Is Anything Actually Cheaper in 2025? Let's Find Out!

Summary

Smart Money Happy Hour with Rachel Cruze and George Kamel
Episode: Is Anything Actually Cheaper in 2025? Let's Find Out!
Release Date: June 19, 2025
Host/Author: Ramsey Network

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of Smart Money Happy Hour, Rachel Cruze and George Kamel delve into the intriguing question: Is anything actually cheaper in 2025? Hosted by the Ramsey Network, the duo blends financial expertise with nostalgic reflections, discussing various aspects of modern life, pop culture, and economic trends. Their candid conversation offers listeners valuable insights into how certain commodities have evolved in price and accessibility over time.

Music: From CDs to Streaming

Rachel and George kick off the discussion reminiscing about the music industry’s transformation. Reflecting on the early 2000s, George states at [00:05], “Is there anything on God's green earth that costs less in 2025 than it used to? We're about to find out.” They highlight the significant drop in music costs due to the advent of digital platforms.

Notable Quote:
Rachel reminisces, “You know, I was going to say what I feel like is kind of an old man. [...] you have to want it to pay the 99 cents” ([01:05]).

They compare the days of buying CDs at $15-25 each to today’s streaming services, emphasizing the convenience and cost-effectiveness of having “thousand songs in your pocket” ([04:37]).

Notable Quote:
George laments, “Everything's become a commodity, and everything matters less. And I think that's the sadness of why we love the nostalgia” ([02:16]).

Technology: Calculators and Digital Storage

The conversation transitions to technology, specifically calculators. Rachel mentions at [08:04], “The T9 calculators. You got to have the big T9 calculators. Well, this says the TI50 calculator...” illustrating how specialized tools have become obsolete with smartphones.

Notable Quote:
George reflects, “Everything's become a commodity and everything matters less” ([14:11]).

They further discuss digital storage advancements, contrasting the cost of floppy disks in 2002 ($20) with today’s affordable iPhone storage plans ([30:25]). Rachel jokes about her substantial iCloud usage, highlighting how digital storage needs have expanded exponentially ([32:11]).

Photography: Physical vs. Digital

Rachel and George explore the evolution of photography, contrasting the past's reliance on physical photo development with today’s digital alternatives. Rachel shares her nostalgia for purchasing CDs, recalling buying two Mariah Carey albums for a $50 bill ([04:13]).

Notable Quote:
George notes, “Now you just have to buy the full cd, you don't have an option back then” ([05:13]).

They lament the loss of sentimental value as photos have transitioned from tangible prints to digital files, making them easily accessible but less meaningful ([11:28]).

Video Surveillance: From Costly Systems to Smart Doorbells

The duo discusses the dramatic decrease in the cost of video surveillance. George references the 1980s high-end systems costing up to $43,000 today ([14:43]) versus modern, affordable doorbell cameras like Ring.

Notable Quote:
Rachel adds, “This is online surveillance. And there's a team of physical people going in, removing all of your info for you” ([18:54]).

They emphasize how technological advancements have made home security more accessible and user-friendly.

Communication: Payphones and Texting Evolution

Rachel and George reminisce about the era of payphones and costly SMS messages. At [21:28], George recalls making calls from school payphones at a quarter per call, starkly contrasting with today’s affordable or free texting and calling options.

Notable Quote:
Rachel highlights, “I remember paying 20 cents for every text you send” ([22:02]).

They discuss how texting has become an integral yet cost-effective part of daily communication, moving away from the limitations of the past.

Fitness: Gym Memberships Before and Now

The conversation shifts to fitness, comparing the expensive gym memberships of the 1990s ($70-$100) adjusted to today’s $15 options like Planet Fitness ([23:22]). George notes the commoditization of fitness, making it more accessible to the general population.

Notable Quote:
Rachel shares her experiences working out in less conventional settings, underscoring the availability of affordable fitness options ([23:50]).

Computing: Desktop vs. Modern Laptops

Rachel and George explore the dramatic changes in computer technology. George recalls the expensive Gateway Solo 2000 desktop from 1995 ([24:08]) and contrasts it with today’s powerful and affordable laptops like the MacBook Air for under $1,000.

Notable Quote:
George humorously admits, “I have to explain megabytes now versus gigabytes” ([25:08]).

They emphasize the enhanced performance and storage capabilities of modern devices at a fraction of the past costs.

Investments: What Holds Value

Towards the episode's conclusion, Rachel and George discuss investments that have maintained or increased their value over time. Rachel proudly mentions their house, built in 2018 and likely doubled in value ([34:24]).

Notable Quote:
George highlights, “And they hold their value the best. [...] That's solid” ([34:24]).

Other investments include George’s guitar, won in a songwriting contest and still valued at its original cost, and Rachel’s piano, which also retains its worth ([35:00]).

Discounts and Promotions Mentioned

Throughout the episode, Rachel and George promote various services and products, offering listeners exclusive discounts:

• DeleteMe: A service to protect personal information online, offering 20% off annual plans ([18:41]).
• Cozy Earth: High-quality bedding and clothing products with up to 40% off using the promo code smartmoney ([26:12]).

Personal Experiences and Reflections

In a heartfelt segment, Rachel and George share personal stories about past purchases that no longer hold their original value. George discusses his regret over buying a Canon video camera and a GoPro, which depreciated significantly ([40:56]). Rachel reflects on her first designer purse, which has also lost its value ([45:16]).

Notable Quote:
Rachel explains, “I think it's a little bit in the camp of, like, there's some things that are sweet to say” ([37:11]).

Their vulnerability adds depth to the conversation, emphasizing the importance of mindful spending and valuing long-term investments over fleeting purchases.

Conclusion

Rachel Cruze and George Kamel wrap up the episode by encouraging listeners to be intentional with their finances, avoid unnecessary debt, and focus on investments that provide lasting value. They tease the next episode, promising to explore the cost of living in 40 years, ensuring listeners stay tuned for more insightful discussions.

Final Quote:
George concludes, “Make sure you pay cash, don't go into debt for these things that are going to go down in value” ([38:10]).

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This episode of Smart Money Happy Hour offers a nostalgic yet forward-thinking perspective on how various costs have evolved, providing valuable lessons on financial prudence and investment. Whether reminiscing about the past or embracing modern conveniences, Rachel and George deliver a rich and engaging dialogue that is both informative and relatable.

Transcript

[George Camel]

Is there anything on God's green earth that costs less in 2025 than it used to? We're about to find out.

[Rachel Cruz]

Listen to this. In today's money, with inflation, it's eleven hundred dollars.

[George Camel]

Everything's become a commodity, and everything matters less. And I think that's the sadness of why we love the nostalgia.

[Rachel Cruz]

Hey, guys, I'm Rachel Cruz. I'm George Camel, and this is Money Happy Hour. Well, this is the show where two friends who have to be money experts talk about what you're talking about. Everything from pop culture, current events, and money.

[George Camel]

And before we get to the main event, we got to talk about what we're sipping on. Rachel, this is a Godfather.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. No way. Because, you know, I was going to say what I feel like is like kind of an old man.

[George Camel]

It does feel like an old man. Drink and you'll find out later on. That's called the tease in the biz. Rachel, we're going to give you the rating and reveal the cost per glass at the end of the episode. Episode. So don't miss that.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay? George. Feels like everything costs more today. Inflation gets everyone up and riled up. You know, everyone's complaining. You know what I'm not complaining about, though, is having to buy an individual song on iTunes for 99 cents. Those were the days. Do you have an. Did you ever have a Shuffle?

