you want a warranty? And I'm literally like, well, is it a crappy product? And they're like, no, it's great. and I was like, okay, then why do I need a warranty? Like, it is ingrained in me. Like, if you buy something new that is nice, a new electronic, like it shouldn't break.

And if it breaks, then why are you selling me that? Oh, yeah. And they'll do this for especially cars, appliances. Yeah. You see this happen on little tiny things now. I will say, I will say I can hear people saying it, and I'm like, you know what, I could actually get on board. I don't have it, but I could see it.

Is the phone. Actually, more back in the day. Now they've built them like a freaking tank. I feel like our phones don't break. Do you wonder when the iPhones used to shatter all the time? Like you would break... I mean, they've now really done well. You could drop it on a pillow and it would somehow shatter.

Yeah, it used to shatter all the time. So I did know people that were like, oh, yeah, we get a warranty for that. And that one, I'm like, okay, I could see. But nowadays, they're so strong and durable. Yeah, I don't think it's worth it. So the key is the amount you would have spent on the warranty, put that amount away, you know, every single month in a sinking fund in your savings account, and you become the warranty.

And chances are you're never going to need it. Right, totally, totally. That's the truth. And now they add it to everything. You'll buy like a $30 lamp on Amazon. And it's like, do you want a $15 warranty? I'm like, I'll just buy another lamp. I'm good.

I'm fine. I'm fine. All right, next, lottery tickets. Ooh. These are tough. This one's tough because, number one, it's a predatory industry in general. When you look at what zip codes are buying lottery tickets, it's usually lower-income zip codes.

Totally. Well, and it's sad because it's like a hope stealer. It's like one of these things that they dangle out of carrot knowing no one's going to win. They're destitute. But they're going to take your money. And we're going to take your money. But we're still going to do this and mark it to you and make you somehow believe that you're going to be the winner. And people spend their harder, harder money on this stuff. And yeah, you're like, well, someone's got to win. That's always the thought. Yeah, I know. So. And the odds of winning. Ready for this? Mega millions jackpot. The odds are one in 302 million.

No, thank you. By the way, that's basically one out of every person. person in America. That's right. Totally. Think about that. 100%. So 28% of Americans and the lowest income bracket play the lotto once a week. And it adds up to $412 a year on lottery tickets.

So it's tough. So listen, if you ever do something like gambling or the lottery or sports betting or crypto, like these things that are high risk, high risk, and they don't have a long-term payoff, only do those things when you financially are in a good spot. and you could literally put that money right in front of you, light it on fire, and it would be fine. Like, that's the emotional state you need to be in with your money in order to do these things.

Yeah, I would say this. If any of those are a habit in your life, then you need to cut it out of your life immediately. There is an addiction there. You're hoping for something that's never going to happen, and you can do much better financially by changing those habits. For sure. All right, next is a whole life insurance, George.

Oh, my goodness. This is one of the most common things we get on the Ramsey show. People calling in saying, I have a whole life insurance policy. I'm paying $300 a month, and I was sold this by, you know, my 24-year-old college roommate. Or my parents had it for me. My parents bought it for me. Yes, and I've had it since I was four or whatever it is.

And people think the problem with whole, so we like life insurance, but you should only get term life insurance. Whole life insurance or permanent life insurance, they try to do two things at once, insurance and investing. They say, well, Rachel, there's a cash value account that will build up over time. And it becomes a great way to, you know, you can use this money. tax-free and borrow against it, and it's this wealth hack that the wealthy use. These are all sales tactics that the salespeople use to scam you. Never mix insurance and investing. Buy your insurance cheap.

Cheap. Cheap. And invest the difference. And you'll be far, far better off. All right. The other one, George, crypto. Oh, boy. I feel like this is your life.

I don't know why. I became like the anti-crypto boy. And I'm really not mad at crypto. Like people think like... Because here's my thing about crypto. From what I've seen and what I've like experienced, I think there will be a day in 10 years that it's like, okay, this could be a legitimate thing.

