The Rachel Cruze Show - Spend Your Money Without Wasting It

Episode Date: June 24, 2024

💵 Create a free budget. Sign up for EveryDollar today! Join in this week’s episode as I share my favorite brand name splurges, dish on popular products that aren't worth their price tag, and reveal signs that you might own too much stuff—it’s all about learning how to spend smart! In This Episode: ·      Brand Name Products That Are Worth the Money ·      Popular Products That Are a Waste of Money ·      9 Sneaky Signs You Own Too Much Stuff Next Steps  ·      🎥 Watch my video on the Amazon picks I’m currently loving and hating. ·     🩺 Check out my video on which types of insurance you do and don’t need. ·      💵 Go to my video with Minimal Mom where we reveal what we don’t spend money on. ·      🚑 Get a free quote! Shop for health coverage you can trust from Zander Insurance.   Offers From Today's Sponsors ·      🏥 Learn more about Christian Healthcare Ministries. ·      🧩 Use code Rachel20 for 20% off your TruPlay annual subscription.   Listen to More From Ramsey Network 🍸 Smart Money Happy Hour 🎙️ The Ramsey Show   🧠 The Dr. John Delony Show 💸 The Ramsey Show Highlights 💰 George Kamel 💼 The Ken Coleman Show 📈 The EntreLeadership Podcast    Ramsey Solutions Privacy Policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's always going to be room for small improvements in your money and your life, but contentment is key for financial stability and financial peace. So don't let lifestyle creep make you feel like you'll never have enough. Hey, you guys, welcome to this episode of the Rachel Crew Show podcast. I'm so glad that you're here. In this episode, I'll share popular products that, in my opinion, are a waste of money. Then we'll talk about nine sneaky signs that you may own too much stuff. But first, I'm going to share some brand name products that I think are worth the extra cash every now and then.

Take a listen. So I talk a lot about eliminating unnecessary spending and cutting expenses to create margin in your budget. But another huge part of being wise with your money is knowing when to spend a little bit more for a higher value product. So today I thought it would be fun to share a list of brand name products that I love. and these are purchases, in my opinion, are worth the extra cash every now and then. I'll also be sharing my husband Winston's number one splurge. It's not the most manly of preferences, but he is adamant about this product. So, all right, first, let's start off with something that most of us buy every single week.

Groceries. And if you know me, I'm all about a store brand dupe. And there are tons of snacks and grocery items that taste the exact same, whether it's public's brand or name brand. or name brand. And listen, though, there are a couple of products, though, that I refuse to settle on, and I will buy these food items for my family. Are you ready for this? Cheese, okay? Slice cheese. Get the brand name. Get the real deal. Because when you're making, you know, turkey melts or grilled cheeses, there's something about the brand name. It just, it melts different. It does. Now, shredded cheese, I will go public's brand all day.

Turkey at the deli. Hello, Boar's Head. Yes. I will get turkey at the deli versus like the container turkey. Also, honey nut Cheerios, man, I have tried to pull fast one on my kids on this, and they can smell it a mile away if it's the fake version. So we buy real honeynut Cheerios. Also, my condiments, like ketchup, mustard mayonnaise, I get name brands. And also paper products when it comes to paper towels and toilet paper. I get like bounty Sherman, like I do.

I go for the name brand there. Now, jury is still out on Oreos, but my producer Kelly swears that the Trader Joe's Oreos or their Jojo's are incredible. So we'll have to try those and report back. All right, this next category includes the things that I used to buy at the grocery store, but now I choose to go a little bit busier. And some of these are products when it comes to our beauty. All right, sunscreen. Sharon Ramsey. I blame my mother for this one.

She will send me emails of newsletters and all these healthy people talking about good sunscreen. So you do like Super Goop or Kula or Blue Lizard. Like all of it again, it has like chemical free, whatever, whatever, whatever. But they're expensive. They're expensive.

I have been buying them probably the last like 18 months. And again, sunscreen is big, right? You want no sunburns on you or the kids or anything. But apparently these nicer ones have a higher level of zinc. again, it's like, it doesn't have all the bad stuff. So I buy a nice sunscreen now, but I pay for it. It kind of hurts a little bit.

All right, next is makeup. And I am a classic millennial. I have not changed my makeup routine. I'm going to go on like 12 to 13 years. So Mac is still part of my repertoire, NARs. Thank you. Yeah. So I will buy some stuff.

