Smart Money Happy Hour with Rachel Cruze and George Kamel - Waste or Worth It: Rating “Life-Changing” Products

Episode Date: July 30, 2026

💵 Create a free budget and find more margin with EveryDollar.   If every product is “life-changing” then no product is life-changing. We’re calling consumerism’s bluff by judging wellness and lifestyle fads that are overhyped. Next Steps: ·   🎙️ Catch our episode Judging People Based on How They Spend Their Money. ·   🍸 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.    Connect With Our Sponsors: ·   Check out the FAIRWINDS Credit Union exclusive account bundle. ·   Get 20% off when you join DeleteMe. ·   Get up to 40% off the exclusive bundles with code SMARTMONEY at Cozy Earth.   Today’s Happy Hour Special: 🍹Cucumber Mint Refresher Recipe By: mocktailswithlilly ·   2–3 ounces fresh cucumber juice (see notes below) ·   .75 ounces simple syrup or agave ·   3–4 mint leaves ·   Lime sparkling water ·   Ice ·   Mint and cucumber ribbons for garnish   Instructions: Muddle mint with simple syrup. For the cucumber juice, blend chopped cucumber with some water, then fine strain. You can also sub muddled cucumber for a blend-free version! Add cucumber juice, shake, and strain into a glass over ice. Top with sparkling water and enjoy!   Explore More From Ramsey Network: 💰 George Kamel 🎙️ The Ramsey Show 💸 The Ramsey Show Highlights  🧠 The Dr. John Delony Show 📈 EntreLeadership   Ramsey Solutions Privacy Policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If everything is life-changing, then nothing is life-changing. Today, we're calling consumerism's bluff. I feel like Winston and I are kindred spirits. He's just like what I could have been. I don't want to yuck anyone's yum today. Then I realized I have a conundrum on my hands. I'm just a guy in a parking lot holding a butcher knife. Hey guys, I'm Rachel Cruz.

I'm George Camel. And this is Smart Money Happy Hour. Cheers, George. Cheers. Wow. So refreshing. Congratulations, Rachel. That was good. Thank you. For what?

This is our 209th episode. Oh, okay. We had a bet. We had a bet. We wouldn't make it to 209. We did? You don't remember. It was back in the day. Apparently, glad we're here. Well, this is the show where two friends who happened to be money experts, talk about what you're talking about, everything from pop culture, current events, and money.

And let's talk about what we're sipping on as we get into it. Today, we've got a delicious mocktail, a cucumber mint refresher. It's wonderful. It's giving day at the spa. Yes. We're here for it. Put me at a spa. Let me sip on something and then this is it.

Yeah. So stick around to the end. We'll give you our rating and reveal the cost per glass. And if you want to sip along with us, the recipe, as always, is in the description. That's right. Well, the influencer world and the life changing. This is life changing. Everything.

Yeah. And we've been guilty of this. I've been like, oh, it'll change your life. It'll change your life. I usually say, here's mine. I say, oh, that'll change your family tree. Okay. I got the Ramsie spin on it.

On like everyday consumer products. You bite into like a gluten free cookie. And you're like, that will change your family tree. That cookie will change your family tree. Okay. I like going way over the top. Oh my gosh. Well, yeah, the life change.

Yeah, we're hearing it all the time. And now it's like, can you trust it? Is it actually life changing? Are you being paid to tell me it's life changing? That's it too. Mrs. or Mr. Influencer? Yes. Like what is going on?

I know. Nobody knows. It's gotten pretty out of control. And have you, I just learned about this, the Daily Shed, have you heard about this? Like a snake? It's basically, yes, I kept seeing videos pop up and everyone's like, listen, this will change your life like in the morning because what they wear to bed

it's like mouth tape, which people swear by it. Oh, I tried that. People swear by mouth tape. It felt like I was being suffocated slowly. Yeah, then you have like the mask, the eye stuff, the hair thing, I mean it's just like this like whole, they have to basically shed off everything that they put on at night and they're like, it's life changing.

And I'm like, eh, is it? I'm sleeping pretty good. Yeah. about anything. Can I tell you, though, this is, I want to try a CPAP machine. Why? Yeah. My wife thinks I have sleep apnea.

Do you? So I'm like, can I just buy a CPAP machine and try it? Do I have to get, like, diagnosed? Is it bad for me? No, I think you just like buy one on Amazon. It feels like an inhaler. I'm just getting more oxygen. Can that hurt me?

Do you wake up at night? Does she hear you wake up, like, breathe in heavy? She claims that she, like, can tell I've not been breathing for a little. Wait, what? And the occasional light snore. But then she's like, is that the Frenchie in the bed or is that George? She can't tell anymore. Oh, no, because the movement of the mattress.

And who's snoring? Because we're right next to each other. The dog is... You should get that checked out. The dog situation or the CPAP? Both. Okay. But definitely the CPAP.

No, that's like a... I feel like when you hit like 55 and beyond. Yeah. People start inserting that. But that one truly, I think, is life-changing. Because we have a friend... If you have sleep apnea, yeah, sure. Yeah.

Literally would save your life. But our friend Jason, he said he had sleep apnea, and he got it checked out. he wasn't breathing. It was like 88 times in a minute or something insane that he would stop breathing. In an hour. In an hour.

Jesus. I was like that's like 80. 60 seconds in a minute. That's right. 88 times in an hour, he would stop breathing. It was just not good. Yeah. At night.

Okay. That one I think is there are life changing things that are things that I think are hype. I feel like you should probably, yeah. You don't sleep with the body pillow. Is that Ken Coleman? It sleeps with the body pillow. I like that you would confuse us to.

for having a body pillow. I can't say I don't because I sleep with multiple pillows. That's what it is. I don't specifically, I could probably shed a pillow if I had a body pillow. Okay.

Because I'm up to three right now. Okay. I love how high, you're more hymnian's than Whitney. Would you say? I'm just old. No, you're not. Like my body is decrepit.

No, I thought you're like and you got all your blood work done. My blood work's great. Okay. Yeah, no, no, no. On paper, I'm thriving. You're, but everything else is just, Those joints.

