Are You a Quality or a Quantity Person? (And How That Affects Your Money)

Summary

Smart Money Happy Hour with Rachel Cruze and George Kamel Episode: Are You a Quality or a Quantity Person? (And How That Affects Your Money) Release Date: May 29, 2025

In this engaging episode of Smart Money Happy Hour, hosts Rachel Cruze and George Kamel delve into the contrasting consumer mindsets of "Quality" versus "Quantity" and explore how these tendencies influence financial decisions. Through a lively and relatable conversation, they unpack various aspects of daily life where these paradigms play out, offering listeners valuable insights on budgeting, mindful spending, and achieving a fulfilling lifestyle without financial strain.

---

Introduction to Quality vs. Quantity

Rachel and George kick off the discussion by highlighting their opposing spending tendencies. Rachel identifies herself as a "quantity person," enjoying variety and affordability, while George leans towards "quality," preferring durable and well-researched purchases.

Rachel Cruze [01:02]:
"I am a quantity person. Give me, like, something cheap. Give me Amazon earrings, 20 pairs. I don't need diamonds."

George Kamel [01:36]:
"I know. Believe it or not, I'm a quality guy. Life is too short to not have quality things in your life."

---

Watches and Jewelry

The duo discusses their preferences in accessories, particularly watches and jewelry. Rachel favors numerous affordable pieces from platforms like Amazon, embracing variety over luxury.

Rachel Cruze [01:17]:
"I do. Give me, like, something cheap. Give me Amazon earrings, 20 pairs."

In contrast, George prefers enduring quality, valuing timeless and reliable pieces that stand the test of time.

George Kamel [01:46]:
"Life is too short to not have quality things in your life. Especially as I get older."

---

Self-Care

When it comes to self-care, Rachel oscillates between quality and quantity. She invests in essential services like therapy but opts for more affordable options for other self-care activities.

Rachel Cruze [11:12]:
"I'll go quantity, because I don't go to a super, like, fancy spa place to get my manicures and pedicures."

George, on the other hand, consistently prioritizes quality in his self-care routine, frequently visiting barbershops he trusts.

George Kamel [12:14]:
"I go quality here. I go to the hipster barber. They charge too much, but I go every two weeks without fail."

---

Closet Staples

Rachel embraces a quantity-oriented approach to her wardrobe, favoring multiple affordable pieces over a few high-end items. She often purchases clothing from Amazon and Target, enjoying the flexibility to adapt to trends.

Rachel Cruze [16:04]:
"My Amazon trousers are like $30 a pair. I'm not spending $200 on jeans."

Conversely, George appreciates quality in his clothing choices, investing in durable and versatile pieces that offer long-term value.

George Kamel [16:35]:
"But you have some nice tennis shoes. I feel like... you have to invest in quality for longevity."

---

Alcohol

When discussing beverages, both hosts lean towards quality. Rachel prefers higher-end wines and cocktails, appreciating the nuanced flavors and lasting satisfaction they provide.

Rachel Cruze [20:04]:
"If I have a glass of red wine and it's super cheap, I feel it the next day. I'm going quality on this one."

George equally values quality in his drinks, favoring well-crafted cocktails and premium ingredients over cheap alternatives.

George Kamel [20:27]:
"I want a quality cocktail. I don't want something like Sprite and vodka. I like more complexity and elegance."

---

Technology

In the realm of technology, George exemplifies the quality mindset by investing in reliable and long-lasting gadgets. He emphasizes the importance of functionality and durability over frequent upgrades.

George Kamel [22:58]:
"I am quality on this one. As a former Apple store employee, I love researching and investing in technology that lasts."

Rachel, while also appreciating quality, balances her tech purchases with practicality, selecting items that offer both value and functionality.

Rachel Cruze [22:01]:
"I have an iPhone, but I don't always need the latest model. I focus on what works best for my needs."

---

Baby Gear

When it comes to baby necessities, Rachel and George prioritize quality to ensure safety and longevity. They invest in reliable products like car seats and strollers that can accommodate multiple children.

Rachel Cruze [24:15]:
"We've had our stroller for all three kids. It's quality that lasts."

George concurs, highlighting the importance of durable and safe baby gear.

George Kamel [24:23]:
"The car seat is an investment. It's essential for safety and long-term use."

---

Internet Protection

Both hosts treat internet protection as a quality necessity. They advocate for trustworthy services that safeguard personal information, recognizing the long-term benefits of such investments.

Rachel Cruze [25:18]:
"I think it's quality all the way on this one. Delete Me removes your information from data broker websites."

George Kamel [25:20]:
"They scan thousands of websites to protect your privacy. It's a must-have for online safety."

---

Food

Rachel exhibits a balanced approach to food, enjoying both quality dining experiences and frequenting affordable fast-food outlets. She values the flexibility to indulge in various culinary preferences without overspending.

Rachel Cruze [26:54]:
"I'm one part at a five-course dinner downtown, and another part enjoying a Chick-fil-A spicy chicken sandwich."

George, adhering to the quality side, focuses on nutritious, often gluten-free options, prioritizing health over cost.

George Kamel [28:12]:
"We're a gluten-free family. It forces us to be quality because we have to get the best for our health."

---

Pets

In caring for their pets, Rachel and George adopt different strategies. Rachel affectionately describes her numerous cats, embracing a quantity approach, while George takes a quality-first stance to ensure his dogs receive the best care and products.

Rachel Cruze [30:49]:
"June gets along with everyone like a lost puppy. She's nine cats. I'm a quantity person here."

George Kamel [30:58]:
"My two French bulldogs get hypoallergenic food and the best care. Quality is non-negotiable for their well-being."

---

Takeaways: Balancing Quality and Quantity

Rachel and George conclude with actionable insights for listeners navigating their spending habits:

• Budgeting with Cash: Managing purchases within a budget helps prevent impulse buying and buyer's remorse.

  George Kamel [32:55]:
  "If you're doing this with a budget, you're doing it with cash. Then you can make these purchases without impulse and regret."

• Quality Challenges: Quality-oriented individuals are encouraged to evaluate the necessity of high-cost items, ensuring they truly add value.

  Rachel Cruze [33:24]:
  "Quality people, ask yourself, is it necessary to spend more on this item?"

• Quantity Challenges: Those favoring quantity can benefit from minimalist challenges to declutter and reduce unnecessary purchases.

  Rachel Cruze [33:57]:
  "Quantity people out there, like, take a day of the month to purge items. It really helps you get rid of stuff you don't need."

---

Guilty as Charged: Marketing Traps and Letdowns

In their playful segment, Rachel and George share their experiences of falling for marketing traps that promised luxury without delivering on quality.

• George's Sauna Fail [37:19]:
  "I bought one of those saunas on Amazon. It turned out to be just a camping chair and a fabric box that gets somewhat warm. It felt like sitting in a hot camping chair rather than a real sauna."