[George Camel]

Oh, I love the shuffle.

[Rachel Cruz]

Did you have a mini ipod?

[George Camel]

I didn't have the mini. I had that Shuffle. Plus the normal size ipod.

[Rachel Cruz]

And he goes, I never found the wheel.

[George Camel]

Yeah, didn't that.

[Rachel Cruz]

Wasn't that great?

[George Camel]

I had the older school one. It wasn't color yet.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes. Gray. Was it kind of like gray color.

[George Camel]

Simpler times. That's when music really mattered. You really had to want it to pay the 99 cents.

[Rachel Cruz]

Wait, yeah. Or you just downloaded it illegally on Kazaa. Or like, I did not do. No, never.

[George Camel]

Gosh. Also, that's how I learned technology. The kids are missing these days.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's right.

[George Camel]

Had to edit my MySpace background with HTML. I had to learn that. Well, hey, it's not all bad. You're right, Rachel. A desktop computer is a couple hundred dollars cheaper than the latest iPhone right now. So it's a give and take.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know. Yeah. And inflation is real. Obviously, things are costing way more than they used to, but there are some things going for us.

[George Camel]

Yeah. So today we're going to talk about all of those things that cost less today than they did in the past and add to the conversation in the comments as we Go. And be sure to stick around till the end because we're going to share a few of our favorite investments. I'm gonna put that in quotes that hold their value. That we swear by.

[Rachel Cruz]

I love it. Yeah. Cause I mean, when you think about inflation now, it's eggs, it's gas, it's all the things that continue to go up.

[George Camel]

College housing, cars, a lot of them. Just the main things in life that we need. That's all.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's a lot. But for just to be on the happy side, George, you know what I mean?

[George Camel]

We need some good news.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, some good news. So we brought you a full list to go back to be like, remember when this used to cost this? Well now it only costs this. And there is good news, George.

[George Camel]

This is a silver lining episode. Yes, that's what it is.

[Rachel Cruz]

Brought to you by Rachel Cruz.

[George Camel]

Okay, you ready?

[Rachel Cruz]

George would live in the sadness if he could.

[George Camel]

That's just with my musical taste.

[Rachel Cruz]

The depressive state.

[George Camel]

I'm very. I have a lot of joy, but sometimes I need to listen to sad music to remind me my life is actually pretty good.

[Rachel Cruz]

Were you considered emo from like in High School?

[George Camel]

100% not. I was not like, I'm gonna have my.

[Rachel Cruz]

I was gonna say. Did you have this?

[George Camel]

Yeah, no, I didn't wear makeup. I wasn't like eyeliner.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, yeah.

[George Camel]

I was dashboard confessional emo. Okay. That's the genre of emo. I was.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, I got it.

[George Camel]

More pop, punk, acoustic vibes.

[Rachel Cruz]

How about Blink 182?

[George Camel]

Huge. Number one for me.

[Rachel Cruz]

Wow.

[George Camel]

Yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

All right. I got the vibe.

[George Camel]

That was the concert. I was willing to pay 300 something dollars for.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

You couldn't get me out of the house for any band.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

For that kind of money.

[Rachel Cruz]

Except Blink, but it was emo. So we're going to go. We're going to go happy. We're gonna go like circa like NSync, Backstreet Boys. Brittany. Rachel's taste.

[George Camel]

Wow.

[Rachel Cruz]

Pop. It's exciting. It's short lived, but it's great.

[George Camel]

That sums up Rachel. I love it. Well, we're kicking it off here on the list with music.

[Rachel Cruz]

Music.

[George Camel]

So 15 to 25 bucks for a CD in the early 2000s. I remember the days going to the store to get the CD the day it came out. And I was, I was happy to pay 16.99.

[Rachel Cruz]

I remember going to Salmon Goodies. Remember that story? And I had a 50 bill from my grandparents. Never forget this. And I went and bought two Mariah Carey CDs. Butterfly and Music Box. And I got back like 17 cents a 50 bill. You bought two CDs.

[George Camel]

Wow.

[Rachel Cruz]

Which had what, probably 12 songs. 10 songs if you're lucky. I mean, that's like 20 songs for 50 bucks.

[George Camel]

That's how they made their money back then.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know CD sales, man.

[George Camel]

If two or three of your favorite artists came out with no music, you could easily spend 50 bucks a month on new music.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

600 bucks a year.

[Rachel Cruz]

Mariah. Hashtag Mariah Carey.

[George Camel]

And Then came the 99 cent songs from iTunes. That was a big revolution.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Camel]

That was thousand songs in your pocket. I remember the old advertising for that.

[Rachel Cruz]

And you buy individual songs, which was actually very nice because if you had to go buy the full cd, you didn't listen to like eight of the songs.

[George Camel]

Well, if we're gonna be real, back in those days as an artist, you could get by with like two or three good sing and the rest was filler.

[Rachel Cruz]

Good point. I didn't think about that.

[George Camel]

Yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

And they had to buy the whole cd. You don't have an option back then.

[George Camel]

Didn't you just skip that song, man?

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, so then when they went to itunes to buy just per song, did artists probably not like that, Right? Digitalizing music is probably not great for the artist world.

[George Camel]

Yeah, well, it's only gotten worse. So back in the day, because I actually uploaded my album to itunes and Spotify and all these platforms and. And the cut from Apple was, I believe 70% is what the artist gets. 30% went to Apple.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, wow. Okay.

[George Camel]

And that's if you just do it straight to Apple. If you have middlemen, labels, you know, you get way less than that.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. Your managers. Glad we're not artists, George.

[George Camel]

Trust me, I'm very thankful to have gainful employment. But nowadays.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, what do you. Okay. Winston does Apple music.

[George Camel]

Oh, wow.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know. And I do Spotify.

[George Camel]

I'm a Spotify man.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. Why did you say oh, wow? What's the difference?

[George Camel]

I just, I. I thought more of him.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

I don't know.

[Rachel Cruz]

Is the platform just bad?

[George Camel]

Here's my take.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's not user friendly.

[George Camel]

Their whole thing is audio. We are an audio platform. Apple, this is like one thing they do.

[Rachel Cruz]

So they're not going to technology company the most. Right?

[George Camel]

Yeah. They're just trying to get market share. Same with podcasts. The Apple podcast app is not the greatest. Spotify, I think, has a better experience. The Spotify coming from an Apple fanboy.

[Rachel Cruz]

And Spotify starting to play video. They're playing the Ramsey show now. Video they're adding some video to it.

[George Camel]

You could be watching right now.

[Rachel Cruz]

You want Spotify? Spotify right now.

[George Camel]

Shout out.

[Rachel Cruz]

You're welcome right now.

[George Camel]

You made it. You and Samantha Mumble.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's amazing.

[George Camel]

So, yeah, seven to 12 bucks a month. That was a single limited music. Isn't that crazy? Like, if you told me as a child one day, for $10, you can get everything you want.

[Rachel Cruz]

Anything on demand is insane.

[George Camel]

Like, you had to listen to the radio, record it to your boombox onto a tape to make the mixtape. And you always had the radio DJ coming in a little bit because you were trying to time it well.

[Rachel Cruz]

Or you missed the first 15 seconds because you had to run up and.

[George Camel]

Oh, yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

You know what we would do? We got fancy in the Ramsay house. We would have a mom and dad bought blank video cassettes. Like, what's the. Yeah, like VHS. Yeah. And we started recording music videos on VH1.

