The Rachel Cruze Show - Are You Wasting Money on These Popular Trends?

Episode Date: September 3, 2019

We love keeping up with the latest clothes, shows and gadgets. But what is our obsession with trends really costing us? In the latest episode of The Rachel Cruze Show, we’re taking on trends. You��ll learn:  Trends you’re probably wasting money on without even thinking about it The biggest money-wasting trend (in my opinion) that gets me riled up over and over again The real cost of being on reality TV, plus show secrets from former Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe Resources (everything mentioned in this episode): Zander Insurance  Contentment Journal / LYLNT Bundle  Woman’s Day TimeShare Exit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A real-life bachelorette's. Caitlin Bristow is here. You go into debt. You have no idea how long you're going to be on that show and you don't get paid a dollar. Woman's Day's head at her in chief, Susan Spencer. Super great price point. They all have naturally derived ingredients. Hey, everyone.

Welcome to another episode of the Rachel Cruise Show podcast. I am so glad that you're here. Today's episode is going to be really fun. Despite the fact that I am under the weather. What is happening? Why am I? My nose? sounds terrible, so bear with me, guys, bear with me. But this episode I really am excited about

because it's all about trends and the idea is that trends, they come and they go, but at the end of the day, they can really cause us to waste money. Now, listen, I consider myself a pretty, like, trendy person. Like, I enjoy a good trend here or there. I love clothes. I love gadgets. Like, when the new phones come out, I love to know what's going on with those. I love reality TV. Like, I'm not just a regular mom. I'm a cool mom. Thank you, mean girls, yes. But I have to realize, and some of you need to realize, that while these trends, they're fun and you can enjoy them, they can cause us to waste money. And on this show, I don't want you guys wasting money. No, I want you to save money. So I've teamed up with Women's Day to show you guys some

really fun, inexpensive items that are trendy right now in the health space. I'm also going to give you guys a brand new challenge to help you save money that will put money back in your pocket. So make sure you stick around for that. And last, but certainly not least, I'm really excited because those of you that know I love a lot of things in life, including pizza and including The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. Yes, it's one of my favorite shows. And so in this episode, we have a real-life Bachelorette. Yes, Caitlin Bristow, she's coming on with us. And we're going to talk about the financial side of being on reality TV. It is fascinating. and, of course, I'm going to drill her with all the questions I've been dying to have answered

about The Bachelor. All right, let's jump right in. According to a recent study, Americans are wasting $18,000 on non-essential items a year. $18,000. Guys, that could be going towards paying down your debt, retirement, or even your emergency fund. I mean, you could do so many things with that money. Could you imagine if you had that money saved in the bank, how much better you would sleep at night versus spending it on stuff that really doesn't matter? Well, I put together a list of categories of things that you do not need to spend money on, okay?

And I've broken them down into three different categories. The first one, subscriptions, smartphone apps. Yep. They can get expensive. I may or may not have purchased a workout app that I thought you had to pay a little bit each month. No, no. They charged old Rachel's account. entire amount. So I got charged $109 for this dang workout app that later, come find out. It had workouts that basically you could get from the Nike app for free. But it just broke my heart. It still

scarred me to this day. But we can waste a lot of money on apps. Even those games that you're addicted to, yeah, it's like, well, 99 cents to buy this thing here or that thing here. And it just seems harmless, but when you look, Americans spend almost $100 a year buying stuff in their mobile games. Yeah, it's crazy. Also, subscription boxes. Yeah, like birch box, gray, stitch fix, spark box. These are all really fun. They're super convenient. But if you're getting out of debt, especially, or saving up for your emergency fund, place that you can cut. Cable, I'm sorry to say it, but it's true. Things like Cable, Netflix, Amazon, YouTube TV, all of these subscriptions that are around, you can cut those. Because the average cable bill is $85 a month. That's over $1,000 a year. So, remember,