• Rachel's Collagen Masks [38:14]:
  "I tried collagen masks advertised on Instagram. They were fun and satisfying as they dried, but when I took them off, my skin was just the same. I expected a visible improvement, like a 'baby's bottom,' but it wasn't the transformative experience depicted."

These anecdotes highlight the importance of discerning marketing claims and prioritizing genuine quality over deceptive promotions.

---

Conclusion: Embracing Both Mindsets for Financial Well-being

Rachel and George wrap up by emphasizing that both quality and quantity mindsets have their places in a balanced financial strategy. They encourage listeners to evaluate their spending habits, make informed choices, and leverage budgeting tools to achieve financial harmony.

Rachel Cruze [35:04]:
"Stuff will not fulfill you. As quantity people, we can get the bad habit of just getting the next thing, but it doesn't fulfill us."

George Kamel [35:11]:
"For quality people, don't let it eat you alive. Be flexible and enjoy the things that matter without pushing your standards on others."

Listeners are invited to apply these lessons to their own lives, fostering a mindful approach to spending that aligns with personal values and financial goals.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Rachel Cruze [01:02]:
  "I am a quantity person. Give me, like, something cheap. Give me Amazon earrings, 20 pairs."

• George Kamel [01:36]:
  "I know. Believe it or not, I'm a quality guy. Life is too short to not have quality things in your life."

• George Kamel [20:04]:
  "I want a quality cocktail. I don't want something like Sprite and vodka. I like more complexity and elegance."

• Rachel Cruze [25:18]:
  "I think it's quality all the way on this one. Delete Me removes your information from data broker websites."

• George Kamel [32:55]:
  "If you're doing this with a budget, you're doing it with cash. Then you can make these purchases without impulse and regret."

---

This episode offers a balanced exploration of how personal spending philosophies impact financial health, providing listeners with practical advice to navigate their own quality and quantity preferences. Whether you resonate more with Rachel's love for variety or George's commitment to enduring quality, their conversation equips you with strategies to make informed and satisfying financial decisions.

Transcript

[Rachel Cruz]

Foreign.

[George Camel]

About a money tendency that we are polar opposites on. And I'm guessing a lot of you fall into one of these camps, too. If I like it, I'm gonna buy it at this stage of life, because again, Okay. I don't know how many years I have left.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. Get it. Get off your high horse. Like, come down with the common people.

[George Camel]

Yes.

[Rachel Cruz]

And you're okay. Hey, guys, I'm Rachel Cruz.

[George Camel]

I'm George Camel and this is SM Money Happy Hour.

[Rachel Cruz]

Well, this is the show where two friends who happen to be money experts talk about what you're talking about. Everything from pop culture, current events, and money.

[George Camel]

Before we get to the episode, let's talk about what we're sipping on. Rachel. It is a woo woo. A woo woo. Hard to say. Delicious to drink.

[Rachel Cruz]

I love a little woo woo.

[George Camel]

Stick around till the very end. We're going to give you our rating and reveal the cost per glass.

[Rachel Cruz]

So great. So, George, I am a quantity person.

[George Camel]

You love it all.

[Rachel Cruz]

I do. Give me, like, something cheap. Give me Amazon earrings, 20 pairs. I don't need diamonds. Don't give me diamonds. Stop giving me diamonds, George. I don't want those diamonds. Listen, I want variety.

[George Camel]

Is that an Amazon watch?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes, it is.

[George Camel]

That's a beautiful. I would have never. If you didn't just say that, I would have thought that was Dior.

[Rachel Cruz]

What if I said Versace?

[George Camel]

I don't know.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. What if I said this was like Cartier?

[George Camel]

I believe it.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. I be like, yeah, no, but I do. I. I am more quantity. And this is where we. We are very different in this, George.

[George Camel]

I know. Believe it or not, I'm a quality guy. You know, when your grumpy uncle says they don't make them like they used to, I am that grumpy uncle.

[Rachel Cruz]

You are. That is me into that.

[George Camel]

You have frustrated that I don't like things like, life is too short to not have quality things in your life. Especially as I get older and, you know, head toward the old dusty trail. I don't know why. It got real dark real quick.

[Rachel Cruz]

I hear that. But also, my thing is, like, life's too short to wear the same pair of shoes.

[George Camel]

So have seven pairs.

[Rachel Cruz]

Have seven pairs. The ones that you love. And you could say, I think we.

[George Camel]

Need a tour of Rachel's closet and let the shoes. I think we would be flabbergasted.

[Rachel Cruz]

You know what? Someone recently said, one of my friends came over and we were, like, looking at something and she was like, you know what? Your closet is not as I would have thought you had way more clothes. I was like, well, that makes me feel so good.

[George Camel]

Thank you. Or they just thought you were out of control, like a hoarder. And they went, oh, she only has 70 pairs. I thought it was gonna be like, like 200.

[Rachel Cruz]

Like, oh my gosh.

[George Camel]

Oh, man, that's fun.

[Rachel Cruz]

Well, and I do think what's hard is, you know the trends. They come and go, George. Social media, they'll show you. And it is frustrating because I do know companies, especially with clothing specifically, they know. They know if they take a pair of jeans one season, widen it a little bit, you gotta buy all new jeans, or they shrink them a little bit, or they go up or down in length. Like they can just tweak small things and it changes the whole style. So then you gotta get all new. You gotta get all new pants.

[George Camel]

See, I'm not falling for that.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, you know what?

[George Camel]

You've heard the quote, Rachel.

[Rachel Cruz]

No.

[George Camel]

If you follow the trends, you'll fall for the traps.

[Rachel Cruz]

Say it again.

[George Camel]

And that's why I. I love it. Do you though? I don't think she actually wants me to say it again. You know what, you have to rewind the tape to hear that one. But I do. Like, I've been rocking skinny jeans for far too long and Gen Z is like, it's out. We're not doing it. I'm just gonna keep wearing.

[Rachel Cruz]

Aren't dudes kind of wearing skinny jeans?

[George Camel]

Not. I haven't.

[Rachel Cruz]

What are dudes wearing? I know. Girls are. I know it's kind of out.

[George Camel]

I'll tell you this. Men aren't wearing skinny jeans. Boys, maybe. Me and the boys.

[Rachel Cruz]

Me and the boys.

[George Camel]

But yeah, I like quality and I don't really care what other people think. And if I like it, I'm gonna buy it at this stage of life. Cuz again, I don't know how many years I have left.

[Rachel Cruz]

I can't hold you to that. I don't know how many years I have left. I don't care what anyone thinks. That is not true. That is not true.

[George Camel]

Whose opinion am I? I look for the affirmation of everybody.

[Rachel Cruz]

You.

[George Camel]

But I don't care about their opinion of me. I just want their affirmation. Those are two separate things.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know, but you get all pissy in the comments because of what someone thinks about you. You kind of.

[George Camel]

Well, I don't like to be misjudged or mischaracterized.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay? I know. I just don't think it's. I know when people Are like, I just don't care what people think of me. I'm like, that's.