Well, my cousin, he's a doctor, and he worked with a lot of old people. And he said he would tuck like a pillow behind their back, a pillow under their arm, a pillow between their knees. And you tried it. And so then I tried it and you can't go back once you experience that level of. Oh my gosh. That is so. I think I moved too much. You're a mover.

I am. You're a roller? I'm a mover. Oh, yeah, I'm a flopper. Yeah. Side sleeper? People want to know. All the above.

Back, front, side, upside down. You know, it's crazy. This has to be a psychological, like. study. I bet it's done. Every time I have a bad dream, I don't have many bad dreams these days. It sounds like I'm five. I have a nightmare. No, but whenever I wake up from a bad dream, I'm on my back. What is that about? That's like a thing. So I don't like sleeping on my back for many, yeah, I don't like to sadly that's the best way to sleep. No, really? Yeah, scientifically. Shoot. Well, Winston Cruz is getting an A plus on that. He doesn't move. Gosh.

He literally, he's like a mummy. He could sleep in like a hotel bed that's all made on one side and then get out and just move the cover, step out and put it back and it would look like nobody slept there. Rude. It's like a war happening. Honestly, it's rude. Kicking covers, kicking sheets down. That's brutal. Okay, so I think we rate some of the products that people claim our life changing.

Our life changing. Some that we've bought and used. So we have firsthand experience on some of these. Yes. On what we think, is it life changing? Can we just call out, I don't want to yuck anyone's yum today. I know people hate when I say that and that's why I say it

But some of these you're going Oh my gosh, they're so wrong That's fine We're all entitled to our opinions And that's what we're sharing today This is not scientific These aren't Ramsey principles to live by These are just

We're having fun talking about We like spending money And we like buying things that change our lives And I want to make sure people don't waste their money People work hard for the money We have to figure out if it's true or not Don't waste it Okay

Let's kick off This was a fad for a while the old Stanley Cup Oh gosh Okay my yay or nay We have our paddles here With a red thumbs down Green thumbs up

Stanley Cup Life changing I'm gonna say nay That's a red for me I think I'm with you Didn't you walk in here With a Stanley cup Well I don't think that's Stanley

I think that is What's the other brand It's the Ramsey one That we all got for Christmas Okay It's just an insulated brand How many Stanlies do you own though I only own one

As a white millennial female It's like, it's all the same to me. Okay, a cup's a cup to you. Yeah, an orca, orca was a thing for a while. Like, there's like thousands of these companies. And they all do the same. They just make your drink, keep it hot, they keep it cold. Yeah.

And that's all we need. That's all we need. And I don't like straws. I'm out on the straw. Yeah, I do think straws add it. It adds a layer of like, I'm going to get black mold in my body. Probably. And I have so many things to keep up with.

Why add a thing? So my kids are wallas, half of them, no straws. They have to do this what they're supposed to be. You made everything into a sippy cup. Basically, I turned it into a big sippy cup. Because I'm like, I can't keep up with them all. I don't like them. And then my kids chew on them.

And it's just like, it's terrible. Why? So I'm going to go, no. Yeah. Well, and the fact that, like, influencers made it big tells me it's probably not, like, the best product out there. I think it probably is good quality, though. It's solid. It's a great brand.

But, like, is it overhyped? Yes. Yes. Are we buying it because it came out in a different color this month? Yes. I know. It's pretty wild. It's gone downhill, I mean, like the branding, right?

People aren't, like, freaking out about them. Yeah, there's not as much fanfare about it. But I think the hydration movement is upon us. Which I'm... It's exhausting. Which I'm for. Sure. There's worse things we could do as society than hydrate.

But it just feels like we're trying to make hydration. Like, it's judgmental now. Oh, like, well, how much are you drinking? And you're like, oh, you judge me about not drinking water. Well, that's, you know why? Because my life judges me, so I have to then project on other people. Okay. Anytime I'm like, I ain't got a tummy ache.

She's like, have you had enough water today? Have you had... I know I sound like a toddler when I get home. I promise it is that whiny. But she's always like, you haven't had enough water today. She's like, drink your water, George. Yeah, or it's... Because you had bourbon last night.

Oh. She thinks I'm allergic to bourbon. And I think she's right. Hey, hey, you know what, though? Gluten makes your tummy upset. Yeah, I'm... Gluten's no friend of mine. And bourbon is wheat, right?

Isn't it made it from? Yes. They say, though, it's... the distilling process. It takes the gluten out. Yeah, it doesn't affect most people. Okay, maybe I'm wrong. I think it's more that bourbon is one of the more sort of toxic liquors.

Compared to like a vodka, tequila. Sure, go clean, George. It's been aged a long time. Go clean the summer and see what happens. I'm going to be a tequila boy this summer. There is good clean tequila, truly. Like a good sipping tequila. A repisado?

Yeah, call Winston. He was into all of that. I feel like Winston and I are kindred spirits. He's just like what I could have been. Y'all do. Like, you could have. worked out. You could have a full beard. Y'all were texting this morning. Y'all, yeah, y'all's friendship. I think it's getting closer and closer, George. Yes. I do. Can't wait. One day he'll text me.

All right next. Blue light blocking glasses. Never bought them, don't need them. Sham. I do think they're overrated. And here's the thing. The people that use them, they're always like, oh, no, I think it really helps. No, it definitely helps me. I get less headaches. I swear. I'm like, maybe you just need water. Maybe that's why. Or not be on a screen for someone. Now, there is some science to the blue light. I know. I know. I think it's just another accessory that got put out into the world.

Yeah. But they are cheap. I mean, comparatively to other things, 10 or 20 bucks for blue light glasses. I'm not mad if you try it out. And we don't stare at screens all day. True. I guess that, yeah.

We're not sitting at a desk. Yeah. If you're doing computer work all day every day. Can you imagine? I can't even picture you sitting at your desk all day in front of a computer. Like, that's your job. What are you talking about? You just, you know, you need to be among the people.

Yeah, I'd be talking too much. People, no one would want to sit next to my desk. Put her in front of a camera, not a computer. Oh. It would crush your soul, is what I'm saying. Oh. Based on how you're wired. Unless I had fun people around me.

