Pros and Cons of Shopping in 2005 (Should We Go Back?)

Summary

Smart Money Happy Hour — Episode Summary

Podcast & Episode Info

• Podcast: Smart Money Happy Hour with Rachel Cruze and George Kamel
• Host: Ramsey Network
• Episode: Pros and Cons of Shopping in 2005 (Should We Go Back?)
• Date: September 18, 2025
• Theme: A nostalgic look at how shopping (and spending) has changed from 2005 to 2025, with a blend of humor, money advice, personal stories, and cultural commentary.

---

Overview

In this episode, Rachel Cruze and George Kamel pour themselves a throwback (the Enzoni cocktail) and take listeners on a lively tour comparing “mall culture” and money habits of 2005 to today's world of one-click online shopping and endless product options. With a blend of nostalgia, real talk, and practical budgeting tips, they debate: Were things better (or just different) back in the analog days? And how can we shop smarter in a hyper-digital world?

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Nostalgia: Why Are We Craving the Past?

• Opening memories of 2005 mall food courts—Sbarro and Great American Cookie Company set the mood.
• Rachel notes the popularity of "throwback" TikToks and Reels ("Late-30s women dressing up like it’s 2005").
• George and Rachel muse that every generation pines for its own 'simpler' past—will Gen Z and Alpha feel the same about a pre-AI world?
  • Quote: "Every generation wishes it was 20 years ago." — George (03:13)

2. Mall Culture & Shopping (2005)

• Shopping as a major social event: “The food court is what we were talking about... it was really the place to be.” — Rachel (06:01)
• Mall jobs, working for discounts, and tales from the sales floor.
• Wandering the mall as exercise; the “mall walker” phenomenon.
  • Mailing in catalog orders (Delia’s, Toys “R” Us), circling items for fun (“It felt like an endless wonderful time.” — Rachel, 09:42).

3. Pros & Cons of 2005 Shopping

Pros

• Social Experience: Shopping was an event; you hung out, whether or not you bought anything.
• Trying Things On: The in-person advantage; fewer returns.
• Simplicity: Less “decision fatigue”—you got what was on the rack.
  • Quote: “Whatever you see on the rack is what you got... Kick rocks and pound sand.” — George (07:58)
• Physical Payment: More use of cash, less overspending.
• Catalogs: Circling things was half the fun.

Cons

• No Online Banks: Only brick-and-mortar for financial transactions.
• More Effort: Shopping required time and transportation—especially tough during holidays.
• Fewer Options: You couldn’t always get exactly what you wanted.
  • Quote: “You can literally type it into Google and there it is. Someone’s made a llama with a scarf and it’s a pillow.” — Rachel (12:59)
• Trial and Error: No online reviews—buy at your own risk.

4. Fast Forward: Shopping in 2025

Pros

• Online Brands & Direct-to-Consumer: Explosion of DTC business (e.g., Cozy Earth).
• Convenience: One-click from phone to front porch; George: “It just feels good knowing you’re gonna get something.” (17:32)
• Price Comparison: Instant access to price trackers like camelcamelcamel.com.
• Small Biz Options: Easier to sell via Etsy, Poshmark, Venmo, and Facebook Marketplace.
• Buying Secondhand: Sites like eBay, Poshmark, and FB Marketplace make reselling and buying used items much simpler.

Cons

• Online Scams & Privacy: Easier for fraud, data selling, and digital harassment.
• Constant Returns: High volume of online returns, with platforms sometimes encouraging donation over returns (“Rachel’s getting paid to shop out here.” — George, 27:30)
• Comparison Culture: Social media constantly exposes new trends and “must-haves,” leading to more insecurity and less satisfaction.
  • Quote: "Now you're learning about Dyson hair wraps... all these things that you're like, I never would have known that existed." — Rachel (28:31)
• Fast Fashion: Rise in cheaply made, disposable clothes and products.
• Sneaky Debt: Buy Now, Pay Later schemes (Klarna, Afterpay) make debt more subtle and normalized.
  • Quote: “Debt has become more subtle, more normalized, more frictionless.” — George (31:49)
• Relentless Ads: Social media and algorithms serve relentless, eerily-targeted ads.