A normal part of your portfolio is next day. Yeah, I do think it could get there. I really do. But we don't know. That's my problem. The track record is so terrible. It's full of scams and broad. Yeah, I mean, it's just not a great clean industry

to build wealth right now. And it's not investing. It's speculative. You're betting on crypto. You're essentially gambling. And while Bitcoin is the one, it's the poster child. It's like, well, George, Bitcoin.

Okay, one. out of thousands of cryptocurrencies ended up staying here, working, taking off, having a high return. It's still volatile. It could, we don't know, it could crash at any moment

because it's not based on anything. Yes. You know what I do like about it, though, is it's like freestanding from the government. That's the part that I can get behind. I know. I like that.

I'm like, we don't need a federal bank to look over everything. It's going to be like marijuana. At some point, it just becomes regulated by the government and it loses the luster it once had. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

When there's money, be made, the government will get involved and say, hey, you need to pay taxes on that. And so, I don't buy that it's going to be unregulated forever. Okay, that's a good... Eventually, it'll be like in your 401k to choose like a cryptocurrency mutual fund. Oh, funny. So... We'll see.

When that day comes, we'll talk about it. But right now... But right now, it's a lot of just hype and you're just putting money in and there's a much higher chance you will lose it than you will gaining 10x. And there's a lot of get rich quick mentality out there. For sure. You know what's not a stupid purchase, George? What's that?

Cozy Earth. You can't make a stupid purchase with Cozy Earth. Like, you could buy anything, and it wouldn't be stupid. No regrets. No, I'm telling you, Cozy Earth can go beach, can go mountains, can go anywhere you want. Because it is the most incredible quality products out there, you guys, from their clothes to their bedding. I mean, the blankets, the sheets, everything about it. It's just, it is fantastic.

And can we just say with Mother's Day on the horizon, I think it's worth mentioning. It's nice, George. For the woman who has it all, or you don't know what she wants, here's what she wants. She wants. She wants cozy earth. She does. She wants some joggers and pajamas from cozy earth. That's what I'm telling you. She wants to feel boozy. She wants quality items. And she, you know what? She's probably not going to say it out loud. It feels like too much to even ask. She may not. Well, that's nice of her. I know. That's not me.

Rachel is going to. Here's what I want. Here's a list of things I want from cozy earth. Pajamas. Maybe she wants temperature regulating bedding. Maybe some ultra soft PJs. Yeah. You can't go wrong. You can't go wrong. It is, it is fantastic stuff, you guys. seriously the quality of it, the softness of the material, the bamboo stuff, get the bamboo stuff. Like, it's just beautiful. And to celebrate moms everywhere, this weekend only, May 2nd through the 4th,

Cozy Earth is giving our listeners a special promo. Buy one, get one free bamboo PJs. That's what I just said, the bamboo PJ. Oh, my, geez. I think Rachel's going to take advantage in this. So here's the promo code. Smart Money, Bogo, B-O-G-O, smart money, bo-go, one word,

to take advantage of this bo-go offer. Remember, moms deserve the best. And I won't tell. Hey, if you get it for someone who's not a mom, I'm not going to, my lips are sealed. Oh, that's right. You don't have to be a mom to use the promo code. But I'll tell you this much. I think Whitney's going to get two PJs from Mother's Day.

You know what? I'm going to put the Taylor Swift Airs T-shirt aside and introduce some new cozy earth pajamas. I love it. Go check it out. We'll drop a link in the show notes. Be sure to use promo code Smart Money, Bogo. Fantastic. All right, George, I think we should one up each other on this next list.

So that's the baseline. We all agree. Those are dumb things that people waste money on. These are a little more controversial, a little more personal, a little more subjective. Okay, I'm going to say things that I don't, yeah, I'm like, eh. Concerts and live entertainment. Ooh. Except for Taylor Swift.

Caviot. Yeah, I'm not a big, like, concert music person. What about the people who say, Rachel, this experience is meaningful to me? Oh, you know what I am, though? Oh, shoot, now I'm back drinking Broadway. Oh, why is that worth it over a concert ticket? because you're seeing like acting and singing. Wow. So it's the acting that you're really there for.