You know, I sit next to you. Yeah. A little bit hurtful. But we don't ever sit at our desks here. Yeah, we're always in shoots and meetings. Yeah, I'm never at my desk. Ever. And it keeps piling up.

It's just like fan mail from 1997. She's going to get around opening. No. Books people have sent her. Oh, man. An old coffee cup. Yeah, there's a lot. There's a lot there.

19 Amazon packages. I'm going to say no to the blue light blocking eyes, but probably because I don't stare at a screen all day. So that is very fair. Yeah. And as a person with glasses, I can't wear two glasses at once. That just looks funny. That's crazy. So yeah, okay.

All right. Next, noise cancelling headphones. This is a good one. Now, the price on these ranges, you could go from $100 for some Sonys. You could go to $500 for some Apple, AirPods, Macs, over ear. I'm a fan. My go-to, I wear these probably half of my life, AirPods, Pro. Okay. And it is not AirPods Pro's.

Wait. For those of you in the comments section. Wait, wait, stop. Say it again. It's AirPods Pro, not AirPods Pros. So the S switches. Are they all Mac products? Yeah, they're all Apple. Okay, I thought someone like, like,

No, it's not a different product. Undercut Apple. I'm like, we're going to just switch a letter. You got scammed if you bought the AirPod. pros with random branding. Okay, one is over here, one is in? They're the buds. Okay, yeah, yeah, I'm with you. I have the buds. Yeah. So keep going. What's the difference? I'm just telling you it's not spelled AirPods Pro. Oh, there's not two different products. No. Oh, the max are the overhears. Okay. So there's AirPods Max that's over ear. Then you have AirPods Pro, which are the buds. Because you've corrected my

espresso and Tesla through our friendship throughout the years. Which I feel like Tesla's on the bubble. Which I really appreciate you doing. I like a, you. You like a z. No, no, no, I go S now. You've taught me. So now anytime anyone does, I correct them. I don't know that I'm right. I just didn't like how you said it.

Keep going. Air pods. Air pods pro. So Air pods pro, not AirPod pros. Exactly. Got it. Okay. I have those two.

And have you heard they're bad for you. I have because my mother-in-law sends me Instagram reels from the most random accounts. Okay. That I'm like, this can't be right. I don't stop wearing them. I'm sorry, everyone. But what is it? Is it the radiation?

Something about the EMF, the frequency. and it's like, it's a little overblown. Too close to the brain is what they're saying. Sure. Maybe. Okay. But I feel like, you know, based on all the technology around us all the time and our phones being next to us,

and my wife is pretty crunchy, so she got like a little mat that goes on her bed that the phone sits on to, like, protect from the EMF. And I'm like, whatever makes you sleep better at night. Yes, three pillows or a mat to protect the... And you know what? I probably will die sooner than her, and that's fine. She'll collect on life insurance and have a great life.

So that's the honest take. Get life insurance, term life, Zander, 10 to 12 times your income. Hashtag not sponsored. No, but I think these are life-changing. That's my, I'm going to say green. I'm with you. Do you know I had the one with the string still? I don't think it's called a string.

The wire. The wire. Yeah, with the wire. I was like. And I upgraded to the buds, and I love them, especially on an airplane. because I can go, I can do the noise cancelling even if I'm reading. But it does, it just takes everything out

and it's wonderful. Yeah. It's great. Do you know which ones you have? Because there's the first gen, there's two, and now there's three. George. Actually, I lost mine on an airplane,

so I took Winston's, and then he got some. So I have his old ones, so I don't know what that is. Okay. But it's noise canceling. It goes, do, do, do, do, do, do.

I don't think it makes that sound. Yeah, yeah, when you press it. You hold it down and it's, But you press it down and when you hook up to your booths, it goes, it makes a noise. I'll need to look into that. It makes a noise. Does anyone know what I'm talking about when you press it?

It's like two. It's like, boom? I don't think it's like, da-da-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d. That's all I'm saying. Okay, can I tell you this, though? It makes it. I do think they're life-changing to have noise-canceling headphones. And I like it.

But I just bought, I upgraded. I went to Costco the other day. They were on sale and I bought the threes. So AirPods Pro 3. Okay, what do you think I'm on? I bet I'm on two. I think you're on two. I'm on two.

Okay, you bought, so there's newer ones. There's a newest one. Okay, what is it to, George? Tell us. It's supposed to have double the noise cancellation. So I was like, wow.

Stop. No. You don't have to tell me twice. But here's the thing. They don't fit in your ear the same way. And they're like, oh, you have to lock them in place. You stick them in your ear, like straight, you know, pointing down. And then you turn them towards your mouth and they sort of like lock in better.

But I just feel like they're sort of falling out of my ear. There's different, you know, tip sizes and all that. But I think I'm going to return. them to Costco. Costco return. Oh my gosh. What makes you buy them from Costco not the Apple store? Forever returns. Okay, just because of that. And price. Cheaper at Costco and I can return it forever. And I actually came with AppleCare. Oh, that's nice. So something happened to them, you know, get them replaced. Okay, so, okay, thank you. So life changing. This is just one man's take. I think the twos is the sweet spot if you're going to get them. And they're like 150 bucks. So they're

expensive, but reasonably priced for how much you will use them. I just don't think. I look good with big old. Yes, you had some on the other day. It looked weird. I'm not going to lie. Thank you. And then you have to have a case for them. Yeah.

All of it, yeah. I just like, I can fit them in my skinny jeans. That's the key. So, yes. And I found out just like two weeks ago that when I go on my walks or in my neighborhood, I'm big into walking now. I'm a walker.

I'm a big walker. No. Okay, we're not there yet. You'll get there. I don't need to get there. Because I lift weights four times a week. So I feel like I'm getting my, anyways. Whatever.

What a flex. Whatever. Anyways, that you can leave the little white case at home. Yes? I thought you had to have it for it to have like a signal to the case. No, no, no, no. Yep, didn't know that. The headphones charge separately from the case.

Yes. So if you ever open the case when it's near your phone, it'll show you, hey, your headphones are at 50%. I know that, but I thought I had to keep the case with me in range of the headphones to get the headphones working. You don't. I should have told you that years ago. I could have changed your life.