it's 2019. There's so many free or cheap options that you can have to watch TV. So look into that. And I even went and looked at the top 10 shows on TV right now, and eight out of 10 of them are on free TV. So you don't need cable or a subscription to watch those. So you can keep up with the trends of all the great shows without spending all the money. All right, so the next category that you don't need to spend money on is in the financial space, okay? Time shares. Oh, no, no, no. The average timeshare will cost you around $19,000, plus you have annual fees every year, and they are basically impossible to get rid of. People are always wanting out of timeshares, and they can't get out. Now, if you're stuck in a timeshare and you really want to get out, there's an amazing company that will

help you. Time share exit. So I'll put a link in the show notes to link to them, so make sure to check them out. Also in the financial categories, whole life insurance. We talk about life insurance on here a lot, but it's just true. Whole life insurance is going to cost you 10 times more than term life. Get out of here. Extended warranties. Research shows that if you need a repair on an appliance, majority of the time, it is even outside the warranty time. So save that average 126, people usually spend on the Uxend their warranty, put it back in your pocket. Last but not least in this category is the lottery. Yes, the average American spends $223 a year on the lottery, which equals $80 billion overall.

And we all know the stats about the chances that you're going to win the lottery, okay? It's not going to happen. Let's just throw it out there. It's not going to happen. So, save your money there. And the last category you don't need to spend money on. It's when it comes to clothes and fashion. The average American spends $3,000 a year on clothes.

I mean, how many times have you walked into your full closet and said, I just don't have anything to wear? Yeah, it happens to me. I'm guilty of that. But you know what it comes back to? It's not like you don't have anything to wear. Obviously, you do. But it's a heart issue.

It's a contentment issue. And so contentment is a huge part of this money message, you guys. And so we put together a special bundle for this episode that pairs my contentment journal with my book, Love Your Life, Not Theirs, because they pair so well together. And again, it gets you in this place of practicing contentment. So you can check that out

if you click the link in the show notes. And when it comes to clothes, really think through quality over quantity. There are sometimes that we think, oh, we just want a bunch of stuff, but it's stuff that, especially with clothes, like you wash it once or twice and it, like, is basically ruined.

You're like, oh, man, because it was super cheap. Maybe you save up a little bit and you invest into some nice pieces. And then also, there's my favorite, biggest pet people when it comes to clothes, things that you could really not spend money on and save some. And that is adult clothes for babies. So I've learned in motherhood to each its own. And I really do believe that. I really do. All the way from like, you want to have a natural birth or an epidural, you want to sleep train your baby, you don't. You, I don't know, want to have your kid in the room

with you till they're 12 years old or you want them up in the nursery. Like, whatever the thing is, teach, it's on whatever works for you. So this is strictly Rachel's opinion, but the amount of money we spend on babies and their clothes specifically gets me. And I'm telling you this out of personal experience. I experienced this with Amelia. Okay? And not just clothes, but adult-like clothes for a child, for an infant. Yeah, I bought this beautiful dress from Janie and Jack for Amelia. It was like the size was zero to three months and it looked like a little obvious. I saw it on the hangar. I was like, oh my gosh, I would wear that if it was my size. It's so cute. I put it on her. She's like a month and a half. She can't even hold her head up in this

dress that I bought that was like $40. I was like, this is the stupidest thing ever. So whenever I see little babies with shoes on and vests and hats and bow ties, it just kind of breaks my heart a little bit because I think that is an adult outfit that you just put on a baby and you just spent so much money on that outfit. That baby needs to be in a onesie. That's what that baby needs. So the rule of thumb for me is under 12 months old, baby, baby, baby, baby, yes, little boy. My rule is he gets to wear smock. Yes, he does. Twelve months and younger. He's a baby. Okay? It's a baby, not an adult. Don't dress them like an adult. Once they hit 12 months and they, you know, maybe can start walking. Then it's cute. But then it's like, oh, okay, yeah, yeah, now you can wear all the adult stuff.

But it's a great place that you don't want to spend money. Adult clothes for babies. All right, you guys, the time has come. Caitlin Bristow is here. All right, if you are not familiar with her, she was on The Bachelor, and then she was chosen to be the Bachelorette. So the Bachelor entire franchise. Yes, The Bachelor, Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, all the things.