I don't know. Yeah, a live, like theatrical is more interesting to me. That's fair. Yeah. And then do you know what else I bought? Oh, shoot, I'm backtracking now. I said I wouldn't spend money at live entertainment. And it was fantastic.

So in Nashville, the Nashville Symphony at the Skirmahorn downtown, they will play Christmas movies. and the symphony plays along with the music of the movie. I've seen this. Like Home Alone is playing on the screen, but they are doing the music. So I bought tickets for our family. Yeah, and we did Home Alone.

Oh, nice. I know. Was it life-changing? It was great. Are you watching the whole movie as is with the dialogue? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you're there, like with Pop-Cola. It's like you're watching the movie,

but then when the music comes on, it is like a live symphony. The band is playing over it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, wow. It's really cool. Really, really cool. So what is the highest?

Okay, so maybe I can get into some live entertainment. I thought it was done. I do think it is because of the fees and like you've got to pay for the parking or travel if you're going to go see someone else. It's expensive. It's expensive. The food and beverage. You're going to go out to dinner. You're going to get dolled up.

Maybe buying outfits. You're talking. This could be hundreds, if not a thousand or more. Sure. For some of the experiences. And I do think the fees have made it less feasible. Like that? Less feasible for a lot of Americans to experience.

Okay. What's yours that you think is silly? Oh, dumbest waste of money. And I know this one I'm going to get some hate for, but I think wine. at restaurants just feels like a scam. Okay. It's like $12 for the glass, but I could go to Costco and buy the whole bottle for 18.

Yes. You know what I mean? So I get that it's part of the experience of dining. I feel the same way about just like a pour of liquor. Like if you're going to get a neat bourbon at a restaurant, I'm like, you're going to pay $12 for a buffalo trace neat. So I only will pay for drinks at restaurants that I could not make easily at home. Yes, I'm with you.

If someone just poured it, I'm like, I could have done that and saved a lot of money. Because you're also paying tax and tip on top of that. Yes, you are. Totally. So unless someone else is paying, or is a special occasion, generally not going to do those things. But a craft cocktail, I feel like, is worth it for some reason. Yeah. Like, I'm not going to spend the time to make this mocktail at home.

That's right. That's right. It's simply too fancy. Just so beautiful. So beautiful. How about you? Okay. Can you want up there? I think it's silly is like the dairy alternatives. Like, just get the milk, you know.

Wow. Hurtful. Just get the milk, George. No, no, no, that's fine. What if you're lactose intolerant? Yeah, if you have like an issue with your body. I don't think anyone's like, man, I just love to pay 10 times more for pistachio milk. I do think, though, people have gotten too boozy with their milks?

Have you tried some of these milks? No, but like a nut is supposed to be a nut. Like, stop trying to like. Wow. Who were you to tell nuts what they can be? Keep it in. Never limit a nut, all right? Let the nut dream.

How are they milking it? I have questions too. Okay. Let's talk about like cauliflower. Like stop trying to use cauliflower on everything and making it all this stuff. Like it's just cauliflower. If you do it right.

We've just gone too much, y'all. Like let's just back it down. Let's just back it down. I had a cauliflower dip that was exquisite and it was basically not cauliflower. I was like, okay, if you doll it up enough to not make a cauliflower, I will and buy. But doing a cauliflower steak,

I feel like it's offensive to cows. To just grill a flat piece of cauliflower and be like, we have a cauliflower steak for you this evening? No, rude. We're not doing that. Here's another one. Name brand over-the-counter drugs. Giant waste of money. Oh, shoot, I do name-brand.

Because you love Advil versus ibuprofen? It just feels safe to me. You love Tylenol versus acetaminophen? Yeah, because I don't know these words. Like, the words you're saying after some of these. Okay, right next to the Tylenol, there's, like, the generic brand. I know, I just don't feel like it's as good. I don't know why.