She's been carrying around the case for fun. I have. I would put it in my pocket on one side and my phone in the other. But the biggest thing is with kids, like, you know, I watch TV at night. So I just put the headphones on so that I can have it on full blast and not wake up anyone. You use your headphones for the TV in the living room? Yes. And for, let's say there's language and my kids are around. Henry's like five months old, George.

He's almost a year old. Where have you been? I don't think he knows. But my toddler is in the stage where she can repeat everything she hears. That is fair. That's fair for me. I would appreciate that. It's more because I don't want to get in trouble with Whitney, who will then be like, I can't believe it.

She's just said this word today. Where did she learn that? Where did she learn that? George, put your headphones in. Yep. Yeah, that's fair. Okay. Oh my gosh.

That was a lot. That was a lot. It feels like a lot. You know what else is a lot? Our information being online. It's too much. So much. Get it off, George.

Get it out of there. How do I get it out? Well, there's a service, Rachel, called Delete Me. Oh. They do it for you. They scour hundreds of data broker sites. They find all that info that was sitting out there that was about to get sold to spammers and scammers. And they remove it and keep it gone.

And they even send you a custom report showing you what they've done and how much time they've saved you. And you have had, there's a little bit longer than me than I have. Yeah, I was a couple of months ahead of you. Yes. I'm at 90. It's like 93 hours and I feel great about it. I'm at 136 hours saved. That's a lot.

Between the time to find it and remove it. And actual people doing this, you guys, on these, like, crazy websites, they're sitting there removing your data, and we appreciate companies like this that go and protect all of our information because it's like your old addresses, your kids names, phone numbers, I mean, everything. So getting it wiped clean. We talk about taking control of your money. We'll take control of your digital privacy with Delete Me, and you'll get 20% off their annual plans with our sweet code. Go to join DeleteMe.com slash smart money. Beautiful. All right.

Next step. We got supplements, AG1, ProD. powder. Oh. So AG1 greens. That's a wide range in the supplement world. So AG1 greens

are about $79 a month with a subscription. Eish. A bottle of supplements can be around $30 for a 60-day supply and a type of protein powder could run you around

$50 to $60 a month or two months and for your smoothies. How do I read? This one's such a spectrum. It's wild to say that none of this matters and it's also crazy to say,

that one of these will change your life forever. Okay, I hate to say, AG1 greens. Is that just like people? They, AG, athletic greens. They sort of popularized the like, hey, all of the things you need in a little powder. Okay, it's just right there. And you just. Sort of your green smoothie, all that.

I'm going to go right in the middle on this one, depending on what the supplement is, how much it's hyped and how much it costs. And you know what the big one is right now that everyone's enthralled with? Cretine. Oh, yes. I've been doing that for years. Before it was cool? Yes.

Can I tell you what I got from Costco? They have creatine gummies. Oh. Which I know are not ideal. But my wife was like, hey, we all know you're not going to do it in powder form. Okay. Make it a candy. And I'll take it.

Okay. How many a day? It says to take five. Oh, wow. And they're watermelon. And they're very chewy. So it's like a lot. They're not great.

I'm going to put that out there. Not recommending this. But if you're like, and you're used to Flintstone gummies? See, it might hit the spot. The Flintstone gummy era. That was a great era. But overall, how many supplements do you guys do at home?

I'm the least. I do a protein shake. So I do two scopes of whatever the protein is, like weight protein. And then I do, I think it's like a, it's not a table, a teaspoon of protein. A dollop, if you will? Of protein powder. And I am hardcore. And I just fill it up with water, shake it.

Oh, wow. And chug it. And I'm done. You know what that's, because you drink curig, I think. think you're used to things just tasting bad and being okay with it. I think you've trained your body for this moment. I have a low bar. Yeah, I don't need to be messing up a blender.

I don't need dishes. I'm good. I can just, yeah, check it. But I do think there are things to put into your body that are good that actually do help fuel and help you. For sure, I think that. I'll tell you the ones that I think are helpful to make, because I can tell when I don't take them. I don't do supplements, though. Sharon, sorry, Mom.

She's a big supplement girl. Yeah. I do magnesium glycinate up night. I think... You know, Winston does that. Yeah, it helps you sleep well. Yes, Winston does that. And I do a probiotic as well.

Okay, that's good. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's it. Good for you, George. That's all I do. I could do more. But I feel like if I'm going to do protein powder, I should probably also work out.

You know what I mean? Well, yeah, I do it after my workouts. Is it doing anything if I just take protein powder? Yeah, you're just getting some protein in here. Just protein, protein, protein. That's the new thing. That's the newest, or not the newest. This one is a tread with caution for me.

Okay. Especially if it's being advertised to you, a lot. I would just do some research before you buy it. Okay. Um, next up, what is this? Bignet? It's not a bignet. Although, that's a delicious, if you go to New Orleans sometime, get a bignet. It's what it looks like. It's a bidet. Bidette. Biday. Oh, bidet. Biday. There was no G. There was no N. How did she get to? I just thought, that's definitely French. I hope that one day you're in, you're in France.

Looking for a bidet. Can I have a bidet, please? I'm looking for the bignet. I'm looking for a bignet, please. Leave it to the French to make it complicated. So a bidet is an attachment you put on the toilet, and it shoots high-pressure water, and it's big in Europe,

and it's now the craze among the youth. Among the youth. It's supposed to be, I guess, more hygienic and... Silly. Reduced toilet paper usage. Silly. They have really fancy ones. This can range from, like,

30 bucks to $2,000. They have ones that, you know, it's heating the seat, the water's heated. I've seen ones that are like automatic. You walk up and the toilet seat goes up for you. Like, yeah, the whole thing. It's giving you affirmations while you're on the toilet. They can do a lot these days. I know.

So are these life-changing? I think for the people that use them, yes. So I think if I got into it, if I was willing to go over that hump, I'm going to go, this could be life-changing. We disagree. I think this is so silly and not because I couldn't pronounce it first. European Union would like to have a word.