I just love it. So I cannot wait to talk to her all about money and reality TV and of course reveal some of her secrets about being on the show. Caitlin, thanks so much for being on. Thank you for having me. So when it comes to the show, I have so many questions. I cannot wait to hear all this. Okay.

Because when it comes to the financial side, as a viewer, that's like somewhat of the lens I look through because I can't help it. It's just like part of how my mind works. So I'm watching it and I'm like, okay, you were on the side of the contestants of the Bachelor. Yeah. And then you were at the Bachelorette. Right. So you have two different perspectives, which are pretty different, right?

Very. Okay. So when it comes to what you pay for, I'm going to be so nosy here, but what you pay for. It's interesting stuff. Yeah. So when you're a contestant, like what is provided for you and what do you have to pay for? You pay for everything and nothing is provided for you. Like, I was living in Vancouver and to even get a flight to go down, you know, for one of my first auditions.

Yeah. was taking care of it. I put myself up in the hotels. No way. Yeah. Yeah. They're just like, if you want this, come get it. Totally. Yeah. And that's all on your dime. Yes. Okay. So when you get on the show, you go. Yeah. I see like all the luggage that all the, you know, all the contestants bring all of that. You get, you get no free clothes as a contestant. Well, once you make it to a certain point, you get a little swag bag. But all your clothes that you're wearing on one-on-ones and all of that. Or group dates. It was crazy the amount. of money that I spent just to go into the show because you don't know how long you're going

to last. You could either be home night one or you could be there for a solid nine weeks. And it's like you've got to think of rose ceremony dresses and heels and jewelry and these things aren't cheap. It's quite expensive and everything. It's crazy what goes into it. And yeah, you don't get anything. Yeah, do people go into debt for this stuff? Oh, I did. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know how you don't. I mean, I was working as at a restaurant. I taught spin classes on the side. I was living in Vancouver.

Paring ridiculous rent. But yeah, it's a lot to think about when you're going to wait for that long and national television and what everybody puts into it. And the show, yeah, no help. Yes. Okay, so when you are the bachelorettes, is it the opposite?

Like, everything's prepared for you? I think I brought my pajamas and that was it. Seriously. Just a comfy pair of PJs because everything is taking care of if you're the lead. You just pick from, you know, you have wardrobe pickouts every week and this is what I'm going to wear.

And they can't tell you what the dates are. So they'll be like, you might be in a chilly helicopter. Okay. Maybe possibly the mouse is. It's a helicopter. So they'll give you ideas. But, yeah, all wardrobe to choose from. There's a stylist.

There's a hair and makeup artist. So it's like polar opposites for being a contestant to being like the lead. So, and I guess it depends on the person and their job. But like, do a lot of people have to leave their job? because if you make it, you're out of work for four months of your current job, right? It just depends. But, yeah, some people lose their jobs. And then there is things like where I had a very casual job.

And they were like, oh, my gosh, great. People see your face on TV. Bring them into the restaurant. Yeah, totally, totally. Yeah, exactly. They're like, go network. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, totally.

Yes. Okay, so after you're on a national show like this, obviously people recognize you, they know who you are. Do you find that, like, a lot of the contestants, go back to their normal life, they go back to the job that they say, oh, yeah, you can come back, you know, they just move on with their normal life, or do they take more of, like, the influence or spin? Like, how do you feel like people react? It depends.

For myself, personally, I didn't want to go back to the restaurant. Yes. I was like, wow, what a blessing that I have this platform. I can turn it into a business. I can do things I'm passionate about. I can work for myself. Yeah. Yeah, so some people choose to go back to their job.

and if that job was something that they're passionate about or something that they could go back to, a lot of people do. But majority people, I would say, try to take a run at the influencer thing because it just seems like a dream job. Okay. Now, so you get paid to be on the show as a contestant, do you? No. You don't. No. So that's the worst part.