Saravet and all of that. I can still get at the drugstore. But most of my makeup, I would say, for the most parts, is like, you know, name brand, it is. And again, they're kind of old school brands because apparently there's like all these new ones at Sephora and Alta and all these places that all of you know about,

but I stick with what I know. And that's what I know and that's what I like. But honestly, nothing compares to how seriously the hair care product world, you know? And we've all been on a hair journey. You know, it's been two decades before babies, COVID, like all this stuff. Your hair just changes people.

It just does. And as you get older, it's just different. And so I do, again, have good shampoo, conditioner, all of that, like the stuff you put in your hair after, like all of it. So I use Purology, Carastas, whatever that name brand is. It's great. So again, I will put investments in some things like my daily routines when it comes to shampoo, conditioner, all of it, because I don't know, I think it's worth it to me.

And also, when I think about taking care of my skin, my hair, my nails, all of it. I will say, you know, it is something that I will put effort towards when it comes to buying these products. And you can't win them all, people. You can't win them all. All right, the next thing that I splurge on, that isn't a product necessarily more of a service. And let me tell you, maturity is accepting the fact that you need a nice hotel in order to get a good night's sleep when you're traveling. So if you're planning a trip, especially with the kids, I'm all about spending money on a great hotel experience. I really am, and I've traveled y'all specifically with my job for 15 years, and I've seen them all. I've been all those small towns in Nebraska all the way in New York City.

And regardless of where you are, there is something about knowing, like, this is a clean, nice hotel. So I will splurge on that. I'm not apologetic about it. I love an nice hotel. And the other thing is, too, you know, after you've had, like, a long day, you know, out, whether you're working or you're with your family or friends, and you're on vacation, whatever it is, to go back to a very nice experience. when you lay your head down on the pillow. There's just nothing like it. Nothing like it. So, it's worth it to me. Worth it to me. Another thing that I love to buy higher end also is sentimental jewelry pieces. So listen, most jewelry I'll get from like Amazon earrings, you know, most everything,

but there are a couple of milestone anniversary gifts or classic bracelets that I've always loved and that I have for a special occasion. I mean, all my rings and stuff, this bracelet I've had since. It's a David Yerman, this one, but I've had it literally since college. I mean, it's going on, it's going on close to 20 years, which is crazy, crazy. But it's great, and I love it, and I wear it all the time. So there are some things that I'm like, yes, I will spend money on. Well, that one was a gift, but I will receive some of them and just be grateful for them. But some jewelry, yep, I'll go nice, but other ones, it's just cheap, cheap, cheap.

All right, before we chat about Winston's Boogee brand name preference, this one is something that I've talked about multiple times, but I've been very faithful to my Louis Vuitton never-full tote bag for almost two decades, y'all. Crazy. So, again, this was one that I got, and I don't know, it's just, it's, the quality is true. Like, it's strong.

It has stayed in style. I mean, everything about it, like, it's unbelievable. I mean, I have so much stuff that I carry in that bag. The straps have not broken. And it's wild. So there is something about investing, which I know that that's a big investment, but investing in really good quality, actually really well-made products that work. And it lasts.

So God bless it. Love it. Okay. Now the moment of truth you've all been waiting for. So if you've ever heard me talk about my husband Winston, you're probably expecting his favorite splurge to be like, you know, for our yard or hunting or something like that. No. Winston's loyalty lies in the popular women's close. clothing store anthropology. He is a candle snob. And man, a good volcano candle from Anthro is something that he

will splurge on. And listen, Winston is very picky about his candles. He loves a good smell. He's like our candle person. And I mean, anthropology, it is like, it is the one. It is the one. Now, like I've said before, intentionality when it comes to your money is the name of the game. And your money is yours and you absolutely want to be able to buy nice things for yourself. That's okay. But when you don't have self-control or maybe you don't have the money or you're caught up in the comparison game, that's when things can start to really be a problem. So remember, to use your money to intentionally improve your life, but that's going to take time. Slow and steady wins the race. And if there's a fancy, more frivolous item that you've really been wanting, then say,

up and pay for it. You can do this. And this way, when you go and pay cash for it, you can be absolutely sure that you want it. It'll be like extra reward, you know, because it's worth the way. It's great. And whatever your wishless item is right now, a monthly budget is one of the places that you can have in your life to help you get to your goal. So there are definitely some things that I love to splurge on. I love a good hotel. I love a good high-quality handbag. But at the end of the day, I prefer to ball on a budget when it comes to everyday items that I shop for. And there are some things that I will always say no to. So today I'm sharing popular products that, in my opinion, are a complete waste of money.