[George Camel]

Oh.

[Rachel Cruz]

So we put the cassette in hit play and record on the vcr, and we started recording music video so we could re watch them.

[George Camel]

And that's privilege, guys. If you're wondering, I had to sneak over to my grandma's house and illegally watch her cable before my parents found out. No.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

I. Only at my friend's house.

[Rachel Cruz]

Wow.

[George Camel]

We watched TRL on mtv. Remember that, man?

[Rachel Cruz]

There's a. There's an Instagram account, and they play the hit songs of 2001 every week from TRL. Clips of the current. Like, this week in 2001. It just makes me so happy.

[George Camel]

So nostalgia.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, my gosh.

[George Camel]

Okay, so there's some good news. Is that music cost weight.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, my gosh. Next one is my favorite. All right, this is how I cheated in high school. Are you ready for this?

[George Camel]

It's a weird disclaimer, but I love it. All right.

[Rachel Cruz]

The T9 calculators. You got to have the big T9 calculators. Well, this says the TI50 calculator. I'm not sure that maybe an advanced version cost $170 in 1974. Okay. That wasn't for me. Now, in today's. Listen to this. In today's money with inflation, that's $1,100.

[George Camel]

On a calculator.

[Rachel Cruz]

On a calculator. Okay, now, the T9s that we had to buy for high school and stuff, I mean, I think those were.

[George Camel]

They were really.

[Rachel Cruz]

I think they were 100. I mean, I think they were. I think they were, like, 100 bucks. And we bought them. Now they sell for $7 on eBay. And now you don't have to buy calculators.

[George Camel]

It's on your phone. And the new. Have you seen the new Apple? The iPhone calculator got updated.

[Rachel Cruz]

No.

[George Camel]

They have, like, a little, like, advanced tab. Oh, boy. You could spend a whole day in there.

[Rachel Cruz]

Rachel, what is that?

[George Camel]

You can do, like, advanced calculations, and it saves all your previous calculations so you can go back.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. With an advanced calculation versus another calculation.

[George Camel]

Just think fancy stuff.

[Rachel Cruz]

T9 stuff.

[George Camel]

Exactly.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, I did see. You can. And this may be in the new calculator. You can do currency exchanges on the calculator.

[George Camel]

Wow.

[Rachel Cruz]

Did y' all know that? So if you're traveling, you can put your euros in, and on your calculator, it shows what a US Dollar is. So it's not really calculated. I guess you could calculate it, but it just shows the exchange rate on your. On your calculator.

[George Camel]

We've come a long way, and that's built in. Now the whole iPhone costs a thousand bucks, and you have all of that built in.

[Rachel Cruz]

True. All right, ready for this one? All right, photos. So you used to have to get your pictures developed. Do you remember going to Walgreens and doing that?

[George Camel]

Yep.

[Rachel Cruz]

And it would be three to six dollars at Walgreens in the 90s. And now pictures are free via the iPhone.

[George Camel]

Oh, yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's like flying first class. And, like, the drinks are free. It's kind of like you have a.

[George Camel]

Physical version through an iPhone so that you're getting something in return for your five bucks.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. Or you can just print off your picture from your home printer.

[George Camel]

Do you still keep a lot of your photos used to get developed?

[Rachel Cruz]

I think I have a. Yes. I think I have a box full of old albums and stuff.

[George Camel]

You ever scan them in and digitize them so that you have them forever, or is that not.

[Rachel Cruz]

That sounds terrible.

[George Camel]

Yeah, it sounds like something you're not going to do.

[Rachel Cruz]

No, that sounds terrible.

[George Camel]

Sounds like a Winston project.

[Rachel Cruz]

That sounds terrible.

[George Camel]

All right.

[Rachel Cruz]

No, I'm not doing that.

[George Camel]

There's services that do this for you now. So I did this. I got old tapes, like, my. From my skateboarding days. They're mini DV tapes. And so I sent them all out, and they send you back a thumb drive with all the video files so I get to relive. Why is this funny to you? Because this is what I do for fun. This is how I want to spend my money. Sometimes I wonder why I do this. Is it charity? Is it a ministry? Did you swallow a piece of ice?

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. Okay. Oh, I didn't do that part. You know, it's funny because the alpha. What I would have digitized are, like, me and my friends at homecoming. George just says his.

[George Camel]

You think I have photos from homecoming? I didn't go. Who would go?

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, George.

[George Camel]

Yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

I'm sorry.

[George Camel]

It's okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't know if we'd be friends in high school.

[George Camel]

We wouldn't definitely not be friends in high school.

[Rachel Cruz]

I'm just kidding. I was friendliest. I'd be friends with everyone.

[George Camel]

Yeah, but that's like you having pity. No, you know what I mean. Like, guys, be nice to him. He's a good. He's a good guy.

[Rachel Cruz]

No, stop it, George. I was fine. It's fine. I appreciated everybody.

[George Camel]

Okay, can I just say this about the photos before we move on?

[Rachel Cruz]

Gosh, yeah, Sorry.

[George Camel]

I think we've lost something with the iPhone photos.

[Rachel Cruz]

Cause you don't get any more of just, like, the blinker.

[George Camel]

Well, when you take a photo with a physical camera and you get it developed, you taking that photo mattered.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's what I'm saying. Yeah.

[George Camel]

Now you take 100 photos with your iPhone and you're like, mm, didn't look cute. I'll delete them. Or they just sit on your phone. You have 10,000 on iCloud. Your kids, like, imagine handing that over to your grandkids.

[Rachel Cruz]

Totally.

[George Camel]

They don't wanna go through 10,000 photos and screenshots of recipes. That's what our kids are really gonna do.

[Rachel Cruz]

100% right.

[George Camel]

No more grandma's recipe book. It's just like. I think that's a screenshot from Pinterest.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know, George. That is. It's so tricky.

[George Camel]

It's an ad for socks that's tied in here. Okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

And can I tell you this? The adrenaline. I would get to go to Walgreens to pick up that. That envelope.

[George Camel]

You were so excited to go through.

[Rachel Cruz]

Them from a spring break trip.

[George Camel]

And you're like, see if there's any good ones.

[Rachel Cruz]

Just. Just to relive it, you know, Four days after, like, just felt magical. And now you just. You. You.

[George Camel]

And it felt like, oh, yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

You never go back. I never go back to pictures anymore.

[George Camel]

No.

[Rachel Cruz]

You know what I mean? Where. Back then. Yeah, it just.

[George Camel]

And you needed to actually have a moment to take a physical photo. There had to be something worth it.

[Rachel Cruz]

You know what I would do, too, if I went on a trip with a friend. We would do doubles where you could mark doubles. Do two copies.

[George Camel]

Oh, fancy.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yep. And every picture had two. And then you would separate them, you.

[George Camel]

Know, who's keeping the photos alive? The school picture scammers.

[Rachel Cruz]

I'm sorry, what?

[George Camel]

They're single handedly keeping the physical photo alive. School picture day. It's highway robbery.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, yeah.

[George Camel]

They just. They send your kid home and go. Right. It's 50 bucks if you want to. It's like a hostage situation.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. Yeah. So, you know, it's funny. This is a personality difference. Denise, my sister, has ordered every school picture of her children through every year of their lives. Like, she's so on it.

[George Camel]

So that's what a good mom looks like.

[Rachel Cruz]

So then they take. They bring you the. The. They bring you the op. The sample. So you get to see it, but it has their name. Well, I just take a picture of that with my phone and that's it.