You go into debt. You have no idea how long you're going to be on that show or if you're going to get your job when you come back and you don't get paid a dollar. But yeah, it's crazy. But you don't get paid as a contestant. And then as the lead, you get paid quite a decent amount. Sure, sure, to do that. Okay, so you have two really fun business lines out. And your podcast is so fun.

Yeah, podcast is. Yeah. I mean, growing up, I always wanted to have my own radio show. And I actually have a photo of myself from 10 years ago, writing down my goals in life, and I would post them on my mirrors. And I would just look at them every day. And it's funny now to think back. I'm like, oh, wait, look, I did that.

It happened. I mean, I didn't know about podcasting before, but it's great, you know, it's like a radio show. Yes, yes. We talk about goal setting a lot. Yeah. But even the power of writing it down and what it does. Manifesting is everything. It's so true.

Yeah. It's so good. Oh, my gosh. Okay. So you have so much going on. And it all started because of The Bachelor. I know. Okay.

So I'm going to interrupt here because this is when the interview starts to take more of a bachelor. Bachelorette turn. So we filmed all that part for the video channel, and then her and I just started talking off camera. Now, if you've not seen the video version, make sure to go to Rachelcruise.com, YouTube, Facebook. You can watch the video version of this there. But this is like just for you podcast people. And I was really excited because I got to be in the moment with Caitlin and ask her all of the questions that I've had on my mind ever since I started watching this show like a decade ago. And so here we're about to trail off into Bachelor World.

So everyone to prepare your hearts. but it's fascinating. So thinking back when you were The Bachelorette's, rose ceremonies. Let's talk row ceremonies. How do you remember all the guys' names when you're giving out the roses? I love this secret.

Tell me. There's the rose ceremony room, and then there's a little private room. Yes. And in the private room, it's a key chain of all the guys' photos. And so they're like, okay, you're going to go in and say Ryan, Mark, Steve, John, whatever,

whatever names are. So then you go in, And you're like, who the heck is Steve? Steve. And then he walks out and you're like, oh, yeah, Steve, Steve. And then you give them the rose, and the rose is magnetic. So that's how they put them on. Oh, brilliant.

And then after you remember those five names and they've come forward, you do a dramatic, can you guys give me a second? And then you walk out to the room, but they edit that part out. So then you go memorize the next five names. And then you come back out and then you say the next five, but it's all editing and that makes it look like. Right, right. seamless.

Because I figured I was like, there's no way this one take. Because especially after the first one, half the time when you guys leave, the sun's out, right? Yeah. Like the last few people leaving. It's a long night. I know. So how late is that at Rosair? Well, actually, so our night one was actually filmed over two nights.

So all the guys and us, we had to go back into our night one outfits, pretend it was the same night. No. Yeah. And so it was, yeah, it's a long night. I mean, it starts at 8 p.m. Yeah. And it starts at 8 p.m. And, I mean, when the sun comes up, that's when they're going home.

Oh. My gosh, another question. Okay. Do the producers tell you what order to do the guys in the row ceremony? Yeah, because it has to be the most dramatic way. And even if you don't say it in that way, they'll edit it that way. Do producers have a say over who you keep? Yes and no.

They're very good at talking you into things. Me personally, and I've talked to other bachelorets, you're like, okay, I know my final four. You know. You know. So you kind of play their little game, like, okay, I'll keep this person. I'll keep this. So they don't ever really have to force you. It's more like, I'll keep them around for some entertainment.

Okay, do you have a say over who you pick for your one-on-one dates? I think you get really excited about certain people and you want to pick them for the one-on-one, but they're like, hey, save it because we've got a really good one later. So they're kind of on your side with that because they want those people to shine too. Yes. So yes and no. Sometimes they'll be like, okay, you can take that person. But sometimes they're like, no, take this because later down the road you're going to want to take this one.

On the one-on-one dates, do you eat the food? Why do you have to eat? Okay. And this is, once I tell you this, you'd be like, oh, of course. So you can order whatever you want in between that time. So in between the day date and the night day, you can order whatever you want for food. Okay.