I know, I know. I, no, man. Don't you think Europe looks at us and goes, how barbaric? They're just wadding up toilet paper like this? Just unbelievable. But surely they use toilet paper. I think far less.

The toilet paper industry is relying on America to survive. Oh, stop it. Oh, Sharman. Just hanging attack on. Big T.P. is out to get you. Aunt Hay their ad on America. They don't want you buying a bidet. Yeah, no.

I mean, listen, if you're worth a gazillion dollars and you got a gazillion dollar house and all the things and you got a nice toilet, I would expect that. But for the common man? But it's not a luxury item anymore, is what I'm saying. For 30 bucks, you can get the attachment going. I just think it's... They don't have to be fancy. Well, we disagree on that one. Okay, that's good.

That's a win. Let's move on to something less problematic. Robot vacuums. You can get one like a Roomba for 150 bucks. I like it. Especially if you have a dog that sheds. I'm out on this one. Okay.

I'm going to say thumbs down on the robot vacuum. Why? Not as good or what? It just feels like you still have to then vacuum after it vacuums. And then it's stuck and you got to go help it. Yeah. You know what I mean? True.

That can't happen. And I've heard horror stories. I know. I'm just thinking about like the dog went in the house, the Roomba picked it up, flung it everywhere. Now you've got a whole new mess to clean up. I have a legit friend that legitimately happened to. Like that wasn't like a hearsay thing. Yes, that happened.

None of my friends. Horrible. New fear unlocked. Horrible. Let me just say that. I know, but when we had our lab, she shed so much and she was in the house a lot. But I would run that thing every day. Before I went to work, I just started.

And it would run and then it'd go back to its little station charge. And then I would have to like empty the filter every day. But it picked up so much. It was so nice. That wasn't there sweeping all day. I just don't think it's life-changing. I think it's a helpful tool for some families. Okay.

Also, the caveat, my dog attacks any vacuum in the house, so we can't run it. We cannot run it. Okay, you don't have a great environment for one. That's fair. I'm biased. All right, next therapy. Oh. Okay, so our life session, I think, can range from 100 bucks, 200 for some therapists.

And there's sliding scales, so it could be close to, free now, depending on your income, depending on your insurance. So it's gotten a lot more reasonable. For sure. It's not for the elite. Now it's for everybody. And I do like that therapy has become more, I don't know, more talked about. Less villainized. I'm a pro-the-I-I-love it. I think it's great. I'm pro-therapy. Because I do think we are mind, body, soul, spirit. Like, all of it is so connected. And if your mind is not well, your emotions aren't well, I think it does affect, it does. I mean, I think it's proven. affects every other part of your life, including your physical health and everything.

And so there's just something about unpacking what's going on in your life. And again, you have to have a great therapist. If you have someone that's like terrible. Yeah, if you had one bad experience, don't judge it based on that. No, no. And I think take time to find a good one that fits your personality and you and you have good, you know, good vibe with. But a lot of them, they're so smart, so smart.

They can hold a lot. Nothing shocks them. They can kind of unpack and ask good questions. and all of it. I just think it's wonderful. I do. I compare it to a massage but for the mind. Oh my gosh. Because you kind of leave feeling like better and nothing physically happened. You just kind of got a lot out. You talked through it.

Worked it out. And they bring up points and connect dots for you that you may never have noticed and been like, oh my gosh. That is, that has more to do with me. And they're, oh, that happened. Compared to anything else in life, you get a third party expert in your corner. For everything else in life, why would you not do that? That's right. Yeah. You have a, yeah, you got to get a train. for your physical health, nutritionists for your, I mean, all of it, right? You find people. So, yeah, I am pro that.

A great tool for self-awareness as well. Now, I do think that it's seasonal. I think being in it forever and ever and ever and ever. I feel like I've been going once a week for 14 years. Right. I do think that like there's seasons for it. So like have some seasons of it. And I think it's great.

Yep. All right. Okay, we like that. All right. I like it. We like it. All right. Next up is apps.

And I'll categorize this. as sort of health app. So think spiritual health, physical health, mental health. So we're just talking about. Meditation, devotional, workout, sleep scores. I think our society wants to like measure everything in our life. We like that. And we like to have a tool that can help us regulate.

Yes, with these things. Yeah. I think I'm pro this. Sure. I think it's great. People love like the aura ring. It's like $70 a year. I've never done that.

But I know a lot of people that have. And I think gives you good information. All of it. Yeah, I'm pro. What's your take on sleep scores? Hate sleep scores. Oh, not a fan of that. Like the whoop band and all that.

I know your brother was into the whoop for a while. Does he still do it? Is Winston a whooper? No, he's a Garmin. Oh, he's a Garmin guy now. Garmin guy. So he gets a sleep score and all the HRVs. Yes, your oxygen when you saw all of it, yeah.

Okay, here's the thing. I think it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Yes. I think if your sleep score said you got an 85, I think you're like, ah, that's pretty good. That's who you carry yourself through the day. I think I slept good. And then if it's like you got a 23, you're going to be like, oh, today's going to be so tough.

I got a 20. I think it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. I don't. You just gave me the best idea. I'm going to make a sleep score app that always gives you a good score. It's always positive. It makes you feel good. It's like, hey, I know you probably had one too many drinks last night, but all things considered, you're doing great.

You're actually, yeah, 93. 87. Go have a great day. 93. No, I had an app that tracked my sleep score one time. This was years ago. And you had to lay it next to your bed, like your pillow. Oh, yeah.

Which makes no sense to me. And I couldn't sleep all night. Knowing that it was tracking you. Yes, because I was like, get a good score, Rachel, get a good score. You are so competitive, but it's a toxic trait for you. Seriously, I couldn't sleep, but I was like, this is horrible. And then you're comparing yourselves to Winston's score. I don't like it.

So I think I just wake up at an 87. Every morning. Yeah. That's what I'm going to say. What's your take on the apps? It's hard to do an overall take, but I would say... Like some apps are great. Are some of these life-changing?

Yes. I would say some of these are life-changing. Yes. And can I throw another one in for financial health? Oh, yeah, go. Every dollar. Okay, life-changing. That's also great for financial health.