[George Camel]

With the watermark on it still. And you go, good enough.

[Rachel Cruz]

Like, there it is. There's your school picture. Because we don't do the. Like. Did you have the round, Like George is a senior and George in kindergarten, first, second, third, fourth, like around your senior picture.

[George Camel]

Was this a Ramsey tradition?

[Rachel Cruz]

No, this was like a. Maybe this is a southern thing or a parent. I don't know.

[George Camel]

Things were different in the north.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, well, they would have your official senior picture in the middle and then every school picture around it from like 10 years. Yeah. Yes, My parents. Yes.

[George Camel]

I don't want to see that evolution.

[Rachel Cruz]

No, it's.

[George Camel]

Yeah, you just see the loss of joy and innocence over time.

[Rachel Cruz]

Anyways, I just thought I won't. If I did that with my kids and printed out the picture on my iPhones, it's all going to have a. Yeah. Watermark over their face.

[George Camel]

Wow.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know. It's probably not great. I'm kind of regretting that.

[George Camel]

I feel like I have all the things you spend money on. You're children's memories might be one thing you want to keep, but no, that's up to you. You live your life, but that's a good one. Photos have gotten cheaper. I'm really. I'm seeing a theme here. Everything's become a commodity and everything matters less. And I think that's the sadness of why we love the nostalgia. All right, let's go in video surveillance. So this is security. A video surveillance system used to cost up to $12,000 in the 1980s. With inflation, that's $43,000 in today's money is what you'd pay for a surveillance system.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. That's wild.

[George Camel]

And now your doorbell has a camera in it. Oh, what a time of year.

[Rachel Cruz]

You know what's sad. We were talking about this with some of our neighbors. The. The years of, you know, ding dong ditching and rolling and all that. It's gone. Cuz they get caught now.

[George Camel]

You get that video uploaded to the neighborhood Facebook page. There's a warrant out for your arrest.

[Rachel Cruz]

It is so sad for those kids. Would you be the parent that would take your kids rolling?

[George Camel]

I don't even know what that is. Rolling like toilet paper in the trees, that whole thing. Yeah, No, I think that's a terrible thing to do to someone. Cause then it rains and it gets all clumped up there.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, but it's like the boy that Mia has a crush on and all her friends, like, we gotta go get Jared's house.

[George Camel]

I don't know what kind of Clarissa explains it all lifestyle you want.

[Rachel Cruz]

Moms would take you to get the toilet paper and then like, take you and you'd all like, go. Cause y' all are all friends and it's all like a fun thing.

[George Camel]

What a life, what a privilege and luxury it is to have a cool mom. Taking you to.

[Rachel Cruz]

My mom didn't love you. Sharon. We. Sharon wasn't one, but yes. We had like two moms that would take us to Walmart and buy the toilet paper.

[George Camel]

Wow.

[Rachel Cruz]

You never went rolling?

[George Camel]

No. I think that's a crime today. I don't commit crimes. I think that's the thing I don't like.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, okay.

[George Camel]

I'm not a fan of, like, pranks. To me, it's just bullying, but under another name.

[Rachel Cruz]

No. Okay. So now I would say this. If you were doing it to a kid in your class that was picked on or like, wasn't, you know. Oh, George, that would be mean. We did it with like, our own friends.

[George Camel]

So you only did it to the most popular kids?

[Rachel Cruz]

It was always for the opposite sex. Like, you'd go roll a boy's house. Or if you got rolled, it was a bunch of guys coming to your house.

[George Camel]

Got it.

[Rachel Cruz]

You know what I mean?

[George Camel]

Yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. So it was fun. It wasn't like you wouldn't do it as a mean spirit. That's so terrible. Why would you think people did it mean?

[George Camel]

Well, I think regardless, someone's gotta clean that. You gotta get a lot of water.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's usually the parents. I mean, I hate to say it, or it just fades away with the rain.

[George Camel]

My parents immigrated here for a better life, Rachel. All right? They didn't immigrate here to get on a ladder and clean up. Toilet paper.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's a hot commodity. Sophia came and all her, like, five little friends, and they're like, dad, dad, can we go to Jared's house and roll his house?

[George Camel]

First of all, if she's friends with a Jared, red flag.

[Rachel Cruz]

Jarrett.

[George Camel]

Jarrett.

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't know.

[George Camel]

That's even worse. No, I would say you need to find better friends, honey. You need to find better friends who have actual hobbies and want to produce good in the community. You know, we should be sending kids out to take down the rolling, not do it. And then they say, we don't have time. We're in school. We don't have time for a job. You got plenty of time. You got. You got time to lean, you got time to clean.

[Rachel Cruz]

No, when you roll, you roll at night when the. When businesses are closed.

[George Camel]

All right, this is exhausting. Well, here's the deal.

[Rachel Cruz]

Well, George is very happy about ring doorbells because there's no ding dong, ditching or rolling.

[George Camel]

That's right. And Rachel, you know, I'm not a ring guy. You know what I am now?

[Rachel Cruz]

No.

[George Camel]

I'm a Simply Safe guy.

[Rachel Cruz]

You are.

[George Camel]

I got Simply Safe set up.

[Rachel Cruz]

I love it and you love it.

[George Camel]

It's great.

[Rachel Cruz]

So good, so easy.

[George Camel]

It's built in. It's all the alarms on the doors and the windows and the cameras. It's fantastic.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's amazing. You know what else helps keep you safe on the Internet is Delete me.

[George Camel]

Now, that one I can get behind.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's an incredible service that really does help. I mean, because your personal data online, it's everywhere. Right? And it's not just about spams anymore. It really is a direct line for phishing attacks, harassment, fraud. I mean, there's so much there on the Internet when your data's out there and you want it gone.

[George Camel]

And so this is surveillance, but for your personal info online. And Deleteme goes in, they remove your personal info from all these data broker sites, cutting off access at the source. And we're seeing a lot of these. These, like, AI driven scams. They can spoof someone's voice.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's crazy.

[George Camel]

So you gotta protect yourself. And Delete me can help you protect yourself from all of these risks.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. And there can be a level of fear. I feel like in today's world, when you're like, oh, my gosh, is this real? Is this not because you get, like, spam calls, you get all this stuff and you're like, I don't know what's real. So you don't have to live in fear. You can be proactive and use delete.

[George Camel]

Me, I love it. And they're giving our listeners and viewers a sweet discount. 20% off the annual plans. So it comes out to like nine bucks a month.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

It's online surveillance. And there's a team of physical people going in, removing all of your info for you.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Camel]

And so this is not some AI tool. It's way more than that. There's real people. If you need help, there's a real person on the other side who can help you out. So it's been really great for my family. And they've removed me from over 250 data broker sites so far.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's incredible. Yeah. Because these data broker sites will collect your information and then sell it. Seller sites. Yeah. So they're making money off of you. So we always say control what you can control. And we can't control what all the scammers out there are doing, but you can control what you're doing with your data online by using services like delete me to help and remove your data, especially from these data broker websites.

[George Camel]

That's right. So go to joindeleteme.com smartmoney or use the link in the description to get that 20 off.

[Rachel Cruz]

All right, next, a girl's best friend diamonds.

[George Camel]

I thought you're gonna say Jarrett. You know, Jared's getting friend zoned.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, man. Okay. So lab grown diamonds have become very popular recently. And they're worth 60, 60 to 85% less than authentic diamonds on average. $950 on average for a 1.5 carat lab diamond. Wow. Yeah. So again, high quality diamonds, again, could be 10,000, $13,000, you know, in 2010. Like, very expensive. And lab grown, it's getting more popular.