So first, let's just start off with a little bit of humor because the whole reason this topic has been on my mind lately is because we had a slightly traumatic experience at this dinosaur exhibit that was a complete rip-off. So on Instagram, I kept seeing this ad for this dinosaur thing coming to Nashville. and Charles, my four-year-old, loves dinosaurs, like, loves them, dinosaur underwear, dinosaur shirts, dinosaurs, dinosaurs. And so, I was like, this would be such a good thing. Like, I don't normally do this. I'm not, like, buying tickets out to stuff all the time, but, like, this would be a fun family thing to do on a Saturday where we didn't have anything, which rarely happens

either. Week out, which was the most terrible experience. I've had in a really long time. We were totally ripped off, y'all. I mean, like, just now there was a grown man dressed. up as a dinosaur, and the dinosaur's name was Diego, and he came, and Diego spun around. Diego sat, and Diego stood back up. That was part of the exhibit was that. It was so bad, y'all. And it was rainy and muddy. It was outside, and, like, they had bounce houses

that I bought extra tickets for, and the bounce houses were, like, puddles of mud, and kids and sweat, like, it was just gross. It was just bad. It was bad. It was bad. the whole thing. And the worst part of it all is we're driving home and Winston was like, well, that was an adventure. But at least, you know, it's probably only like 10 bucks a person or something, right, Rachel? No, no, no. We spent $156 to take our family to this. So anyways, it was just one of those moments where I thought, okay, I'm going to learn. I'm going to learn. And the bright side of all of this is that, you know, we have a good memory. We still laugh about because, again, trapped in this fairground tents with bounce houses and Diego was not a great Saturday.

Okay, let's dive into the actualist, though, of really things that are not worth the money. And the first thing that I thought about was expensive athleisure wear. So, $100 for a pair of leggings in this economy? No, no, no, no. Now, listen, I love Lou Lemon. I love all the nice things. It's great. But y'all, the same stretchy fabric technology now is like in so many places.

I have ones from Amazon, some from Old Navy, and they are a fraction of the price, and they're fantastic. They're fantastic. So that's one thing that I will go Target, Old Navy, Amazon for all that stuff. Again, if you want to splurge on a couple of items from like the nicer places, I'm sure they're wonderful and nice. I have some. But overall, if I just need some running shorts, I'm probably going to go to Target for that.

All right, the next popular item that I think is a waste of money is for my friends with hoarding tendencies. I love you guys. But renting out storage units or investing in collectibles is not always the wisest way to spend your money. So listen, if you have to have multiple storage units for all your crap, we probably could do some purging, don't you think? We could probably say, hey, here's some, that's just trash we could throw out.

here are some things we could sell. Like, we may just have too much stuff. And the fact that, you know, for some people, they're paying a monthly rent on a place to keep all of this. Now, I get it. If you went from, like, a house to an apartment, you're downsizing. Like, if there's a transitional period during time, I get it. Absolutely.

But overall, just think of all the crap you have and just ask yourself, you know, would I be sad if this was gone? Because the truth is, you know, you're probably not. Probably not. Now, again, there are a few exceptions here. But let's just think about how we can save money on rent when it comes to a storage unit. All right, number three for me is expensive kids' clothes. So if you are a parent, you know how much time.

It feels like it takes to keep up. My kids, they grow so fast. Like, we would go through two sizes of shoes, usually throughout the school year. From one summer to the next, I mean, they were just this and all of it. There's just so much. And so I will look for sales for my kids when it comes to nicer stores. but honestly, I mean, I just get stuff from Old Navy and Target. Like, that is it.

When they were, like, little, I would go to consignment sales because a bunch of boozy moms and, like, the rich part of town would have, like, pretty smock dresses and, like, all these, like, really, really nice outfits that I would get at a fraction of the cost, which was amazing. But y'all, I'm like, the kids, I mean, let's just be honest, they're going to grow out of them. And they're a mess. Like, they go to school.

I mean, all of it. So I will buy inexpensive clothes all day for my kids. The fourth product that I think is a waste of money is any and all food at the movie theater. So we are a pre-movie Walgreens family. So if we go to the movies, we usually go to Walgreens and get the candy boxes there. It's half the cost. And I remember even when I was a kid, my mom would get a bag. She bought a bag of popcorn, y'all at the movie theater.

And it was like you could get refills for free. She would like fold that bag and put it in her purse. And like next time we went, she'd like shake it out and go get more popcorn. So we found ways to scoot around the system. I'm not saying that's a good thing, but it happened. And one time we took all of our kids in the movies, and I was like, let's just go big and let's just do it. Like, we'll buy the food here.