It's one of the best rhythms you can be in with your money. Tracking your sleep, not as great as tracking your money. Hot take. Tracking your money will allow you to have a better sleep score. Take that. What do you think about that? We just went full circle. I love it.

So go check out every dollar if you check out no other app that one's worth it. Yeah, that's a good one. But yeah, I'm a pro app gal. I have a lot of apps.

I think we've actually compared how many apps we have on our phone and it was hilariously. You have a lot more than I do. I think I had in like 300 plus. Yes, you know, I got my newest one that I do. People want to know

what's Rachel's home screen looking like. I'm on my spiritual journey and George and everyone that's around me hear about it. But it's called censoring prayer. Oh. Yeah.

What's that about it? Thomas Keating. So you go through and it like walks you through. and it has like a beginning sound so you can like pick a sound but it takes you into contemplative prayer. Love this.

And you get like a timer and you do a closing prayer with like a song. Okay, what's it called? You're now like a spiritual app influencer. Centering prayer. It's free. Completely free.

Okay. You know what I told me about it it was Brian Buffini. Oh yeah. At Entree, we were sitting next to each other at dinner and we were talking about this stuff and he was like, oh my gosh, have you? Do you have the app that helps with contemplative prayer?

I was like, no. And I love it. It's so, it's so good. Okay. So 18. thousand reviews five stars who am i to disagree i know and i think the guys thomas king was a monk can't disagree with a monk right i don't know it feels like he knows more than we do i'm checking in on the apps i'm seeing how many i currently have i'm at 297 i've actually scaled down how do you see i want to

if you go to this is good for everyone at home if you go to your settings okay then go to general then click about hold on hold on too fast settings general about check check check check and then scroll and you'll see applications right above capacity see it Okay, what are you? 297. Wow. What did you guess mine is? 82.

Up. 104. A little up. 122. Oh, down. Okay, sorry. 109. 109.

But I also, which is so not Rachel, I need to take it off. I have MLB Ballpark app for tickets when we went to the Rockies game. The things you do like one time in life. So, yeah, I'm like, get that out of here. So, yeah, there's a couple I can just delete. So I'm going to go a solid 100 for me But do you have your apps categorized In folders alphabetically

Then you're not doing it right Do you think I do, George? Do you think I do? Okay, that was fun. I enjoyed that. That's good. I love an app. We love some apps, yeah. You know who else has an app? That's great. Who's that? Cozy Earth. Now we're talking. Yeah. You know, you need some good quality products in your life, some good sheets, bath towels, pajamas, a leisure wear. I mean, all of it, cozy earth's got you. I like it. I like it. and we have special bundles.

They made just for us. Which I love. Very excited about this. We need to know if people have done this out there. So let us know what's in the comments. My bundle includes the Lakehouse Clog, which is a daily driver for me when I get home. Slipping out of these, slipping into the clog. And then the first layer pajama short sleeve tea and shorts set feels so good, especially

in summertime, hot outside. Throw that bad boy on. It's got that like cool feel all the time, cool side of the pillow. And then, of course, the men's essential calf sock in a four pack. Winston Cruz has those Just last night He popped his feet up I'll say oh baby you got your cozy earth

Yeah your socks You're an influencer He may have bought your bundle That's fantastic What about your bundle Mine has the Lux bath sheets So large bath towels Bamboo knit pajamas

Which are fantastic And the bamboo knit robe Which I love So yeah To sweeten the deal They're giving 40% off To our listeners On these exclusive bundles

Limited Time Offer Get yours while supplies last go to cozyearth.com slash smart money and use promo code smart money at checkout. All right next, air tags. Now you're speaking my language. Life changing. Really?

Think about all the things you could lose in your life and how much money and time it would cost you to have to go create another version of that. Yeah, I don't know. Why are you out on air tags? Who hurts you? Well, I don't check bags. Okay, so the luggage is a great...

The luggage one is good. If I was like, yes, so I could see that one. What else, I mean, what else do I need? I'll show you all the things I have air tags on currently. Oh my gosh. So if you go to Find My, which is the best app Apple has ever invented for women who lose their phones, which is all the time. That was my AirPods, though. When I lost my AirPods, they were on a flight and I was watching it.

Travel around. I was like, oh, man. Never getting those back. I have it on every car key. Even your little, you're a little tech. Not the Tesla one, because the Tesla finds itself. and you don't have a physical fob these days. I have it in my backpack because I leave my backpack in a meeting room

and I go, where the heck did I drop my backpack? I have it for my mailbox key. I think you should be more responsible. And my house and attic keys also have an air tag because I can't lose those. So yeah, everything. Throw it in a bag, attach it to whatever thing in your life. And I get these little cheap rings on Amazon.

You can place the air tag in. Yeah, I've seen that. So it has a little keychain attachment. Put it on your kid. Well, someone did say that. And then, I don't know. I don't know. It's just not my thing.

So I'm gonna know. All right. Well, hey, try it out for your... I mean, for... They're like $25, $29 a pop for these. Yeah, if you need it, and it sounds appealing. If you're in Georgia's can't. If you've ever lost anything in your life, this is for you. That's a better sales pitch for what an air tag can do.

Okay, next. Portable Chargers. Yes, yes, and amen. These are life changing for me. Definitely life changing. Especially when you need it most. Love a portable charger. Nothing is worse than your phone dying and you're like,

what's going to happen if my phone dies and I need to get in touch with someone they need to get in touch with me all of it just plug it right in I got to get the Uber yep all of it and as much as we use our phones the battery's always running low yes so yeah that's a that's a yes uh athleisure attire life changing that feels like a strong word I'm I'm gonna go nay on like will it change your life it will increase your quality of life but is it increased but change life change yeah I'll go not too I'm with you. But influencers will tell you all athleisure.

And again, we love athleisure. Yes. But life changing is a strong word. Yeah, we like soft clothes. How about that? Yeah. Just give me some soft clothes.

But you know when people are like, oh my gosh, these aloe leggings have changed my life. No, they didn't. You just wanted to mention that you went to aloe. How did that become the new Lulu, by the way? I know.