[George Camel]

Yeah, you do.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. It's not 100% true. Maybe like, 90% true.

[George Camel]

Yeah, you're right. Okay, thank you for your honesty. Well, let's talk about the difference here. So quality people like me, they want things to last longer. They research. They plan their purchases in advance. They're not as impulsive. So I think that's the healthiest version of a human you can be. Now, tell me about these quantity people.

[Rachel Cruz]

Well, quantity people, we. We don't care that if the thing breaks, you just replace it later because it's cheaper anyways. I'm not spending a ton of money on it. And if the trends do change, come and go, then you have the ability to be flexible. So it's like, I can get rid of stuff and not feel like, oh, my gosh, I paid, like, $200 for that sweater. No, I paid, like, 17.99. And it was great. Couple uses, but then I get to move on. So you get to enjoy the variety of life, George. There's a lot out there. You should get out more.

[George Camel]

That was a good sales pitch, honestly. Well, I think our culture is heading more into this quantity world. We want things to be cheaper, and we don't care as much.

[Rachel Cruz]

And I will say this, too. Both ends of the spectrum can be unhealthy. Okay? Because you do have the quality people. And, like, I won't buy anything unless it's whatever, right? And it's like, okay, unless I can.

[George Camel]

Pass it on to my grandchildren's grandchildren.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. And sometimes it comes with a logo or, like a. A label with, like, oh, I have to buy, like, the nicest X, Y, and Z. And you're like, okay, get. Get off your high horse. Like, come down with the common people.

[George Camel]

Yes.

[Rachel Cruz]

And you're okay. But then the quantity, it does. It. It touches on that discontentment side. You can buy, like, really cheap stuff, and sometimes you get the cheap stuff, and it's not even what you want, you know, because it is so, like, poor quality. And it's like you're never satisfied. It kind of keeps you wanting more and more, which isn't good either.

[George Camel]

So, you know the store that sums the quantity people up, Temu, shop like a billionaire. That's their tagline. Didn't make that up. That's an unhinged tagline for any brand.

[Rachel Cruz]

For any. Yeah, but I don't shop at Temu. I don't shop there. Not that it's fashion Shein.

[George Camel]

Is that all you say it. The fashion. A lot of fast fashion. You're like, how is this $3? Actually, don't tell me. I don't want to know. There's a lot of that going on in the fast fashion world.

[Rachel Cruz]

I'll say this. The super, super, super cheap. Like, that kind of wigs me out where I'm like, what is going on? But the Amazon thing for that's the.

[George Camel]

Middle of the road.

[Rachel Cruz]

30 bucks. Yes. Amazon, Target, Old Navy. Like, all of that to me is like, middle of the road. Free game.

[George Camel]

Yeah. And social media affects a lot of this trend cycle. You're ordering cheap stuff through an app. It's delivered to you free within a week. So it's kind of addictive because it feels like you're not really. There's not a lot at stake here. There's not a lot of risk on your part.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes. And I think that's why I like it. Because it's kind of like, oh, yeah, we'll try it. And if I wear it a couple times, that's it. Like, I don't have to be married to it forever. Where there's some things that I have bought quality. And I'll keep it forever just to keep it. Cause I can't part with it. Cause I know how much I spent on it.

[George Camel]

You know what I mean? So it's hard versus Amazon. Here's what I do is I'll just go, well, it's got free returns. I'll drop it off. The Whole Foods Amazon return if I don't like it and get my money back.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's right. Totally.

[George Camel]

So that's a good one. So we have our tendencies.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, for sure. For sure. So there are some categories in life, George, where we can go. Quality and quantity. And again, I'm mostly quantity. There are some quality that I like in there. And so I think we do a little game, shall we?

[George Camel]

Let's do this. Let's say we have a fishbowl here with. Has different categories in it. And all of you listening and watching, play along at home and talk through it. Make a vote. If you're with someone, you can play along with them and find out whether you're a quantity or quality person. All right.

[Rachel Cruz]

Hear that?

[George Camel]

I'm a little nervous.

[Rachel Cruz]

Draw you podcast listeners.

[George Camel]

Really helpful.

[Rachel Cruz]

Shaking up the.

[George Camel]

It's a real fish bowl. Shaking up the real paper in there. We don't fake it on the show. We can afford the full thing. It's quality. Except this is not a glass fishbowl.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's not a classic. It's a plastic fishbowl. But it is. Okay, ready for the first category, George? Ooh, watches. Sl jewelry.

[George Camel]

Oh, I don't own any jewelry.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

Even my. This wedding ring is a rubber, you know, nothing ring. So I'm going to go quantity.

[Rachel Cruz]

Did you have a real wedding ring, though, when y' all got married? Like an actual, like, silver? Yeah, mine was black.

[George Camel]

It was. It was like a hammered. Kind of like a hammered tungsten something. So manly, man. I wanted people to think, wow, that guy.

[Rachel Cruz]

Hammered wedding. What a man.

[George Camel]

So I'm gonna say quantity for that stuff. Like, jewelry wise, I don't do accessories but watches. I own two watches. I've had this Apple Series 3 watch for, I don't know, almost a decade. Maybe seven years, eight years. So you get new bands from Amazon.

[Rachel Cruz]

But you haven't upgraded the actual watch?

[George Camel]

No.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

So I think that makes me qual.

[Rachel Cruz]

Because I feel like you're a technology guy.

[George Camel]

I am.

[Rachel Cruz]

And when new Apple watches come out, I'm surprised. It's been seven years. It's a long time.

[George Camel]

It's a long time. And then the. Their most recent one, which you've talked about on the show, is an inherited Rolex that I fixed up. I think that has. That's a quality category situation.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's great.

[George Camel]

How about you?

[Rachel Cruz]

I love it. Yeah. I'm quantity here. I have wedding rings. Real, very nice. And then I do have these rings that I wear that I got. Anniversary, 10th anniversary.

[George Camel]

Oh, that's fun.

[Rachel Cruz]

And then I have another nice ring when Amelia was born. So those are like my ring. My rings are nice. I will say that. But everything else, earrings, necklaces, watches, it's all. Yeah, it's all.

[George Camel]

What's your go to?

[Rachel Cruz]

Bobble bar? Is that how you say it?

[George Camel]

Oh, yes, I've heard of that.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. I buy a lot from them. A lot of Amazon and Target, I would say, for jewelry.

[George Camel]

Wow, that's impressive.

[Rachel Cruz]

I will say on my list, as we laughed about my Amazon watch, that would be one purchase one day when I'm a old woman having a nice watch. Like a. Like a Rolex or something. I don't know, like a pretty, like, old woman watch. Not that Rolexes are old women. They are very nice. Very, very expensive. But I feel like I'll be an old woman.

[George Camel]

So eventually, as you enter your final stage.

[Rachel Cruz]

Not that 50 is an old woman. I wasn't saying 15 years old.