And, you know, it was so much. It was so expensive. So, listen, putting some stuff in the old purse, like, just do it. Just do it. Save some money that way. All right, popular product number five that I think is a waste of money. A Dyson. Mm-hmm.

Yeah. And I know you guys, I'm going to get some heat for this. but listen, I'm convinced that a vacuum cleaner is a vacuum cleaner. A hair dryer is a hair dryer. And just like the legging technology has caught up with us, there are tons of dupes out there for viral hair appliances like the Dyson hair wrap. And again, I listened to this podcast with this hairstylist, and she said, she was like, no. And she named up like three or four other hair dryers, too, that were better than the Dyson

and cost half of the money. So I think there's some other alternatives out there. so don't feel like you have to fall into that trend. All right, the sixth product that I think is a waste of money is airport and airplane food. I know. So listen, we're talking $10 bottle waters. Remember magazines that you used to buy magazines? They're like $7 per magazine, all of it.

And then you got to pay for the air Wi-Fi service, you know, the overpriced cocktails on the plane, like all of it. And it is so easy for your money to slip through your fingertips when you're traveling. So before you travel, just think, hey, throw in some snacks, throw in an empty water bottle, because a lot of now airports you can fill up your bottle at different water filling stations. And again, if you want to, like, have, you know, a cocktail on the plane or something here or there, that's great. But just know, like, all of this is going to cost so much. And that's money you could have spent at your destination, like having a great night out. So just remember that.

Now, the seventh item that ends up being a waste of money is twofold. popular jeans styles and trendy jewelry pieces. They're always changing, you guys, always changing. And I do want to invest in new cuts and colors every season, and I just do it. And when I buy that stuff, it's usually Amazon, Old Navy, Target, Abercrombie, all the things. Because, again, even jeans, you think about jeans

and how much they have changed over the last four years. And if you want to kind of just, like, yeah, be on trends a little bit, you're probably going to cycle through some styles and all of it. So go on the cheap end. Don't buy the really expensive stuff. And finally, the one financial product that I never recommend is something that is supposed to help you out when you're a need, but it absolutely does not. And that is whole life insurance. So whole life insurance, you guys, it is, I think, one of the worst financial products on the market because you're getting insurance for your whole life, but it also has a investment attached to it that you get a crappy rate of return.

And through some of the accounts, they keep the money when you die. It's all this stuff, like, no, no, no, no. So I recommend getting term life insurance, have your investing in something completely different. And if the end of the life stuff isn't on your radar yet, I hate to be the bearer of news, but you are going to die. So you need to be thinking about this stuff, you guys. And I know it's not fun to think about, but think through this. And especially if you have someone that is dependent upon your income, make sure you have life insurance. I'm calling all doomsday preppers.

Listen, you are seen, you are heard, but also, let's give a little reality check to life because this one goes out to all my friends with a little hoarding tendencies. One of the keys to winning with money is realizing that you don't have to be in control of your stuff. Your stuff never needs to own you, okay? So it's okay to have some stuff. Just don't let it have you. But I say this to all the natural spenders when it comes to shopping, because listen,

it's all about balance. So my team and I did a little digging on the internet. And today I'm going to be reacting to nine sneaky signs that you own too much stuff. All right, the first sign that you might have too much stuff is that you need more than 30 minutes to tidy up before anyone comes over. So if your house is full and cramped, it feels impossible to keep it clean and tidy. That means you may need to create some space. Now, if you have little kids, this can be difficult. Maybe if you're an adult, this can be difficult too.

but it's just this idea, if there's just so much crap around, probably have the stuff you don't even need. The second sign that you have too much stuff is that you're constantly wishing you had more money or a bigger house. Do you ever think back on your very first paycheck? Listen, life moves on, and you probably wouldn't wish to go back to that salary now,

but there is a small part of you that remembers feeling a little, you know, more content, less stressed, or something about that. So don't let lifestyle creep, make you feel like you'll never have enough. Because, of course, there's always going to be room for small improvements in your money and your life, but contentment is key for financial stability

and financial peace. And that goes for your house too. Now, the third sign that you might have too much clutter in your home is if you have unopened or forgotten about items. Have you ever cleaned out your garage or your pantry or a random storage closet upstairs? And you found a lot of unopened things just sitting there. Maybe it was that.

crock pot that you got from a white elephant party or a brand new candle that you got last summer, like whatever it is, these items that are forgotten about, they need to be cleared out. Sneaky sign number four is that you have to move a bunch of stuff in order to get other things. So raise your hand. If you've ever had to move multiple boxes just to get back to your treadmill or get back to that thing in the attic of what you were looking for or to even in your kitchen table, right, to do dinner, like whatever it is, listen, you have too much stuff. if you can't even sit on your couch, right?