I don't know why. I just, it just makes me... It's literally the same ingredient. You can look at the box. It says the ingredient. I know. I just trust. Look at the milligrams. Yeah.

Look at the red 40. They add in for no reason. Oh, my gosh. And you'll find out. It's the same product. But I do think... I know. The price difference is pretty massive

when you look at name brand versus generic brand. Next time I'm in Walgreens. I'm going to do a price check. Ask the pharmacists say, hey, what is the generic alternative to this? Okay. I'm going to wind up that two. Oh, kids protein shakes. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Are your kids getting ripped? What are they doing? There is a brand at Costco. and my mom has them at her house. So my kids are like, we want it. Y'all, I am not lying. It is, they're $42 for a case of these, of these like green and white protein kids shakes

where we buy, Fair Life. Fair life. Yep. Fraction of the price compared to these. And my kids just drink fair life. Like, why would you- What's so special about the kids' protein?

I don't know. I don't read ingredients, George. It's just too expensive and it's silly and stupid. And I swear it's because it says kids protein that parents are like, oh my gosh, this is good. for my kids. It's healthier for kids. Okay, another thing I think, dumbest things people

waste money on is overpriced coffee and lattes. Yeah, I agree with that. The little treats. Just go to your, just go to your egg. So here's what I do. If you want caffeine, just get a black drip coffee or even an ice coffee. Those are the cheapest options when you're at any coffee shop in America. You start to add dairy for some reason. They go, ho, ho, we've got

to charge you three times for that. So that's just how it goes. I just don't do it unless it's absolutely necessary that I have a latte instead of a drip coffee. Okay, my last one for this list, George. Children's birthday parties. Ooh.

How do we just make it a national law? I mean, genuinely. Now listen, I will give my asterix here. If you have the money and this is like your creative outlets because some people just love throwing parties, they just like this is like their love language. If that's it, I get like, you know, I'm not, no, it's fine.

I just think it is crazy what we spend on a two, three, four-year-old's birthday party. They don't know. They don't care. And it adds up. Oh my gosh, the balloon arches? I mean, everything. It's like a wedding reception now. It's pretty wild.

It's like we've got to get the food. We're catering food in. It's a whole situation. Yeah. I mean, the birthday cakes themselves are like wedding cakes. I mean, like, it is wild. Have you ever done a balloon arch? Those should be abolished.

No, I've not. I've not. I've not. We did one for our daughter's one-year-old party. She will never remember it. The photos will reveal. Yeah. But they did like a DIY balloon arch to save money.

And it took all day. I mean, it was like clear the calendar. We got to do a balloon arch. I'm going to say it. I'm going to say it. Say it. Judge me. It's like it's trying to take something that's childlike and like a little bit like,

oh, it's just balloons and trying to make it fancy. I would rather you take something. I'd rather you take that money and apply it to good food that people can enjoy versus trying to like, it's just a little like, it does nothing.

It does nothing, nothing for me. Bullion arches. I just hear, I just see, expensive is going to be taken down in just a few seconds and or took all day. Yep.

I just don't think they're that cute. I don't know. I'm going to say it. All right. You said it. A lot of feelings are heard out there. Some people have unfollowed you. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm sorry. Don't even try it. I'm going to just say it out loud. Well, you know, following this path, I think we can say that weddings are one of the things that people waste a lot of money on.

Oh, shoot. One of the dumbest things we flex on is just, you just go crazy. You go, well, sure, get the donut wall. Yeah, we got to have the donut wall. What are we doing without the donut? Yeah. We got to get the nicest flowers in the land

that will die instantly. In the land. We got to get the videographer that is award-winning to film this wedding. That will never watch, by the way. How many times have you watched your wedding? Twice maybe And mine's on DVD

That's impressive I would not even know how to play that DVD yeah Ours is on DVD discs with a case Do you want me to help you digitize it? Sure Yeah Get you a little MP4

Be able to play it on your computer Maybe even upload it unlisted to YouTube or something So you guys can have the link ready to go Yeah but that wasn't even like Like filming your wedding In a cool way like just came, like, it was like very... Oh, that's right.