[George Camel]

You said 50.

[Rachel Cruz]

Kelly is dying over there. No, I'm pairing multiple thought processes together. First I was old and elderly. Then I'm thinking, like, what would be a good milestone age to buy a Rolex? 50 feels like a good age of, like, you've made it.

[George Camel]

That's a midlife crisis for some people who live to 100. Think about it that way.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, there you go.

[George Camel]

Trying to make Kelly feel better.

[Rachel Cruz]

Sorry, Kelly.

[George Camel]

It's not helping. Just move on. Just move on. All right, next up, self care. So this would include saunas, therapy, gym membership. I'll throw, you know, nail care in there, massages.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. All right, all right, all right. All right, man. Okay.

[George Camel]

I don't do a lot of nice.

[Rachel Cruz]

You can correct me. You can correct me. I'm going to go quantity, because quantity, okay. Not quality, but you can correct me. So I don't go to, like, a super, like, fancy spa place to get my manicures and pedicures. Like, just give me the one by the subway. I'm good. Like, great, great.

[George Camel]

So sketchy.

[Rachel Cruz]

Great.

[George Camel]

Every time I go there, I think, this might be the last time.

[Rachel Cruz]

Even my hair. I'll say this, and I love the girl that does my hair. She's been doing my hair for, like, 10 years. But she's not at, like, this fancy, big, nice salon that, like, everyone goes to. It's like one of these, like, individuals. She works Tuesday, Thursday. I've been going to her forever. It's great. Yeah, it's perfect. Okay. Therapy. I will pay a lot for therapy. We want a good therapist. I feel like that's important.

[George Camel]

Are there, like, Groupon therapists?

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't know. I don't know. But I'm great to pay money for great therapy and then saunas.

[George Camel]

You do have a sauna.

[Rachel Cruz]

Winston bought it, though. That's my thing. And Winston bought a very nice. It was. It was like, one of the nice.

[George Camel]

You can enjoy it.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. But I didn't pick it out. Like, I. I wouldn't need. I don't know. So I'm still gonna go quantity for what I do, which I understand, like, getting your nails done. I get that. That. That's pricey in general. But in those categories of where I could go and do those things, I still am on kind of the.

[George Camel]

Yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't know. The other area I respect.

[George Camel]

You know what you win, you win. You are a quantity in that area.

[Rachel Cruz]

Tell me yours.

[George Camel]

I'm going quality here.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

Self care. Like haircuts is a good example. I go to the, like. You know, it's a hipster barber. They charge too much. I go every two Weeks without fail. And so I think in that regard.

[Rachel Cruz]

Same day of the week that you go.

[George Camel]

No, I wish. My schedule's too all over the place. So I just try to.

[Rachel Cruz]

I mean, I will say I applaud you. Every two weeks is a lot. I do, like, every eight weeks for my hair, and I feel like that's a lot.

[George Camel]

I see my barber more than most of my friends.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

So I don't know if that's what that says. Will can attest. Will is my friend.

[Rachel Cruz]

True.

[George Camel]

I don't do a gym membership. So I. I feel like in all these areas, I just feel like I'm quantity because I'm not willing to pay.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Camel]

For these things.

[Rachel Cruz]

Y. Yep. So, okay, I will say this. We have a personal trainer.

[George Camel]

That's a quality.

[Rachel Cruz]

I'd say that's quality.

[George Camel]

Very personalized.

[Rachel Cruz]

So. But when we had a gym membership, it was at the ymca, which is great. But they have, like, Lifetime. They have all the bougie gyms. And we were at the Y.

[George Camel]

And when I did do gym membership for one month, I did Lifetime. I went twice.

[Rachel Cruz]

I hear it's amazing.

[George Camel]

It's wonderful. If you love to do whatever they're doing over there, it's just too intense for me. I wanna go somewhere where everyone's like me. Nobody wants to be there. They're all a little uncomfortable. Lifetime. I'm scared to go near a machine. Cause some beefcake guy's about to come up. Be like, bro, you using this? You know, I don't need that in my life. I don't need that energy.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know, but, you know, George, if I saw you working out a gym, I think, good for him.

[George Camel]

There's no world where I can take that as a compliment. If you see someone running in the street, you don't see someone running on the sidewalk. And you go, good for them. You know, this is a lot of work for them.

[Rachel Cruz]

I was kidding. I knew I would get a laugh.

[George Camel]

You win on that one. That was good. That was a sick burn.

[Rachel Cruz]

All right, this one. Hygiene slash toiletries.

[George Camel]

Yeah. Quality.

[Rachel Cruz]

Shoot. I'm quality. I am quality.

[George Camel]

If it's going on your face, in your mouth, in your hair, you gotta go quality.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know, but you do.

[George Camel]

I feel like you guys are also, like, in the shower routine. Very simple people.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes, we are. We talked about this with the personality.

[George Camel]

What are you, a dial soap or something? What was it?

[Rachel Cruz]

Dove.

[George Camel]

Okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's amazing how many people need, like, a lo. Like. Like, George was like, I need a loofah. I need all this stuff. And I was like, you do Just.

[George Camel]

I don't understand using a little dish rag to somehow lather.

[Rachel Cruz]

Not even a rag, George.

[George Camel]

Just the bar itself.

[Rachel Cruz]

Just a bar soap. That's all you need.

[George Camel]

It's a lot of effort.

[Rachel Cruz]

Just a. Just a bar soap. It's all we need.

[George Camel]

I need it to feel like a bubble bath. You know what I mean? Otherwise, I don't know that it's working. It didn't take.

[Rachel Cruz]

What kind of do you use? Nice shampoo.

[George Camel]

I wouldn't say it's fancy, but I get it online. It was like the one at the barbershop. And then I found the brand and started ordering it online. But it's not, like, crazy expensive.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, mine's Caritas. I can never say it. Caritas.

[George Camel]

Is that.

[Rachel Cruz]

I'd say that's quality, but it's probably not, like, the craziest one. But it's up there. Yeah, I think it's a.

[George Camel]

Mine is called Rusel, I think. And I got the industrial size for like 25, 30 bucks or something. So it's not crazy.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, then that's quantity. You got. You got a whole thing like that for $20.

[George Camel]

That's quantity and quality.

[Rachel Cruz]

Wait, no. You got a whole thing of shampoo like that for $20.

[George Camel]

I. I want to say quantity. It's not crazy expensive.

[Rachel Cruz]

Mine would have been very expensive, but I need.

[George Camel]

I want the one with the pump on it. So you take the bottle and open a cap.

[Rachel Cruz]

I hear you.

[George Camel]

So that's my old man thing, is everything in the shower, I wanted to just have pumps like I'm at a hotel.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, cologne. What kind of cologne?

[George Camel]

Whitney made me get a natural cologne.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh.

[George Camel]

Because with the baby, and you're holding a baby and you're, you know, all.

[Rachel Cruz]

The chemicals, man, that is woo woo.

