Smart Money Happy Hour with Rachel Cruze & George Kamel

Episode Summary: "Cringe or Festive: Judging Your Holiday Traditions"

Date: December 18, 2025
Hosted by: Rachel Cruze and George Kamel | Ramsey Network

Overview

In this delightfully candid and festive episode, Rachel and George turn into seasonal judges, weighing in on popular and sometimes controversial holiday traditions. With drinks in hand and plenty of holiday banter, they distinguish what’s truly “festive” from what’s just plain “cringe,” covering everything from Christmas lights to matching pajamas, eggnog to Hallmark movies, and more. As money experts and friends, their takes blend humor, nostalgia, practicality, and smart money wisdom—making for a comforting listen in a season of both joy and chaos.

Key Discussion Points & Holiday Tradition Hot Takes

1. Kicking off the Festivities

• Both hosts are determined to keep things light and fun, offering comic relief for listeners feeling holiday stress (02:14).
• Rachel notes she’s feeling “whelmed” — not overwhelmed nor underwhelmed — this Christmas, aiming for chill family time with her newborn and toddler (02:18).
• George is enthusiastic about heading home to Knoxville for a traditional Cruze family Christmas, traveling with the crew and enjoying their large clan of grandkids (02:50).

2. Cringe or Festive? A Judgement on Holiday Traditions

The majority of the episode centers around rapid-fire debates and verdicts on classic, quirky, and controversial holiday traditions, each scored as “cringe” or “festive.”

Holiday Decor

• Elf on the Shelf:

  • Rachel's elf, Sprinkles, “is not adventurous” and only minimally relocates. Rachel is pro-elf “if you do it in a minimalist way.” (13:29)
  • George is firmly cringe if it’s trending on social media:

    "I think it should be a private—Sprinkles should be kept in the family. We don't need to know about it. Whatever Sprinkles adventures are, let that be your little thing. Don't tell me; you will be blocked." (14:00)

  • George wonders if his mom will approve of elfin traditions, pondering whimsical boundaries.

• Christmas Lights:
  Blue lights and aggressive LED whites? Both are cringe. Warm whites are festive (04:47).
  “Give me a nice Kelvin.” — Rachel (04:58)

• Flocked Trees & Multiple Trees:
  Both love the look but lament the mess. Rachel admits to owning more than one tree and getting addicted to the trend (05:38).

• Christmas Villages:
  Initially, Rachel found them excessive, but George’s vivid description of his cozy, lit-up Christmas village scene sways her:

  "It literally does something inside my soul of warmth and goodness..." (07:09)
  Verdict: Ultimately festive.

• Yard Inflatables & Large Ornaments:
  Both agree: don't do it halfway—go all-in or not at all, but they personally opt out due to cost and aesthetic concerns (07:39).

  • “It needs to be an HOA violation.” — Rachel (07:59)

• Tasteful Yard Decor (Reindeer, Nativities, Wreaths):
  Thumbs up, especially for window wreaths and tasteful reindeer (08:53).

Fashion & Apparel

• Matching Pajamas:

  • Rachel: “Oh, cringe. Don't hate me. I'm going cringe.” (09:07)
  • George: Festive for kids, but cringe for adults.
  • Matching family swimsuits? Both: hard cringe.

• Tacky Sweater Parties:
  Over and done; both opt for “fancy, classy” parties instead (09:58).

  “Tacky plus tacky just equals tacky.” — George (10:23)

Gatherings & Gift Exchanges

• White Elephant/Dirty Santa:
  Rachel: Not a fan of useless gifts; prefers functional gift exchanges with a “steal” element (11:04).

Food & Drink

• Eggnog & Fruitcake:
  Rachel: Cringe on both; George only likes “fresh” eggnog (15:27).
  Rachel prefers warm apple cider over both (15:53).

• Gingerbread House Making:
  Both firmly say cringe as adults, although entertaining for kids (16:19).

  "It's a nightmare of an experience. Nobody's looks good..." — George (16:26)

Outings & Events

• Christmas-Themed Restaurants:
  Festive in theory, but only if they’re not crowded or a forced Instagram moment (18:10).

  "No line, 100% festive. Otherwise, it's cringe..." — George (18:27)

• Modern Remixes of Christmas Songs:
  Rachel mostly cringes at newcomers taking classics, preferring “old Frank Sinatra love” (20:58), while George welcomes creative twists, acknowledging not every artist nails it.

• Christmas Movies:

  • Die Hard as a Christmas movie? Both: Cringe, tired of the debate (23:31).
  • Hallmark Channel movies? Both acknowledge the “so bad it’s good” crowd but personally cringe (24:08).
  • True classics: Enthusiastic shoutouts for Home Alone, It’s a Wonderful Life, Christmas Vacation, and Four Christmases as must-watches (24:29).