Same with the contestant, I guess. Yes. Oh my gosh, you just eat whatever you want so that you're full for the date. Because they want conversation on camera. Like, if me and you were eating right now, how weird would that be? Right. No, but the audio would be like, what are you doing? Like, I can't hear anything.

It's annoying. People don't like to hear chewing at home. They want to hear your conversation. I don't understand why they put dinner in front of you. I guess it looks pretty aesthetically. Okay. It's just there. Yeah.

Oh, my gosh. Okay. So when you are on the show, you have no cell phone, no computer, no TV. No. Nothing. Nothing. No. What are you doing when the cameras aren't rolling or if someone is on a one-on-one day

in you're in a different city? You can't go out and explore, right? You're doing B-roll. You're doing interviews. you're doing pickups and both. Sometimes they'll go, hey, could you put on your dress from night one? We've got to go back and add a couple things. And so then you're looking like you're night one, but really it's like the end.

Stop it. Yeah. Truly. Like weeks later, they could go back. It's called pickups. Hometown dates. Yeah. Do you get to pick what you do in your hometown date?

You do have some say there. Is that stressful, like having family and setting up cameras and all of that? Do you see them truly on camera for the first time? Truly on camera for the first time. That is real. Yes. It's a lot for families because, you know, you sign up for it, but your families don't. Yes, so true.

That's such a good point. What was, like, the biggest surprise for you? On the contestant side, the biggest surprise for me was that it actually could work. Yeah. Like, that you could actually start having feelings for somebody and that, how real it becomes. Okay. Chris Harrison. Yeah.

We call him Uncle Chris. Yeah. How's he? What's uncle? He's my favorite human being on the planet. Is he? Yeah. He's just fabulous.

So great. Yeah. Okay. So one question. I always ask the guess. Okay. What's the one thing you're doing with money? that's creating a life that you love. There's quite a few things. I'm really proud of things I do

with charity work. And then also, I mean, I paid off my house. I paid off my car. Yeah, you did, Caitlin. I love doing vacations. All really good things. Okay, so the giving thing is so interesting. We talk about giving a lot on the show because a lot of my message is about moving from like selfishness to selflessness and that people who win in life in every aspect, they're selfless. Like, right? Like they give and they live with that open hand. And so from you, your approach, perspective. Like, the show and all that is so fun. Like, I love it all. But I could see how some people could get wrapped up in almost this all-consuming. Everything is geared towards you. Right. It is hard to come out of it. I remember coming off the show and you are so spoiled over that show because I came from like not knowing how

I was going to pay for rent and buy groceries to have a substantial amount of income and not knowing how to deal with it and learning hard ways sometimes. But it's, it's so nice to be able to do that and it makes me feel good too. Yes. Caitlin, thanks for coming on. Oh my gosh, thank you for having me. I know this was like, I've bombarded you with all Bachelor questions, but all the fans. It's like every question, every fan wants to know. So fun. We met on doing the podcast.

I hang out here more often. Come back, Caitlin. Come back. Feels good. Oh, thanks for good. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so glad Caitlin came by. That was so much fun.

Up next, I was in New York, so I stopped by the Woman's Day offices to look at some really fun, new, affordable, trendy products that actually could be worth spending your money. Hey guys, I'm here in New York at Woman's Day's headquarters with editor-in-chief Susan Spencer. Last time you're here, you did some great value awards, and it was a hit. So we're bringing you back to talk about great value awards, but specifically with health and wellness. Health and wellness, exactly. So good. Okay, so the first product is the pasta.

Red lentil-penne. So our reader testers absolutely love this. So it's $3. It's available in supermarkets nationwide. And they loved it mainly because it has one ingredient, which is red lentil flour. The thing they like the most is that it cooks up super firm, almost al dente, like a regular pasta. A lot of these alternative pastas end up very mushy and you just don't want to eat them. So great taste, great texture, lots of, you know, health benefits.