[George Camel]

So I think that's woo woo. And I'm gonna say that's quality.

[Rachel Cruz]

I'm kidding. Whitney, I love you.

[George Camel]

That's a quality thing. Yeah, I mean, cologne is one of those, like, cheap cologne is not the move. Yeah, no, but I don't wear a ton of it.

[Rachel Cruz]

See, I go nice on my cologne. I like Joe Malone. And. And I do have a Chanel. Just a classic is a number five. What's the classic? Yeah, yeah.

[George Camel]

Number five is the best for everything. Chanel Mambo. Yeah, I want number five. I think it's a good, solid number five.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, man. All right, you're next up.

[George Camel]

All right, you ready for this one? Closet staples. We're talking jeans, dress pants, tennis shoes, leggings Quantity.

[Rachel Cruz]

Quantity.

[George Camel]

Really?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

What makes you say that?

[Rachel Cruz]

I mean, when I say quantity, I'm thinking anywhere. Pants. Anywhere from 30 to $90.

[George Camel]

Okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

So, like, I'm not going like 200 pair of jeans or anything.

[George Camel]

Yep.

[Rachel Cruz]

Pretty.

[George Camel]

Yeah. Jeans, dress pants. Do you wear a lot of dress pants? I guess.

[Rachel Cruz]

You have, like, Amazon. Yeah, like my Amazon trousers.

[George Camel]

Yes, trousers. That's the word I'm looking for. Wide leg. That's in right now.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes, yes. Mine's all Amazon. It's like 30 bucks.

[George Camel]

But you have some nice tennis shoes. I feel like. What's the one that they. They're supposed to look.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, I bought the. The Golden Gooses.

[George Camel]

Yes.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. I bought those when I was. Okay, this crazy.

[George Camel]

Those were all the range.

[Rachel Cruz]

I bought those, y' all on my 30th birthday. And so that was six years ago now.

[George Camel]

Yes.

[Rachel Cruz]

Do you wear them a lot? No, I don't wear them anymore, but I wore them for a few years.

[George Camel]

Would you say that was like a trend that is sort of like, are people still rocking them?

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't think so. I don't see them like I used to. Yeah, that was a. But I did pay stupid money for that. But I bought them for my birthday. I, like, made all these justifications.

[George Camel]

It was a big treat.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. Because I never do that. Like these Steve Madden. So these were probably, like 70 bucks that I have on right now. We got Abercrombie jeans. We got an Abercrombie waffle.

[George Camel]

Everyone wants to know, what are the years.

[Rachel Cruz]

Target stud earrings.

[George Camel]

Yeah, everyone. Can I just tell you, I'm a little upset. Everyone in the comments is always like, really? Rachel? Where do you get that dress? It's never. George, where do you get those tiny jeans from? I'd love a pair. It's offensive.

[Rachel Cruz]

Well, you know what? I wore a pair of joggers the other day, and I would tell everyone where I got them. Why is that Cozy Earth?

[George Camel]

That's a good reason.

[Rachel Cruz]

They were incredible.

[George Camel]

I just got the socks.

[Rachel Cruz]

I'm rocking them.

[George Camel]

They're amazing.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, they're great color.

[George Camel]

Thank you.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. Quality. And that is something that is like. And it is. I'm not kidding you. Cozy Earth has made me step up from. From, like, my Amazon.

[George Camel]

I didn't. I didn't realize clothes could be that nice. I know that sounds stupid to say.

[Rachel Cruz]

No, it. No, because I have lived in, like, the. I've lived in my Quantity era, and then a company like Cozy Earth comes in, and then you wear it and put it on. You're like, the way it fits the material. I swear, all of it. You're like, okay, I get why it's more expensive. You know what I mean? Like, and it's not crazy expensive, but you're like, oh, yeah, this is. It is. It's worth it. And it lasts so long. And when you wash it, that's another thing.

[George Camel]

Does it stay quality when you wash it?

[Rachel Cruz]

Stay quality. And it does. It keeps its shape and everything. I love it.

[George Camel]

Fantastic. Well, they're giving our listeners and viewers a sweet discount. Up to 40% off when you use the promo code Smart Money at checkout. So go to cozyearth.com smart money or click the link in the description and shop Bougie frugal, and maybe you'll become more of a quality person.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know it does.

[George Camel]

That's a good one. I didn't get to say mine. I'll go quick on this one.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, yes.

[George Camel]

I'm middle of the road. I have a lot of quality items, but I wait for a good sale. Like, even these boots, knee solo boots, I've had them for years. They did a five for five. So you pay $500 one time and you get two pairs of whatever you want per year for five years. So 10 pairs of boots, 500 bucks. So instead of 250, you essentially paid 50.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's amazing.

[George Camel]

For a quality boot that will last you.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, forever.

[George Camel]

So that's where I'm kind of like on the fence of am I quality? Am I quantity?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, but it's a quality product, though.

[George Camel]

So I do go. Quality products.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, I would say that. That's a good one, though. I like that one.

[George Camel]

Thank you.

[Rachel Cruz]

All right, next. Alcohol.

[George Camel]

Oh, man. Yeah, for this one, you know, life's too short to drink cheap beer and liquor, but, you know, if you're into that, that's fine.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know I probably get quality here because I will say the difference.

[George Camel]

You feel it.

[Rachel Cruz]

You do. The next day, man, it's real. Yeah. Even wine. If I have a glass of red wine and it's like a super cheap bottle, I do. I feel it the next day. It's like. It is different. So, yeah, I'm going to go. I'm going to quality on this one.

[George Camel]

And I want a quality cocktail. I don't want like a, you know, Sprite and vodka or something, or Jack and Coke. That's not me.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

I want something a little more complex, a little more elegant.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

Presentation. And that usually means quality. Even at home?

[Rachel Cruz]

Even at home.

[George Camel]

I've gotten into mixology and so, you know, like, even for friends, when they come over, I want to make them a nice Manhattan.

[Rachel Cruz]

When I came and saw Mia, you. You made me, like, a lavender or something.

[George Camel]

I remember I did.

[Rachel Cruz]

And I was like, dude, it was with Empress.

[George Camel]

It was Empress gin, which is purple. I mean, it was a gin and tonic with Empress gin.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's what it was. Yes.

[George Camel]

It's got a beautiful color, too.

[Rachel Cruz]

I appreciate that about you. Yeah. I would say if I'm going out quality for sure in, I don't know, a Jack and Coke. George. I had it last weekend, so I can't really. Jack and Coke and pizza is one of my favorites. Or a makers and Sprite and pizza makers and spray.

[George Camel]

Why would you.

[Rachel Cruz]

Uhhuh.

[George Camel]

They're not equally yolked. It's just not okay. I don't know. And then. Have you had a Midwestern Old Fashioned, y' all? Oh, check on your Midwestern friends. They're not doing okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

What does that mean?