Let's just get rid of some stuff. Your home should feel like a restful, clear, and safe place, not an obstacle course. The fifth sign that you own too much stuff is if you feel like you have no clue where your money goes every single month. That one feeling that I'm sure a lot of us have experience that it's getting to the third week,

you're checking your bank account, realizing, oh my gosh, there's not a lot of money left. So if I've said it once, I've said it a million times. A budget takes away the stress when it comes to your spending. A budget allows you to tell your money, money where to go. So if you haven't done a budget before, go to every dollar.com slash Rachel to create a custom budget in just a few minutes. It is my favorite budgeting tool out there. So make sure to

check it out. The six way that you can tell you have too much stuff is that you have a difficult time moving around your house or when it comes to your attic or your garage. So think about one space in your house that you try to avoid because you're afraid this thing will fall out and you'll be buried in it. I always think about Monica's secret closet on France. It's that one door in the very back She opened it. It was like the one place she was not organized. It was fantastic. So if that experience, if that's how you feel, then go through it, clean it out, donate stuff, sell stuff, throw away stuff. Just have that space, have a little bit of fresh air. And I'm telling you, it will be so worth it. It is. It gives you peace of mind. Sign number seven is if you're always

shoving things into drawers and closets. Have you ever been at that place where you bring home a new clothing item, but you don't have any hangers for it. That's happened to me, for sure. And again, there's stuff just coming out of drawers and all of it. Oh, do a purge. It is like, this is my favorite. My worst is my bathroom. All the drawers in my bathroom somehow, stuff just seems to pile, pile, pile, and then every now and then I'll take everything out and be like, okay, what do I need? What do I not need? And again, it's good intention stuff. Oh, I'll keep the hat, because I'm sure one day I'll X, Y, and Z. Just get rid of it. Get rid of it. The eighth sign that you have too much stuff is if you're always

losing things or struggling to keep track of certain items. A place for everything and everything in its place. Good old saying, but it's actually true to actually have something and you say, okay, this is where I'm going to put this or where I'm going to put that. It helps you stay organized. It helps you feel clean and that you know where things are. And finally, the ninth sign that you might have too much stuff is if you've ever thought or said to yourself, well, I may need this one day, so I'll keep it just in. In case. Mm-hmm.

And this is me, you guys. I mean, unbelievable. I will go through stuff, and I'm like, well, I might use it or this or this or this. Again, usually, like, beauty stuff, it always happens. I'll get something, like, really great. And I'm like, oh, I'm sure I'll use that cream for my hands one day. And I just put it away and never, never happens. I actually made a Mary Poppins costume from scratch, which if you know me, I'm not a creative

person. But I did it, not from scratch. That sounded real intense. But I bought the skirt and the shirts from Amazon. and then I bought like a little bow tie thing. I bought a thing, a black hat. I bought all this stuff for it. I glued things.

Like, I mean, who am I? And it actually turned out real good. I was very proud of myself. And I got Winston's costume too, put it together. And it just felt like this, like, goal. Like, I'm not this person. I usually just buy the whole thing and call it a day. But I, like, pieced it together.

And I felt so creative and so great. And I still have that in my closet, that Harry Poppins outfit. Just because one day, Mary could come back and I may need that costume. So I do. I have that in my closets still. Okay, let's be real, though. You can clean out your closets and your drawers all day long, but if the habits that got you there are not broken, you will continue to do it over and over again. And for me, the biggest mindset shift that helped me is when I started practicing contentment and when I really said, hey, with what I have, I'm good with. Who I am is not going to change because of that purchase or this over here. This piece that I have in my heart,

there's like this level of foundation there, you guys, that is so huge because money can be really emotional in understanding and learning the hard way that money and buying stuff is not always going to make you happy, even though we can believe that. And a common thread of this episode has been margin, finding margin financially, also finding margin when it comes to spaces in your home. But if you do need that financial margin, make sure to start doing a budget. We mentioned it earlier, but tracking your expenses and having control over your spending is so key. And every Every dollar helps you do that. So again, go to every dollar.com slash Rachel and get started today.

So again, you guys, we like stuff. We're not mad at stuff, but sometimes we can have too much of it. Thanks so much for listening to the show. If you love this show, make sure to leave a review because your feedback and helps us out so much. And while you're at it, make sure to subscribe to this podcast and share it with friends or family who maybe feel like, yeah, they may have too much stuff too. They may like this episode.

Thanks again for listening. and remember to take control of your money and create a life you love.