When you guys got married, it was like, you're lucky to just have a static camera capturing. It was 2009. So, like, it was not... I, yeah. Camera quality wasn't there quite yet. No, it was still, like, a little cheesy. Like, it was a little cheesy.

Yeah. You know, it was not, it was not, like, artistic and cool like it is today. When we got married in 2018, it was, we got a hip videographer. Okay, yeah. I mean, we had drone shots, the whole nine yards. It was amazing.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, and I'm not ragging on our video. I mean, it was fine. but it just was not, it's not what it was today. That's fair. If you will. But I will say, if I ever, if I was like an adult getting married right now,

and if you had the budget for it, I would spend every penny of the budget. I would throw the biggest, most fun wedding ever, ever. And I don't think I would regret it. Here's all you need. If you had the money and you had the budget. Oh, yeah.

And it was like, yep, here's what we're going to spend. I mean, I would. What would you do? I'm not one of these that would be like, oh my gosh, we should like just, I would not elope. I wouldn't be like, let's just go to the courthouse. You have a party.

Yes. All of you would be invited. All of you would be invited. If you were like, okay, three things we're going to spend money on. Band. Band. You know, I'm going cheap on this way. I wouldn't do like an open bar and maybe people pay for drinks.

Because I guess it's real expensive. It does. I'd have some good food. And a great dress. There we go. Oh, wow. Okay. That's it.

That's all I need. Look good. eat good, good music. Dance, yes. I feel like the new thing is silent disco. You get a good DJ? We had a Halloween party. And we didn't, but I went to one with a friend.

And they had a silent disco thing. Was it fun? And he ran all the music from laptops on playlist. And that was like, that's all you need. That's where you should spend the money. Yeah, but I would. That's a good one. I'm going to one up all of these with my top one, I think.

Okay, go. And it's just vices. These are bad habits. We're talking about smoking. and vaping and zinning, the things, the little addictions we have that we need to get through the day. Now, to be fair, everyone's got their thing. You know, some people, it's their coffee and their lattes, but these ones to me are, like, publicly, I'm like, I don't want to smell your, like, chemical cotton candy cloud

that I've got to walk through now. Do people vape still? All over. Oh, really? And if you go to, like, you know, some big cities, the entire city just smells of, like, like, a chemical vape smell. So funny. It's so funny that cigarettes are like not the thing.

It's the vaping. And I'll be honest, I've made a lot of dumb purchases, but there's some that I feel like I will never have regrets about. And one of those is my Delete Me subscription. Yes. It's the best. It's amazing. Okay, you always brag about how much time they've saved you.

86.5 hours. Who's counting? I'm at like 60 hours right now. I just got my report because this company, you guys, goes in and removes your information from online, you know, data broker websites, all this stuff. Because our information's out there, like home addresses. Like the address that Winston and I lived in,

our very first address in Knoxville after we got married, I found online somewhere. So messed up. So crazy. So I was like, I need delete me. Because it removes all that information and it saves you so much time and money. Absolutely.

And so if you want to take control of your privacy online, go check out Delete Me. They're giving our listeners on Smart Money Happy Hour, sweet discount, 20% off the annual plans. Go to join DeleteMe.com slash SmartMoney or click the link in the description. It is worth your online safety. to you guys. It's 2025. We need to do this.

Get with it. Yes. Protect it by using delete me. Because again, you will not regret it. It is not a stupid purchase. Do it. This time we're going to roast each other for the things that we spend money on that are done. Are you going to go first? I'll go first. I'm going to say... Hold on. Let me like prepare my sensitive

soul to like... These are not personal. We're still friends. It's in the budget. We're paying cash. Births out of our values. Relax. Personal trainer. You know what to do? Really?

Like, what are they showing you that is like, oh. This morning, George. It's a move that you're like, I never would have thought of that. They showed you a new move? They're coming up with new moves? Every circuit she does for us. I'm not kidding you. We may have repeated like one or two things.