[George Camel]

They make an Old Fashioned with brandy, they throw a bunch of fruit in there, and they top it with Sprite, and they call it an Old Fashioned.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, no.

[George Camel]

And it sounds disgusting.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, that's terrible.

[George Camel]

But I'm gonna get roasted in the comments for that one. It's fine. I can handle it.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's fine.

[George Camel]

You're not gonna leave Ohio. All right, moving on. What do we got?

[Rachel Cruz]

I was alcohol. What are you?

[George Camel]

I am tech technology.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

You are screaming quantity on this one.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, Give me style technology.

[George Camel]

Headphones, chargers, phones.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. But I have an iPhone.

[George Camel]

Smart home stuff.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. Yeah, that's when. That's Winston's terrible. Winston is quality, so I feel like I live a quality life.

[George Camel]

When's the last time you put on headphones?

[Rachel Cruz]

I walk, so I'll put in my EarPods. AirPods.

[George Camel]

AirPods. Are they AirPods Pro?

[Rachel Cruz]

I said EarPods.

[George Camel]

Are they AirPODS Pro, AirPods Pro 2, or the original AirPods?

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't know, George.

[George Camel]

Do they have the longer stem?

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't think so.

[George Camel]

Okay, we'll look into it then. Yes. I am quality on this one. As a former Apple store employee, I love technology. I like researching. Watch.

[Rachel Cruz]

Threw me off.

[George Camel]

Yeah, Apple Watch. I know, but I don't need the latest and greatest, okay? Because truthfully, the technology, from this one to the latest Apple Watch, not that much more impressive. Okay, Apple, step it up.

[Rachel Cruz]

Do you have the big headphones?

[George Camel]

Not these days. I like my AirPods Pro 2. Those are my. That was my big, like, fun. I'm going to get nice headphones because I wear them a lot.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

With a baby and a wife who doesn't want to hear what I'm hearing.

[Rachel Cruz]

I heard that it's not good for your health. Have you heard this?

[George Camel]

I've heard the emf, but it's always from these, like, weird, sketchy Instagram accounts.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

And like, my mother in law is sending me these clips, like, you gotta stop wearing. I'm like, I don't know. The jury's out.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

If that's how the Lord takes me because of my AirPods, I'm fine. I had a good life.

[Rachel Cruz]

We had a good life.

[George Camel]

I'm not wearing, you know, whatever.

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't know what you're supposed to.

[George Camel]

Wear off brand headphones. That's even scarier. But yeah. And I can't just listen to music through speakers all day like a psychopath.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh.

[George Camel]

I have respect for others.

[Rachel Cruz]

So selfless.

[George Camel]

So tech is definitely one I'm quality on.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. I love technology and I'll say, yeah. I benefit from the quality with the apps and all this because of Winston. Because of Winston.

[George Camel]

So if you're not a tech quality person, you got to be with someone who is. Otherwise, your life will suffer.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's fair. I think that's fair. It's very helpful. It's very convenient.

[George Camel]

Yeah. Turning off my lamps with my voice and tv. It's the best.

[Rachel Cruz]

Alexa. Oh, don't even talk. I shouldn't have done that. All of you at home.

[George Camel]

She didn't mean it, guys.

[Rachel Cruz]

Sorry, Sorry. Shoot. I did that one episode and everyone's.

[George Camel]

Like, you triggered my Alexa.

[Rachel Cruz]

No, don't say her name. Guess she'll. Come on.

[George Camel]

What is like Voldemort. I don't understand. Can't even say the name.

[Rachel Cruz]

All right. Baby gear.

[George Camel]

Oh, I'm quality because of my wife. My wife does all the research. Left my own devices. I would not spend that much on.

[Rachel Cruz]

I was quality on baby gear, cribs and strollers. We had. We had good cribs or no, no crib. Our crib. Sorry. No, our crib was actually not that expensive. Our mattress, stroller, high chair, car seat, we like. Yeah, we went.

[George Camel]

The car seat is one that shocked me. I did not know how expensive car seats could be.

[Rachel Cruz]

All of it's so expensive.

[George Camel]

But we did, you know, we did go quantity on the crib and the reclining chair in the nursery. Facebook marketplace for both.

[Rachel Cruz]

Good. Yes. My crib was very inexpensive. I think it was like 200 bucks or something.

[George Camel]

That's not bad. Yeah, but it's for the baby I feel like it's an easy one to want to spend more money on.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, for sure. Yeah. But I will say with, like, the car seat stroller, all of that, the, like, the quality, it lasts because we had our stroller for all three kids, which is just what we did. And. And again, it has, like, it folds up smaller. It's lighter. Like, it. There's some benefits to. Yeah, the nicer ones, I feel like. All right. Internet protection.

[George Camel]

Oh, wow. Quality all the way on this one.

[Rachel Cruz]

I think so, too. And the only company I would use for it is Delete Me.

[George Camel]

They're the best in the biz for sure. I don't even know how you go quantity on this one. You gotta just use a quality service.

[Rachel Cruz]

They go in there and take off all your information from all these data broker websites. And I'm like, thank you.

[George Camel]

If you ever googled yourself and be like, how do they have my address? Why is my phone number there? Well, DeleteMe goes in and deletes all of that information. They send you a report showing you what they've done and how much time they saved you. I'm at 86.5 hours.

[Rachel Cruz]

Wow. So.

[George Camel]

And they deleted my info from over 250 websites.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

They scanned 25,000 now, which is crazy.

[Rachel Cruz]

I got my report recently. I think it was like, 66 hours that I'm at. But it's amazing. I mean, it really is. And when you read the websites, they take your information off of. You're like, I didn't even know this existed. Like, it's like, where is my. Where's my information?

[George Camel]

There's just more and more every day. So I sleep better because of it. So if you want to take control of your online privacy, you go check them out. Go to join deleteme.com. smart money, and you'll get 20% off any of their annual plans. Sweet deal. Or click the link in the description. All right, what's left? I'm nervous.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know. Ooh, food.

[George Camel]

Just food.

[Rachel Cruz]

Food.

[George Camel]

Am I quantity or quality when it comes to food? I guess quality. As far as ingredients, you famously didn't look at a single label until your early 30s.

[Rachel Cruz]

I'm so in the middle on this.

[George Camel]

Because you like quality food.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. That's my thing. I'm like, I'm such a. What is it? What's the Jekyll and Hyde?

[George Camel]

Oh, Jekyll and Hyde.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes, Jekyll and Hyde. Like, I'm one person, but then I'm not.

[George Camel]

Yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

So I'm in the swivel I will say this then. I'm at a five course dinner downtown. You're like, where is she gonna be?

[George Camel]

Where's she now? Won't she stop at Taco Bell on the way home?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[George Camel]

We don't know.

[Rachel Cruz]

You never know.

[George Camel]

Left to your own devices, I think you'd be a quantity gal. Like, you'd be happy with just, you know, give me some fast food, some pizza.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, I'm very satisfied there.

[George Camel]

And you're never like, this is not gourmet.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. No, no.