And it's like so expensive. It makes Lulu look cheap. I know. I know. Booginess. How do they do it? Now I'm thinking, does alo own lulu and they're just creating a more premium brand oh to capture all all the girls

like lexas and toyota yeah it's like their luxury side that's my conspiracy theory they're in cahoots they're in cahoots um lasic eye surgery oh life yeah that's life changing for sure and you what's the one that you did i know how to do prk prk which is different than lacyc yeah yeah you get the same results my cornea was just too thin oh Oh, I'm so sorry. I know, thank you. It was very hard news. How did they break the news to you?

Very, very hard news. I had such bad, I had terrible vision. Do you remember your... I was like negative 8.25 or something? That's pretty wild. No, I was like legally blocked. I mean, genuinely. Yeah, you're on the bubble.

I told you the story about me wearing my glasses to my lecture hall in college. I don't remember this at all. Maybe I wasn't paying attention to your story. I apologize. All the girls in college would like wear their glasses and, like, t-shirts. shirts and like jean skirts were like big when I was like in college. The people like wear t-shirts and jeans skirts. Did you go to a men in college?

No. No. No. It was you tee? Yeah, but jean skirts were like in, yeah. Okay. Or they, or you'd wear like an athletic short. This is like before athletes or stuff though.

But like, so to wear a t-shirt and shorts to class was very much like the casual looks. People would wear their glasses as well. Like not putting in the- To match the casual look? Yes. Not to like they wouldn't put in their contacts. They'd wear their,

glasses so you're like it fits the look and it was a cute look and i want of the look and i wanted to do the look and so i wore my glasses well my glasses i had to have like as like a high index lenses i had a yeah i had a thicker frame but then mine were so thick the actual lens that it came popped out of the glasses in the back oh so it was like a full i mean this is before they had high index lenses because nowadays i don't know what you're talking about yeah i don't know what that means assume that I'm right for once. Okay, this is like, go like to, this is like 2006, okay? I'm in my lecture hall, in college, listening to the professor, and I hear these two guys behind me.

And literally, they say, I hear them. I hear them. They're not even like trying to whisper. Dude, dude, look at the girl in front of us. Look at the side of her glasses. No joke. And I'm like, I know they're talking about me. And then the other guy goes, my gosh.

yeah they're thick you can like say and I was like oh my god never again never again can I wear my glasses in public you ready for this terrible sounds like your spectacles made a spectacle I'll be here all week cancel me for it I'm saying I was just said terrible vision thick glasses war contacts basically as long as I can remember and then got PRK done and it unbelievable that's a for sure life changer yeah because I would sleep in my glasses when I would travel by myself for work. I'd like have a hotel room. I would sleep in my glasses because I'm like, yeah. If an intruder came in? Yes. Someone came in to try to kidnap me and I had

a line up at the police station. I had to find the person. But I had my glasses on. I'd be like, I literally can't see. I don't know. I have no idea who they are. So I wore my glasses to bed thinking I can see the person if they attack me. How horrible is that, George? Well, I'll I'll give you this. I have this weird, and this is, again, not a realistic situation. But I'm scared if I ever get in a fight, all they would need to do to win is remove my glasses. Because then I can't see anything. Yeah, I'm a negative, like, 6, 7, 5.

Okay. So it's up there. It's up there. It's up there. It's up there. It's up there. Everything's just sort of like shapes and shadows. 100%.

Yes. Anything that's far away. George, would you ever get, I can't see without glasses. That's the thing is it's kind of part of the look now. Yeah. It's not a cool look when I take them off. And we've done this on the show. Okay.

Yeah. Not fun, but it's, you know, $1,500 to $5,000 per eye. It's a lot. It's a lot. And most insurance is not going to help with that. Yeah, but I'm telling you, if you can save up and do it, it is one of the best things I've ever done. Wow. Okay, that's a life changer.

Yep. Yep. Another great thing that I did that I do love is signing up for Fairwinds and putting my money there. Fair ones credit union, they are incredible. Everything from like the ease of the customer service to getting a high, we talk about high-yield checking accounts all the time. So with the smart bundle, you get a, you get a checking account, no fees, you get up to 10 high-yield savings accounts, and then you get the Ramsey debit card. That is normal, be weird. But having a banking institution, if you will, on your side, it's

actually pro-you. They're wonderful. They don't exist to push debt products on you and ding you with fees. They want to see you win with money. They're huge fans of the Ramsey principles, and they've been such an awesome partner. And got this call on the Ramsey show. Dad calls in and says, hey, my daughter is traveling internationally. I want to make sure she's going to be okay using her debit card. Oh, well, Fairwin's debit card has no international transaction fees. Yes, thanks to you, George. I think you're...

That's right. They saw my video on this and they said, hey, let's make sure that we serve those Ramsey fans well and get rid of any kind of transaction fees. That's right. So check them out. Go to fairwinds.org slash Ramsey to get that smart bundle today. All right. Last but not least, pickleball.

What a great one to end on. Life changes. of all the things people say is life-changing. Pickleball is like the new MLM. It's like everyone's talking about it. Everyone's doing it. They're trying to get you in on it. It's exhausting.

Yeah, it's fun though. It is fun. I've played. Yes. I know. But it has become an obsession. A little mahjong and a pickleball. That's a fun afternoon.

We should have included Mahjong on the life-changing list. That's a fun. That's your new thing. I know, y'all. I'm like 48 hours in and I can't stop thinking about it. Do you have like a mahjong club? No. Oh, no.

No. No. I have some friends that play. literally texted like 10 people yesterday. I was like, anyone want to play mahjong this weekend? Is it female-centric? Like, why don't men play mahjong? No, I think they can't. I told Winston, he would be good at it, too. It's just a big puzzle game. It's like a deck of a card. It's like a card. I just never heard of a guy being like, dude, I played mahjong last night. And the funny thing is, too, it's funny that it is so women-centric because you can't really talk to your. I mean,

it's not like Mexican-trained dominoes or like Bunko or like a pretty social type game. It's, it's actually, you really have to... It's focused intensity over time. Yes. But anyways, but I like... I'm a pro pickleball. I think it's fun. I think you can pick it up easily. Yeah. If you struggled with tennis, you're going to thrive

with pickleball. So that's fun, too. A set of two rackets can range from $10 at Target to over $200 from specialty brands as you get into it. So maybe you invest if you end up playing a lot. I'm not at that stage of life yet. My midlife crisis will be coming. Not there. Not there.