It is, something is, a movement is new all the time. It's called muscle confusion. And you do something new every night. Yeah. Like today, I'm not kidding you. What's the move today that you learned? They were like, I did not know the body could do this. So she had us laying on the ground with dumbbells.

Okay. Or like free weights. and your elbow, so this arm is resting on the ground. And then you push up and come up in a crunch with one leg. Both legs are straight up together. And then you sit, and then you alternate for 12. I don't think I can't even do that. I don't know.

But it's that stuff. It's like, I never would have picked up on that. You just sold me. I think I need to hire this person. Yeah, it's great. I take it back, Rachel. Smartest thing you've ever spent money on. Okay, this is fun game.

I'll convince you of all the things you think are dumb. I'll convince you you're smart. Okay, what's the next one? Next up, guilty of this two, bottled water. Oh, shoot. That's an addiction. It's a convenience and it's so cheap. Can you tell us the name of your bottled water?

Kirkland's signature water. Oh, you're a purified gal. No, no, no. I mean, I'm on. No, no, no judgment, but extra judgment. I thought you'd at least be a spring water gal. Oh, no, I go just Costco, because it's like $3 or $4 for an entire case of water. That's fair.

And to have it at my nightstand, like, it's just, it's an easy, in my car. I put them in my purse. But don't you have, like, a purified water at the house? You can put in a glass or a reusable? We do have, like, a filter thing under the sink when we turn on our sink water. Yeah. Is that not good enough? But here's the thing.

I want to throw it in my purse. I want to have it in my car. Like, I want to travel with such bottle. Okay. And it needs to be closed. It is convenient. I'll give you that. So, okay.

All right. Forget to Stanley then. Next up on my list, cable. You have like legitimate old school. You have like a dish on the roof? What are we talking here? No, Comcast. Okay.

And I have my DVR set for the shows that I like. You DVR shows still? Yeah. Wow. What shows, can I ask, may be too personal. No, I'll tell you. What are you DVRing these days? Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Real Housewives of the O.C.

Okay. Dancing with the Stars. Okay. And that's it right now. Those are the ones, that's must-watch television for you. Out of all those things that could be happening, you're like, got to see Dancing with the Stars. And my question is, which I get, I mean, I know there's other, I know, I need to switch it.

We need to cancel it. We've been talking about it for years. One last one. Okay. We've been talking about it for years. It was so expensive. I heard a rumor. I know.

If I wanted to get a good scalp massage locally. So the thing, I got it off Instagram, and I really thought I got scammed at first. Like, shoot. But it's these, it's these, like, head massage spas that are opening. And when you watch the video, it's like one of those videos that you watch on Instagram,

and you're like, you almost, it relaxes you because it's like this, like, sprayer and they have this scalp massager, and they, like, do all this. It's like one of those videos that, like, you relax and you kind of want to pee. You know that feeling? We're like, you see the water,

and you're like, oh, my God. I get so relaxed and now I have to be a little bit. I feel like that's not as relatable as you think it is. There's water. They literally have this like rounded, half-circled with like water that's coming down like this over your head. Could you imagine sitting there and it's warm water? It's going like, it's like water. Isn't that a shower?

Yeah, they'd say that. I'm confused. Can you imagine warm water just pouring down the back of your head? And then they take these tools. And they sit there and massage your scalp, and then they'll massage your neck, and it's, like, warm and, like, warm water. I mean, it is, it's, it was wonderful. Was it exactly like the video when you got it? Yeah, it really was.

And my girl was so nice. Like, she was so great. This is local. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a little sketchy because it's in one of those, like, um. Is it next to, like, a subway and a booth mobile? No, no, no, no, it's not one of those. It's not my reflexology place.

This is different. But you know those, um, those buildings that have, like, the. separate rooms that are like salons with separate rooms. Yes. It's one of those. So you walk in and there's like a nail person and I went to one of those this week. And then this one has all curtains on it because they want to black it out to make it like a very relaxing. Because it's like a five by

five room. They're trying to make it feel like a spa. Yeah. I did that this week with an IV drip therapy. Have you ever done one of those? This is new, okay, I guess this is the time to start my roast. Okay, I'm about to start your roast. What? I was under the weather and so I went to get an IV drip.