[George Camel]

Never heard you say that.

[Rachel Cruz]

No, not at all. But I do love an experience. So put me at a great, like.

[George Camel]

Restaurant, like a tasting menu and something fancy.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. Like that to me is so fun.

[George Camel]

Dressing up fancy. Date night. You're into that?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yep. So date nights. Date nights. I would say quality, but every other time I'm like, yeah. Chick Fil A great spicy chicken sandwich. Chick Fil A sauce.

[George Camel]

Just sustenance to get to another day for you.

[Rachel Cruz]

But enjoy it. It's delicious. Yeah, Yeah.

[George Camel]

I think being a gluten free family, it just forces you to be quality because you have to get the gluten free stuff. It costs more. You got to be more in tune with what's going on with the nutrition labels. We've tried to get rid of all, like the bad seed oils and whatnot, food dyes that are in food. We try to avoid all that. So I guess that makes me quality and probably pretentious, but I'm okay with it.

[Rachel Cruz]

You know what? I think you do you.

[George Camel]

It doesn't affect your life. What are you so upset about?

[Rachel Cruz]

I think that's fine. Yeah, I want to be that, I think. But in Raquel.

[George Camel]

We'll get you there. It takes more time. That's the thing, is it takes time to do the research, know the brands.

[Rachel Cruz]

You're going to die. So Winston's birthday was like two weeks ago and we had just gotten home from spring break and we were all, we were all pretty tired. We got home on like a Friday night, super light. And I was like, babe, what do you want to do for your birthday? He's like, I don't know. We're so tired. He's like, let's just have some friends over and just do some bar food or whatever. And I was like, okay. I did a grocery order that was all of my favorite foods, basically.

[George Camel]

Can you rattle some off? Let me guess. Buffalo chicken?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Camel]

Potato salad?

[Rachel Cruz]

No, no. We got. And I went like frozen food. I went to the frozen food place and I just went so taquitos, Bagel Bites.

[George Camel]

Yes.

[Rachel Cruz]

Pizza rolls, chicken fingers, French fries. I got the chicken. Never had this before. Chicken, like, sticks. Kind of delicious.

[George Camel]

Didn't know those, like, the BK chicken, fries, like, those situations.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

Okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

So good. What else was there?

[George Camel]

Was there any mozzarella sticks?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes. Mozzarella st. Yes.

[George Camel]

It's a staple.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes. Yeah, it was, like, all these frozen foods, and I was just, like, at the oven, just cooking.

[George Camel]

It's generous to call that. I know.

[Rachel Cruz]

Cooking away. Cooking away. All my dips. I had hot salsa, regular salsa, guacamole, queso chicken, chicken, buffalo dip and spinach artichoke.

[George Camel]

Wow.

[Rachel Cruz]

And it was just like, y' all.

[George Camel]

Was it the best party? Did everyone have a great time?

[Rachel Cruz]

Everyone was like, golly, this is so fun.

[George Camel]

It's like nostalgic food that your parents wouldn't let you have growing up.

[Rachel Cruz]

Ser. Yes. Yes. And it was so good.

[George Camel]

That's a good party idea, actually.

[Rachel Cruz]

It was fun.

[George Camel]

And Winston felt seen and loved.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. He was like, this is great. He wanted bar food. I don't know what that, like, technically meant, but that's true.

[George Camel]

He should have been more specific.

[Rachel Cruz]

I went with my heart and I said, babe, don't you worry about a thing. I've got you with Bagel Bites. Who said Bagel Bites? I haven't Bagel Bites in years. I was so happy. I was so happy about it.

[George Camel]

Might as well serve some Hot Pockets while you're at it.

[Rachel Cruz]

They're as delicious as you remember them to be.

[George Camel]

They still hit. Yes.

[Rachel Cruz]

They were great. Now, I had to get the non pepperoni ones, like, just the cheese ones for him. Oh, because he doesn't do meat anymore. He can't do meat.

[George Camel]

That's right. Wow, our little vegan. All right, ready for the next one?

[Rachel Cruz]

Let's do the last one, George. Here we go, pets. What is that?

[George Camel]

You? You're a quantity. You're nine cats. Rachel, you're a quantity person. No, but I mean, like, you know, my life with my two French bulldogs. They have to have the hypoallergenic food, the best of the best. They only get fridge water to drink. I know. So I think I'm. I have to be quality on this one.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, I think you gotta be.

[George Camel]

I think you have to be quantity here.

[Rachel Cruz]

What does that even mean, though?

[George Camel]

Like, what food does what. What food does your dog eat? Name the brand. Where do you get it from? I don't know. You've never fed your dog, have you? It's not your dog. Is this dog alive? Is the dog in the room with us?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes. It's. Yes. Oh, the dog. Oh. June gets on Winston's side at night. Now, George, you would pretend this in the bed?

[George Camel]

Yes. Well, she knows who loves her.

[Rachel Cruz]

No, she follows around like a lost puppy.

[George Camel]

She probably saw that clearly.

[Rachel Cruz]

I'm nowhere to be found. Yeah, I mean, I hate to say that. I think it's a blue bag.

[George Camel]

Have you ever bought anything for your dog personally? Okay, I think we're done here. I think we're done. I got my dog's matching vests that they could wear when it gets cold. So it was only $10 per vest.

[Rachel Cruz]

Has Whitney bought stuff for them?

[George Camel]

Oh, yeah. They have special things. Wipes. They got a lot going on, as you know. They were born broken. They require a lot of maintenance. Just like humanity, you know, like even their food bowls. Like, we have the wet food, we've put on the dry food. They have little treats to eat that have vitamins in them to help with their joints and skin and coat. You wouldn't understand. Forget I said anything.

[Rachel Cruz]

June runs through fields and lives a dog life.

[George Camel]

She's a wild, domesticated dog that has access to a. To our bed, to a very nice pool.

[Rachel Cruz]

To our bed.

[George Camel]

Have you let June swim in the pool?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, she does get in, huh? She loves it.

[George Camel]

That's amazing.

[Rachel Cruz]

She's fun. She is fun.

[George Camel]

She tried the hot tub yet? Just kind of like pause.

[Rachel Cruz]

She kind of fell in. We were all in there. She kind of slipped in, but she got out.

[George Camel]

Okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

Crisis.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know PR people are gonna be.

[George Camel]

Mad at that, Peter.

[Rachel Cruz]

Probably. Probably.

[George Camel]

All right.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. What's our takeaway? George, what do you think?

[George Camel]

Here's the over under. If you're doing this with a budget, you're doing it with cash. Then you can make these purchases without, you know, impulse and regret and guilt. And the best budgeting app out there is called EveryDollar. It's the one that we use for every line item from the groceries to the food, fun self care stuff to the shopping. And you can have it all out there so that you don't have to go, o. Should I be buying this? No. Rachel has her fun money in that line item.