So great for your family. And so easy. We talk about pasta a lot on the show because it's just like a quick dinner. Sure. And moms are looking for those fast dinner. Exactly. So it's a great option, you guys. Okay.

Next. So these are first aid kits from Wellie. and they retail for $499 to $7.99, and they're sold at Target. So, as you know, as the mother of two, that your kids are always getting into little scrapes and a little accidents. So having one of these in your purse is a lifesaver, and it has pretty much everything you're going to need from tweezers to all sorts of bandages. Cute bandage. Yeah, and I think I know, exactly, your kid is going to want to put that on me, right? Yes, yes, yes.

Okay, I've tried these. These are roasted chickpeas, saracha, flavor, sea salt, and my favorite, which is, you know, which is the dark chocolate. So they retail for $3.00, super great price point. They're really delicious. Yes. I don't know about you, but every day at about 3.30, I have a craving for salt, and I immediately reach for the potato chips. Not exactly the healthiest move, but I've been trying these instead. Yes. Okay, Method. I love Method. Method. So I'm sure that you use their dishwash soap and and maybe their hand soap. So you may not know that Method also has a line of bath products called Method Body. So these retail from $499 to $799 also available in Target.

And what our reader testers really liked about them was that they all have naturally derived ingredients. So you've got like cucumber and seaweed and rosewater and things that are just really refreshing and revitalizing. The other thing they really liked was the packaging. This is made from recycled plastic and paper. And if you're trying to teach kids about sustainability or about going green, I think this is a great way to go. So easy to enter that competition. Good. All right.

The love language of all moms across America. Yoga pants. Yoga pants. Can't fit into those right now. But again, one day, it'll happen. Okay, so, brand. Yoga pants. Yoga pants are every woman's holy grail.

To find a pair of yoga pants that actually fit, that don't slip down, that are comfortable. Yes. It's just amazing. And we believe we found them. So these are Callia. This is Carrie Underwood's line. Oh, yes. So our readers' testers, they really like the,

the fabric. The fabric is, it's thick, so it kind of cinches you in a little bit, but it's very breathable. So they could really move in these pants, they don't slip. They also have, I can take that, they also have this really nice wide band right here, which is nice for a little tummy taming. And my favorite, they have pockets. No way. Seriously. I think a good pocket makes everything better. On yoga pants. It's brilliant. So these retail for $70, which seems a little bit pricey, but really, really worth it. That's what makes these great value. And they're available nationwide. Okay, it's so good. I know. Even though the price points a little bit more, I feel like there's always pieces in our closets that you can invest. I call my investment pieces.

Right. And it's the things you wear all the time, and you may not have a ton of, but you could invest in one or two pair of these, and they're going to last you a long time because it's good quality. I don't think you'll take them off. Yeah, right. Sleep in it, do everything with it. It's so great. Okay. These are such great value awards and it's stuff that, obviously, helps with health and wellness. Absolutely. And make great choices. So we love that.

Okay, guys, so you can find all these products in the September issue of Women's Day that is on stands now or Woman's Day.com. Or you can click the link in the show notes to get all the information on these products. Susan, thanks for coming back on. Thank you so much.

So great. Thank you. All right, this was such a fun episode. So you guys, you can love trends, but also be wise with your money. Now, it seems like it's always a trend to spend money. So I've created a challenge for you that I'm going to call the She Works Hard Saving Money Challenge.

I love it. This challenge is about not spending money. So for 15 days, I'm challenging you to pause your spending on non-essential items. So for the challenge, you can spend money on things like food, rent or mortgage, transportation, debt, prior commitments, those kind of things. But you cannot spend money on things like clothes, eating out, movies, coffee, haircuts, kids activities. Oh, it's going to hurt. challenge. So make sure to click the link in the show notes to get started, and I cannot wait to hear from you. All right, thanks again for listening. Now, if you've not subscribed to the podcast,

make sure you do that. And again, the video version of the show you can find on YouTube and Facebook. And as always, make sure you take control of your money and create a life you love.