Did it work? I think so. Partially placebo, partially the fact that they just hydrated you straight to the main vein. I don't know. What do they put in it? Hydration plus vitamins. Okay. All right, you know?

They come to your house? They can. That one's far more expensive. I go to them. Okay. And it's like 120, 150 bucks. Oh, my gosh. Go get a scalp massage.

I think you end up there. Sit there for an hour and they put the needle. in your vein like you're, you know, drawn blood, and you just sit there and it just, you know, I felt great after, honestly. Okay. Much better. Good for you. So, I mean, because I had to come to work and do this show, which is exhausting.

Oh, my gosh. But yeah, not something I do regularly. It's like, that's like once or twice a year. I'm going to go, I'm going to go quick hits for you. Ready? All right. Doggy daycare. Hurtful but true.

It's twice a week to get their energy out because they don't do that during the day. They're just at home and I don't want them crazy at night. A pet ramp. That one is necessary medically for my obese French bulldog. The vet said she is obese. I believe it. And so she cannot, it's really bad for their spine and hips. What's the other?

Blue, blue. Blue is very athletic. Olive needs, she can't jump off things. It will, like, destroy her physically. Yeah. Two haircuts a month. I think it's obvious that we have to protect the temple. But you...

Yes. Is it more than what witch is. Whitney spends for her haircuts, yes. But, you know, I'm on camera every day. I got to keep up with you and your fancy hairdos. Oh, my gosh. Boogie gym memberships. This one, proud to say, I canceled.

You did. That's right. You did say that. But while I had it, it was a dumb thing to spend money on. But I liked knowing I had it. Yeah. It's like owning guns. That's what I imagine gun owners.

It's like I like knowing it's there in case of emergency. Yeah. That's how I view the gym. The gym membership just in case. Just in case. No different than gun owners. Toilet bowl lights. That one I can vouch for

Is a life-changing $10 purchase? I'm not going to lie You gave that to me for Christmas Did you use it? Not yet But I will No longer will you be stumbling through the night Flipping lights on

Flippantly Waking up the whole family All right my last one Cameras everywhere How is it George You just pay a lot of money for all that stuff Well you know to be fair The actual subscription

To get access to the camera footage From the five cameras It's like five bucks a month The cameras themselves, you know, you're paying up front A few hundred bucks for the cameras But I think it's worth it to have security Because here's my thing Someone breaks in

Steals your stuff But they have a mask on What's the camera gonna do? Well, it's less for the break-ins It's more to watch the dogs Okay But number two, I almost nabbed a kid Who I thought gave my dog marijuana

So that's the real that was the biggest benefit. Eboo, one of our producers, was actually at the house when this happened. She witnessed the interaction. Who got, who? Which dog? Blue got medical, like, he got

high. Brought him to, like, we brought him to the emergency vet, Rachel. Whitney brought him to the vet. The vet says, hey, I don't know how to explain this to you. Your dog has a high marijuana toxicity. And I'm going, we don't have marijuana laying it. Like, there's no marijuana in the house.

So I looked at the camera footage Lo and behold, he was in the backyard sniffing around something. Do you have a marijuana plant back there? No! Then I checked the footage four days prior, saw some teenage kids walking behind...

They drugged your dog! They must have, on their way back home, they must have dropped something in the yard. Oh, no. To get rid of the evidence before they go back to the buddy's house and my dog goes over and gets into it. I don't know what it was.

Is this the obese one? No. Okay. It's the very athletic. one. So he survived. Okay. They gave him some charcoal pills or something. I don't know.

Oh, yeah. Totally. I ended up sleuthing, finding out who those kids were, got in touch with the parents. Nancy Drew, way to do it. They show up in my door with the dads going, hey, heard you accused our kids of doing drugs. And I was like, uh, I'm just trying to figure out how my dog almost died. Like you got, so it was a high medically.