[George Camel]

That is something to consider. Something that's gotten cheaper over the years as they've learned how to develop it. And there's a lot of people going for alternative stones in general.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Camel]

You know, moissanite or a gem or whatever it may be.

[Rachel Cruz]

You know, it's funny.

[George Camel]

Cut down the cost.

[Rachel Cruz]

So I rarely wear this ring. And I have another band. Winston bought me, like, these three rings together for our 10th anniversary. And this one. So there's diamonds missing, but I think these are lab grown, George. I'm pretty sure.

[George Camel]

Can I. Can I get a peek?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. Huh.

[George Camel]

I could.

[Rachel Cruz]

Because what that would cost in real life. I know Winston didn't spend it because I knew what he spent on it. And I do think those were lab grown.

[George Camel]

Wow. They look great to me.

[Rachel Cruz]

I'm pretty sure. My weddings, my wedding ring and two bands Are real. And I think those are lab grown.

[George Camel]

What I want to know is where are these three little diamonds today? So little. How do they do it?

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't know.

[George Camel]

What an art form.

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't know. But isn't it pretty?

[George Camel]

Very. Great job.

[Rachel Cruz]

But you know what? I do like that it's missing these three on this end. So I always just turn it a little bit.

[George Camel]

Honestly, I don't think anyone passing by would ever notice.

[Rachel Cruz]

No, no.

[George Camel]

I know it's really just you, but.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, when we just read that, I was like, I think that this ring is lab grown.

[George Camel]

That's beautiful. Yeah. All right, so that's one. One good thing for the guys out there who are buying these rings for the ladies. You're welcome. It's cheaper today than it was back then. All right, next on the list, Rachel. Calling and texting is cheaper than it was.

[Rachel Cruz]

That is true.

[George Camel]

Payphones. Remember this?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Camel]

A whole quarter per call in the 1990s. I remember that.

[Rachel Cruz]

25 cents.

[George Camel]

Before the age of cell phones, I had to go to the school pay phone and make a call.

[Rachel Cruz]

Y' all had a payphone in your school? Yeah, I don't know if we had one in our school. I think we had to go to the office.

[George Camel]

The kind of technology in Deham, Massachusetts.

[Rachel Cruz]

Unbelievable.

[George Camel]

And then texting used to be limited to characters t9 word.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Camel]

That was a tough time learning a different language.

[Rachel Cruz]

It was a lot of punching.

[George Camel]

Punching. Some dexterity with the thumbs there.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yep.

[George Camel]

Used to cost around 10 to 20 cents for every SMS sent.

[Rachel Cruz]

Is that not crazy? I remember paying 20 cents for every text you send.

[George Camel]

I'm all for going back to this. I'm done with the random text. Just stop if you want to text me. It better cost you money. Better be worth it.

[Rachel Cruz]

Wow.

[George Camel]

I think we're too flippant with our words. You know, you have those friends who do the, like, 28 texts in a row. I'm like, just say it in one thought.

[Rachel Cruz]

Well, I do it, and then I have another. I do it and then have another thought. And then I'm.

[George Camel]

And then the group chats. We could get rid of group chats entirely if it costs you money.

[Rachel Cruz]

Those are tough.

[George Camel]

You send a meme, it better cost you a dollar, and it better be worth the laugh. I'm tired of your memes and gifs.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, my gosh. Home alone, the movie. We always watch it at Christmas. It's one of my favorites. When they get to the airport and they're all have the phone book in her, like, you know, and they're all grabbing the payphone and stuff. It's my favorite.

[George Camel]

I loved using the phone book.

[Rachel Cruz]

That was just the time. Oh, man.

[George Camel]

And then 411 was the big thing. You could call 411 to give you.

[Rachel Cruz]

The number, give you the info that you need.

[George Camel]

Fun fact, texting was free or discounted after 9pm and on weekends for a while.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, my God.

[George Camel]

No nights and weekends.

[Rachel Cruz]

Plan right. Next up, we're gonna get healthy and go gym memberships. So they were 70 to $100 minimum for gym memberships in the 1990s. That's $240 for today's money. And it's. With inflation. Yeah. Definitely considered a luxury. And now you can go to planet Fitness for 15 bucks. You know, just.

[George Camel]

They've commoditized fitness and there's so much competition now. Back in the day, it was. There was, like, one gym in my town. It was like Gold's Gym is where you got to go. And only serious people went there to work out.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

Now just any old person like me can walk in.

[Rachel Cruz]

Well, that or apps. You know what I mean? Or you can watch free stuff on YouTube. So there's a lot I like a lot.

[George Camel]

You know what I realized about working out? I don't want to see other people do it. It's none of my business to see other people work out. That's why I don't like to do it, actually.

[Rachel Cruz]

I think that's very fair. Yeah. I get that.

[George Camel]

Some things are meant for me and me alone, and that's me working out. I don't want you to look at me. I don't want to look at you.

[Rachel Cruz]

You know what? I. Yeah. I've worked out now in our garage for so long that I'm like, we're in the arrows. I don't know if I wanna. Yeah. We were on the Ramsey cruise, and I worked out in the gym like, three times that week.

[George Camel]

I think brag about it. Okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

And I. But I went on days that we ported, so there weren't. It was not busy. It was like, maybe one or two people in the whole place. But even with those one or two people, I found myself, like, distracted. There was one woman. She was buff, man, she was killing it. I was like, what is she doing? I wanna do what she's doing. So then I find myself, like, kind of watching her and, like, you know, But I had my workout plan. But it's distract, but all the things. You know what I mean? And you're just like, man, I can't focus. It's just a lot. But, you know, it can be inspiring.

[George Camel]

Sure. I can know what could have been if I just was born in a different body. That's great. And YouTube has a ton of free workouts.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, for sure.

[George Camel]

But there's a lot of options out there today. So that is something that has gone down in price over time.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes. Next computers. So the Gateway Solo 2000 cost $3,499 back in 1995. That's $5,776 in today's money. And now you can buy a brand new MacBook Air for 1000 bucks. 999.

[George Camel]

With way more storage and computing power.

[Rachel Cruz]

Than the computers back then. I think it's more for what it was before.

[George Camel]

You remember when like a thumb drive was a big deal that you could store like 128 megabytes? Nevermind. I'm talking to the wrong person. I'm just gonna port this entire. You ever get into a conversation, realize not the target demo.

[Rachel Cruz]

I was like, I don't remember that.

[George Camel]

I have to explain megabytes now versus gigabytes. And then don't even get her started on a terabyte.

[Rachel Cruz]

Don't know.

[George Camel]

Can I help you or do you not want to know?

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't really want to know. Okay.

[George Camel]

No, it's fine.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, I don't really care.

[George Camel]

Thought the audience might want to learn about megabytes, which.

[Rachel Cruz]

You know what I do want to know when Cozy Earth has some new products.

[George Camel]

You're the target demo for that first.

[Rachel Cruz]

Time because they have pajamas now for the summer. Short sleeves, shorts. It's the same material as my long sleeves and my pants set that I have for the winter. Now they have it in a summer version with a beautiful pattern that actually you got for Whitney. And I saw it on George's desk. I was like, those are cute. And I was like, yeah, they're Whitney's pajamas. I was like, oh my gosh, give me the name of that pattern because.