All right, George. before we spill the tea on Guilty's Charge. What are the drink details? I liked it. This is a cucumber mint refresher. It is a mocktail. There's no alcohol in it. It's got fresh cucumber juice.

Don't know how they source that. Don't think they sell that at the store. I guess they muddled it in. Is that right? Is it muddled? Okay. They muddled the cucumber juice in there. Simple syrup, mint leaves,

and lime sparkling water. Everything I like. It's great. Now, the one thing is once the mint settles in there in the water, you kind of get that like you're kind of eating the mint by accident. Oh yeah. But I don't fault them for that. But maybe it would have put the mint on the toothpick to keep it out of the drink.

Yeah. But other than that, it's a win. So I'm going to go nine out of ten for this mock towel. Yeah, I'm with you. I'm going to go nine out of ten. Really nice. 80 cents per serving to make this at home. That's a huge win.

It's delicious. So try it at home. The recipes and the show notes, you got nothing to lose. Make it for the kids. Put some cucumbers on their face. Make it a spa day. Make it a spa day on the eyes. All right, now it's time for

Guilty as charged. And this is where we ask each other a new guilty as charged question every week and if we're guilty, we take a sip. All right, George, have you ever done something in public that's questionable when taken out of context? Wow. I don't think the context helps this one,

but the thing that sticks out to me is being at Costco, returning a knife set, missing the butcher knife once I got to the door, they won't let you return it without all the pieces. For sure. run back to the car to grab the knife. Then I realized I have a conundrum on my hands. I'm just a guy in a parking lot holding a butcher knife.

Yeah, that's terrible. I can't put it in my pocket. Yeah, that looks sketchy. That's dangerous. And then I'm like, do I hold it up? Is that sociopathic? Holding it down, that's psychopathic. Then you're like, what does your face do?

You can't look too happy and friend. Like, oh, no, it's fine. Just returning a single butcher knife. That's okay. It's just, this is going back. Yeah, so like the face matter, my tone mattered, my pacing matter. Like, don't walk fast. That's scary. Don't walk too slow. Also scary. Be normal. So

gentle pace. So I kind of landed at like, you know, down here by the waist, a gentle soft smile, no teeth, soft smile, and just sort of a mall walker pace. That's good. But then the family passes by me. And again, they don't know that I'm Arabic Baptist and can speak fluent Arabic. They just see me as a white guy with a knife. This Arabic family passes by with their kid. The dad says in Arabic, I think that guy's about to murder. someone. No, we didn't. I promise you. No, we didn't. Can't make this out. And I, I wish in my head that I had said something back, but I got so nervous at that moment that I just kept going. I wasn't going to be like, I know what you said, sir, and I don't appreciate that. And also it's pretty funny.

I wish I did that. But how would have they known there was an albino, Middle Eastern guy walking by who knew what they were saying? With a butcher knife. Because that's the best part of it, knowing another language, is you can talk behind people's back. That's what's crazy. The number one life hack. Do you ever hear it? Oh, all the time. What are people talking about? Like when you just over here? Generally, they're not talking about me.

What are they like the store and the food? Yeah, they usually talk to their kid, you know, yelling at their kid at the store. But I always love hearing and like, I want to stop them and say, hey, I get it. I get it. I'm one of you. In Arabic you should say, have a nice day. Oh, that would be good. Yeah.

I like that. A little positivity. But then they're also like. That's kind of creepy, though, to just jump into a conversation or another language. Would you have a nice day? Yeah, but if everyone's speaking English around you, it's kind of like a... It's a nod. It's kind of like the Jeep duck, but cooler.

Yes, yes, yes. I like that. So that's my story. I still, it gives me hives thinking about it. How about you? It's good. What have you done in public that is questionable, whether there is context or not? I know.

I don't know why I'm thinking of this, because right now I have to go to the restroom. Just so you know. The leg is shaken. You'll know. I do. My bladder's a problem. Yeah. And we all have our weaknesses.

It is. I'm like, I, it's so terrible. And I was speaking on stage one time, Georgia, and I couldn't, I couldn't finish without going to the restroom. So I had to pause my keynote. And I just said, I'm going to take about five minutes. All of you can talk amongst yourselves.

And I will be right back. So you didn't say where you were going. You walked off. I don't know if I did or not. I think I blacked out. But I had to, so bad. I had to go so bad. Oh, no.

Yes, so. Was it like a, where were you speaking? Do you remember like a church? Was it? No, it was like a group. It was like a... A school? Like, I think it was like a construction company.

Oh, okay. Like a corporate type speaking engagement. Yep, not great. Not my best moment. Wow. But you know what? Do I blame the three kids? Maybe I do on my bladder situation.

Oh, so just having kids... Yeah, I don't know. I don't know what's happening, but everyone's like, you should go like a pelvic floor exercise. I don't have that time for. that people, you know, but it is what it is. It's fine. I just have a little. Now I'm like, I need to have a line

that I can use that makes it like... To get you offstage. Yeah, like, you can't like fake an emergency. That feels too dramatic. No, not at all. But could you have a funny line? Yeah. That like, everyone's like, oh, this is, she's cool. She's self-aware. She can do that. Yeah. It is what it is. You know what I would have done? I would have asked a question. But you know what? I'm going to give you guys a couple minutes to, uh...

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. To think through this really deep question. I'll be back. I'm going to set a time. for five minutes. Give you guys a moment. All right. Well, speaking of it, I have to go to the restroom. So anyways, if you have guilty to charge question, make sure DM us at Rachel Cruz and at George Camel.

We read them. We love it. We love it. We love it. We love it. And send it to Jenner, our producer. If you love this episode, make sure to check out judging people based on how they spend their money. We love a judgment.

We do. But yeah, we'll link it for you. And make sure to subscribe so you don't miss it on a new episode in. Smart Money Happy Hour. See how fast I went.