[Rachel Cruz]

Go. Is this too expensive? Because I'm a. I'm a. I'm a quality person. Like, is this too much? Every dollar will tell you.

[George Camel]

Just pay for it.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's right.

[George Camel]

So if you want to check it out, we'll drop a link to every dollar in the description and show notes below.

[Rachel Cruz]

I think that's good. And I Think there's challenges for everyone on each side of the spectrum, if you will. So quality people, ask yourself, like, is it necessary that I spend more on this item? Because sometimes you can get in that headspace where you feel like, well, I have to just buy the nicest. The nicest. The nicest. But do you like. Do you really like. Can you save a little there? And then I'm going to say for you quantity people, because this is me as well, the minimalist challenge. I did this a few years ago. I probably need to do it again. It was so great. Where you take a day of the month.

[George Camel]

Yes.

[Rachel Cruz]

So you take a month and like, on the first, just get rid of one item. You can give it away, you can sell it, you can throw it away, whatever. Second day, two items. Day three. Three items. And you go all the way up. And it really allows you to, like, purge, get stuff out. And. And it's great because we can stack up and kind of, like, have a lot of crap that we don't need.

[George Camel]

Yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

For the quantity people out there. So.

[George Camel]

Well, even as a quality person, I have a lot of junk in my life still. You just accumulate it and you go, well, I might need it one day. And you sort of justify it.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yep.

[George Camel]

And you can't take it with you.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's right. We're all just.

[George Camel]

What are we? What are we?

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't know. I don't want to say it because it's just so sad.

[George Camel]

Ephemeral beings.

[Rachel Cruz]

We're all going to die. We're all going to die one day. So. So that's my thing.

[George Camel]

My way was more tasteful.

[Rachel Cruz]

So enjoy life.

[George Camel]

Get. Get nine of them if you want. Get one great one if you want, but enjoy it.

[Rachel Cruz]

Enjoy it. Absolutely.

[George Camel]

And if you do it with a budget, with cash, you won't have the buyer's remorse. You're not going to have regrets.

[Rachel Cruz]

Don't go into debt for any of this. Amen.

[George Camel]

And realize that, like, stuff is never going to do it for you. It's. More stuff won't make you happy.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's right. It will not fulfill you. And that's what. As quantity people, we can get the bad habit of, like, I'll just get this next thing. The next thing. The next thing. Yeah. It doesn't fulfill you.

[George Camel]

And for the quality people, don't let it eat you alive. And I need to, like, just loosen up a little bit sometimes when I have prefer this level of standard or, you know, it comes across as pretentious if you're not Careful.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

So don't push it on the people around you. Be willing to be flexible and go, you know what? I'll drink a Keurig. I don't like it, but I'll do it. I don't have my coffee set up with me, but I'll do it.

[Rachel Cruz]

I'll drink that Keurig like Rachel did twice this morning.

[George Camel]

Two keurigs.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. Two cups of coffee.

[George Camel]

Wow.

[Rachel Cruz]

I love it. It's so good.

[George Camel]

That's almost equal to a half a cup of good coffee. Two more you would get there, but.

[Rachel Cruz]

We'Re not pretentious at all.

[George Camel]

We're not.

[Rachel Cruz]

Fine. All right, before we spill on our guilty as charged segment, what are we sipping on? George, talk to us about this.

[George Camel]

Woo. Woo.

[Rachel Cruz]

I liked it.

[George Camel]

Clearly, you really enjoyed it. It's got a beautiful, vibrant red color, which is due to the cranberry juice in there, along with vodka and peach schnapps. Yeah, that's all that's in it. It's three ingredients.

[Rachel Cruz]

George didn't like it.

[George Camel]

A dollar and 40 cents. And what's your rating on this?

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, I'm gonna say this. I liked it sitting here talking with you, but I don't think I would order it. And remember, that's always my standard of, like, would I go to a restaurant and order this? I probably wouldn't order it, but I may make it at home, like, for some friends I don't know. So I'm gonna go 8 out of 10.

[George Camel]

I will say the. The tartness gets you from that cranberry juice. I know it's got that dry punch in the back, but here's the thing. If you like cranberry juice, you will like this because it tastes like cranberry juice with a hint of peach. I'm not a vodka person. I like to have a little more complexity in my beverages. But for a drink, I'm going to give it a 7 out of 10.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. There you go.

[George Camel]

It's still delicious. It had no, like, markers of, like, oh, gross.

[Rachel Cruz]

No, no, no. It's very, like, refreshing to drink.

[George Camel]

Very refreshing. Go get the recipe. Give it a try for yourself, and let us know what you think.

[Rachel Cruz]

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. So, George, here's the question. Are you ready?

[George Camel]

Okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

Have you ever fallen for a marketing trap that felt like a luxury but wasn't worth the hype?

[George Camel]

If I had a Nickel. I'll tell you the most recent one.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

I wanted a sauna. Didn't want to spend thousands on a sauna. And I saw these saunas on Amazon. I don't know how they can legally call them saunas. And so we bought one and it showed up. And it was just a camping chair. And then a black cover that you zip up in. As you sit in the camping chair, you can stick your arms out. So you're just sitting in this fabric box that gets somewhat warm. And they call it a sauna top. But it was pitched as a luxury item. And again, I get what I'm paying. 150 bucks. I don't expect a real sauna.

[Rachel Cruz]

Sure.

[George Camel]

But it just felt like you're just sitting in a hot camping chair.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

And it was just uncomfortable. I don't think it has any health benefits unless you're just a person who's cold natured and it'll warm you up.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's like an electric blanket, but just bigger. Oh, man.

[George Camel]

So not falling for that one again. Wish I could return it past the return window. Not sure what to do with it now.

[Rachel Cruz]

I did some collagen masks from Instagram. They're like the white mask that, like, dry on clear. I'll say. The experience was fun, right. You get a really, really jelly, like the material, and then it just dries and it dries clear. So it's very satisfying. But when I took it off, you know, I was same face underneath still. Rachel, just.

[George Camel]

Were you hoping to be like a new person or what?

[Rachel Cruz]

I was hoping for. I think when you watch, like the Instagram people do it, I think they had pretty skin to begin with. And you don't see their skin before. You just see them, like, putting it on and they take it off and it's like a baby's bottom. Like, their skin has no blemishes. It's like perfect. And you're like, that could be mine. No sunspots, no sun damage. You know, just no pores, no scar, nothing. You kind of expect when you take it off, it's like a.

[George Camel]

Like a new skin.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's just not what I thought it was gonna be. You know, kind of one of those things.

[George Camel]

Dang.

[Rachel Cruz]

Well, make sure to DMS your guilty as charged questions if you have them. Cause we love getting. Y' all are so creative. You really are. So we so appreciate it.

[George Camel]

A lot of good ones out there.

[Rachel Cruz]

And if you enjoyed this episode, then you would love the episode on harmless purchases that drain your bank account. It's coming up next. And make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an all new episode of Smart Money Happy Hour.