[George Camel]

I want to go order them limited edition.

[Rachel Cruz]

I mean, honestly. So Cozy Earth products, they hold their value the best.

[George Camel]

I was a hero this Mother's Day because I got my mom a set, got Whitney a set, and I was done. Didn't have to think about it.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's it too. When you know you're getting quality products for people, if it's gifts or yourself.

[George Camel]

Yeah. And they have great stuff for the guys too. Buttery soft sweatshirts and workout gear. Athleisure is what the kids call it. These Days.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. Yeah. No, it's incredible. Yep. And again, it's the quality that we're looking for because you can go buy dupes and all the things, you know, and we're not mad at that. That's fine. But when you actually go and invest on something that's quality, after you wash it like five times, it still holds up, which is what we're going for.

[George Camel]

I'm in that stage of life, or I'm tired of just buying cheap crap that I have to replace. This is stuff you buy and you.

[Rachel Cruz]

Find what you like, and it's great.

[George Camel]

And every 10 warranty on their bedding, which is amazing.

[Rachel Cruz]

Gosh. So it is amazing.

[George Camel]

Check it out. You'll get up to 40% off when you use the promo code smart money at checkout. So go to cozyearth.com smart money or use the link in the description and show notes. All right, next on the list of things that cost less today than they used to. Flights.

[Rachel Cruz]

Really? Okay.

[George Camel]

Who knew? 288 bucks for a round trip flight in 1990, which is 550 bucks in today's money with inflation. And our writer Savannah just flew round trip to New York City for 130 bucks. Okay, so I think there's more competition, more budget airlines that didn't used to exist. You were just stuck with the one airline that flew there now.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's true. Yes. Yeah, yeah. Because there can be some pricey flights for sure.

[George Camel]

Variable pricing.

[Rachel Cruz]

But the variable pricing, you can get a deal if you're looking for it. So, yeah, get this.

[George Camel]

Round trip flights to London, around 500 bucks at the time of this recording. No way should I go to London.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes. Hello, old pal. Wow.

[George Camel]

That was offensive to all of Europe, not even just London.

[Rachel Cruz]

Cheerio.

[George Camel]

Even the Scots are like, no, we don't claim her. What is your descent? Where do you hail from, the Ramsay clan?

[Rachel Cruz]

Scotland.

[George Camel]

Mostly Scotland.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. Can I tell you this? So there's a Ramsay castle in Scotland, but it's Ramsay. So dad went on a kick, okay. He went on this big kick of, like, finding your ancestry and all. So he went on all things he got. He. He, like, kind of like, was like, you have an Alexa in your house. They're listening to you. I'm like, you sent your DNA to a website to figure out your ancestry. That's a little bit more dangerous in my opinion, but it's fine.

[George Camel]

I love that Dave as my sentences. Like a 1950s detective. Mercy. Mer.

[Rachel Cruz]

Mer. I know. But. Yep. So found out all the way back to his Scottish and found a Ramsay R A M S A Y castle. Like a small castle out in the middle of whatever, and there's a lord. And it was kind of a whole thing.

[George Camel]

Was there a moat? I love a moat.

[Rachel Cruz]

Nope, no moats. But we went to it when we went to Scotland, like, 10 years ago. Of course, we had to go visit the castle, and he got the coat of arms. So then it was everywhere for, like, a solid five years of his life. You put that coat of arms on everything. Oh, man. So, long story short, fast forward to today, and Amelia just said last week to one of our friends that was over. She was like, yeah, my great, great, great grandparents were the king and queen of Scotland.

[George Camel]

Wow. That was the connection she made.

[Rachel Cruz]

I was like, what? She was like, yeah, there was a castle and everything. Papa Dave told me. I was like, oh, no. I was like, they weren't the king and queen. It was just like, people had castles then. That was like, the architecture of the day.

[George Camel]

But who's gonna question her on that?

[Rachel Cruz]

I know, but she was very disappointed. I think she got a little embarrassed because I think she told people that, like, at school, that her own great, great, great grandparents, you probably knew the.

[George Camel]

King and queen if you had a castle.

[Rachel Cruz]

No, I kind of think they were everywhere. Anyways, we are way ahead.

[George Camel]

So it's middle class to have a castle? Is that what you're telling me?

[Rachel Cruz]

Flights. Flights go to London.

[George Camel]

Flights, I do think. I feel like flights have gotten more expensive in recent memory, like, every time I go to book.

[Rachel Cruz]

But I think the point in this, you can find a good deal.

[George Camel]

Yes. If you're willing to go for a budget airline or you're flexible with timing, you can fly at 5am or get in at 2am there's some deals to be had.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yep. All right, last but not least, digital storage. So it would cost $20 for a floppy disk in 2002.

[George Camel]

Wow.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's $35 with today's money. And now it's only 9.99 for extra iPhone storage that probably, you know, I pay for that. It's that random charge that you get.

[George Camel]

I think mine's two terabytes. Now, do I get to explain terabytes to you?

[Rachel Cruz]

How do you know what your storage is?

[George Camel]

Okay, go to Settings, then click on your name at the top.

[Rachel Cruz]

C Senor. Got it.

[George Camel]

Then go to iCloud.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

And then it'll show you the storage.

[Rachel Cruz]

Two terabytes.

[George Camel]

George, look at you. Well, really look at Winston. I assume he's the man behind all of this.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, man.

[George Camel]

So, yeah, the terabyte is 1,000 gigabytes. You got that?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Camel]

In a gigabyte is a thousand megabytes. Okay, so mega.

[Rachel Cruz]

And what is it? What is a picture?

[George Camel]

How many picture could be. I mean, depends on the phone. It could be 13 megabytes for a large, high quality photo.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

Could be 3 megabytes. But video is what adds up. Filming like 4k.

[Rachel Cruz]

How do we know? I bet I beat you on my video storage.

[George Camel]

Oh, that's a good one. So if you go to storage.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yep.

[George Camel]

Wait.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh. Oh, I see my icloud photos.

[George Camel]

What do you got?

[Rachel Cruz]

What do you have?

[George Camel]

I'm nervous.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. You ready for mine?

[George Camel]

Yep. What's in your iCloud photos?

[Rachel Cruz]

250.7 gigabytes.

[George Camel]

289.

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't feel so bad.

[George Camel]

What about messages 54? 101.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, gosh. Backups. 147.

[George Camel]

You've done a lot of back. I'm only at 25 on backups.

[Rachel Cruz]

All right. I'm at iCloud Drive.

[George Camel]

Yep.

[Rachel Cruz]

It sounds like a road. 67. 67.

[George Camel]

Those are my 4.6. I don't know what you're storing in your icloud drive, but there's gotta be what's happening.

[Rachel Cruz]

And I'm paying for it. I know I am because I get these Apple Random charges. I'm paying for the cloud. I'm playing for terabytes, paying for a lot.

[George Camel]

1. It's 9.99 for the 2 terabytes.

[Rachel Cruz]

But what's in the cloud?

[George Camel]

That's what's in the. It's storing it all in the cloud.

[Rachel Cruz]

So I have a lot in the cloud and you don't.

[George Camel]

You're not storing all that in your phone. Your phone has a different level of storage.

[Rachel Cruz]

I thought I have terabytes on my phone.

[George Camel]

No, two terabytes is what you have in icloud.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, so I have more in the cloud than you do.

[George Camel]

You sent it to heaven. So let's think about earth and heaven.

[Rachel Cruz]

But I have more than you because I have 64.