Work & Social Traditions

• Office Christmas Parties:

  • Ramsey office parties: Epic and festive; generic breakroom parties are cringe, unless thoughtfully planned (25:15).
  • Dream party? Rachel would rent out a dinner spot and extend an optional post-dinner gathering with music.

• Kids’ Christmas Pageants:
  Both declare them “festive” and “adorable,” reminiscing on their own awkward childhood performances (28:18).

Miscellaneous

• New Cars with Red Bows:
  Both: Cringe. Prefer picking out their own car, see surprise purchases as financially loaded and sometimes performative (29:47).
  George references the iconic SNL “Lexus Christmas” sketch for comic effect.

• Christmas Cards:

  • Rachel: Festive, enjoys sending and receiving them, but admits the tradition is now redundant with social media (30:51).
  • Both struggle with what to do with the postcards afterward.

• Real vs. Fake Trees:

  • Real trees: George celebrates their festiveness but admits the hassle isn’t worth it. Rachel goes fake all the way.
  • Rachel: “I don’t have time. I can’t do it.” (35:09)
  • Final thought: Don’t be prideful about your tree choice! (35:17)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Christmas pressure:

  “Christmas movies are scripted and your real life is messy and doesn’t always have a perfect ending. It’s loud, it’s emotional, it’s imperfect, and that’s okay.” — George (36:28)

• On Elf on the Shelf minimalism:

  “Sprinkles just goes from the kitchen lights hanging to a knob in the kitchen to the Christmas tree to the fireplace. She just ends up moving around…But she’s not having elaborate situations, if you will. And I appreciate that about her.” — Rachel (12:48)

• On holiday hospitality:

  "If you do it, you have to go all out. You can't be the yard with one [inflatable]...It needs to be an HOA violation." — Rachel (07:59)

• On holiday family perfection:

  “…just give yourself some grace, especially moms. And to the guys, step it up. All right? The women have a lot of mental load happening this season and the guys are checked out.”— George (37:05)

• On Christmas cards in the Instagram era:

  "But now that we have the Internet...there they are. We see them." — Rachel (31:04)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening & Setting the Mood: 00:05–02:14
• Personal Holiday Stress Check-In: 02:14–03:38
• “Cringe or Festive” Lightning Round—Decor: 04:37–09:02
• Fashion & Apparel (PJs, Sweaters): 09:07–10:29
• Gift Exchanges & Parties: 10:29–11:32
• Elf on the Shelf Deep-Dive: 12:37–15:16
• Festive Foods & Drinks Opinions: 15:22–16:14
• Gingerbread Houses & More Hot Takes: 16:19–19:16
• Song Remixes, Movie Debates: 20:45–25:14
• Office Parties, Kids’ Pageants, Cars with Bows: 25:15–30:28
• Christmas Cards, Real vs. Fake Trees: 30:51–35:45
• Holiday Mindset & Practical Advice: 35:46–38:17
• Mocktail Review (Cran Raspberry Martini): 38:17–39:49
• Guilty As Charged (Regret Throwing Things Away): 39:49–42:34

Seasonal Wisdom & Parting Thoughts

• Rachel’s tip: Make a “holiday fun & stress” list for future self-reflection to curb overbooking and preserve enjoyment next year (36:28).
• George’s reminder: The holidays can be bittersweet; grace and reflection matter more than perfection (37:47).
• Both agree: Give yourself and others grace—especially moms carrying the mental load, and encourage the guys to “step up” (37:05).
• Delayed gratification is okay—some gifts and dreams may take another year, and that's fine (37:09).
• Warm encouragement: Life isn’t a Hallmark special—enjoy the real, imperfect moments.

Mocktail Review

• Drink: Cran Raspberry Martini Mocktail
• Rating: Both score it 10/10, with a slight suggestion to add simple syrup for extra sweetness (38:33).
• Cost per glass: $2.44—frugal and family-friendly.
• “Make it for the whole family. The kids will love it…fun and safe for the whole family. And you can spike it if you're of age.” — George (39:37)

Closing: Guilty As Charged

The hosts share amusing personal stories about regretfully purging useful items, from vintage orange shorts to baby gate parts—reminding everyone to think twice before tossing!

“Be careful when you clean out your closet next. Trying to be all minimalist...sometimes you give away something that you think, I shouldn't have done that.” — Rachel (41:13)

Overall Tone

The episode is filled with laughter, gentle (sometimes spicy) judgments, personal anecdotes, and lots of holiday camaraderie. Rachel and George keep things light, honest, and relatable, offering both practical advice and encouragement for anyone navigating holiday chaos (and the occasional cringe-y tradition) this Christmas season.

For a deeper dive into the personal and financial lessons of holiday movies, don’t miss their next episode! And remember, as Rachel says—be present and grateful, even when things don’t go as planned.