Whitney was perturbed that I started this whole thing. Our neighbors have not talked to us since. Oh, no, George. we plan on moving. That's the story of why I have cameras everywhere. You better believe I let him know, oh, we got cameras. That's how I found out. That's how I saw. You want to see the footage?

Come by. You want to see the footage? Come through again, son. See if I don't catch you. Son. All right. We're done. I think we're done. Yeah, those are all silly purchases. Silly, silly, silly purchases. A lot of shade has been thrown. But here's the spark notes.

We'll take it. For most of the stuff, just live your life. Okay, if it's actually a good habit and it's in the budget, you're paying cash, you're not doing it to impress anyone, you're not trying to compare, then go for it. Yeah. That's my take. I love it. I love it.

All right, before we get to guilty as charge, George, what did we sit on? It was a great mocktail. This is, you ready for it? Mm-hmm. A sparkling pear mocktail. I loved it. Probably top three mocktail for me. Mm-hmm.

Costs $1.79 per glass. I'm going to go 10 out of 10. I might too. 10 out of 10 for me. You might, and then you did. That's right. That's correct, yeah. That was a very quick decision.

I might and I will. It's got spiced pear syrup, which involves pears, mulling spices, cinnamon sticks, ground ginger, vanilla extract, maple syrup. That feels like a lot of work. Can I just say? Fancy. That's what you did?

She made it this morning. Thank you, Ibu. So the spiced pear syrup is what really brings it all together. Then it's got sparkling apple juice. You can sub for sparkling wine if you want a cocktail. It's a great way to do it. Yeah. And that's it.

It's really just sparkling apple juice plus the pear syrup. So good. I love it. Recipes in the show notes, give it a try this weekend. All right, George. It is time for Guilty as Charged. And this is where our producer Kelly gives us a new guilty-charged question every week. And if we're guilty, we take a sip.

Have you ever categorized something different in your budget so that it fits within the amount? Like, you know, you just shoved it over here. Every month. Every month. Same. Every month. You know, I spent too much here. So we're just going to shove that over the old miscellaneous category.

All day. Is that your secret life hack? Oh, yeah, miscellaneous category. Or somehow I justify it for the kids. It's everything. Oh, my gosh. I got this new sweater, but it's like going to make me feel really great, which is going to be very nice.

And that's going to make me, like, be nicer to the kids. And I'm going to be a better mom. And that should go in a million's category. What a wild train of thought. I will, like, take it wherever I can to justify it. Does everything end with I'm a great mom? Is that really the goal? If I can just get to why I'm a great mom for buying this.

I'm just being so great, yeah. Wow. How about you? But I'm a justifier. to the max. Yeah, I can justify it, but with, like, more logic and math. I'm like, well, you know, our sinking funds really are doing fine. I can just not do the sinking funds this month.

And we'll just make that purchase. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Especially if I feel like it was a necessity for our life. Like Whitney's now in her workout mom era. Yeah. And her AirPods were, like, dying. So I just went ahead and bought her new AirPods pros.

That's nice. Goodness, yes. And so I was like, well, that wasn't in the budget for like we didn't know we were going to purchase AirPods. Sure. But it's, you know, $150. I'll like, all right, I'll move some sinking funds around, move some miscellaneous.

I'll cut my spending fun money down, sacrificial husband, and we'll make it happen. We'll figure it out. I love it. All right, guilty. It happens, guilty. Obviously, we're not ashamed by it. Yeah, I want to free everyone listening

and watching that this stuff happens. Life happens. The key is, are you prepared for it? Can you adjust and adapt? And are you living on less than you make. We're not, yeah, there's a lot. Well, thank you guys so much for listening and watching. If you want to subscribe, share this episode with a friend, give us a little like, you know, all the things.

Give us some love. And if you want to judge, keep moving. Keep it. We did enough of that today. That's right. So we'll see you guys next Thursday on an all-new episode of Smart Money Happy Hour.