[George Camel]

How do I explain this? Let me. Let me see your phone.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's fine.

[George Camel]

Capacity on the phone is 256 available for me is 144. So if you go to Settings and then about. I feel like this is back in my Apple Store employee days and I'm having to really hold back. Be kind and about. Keep going. General. General.

[Rachel Cruz]

General. About.

[George Camel]

Yep.

[Rachel Cruz]

You're doing great. I'd hire you for the Apple Store today.

[George Camel]

Okay. And then you see where it says capacity?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Camel]

What does it say?

[Rachel Cruz]

512.

[George Camel]

512. So you have double the storage on your physical device?

[Rachel Cruz]

I have a lot on my phone then, yes, A lot of storage.

[George Camel]

What do you have available?

[Rachel Cruz]

261.

[George Camel]

You're doing great.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. I'm halfway there.

[George Camel]

Yeah. It's not. You don't need to fill it up. It's not a. It's not that kind of competition.

[Rachel Cruz]

Not a race.

[George Camel]

That was a lot of fun.

[Rachel Cruz]

Wow. But I do think, like, we're living in a better world today, y' all. I'm gonna say it.

[George Camel]

Yeah. If you told 10 year old George, hey, you can get two terabytes for $10, I'd be like, they make terabytes now?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

I cannot tell you how many physical hard drives I have that are like 256 gigabytes. 500 gigabytes. And I thought, we are living in the future where I can have 500 gigabytes on a single hard drive.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Camel]

Now that's nothing.

[Rachel Cruz]

And when 10 year old Rachel's friends were like, we should roll, George Camel. I'm like, don't.

[George Camel]

He's worried about megabytes right now. He's going through a lot.

[Rachel Cruz]

Don't do it. Don't do it.

[George Camel]

I feel that. All right. We promised the people we would share our versions of this. So we're going to do a little rapid response and share a few investments. I put this in quotes. Just things that you own that have stood the test of time and still have held their value.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

So you could sell today for what you paid for it, if not more.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, man. I don't know if I know this, but I can try.

[George Camel]

Vintage clothes, purse, shoes.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. So I'd say our house.

[George Camel]

Great. If this was Family Feud, that'd be number one on the board.

[Rachel Cruz]

I mean, honestly, from what we built in 2018 to today.

[George Camel]

That'S solid.

[Rachel Cruz]

I mean, honestly, I think it's doubled.

[George Camel]

Wow.

[Rachel Cruz]

Almost.

[George Camel]

That's amazing.

[Rachel Cruz]

Well, yeah. I feel like Nashville, which you guys.

[George Camel]

Bought in a really great area too.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, we did. Yeah. Yeah. But I'm like, no, it's like insane. Like, we would not be able to afford to live where we live today. Like, if we entered in, we couldn't. We couldn't buy that.

[George Camel]

That's strong.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

Okay. I got one. My guitar.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, that's.

[George Camel]

I won it in a songwriting contest. And I think at the time it was probably $3,000 guitar. I think I could sell it for that today. And that was 12 years ago.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, that's good. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[George Camel]

So that's.

[Rachel Cruz]

Winston has a beautiful piano.

[George Camel]

Pianos, they hold their value really well.

[Rachel Cruz]

And I think. Yeah, we could probably sell it.

[George Camel]

Baby grand.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes. He got it when he was a teenager.

[George Camel]

What is it, a Yamaha?

[Rachel Cruz]

No, it's a Kawaii.

[George Camel]

Oh, yeah. That's a good brand.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, it's beautiful. It's great. It's great. Well, that's good.

[George Camel]

Well, but most things are going to go down in value, and that's.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know. When you use stuff. It does. Yeah.

[George Camel]

But just like, it's not worth buying something that's going to immediately plummet. Sometimes it's worth buying used. Or just know your TV that you spent $4,000 on is going to be worth jack squat five years from now. Everybody wants the latest and greatest.

[Rachel Cruz]

Totally. So I think that's the thing. I think you have to stop living on this high of, like, I need the newest. Cuz that will keep you in this, like, rat in a wheel mentality for a long time. Because there's so many things. It's the newest thing. Right. So whether it's a car. Oh, this is the newest model to fashion, to technology. I'm like, you could constantly be living in that. And if that's your only motivation in life just to have the newest thing or the latest thing, you're gonna lose a lot of money and satisfaction of quality of life.

[George Camel]

You just run this endless marathon.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. There's, like, no contentment in it. So it's not that the stuff is bad. It's fun. Get some great stuff. But yeah. Don't think, like, oh, my gosh, everything's gonna be okay if I just have the best. Because the truth is, most things in life that we see go down in value.

[George Camel]

Yeah. And no, I mean, it sounds a little bit too deep, but, you know, you can't take it with you. So all the stuff sitting around, like, someone's gonna have to deal with all your crap one day.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Camel]

And you thought, someone's gonna love my old photos and the old clothing and the. Sometimes. But then sometimes your kids are just like, mom and dad are hoarders.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know.

[George Camel]

And they left us with a mess.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's right.

[George Camel]

And they saved everything just in case. And we don't need the china.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know. You know what the minimalists say to do is to take pictures of everything.

[George Camel]

Oh.

[Rachel Cruz]

So at least you have, like, the visual memory of it. And I do think I am a little bit in the camp of, like, there's some things that Are sweet to say.

[George Camel]

They're sentimental.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes. Like a jewelry or like, you know, you pass things down. Like, I do think there's a time and a place for that. But, like, I don't know if your parents were like this, but when we got married, I was given, like, bins and bins and bins of, like, artwork from my second grade year. Right. And stuff that. And I do that for my kids. I save my kids stuff. But I'm like, I never go back.

[George Camel]

And look at it. It's fun to look at once every five years, I guess.

[Rachel Cruz]

But, like, what?

[George Camel]

You know what I mean?

[Rachel Cruz]

Like, there's a. There is a point what you're saying of like, stuff can just collect over time. And it's like, okay, it's just stuff.

[George Camel]

What are we doing here?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

Oh, you know, I forgot to add this one. Speaking of things that are passed down, the. The Rolex from Whitney's grandfather who passed. We love. This is like, that's what I think is worth. What are the things that you're like, someone. One of my grandkids would fight over this one day. Well, that's something that's probably worth purchasing.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. Yes. That's a great.

[George Camel]

And if not, don't put a lot of thought into it. Just do a little bit of research and go, okay, I'm buying an iPhone. Cable here. It's not that I'm talking to myself now. This is therapy for me.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's all for you. All for you.

[George Camel]

That's good. And then budgeting for things. Make sure you pay cash, don't go into debt for these things that are going to go down in value that end up in goodwill. And so use a great budgeting app like EveryDollar to just make a plan. For every dollar coming in, every dollar going out, you'll be more intentional and less wasteful. So I'll drop a link in the description to EveryDollar if you guys want to check it out.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. Could you imagine going into debt for something and then by the time you pay it off, two new versions have already come out and you're like, oh.

[George Camel]

My God, that's what happens with cars.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's so true. Yep. And iPhones, no fun.

[George Camel]

And now Klarna and doordash and all financing a burrito. This is where we've lost our minds. Where are we Vacations? This is happening with Disney, Coachella, Coachella festivals.

[Rachel Cruz]

Like, a high percentage of people at Coachella.

[George Camel]

It used to be physical stuff. Now it's experiences. So it feels like you can justify It. Yeah, I'm going to make this amazing memory.

[Rachel Cruz]

Sure.

[George Camel]

Yeah, don't do it.

[Rachel Cruz]

But then you leave with a bunch of debt. Not good. All right, before we spill the tea on our guilty as charge segment, tell us about the drink.

[George Camel]

George, this is the Godfather, and like you said, it tastes like an old man drink.

[Rachel Cruz]

It does taste like an old man drink.

[George Camel]

I think you really enjoyed it. My rating on this one, Let me give one more sip. I'm going to go 8.5 out of 10, man.

[Rachel Cruz]

So I'm gonna go 8 out of 10 because I would have a specific situation that I would order it. It would not be a go to cocktail like some of the others we've had.

[George Camel]

And why is that?

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't know. It's a little unique.

[George Camel]

I'll tell you why.

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't want this before dinner.

[George Camel]

Okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

This would be like an after if we all did dinner and everyone's like.

[George Camel]

Hey, kind of a late night drink.

[Rachel Cruz]

Let'S say, like a pour or something. It'd be like. And they poured this. I'd be so happy.

[George Camel]

Perfect.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

That's a great scenario. I wish that happens to you. You know, New York City, late night with friends.

[Rachel Cruz]

I didn't say New York, but it felt right.

[George Camel]

So The Godfather costs $2.71 per drink. The ingredients are amaretto, which is like an almond liqueur, Scotch, and angostura bitters. So that's where it got knocked down a peg. I'm not a big scotch guy. And the peatiness, which is kind of that tire fire taste you get in there. Yeah, I just. It takes me a while to get over that.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

But as it's. The ice has sat. It's actually a lot better now. It's watered down, but it's still a great one. It's probably the best scotch cocktail I've had. So if you want the recipe, it's in the show notes. Give it a try this weekend and let us know what you think.

[Rachel Cruz]

So. Great. All right, now it's time for guilty as charged. And this is where we ask each other a guilty as charged question every week. And if we're guilty, we take a sip. All right, George, have you ever bought anything that was once worth way more than it is today?

[George Camel]

Oh, my goodness. I'm gonna rattle a few off that are just the most egregious to me, because when I spent the money, it was a big investment for me. And. And here's the thing. In my head, I went, I'm gonna use this so much. It's gonna roi.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, that's good.

[George Camel]

Here's my Canon video camera.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Camel]

So it's a big like DSLR, but it does video too.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

It was the D70. If you know your cameras. If you know, you know. And I thought, I'm gonna be a vlogger youtuber. I'm gonna make a lot of money off of this doing gigs. It's been sitting. And for what I paid for it. I went to go sell it.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Camel]

And I went, oh my gosh, I think I bought it for like a thousand dollars.

[Rachel Cruz]

No.

[George Camel]

I went on ebay. They're selling for like a hundred and fifty dollars.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. Shoot.

[George Camel]

And then same with a GoPro. I thought, I'm going to be Mr. Adventure. I'm going to strap this GoPro to every. I got like the, the water.

[Rachel Cruz]

When I think adventure, I think George Camel.

[George Camel]

I got all the gear to go with it. I was like, I might strap it to my head, I might strap it to my chest. I need all the gear. Oh my gosh, what if I'm in the water? I need it. I need a floating. So I bought all the gear. I ended up giving it to Deloney's son.

[Rachel Cruz]

A GoPro camera. I forgot about that.

[George Camel]

And from what I paid for it, which was probably five or six hundred bucks. It's worth a hundred bucks now if I'm lucky.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Camel]

And then lastly was the. My imac. I went to go, I was like, I don't use this imac any. The desktop.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[George Camel]

You know, from back in the day. I went to go sell it. I was like, oh, people don't want a 15 year old computer. Why not?

[Rachel Cruz]

Why would you not. Why would you not want this?

[George Camel]

So there's some embarrassing things that technology is where I go wrong.

[Rachel Cruz]

Technology is big. I bought an underwater camera when I was like in high school.

[George Camel]

Because you were big in this. Your scuba certified.

[Rachel Cruz]

I am, I am.

[George Camel]

Dave Ramsey told me this. I did not know this about you. And he was bragging. He was the proudest I've ever seen. He was like, oh, Rachel was at. She was 12 years old. He started.

[Rachel Cruz]

Well, they changed the age that you could do it. So it was like 16 and they went down to 13 when I turned 13. And dad is a big. I will say that about my parents. This is one thing. Mom and dad, it was such a gift. They were not anxious people like mom and dad with adventure it was like you would snow ski, you'd water ski. I mean we did things stuff all the time. And there was never this, like, nervousness. And so dad scuba dived and mom scuba dived, and they changed the age to 13. When I turned 13, dad's like, you want to get scuba dived, like, or certified to be scuba dived? I was like, yeah. And Denise was nervous, so she said no. So I did. I was like, sure, I'll do it. So you had to go to a quarry to do your open water dive, and that means you. You had to spend two days with an instructor, and you had to go down, and they made you take off your mask in the water. You had to take out your regulator. You had to take off everything. You had to basically go through the whole procedure. If everything went wrong, could you get back and be okay? Like, could you put it all back on, Take the regulator, clear it, get your extra regulator? You had to have a partner, regular. I mean, it was. The whole thing. It was like an intense. And I was 13, did it all.

[George Camel]

Flying colors.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. And. Yeah. And I scuba dived for years because dad would. On trips, so I'd go out with him, and that was like our thing.

[George Camel]

Can you still do it in your mid-30s, like today if you jumped in right now?

[Rachel Cruz]

No. No. So we went. When I. We went probably, like six years ago. And I got probably 40ft down. And it wasn't a full on panic attack by any means, but I just remember, like, breathing through this, and I'm like, I have property tax to pay. Like, I have children as an adult now. I have things to do.

[George Camel]

You're like, did I update my will lately?

[Rachel Cruz]

And I am down here with f. Like, that's what I'm doing. I'm with fish for what? My life? Nope. And I tapped out. And they do this whole thing where you're like, not, okay, I'm going up. And you have to. But you have to. You have to take your time to go up.

[George Camel]

You got the bends. Dave told me about the bends.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes. So it's a. It's a whole thing, y' all. And I haven't been back since. So as an adult, the fear sets in, you know? But as a kid, just got her.

[George Camel]

So back to the question at hand. Did you ever use the waterproof camera?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes. But you had to go get it developed at Walgreens, so it was great. Okay. Ne. Yeah. And then my other one would be my first designer purse I ever bought, and I still have it. I want to. I should put it on Poshmark and see how much it would go for.

[George Camel]

But you're saying it's not worth what it was.

[Rachel Cruz]

A Tory Burch. I don't know if Tory Burch is considered designer. Oh, I'm getting some. I'm getting some trucks.

[George Camel]

That's embarrassing.

[Rachel Cruz]

It was. It was my first big purchase as an adult, and it was this big bag and it was like a robin's egg blue kind of color. And I don't. I don't think it's probably worth what it was.

[George Camel]

Wow.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know. That's the only one I can think of. That and my underwater camera. So that's all I got.

[George Camel]

George, big life regrets over here. Thanks for being vulnerable with us, Rachel, and be sure to send us your guilty as charged questions via DM on Instagram. We'd love to add it to the list. And if you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave us a review. Hit the like button, share this with a friend. And if you like this episode, you're going to love this next one. Coming up, what will it cost to live in 40 years? We dug into the details. We're going to also link it in the description below for you to check out.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yep. So we'll see you guys next Thursday on an all new episode of Smart Money Happy Hour.