---

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On Sbarro nostalgia:
  “Do you ever just want to teleport back to a Sbarro in the mall food court and live your best life?” — Rachel (00:05)
• On catalog shopping:
  “Love a catalog. Delia's. That was my favorite... you would just circle what you wanted. That felt like an endless wonderful time.” — Rachel (09:42)
• On online returns:
  “I think I have 12 returns sitting in my garage right now.” — George (25:05)
• On impulse buys:
  “Have you recently made any impulse purchases?” (38:23) — Rachel
  “Oh, my goodness. Yeah, I mean, come on.” — George (38:26)
• On buying secondhand:
  "We probably made a few grand just selling stuff before we moved." — George (22:53)

---

Detailed Timeline

• 00:05–02:41 — Opening banter, mall food court nostalgia, The Sandlot discussion, generational cravings for ‘simpler times’
• 03:40–04:43 — ‘Mall culture’—favorite hangouts, personal anecdotes
• 05:41–09:36 — 2005 Pros: Social shopping, physical payment, walking culture, in-person advantages, catalogs
• 10:46–14:46 — 2005 Cons: No online finance, more effort, fewer choices, lack of reviews, return policies
• 15:02–16:11 — 2025 Pros: Online/digital brands and DTC business
• 17:12–21:19 — Convenience, price comparing, and new platforms for small businesses
• 21:52–23:37 — Buying and selling secondhand online
• 24:21–27:59 — 2025 Cons: Online scams, endless returns, quirky return stories
• 28:10–32:59 — Comparison culture, fast fashion drawbacks, trend cycles
• 33:09–34:01 — Social media, return to Facebook groups, neighborhood drama
• 34:12–36:08 — Smart shopping tips (motivation, no debt, use a budget)
• 36:12–37:04 — Would Blockbuster or Toys "R" Us succeed if they came back?
• 37:12–38:12 — Cocktail review: the Enzoni
• 38:13–41:16 — “Guilty as charged” segment: recent impulse purchases (Rachel’s Kindle; George’s Spindrift/ice cream hoarding)
• 41:53–42:41 — Closing remarks, promo for next episode

---

Shopping Smart: Timeless Tips

• Check your motivation: Buy with intention, not emotion.
• Never use debt to make purchases: If you can’t pay now, you can’t afford it.
• Stick to your budget: “Even for the fun stuff that feels frivolous. If you just put it in the budget, you go, oh, this isn't impulsive anymore.” — George (35:50)

---

Tone & Style

• Conversational, fun, full of banter and playful ribbing
• “Hot takes” on consumer culture, often self-deprecating or tongue-in-cheek
• Nostalgic but practical, with a strong undercurrent of financial wisdom

---

Notable Quotes

• “Whatever you see on the rack is what you got…Kick rocks and pound sand.” — George (07:58)
• “Debt has become more subtle, more normalized, more frictionless.” — George (31:49)
• “Love a catalog…you just circle what you wanted. That felt like an endless wonderful time.” — Rachel (09:42)
• “Have you recently made any impulse purchases? Oh, my goodness. Yeah, I mean, come on.” — Rachel & George (38:23–38:26)
• “You can literally type it into Google and there it is. Someone’s made a llama with a scarf and it’s a pillow.” — Rachel (12:59)

---

Conclusion

Rachel and George land on a bittersweet note: though shopping is easier and more convenient than ever in 2025, it comes with new risks—overconsumption, debt, and comparison culture. Their advice? Shop intentionally, avoid debt, and keep a budget—advice that holds up, whether you’re at Claire’s in 2005 or hunting for deals on your phone in 2025.

---

Additional Resources

• Enzoni Recipe & Drink Ratings: Revealed at the end; 7/10 from George, 6/10 from Rachel (37:22–37:50)
• Next Episode: “What Today’s Teens Are Buying” (42:28)
• Smart Shopping Tools: camelcamelcamel.com for price tracking, Poshmark and Facebook Marketplace for resale, EveryDollar for budgeting

---

For fans of 2000s nostalgia, practical money advice, and lighthearted, relatable improv—this episode is both a throwback party and a challenge to shop smarter, whatever year it is.

Transcript

[A]

Do you ever just want to teleport back to a Sbarro in the mall food court and live your best life? Well, today it's throwback shopping versus modern day swiping.

[B]

I think they were probably happy I quit, too. I think I took a lot of time off.

[A]

You were not a great mall. I don't know if I was.

[B]

Ah, this is me, George.

[A]

Because who knows what the future holds?

[B]

You never know.

[A]

What if Blockbuster comes back?

[B]

Hey, guys, I'm Rachel Cruz.

[A]

I'm George Camel, and this is is.

[B]

Smart Money Happy Hour. 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.

[A]

And before we get to the throwback, let's bring it to present day, talk about what we're sipping on.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

This is the Enzoni, which sounds very Italian and makes me also want pizza.

[B]

Yeah, Saro.

[A]

It's all clicking.

[B]

Unbelievable.

[A]

This is a new conspiracy theory.

[B]

That was a great pizza stop in the mall. Yes.

[A]

It hit.

[B]

I mean, it.

[A]

It took me back to Italy.

[B]

It took me back to Italy.

[A]

Like Michael Scott in the office when he goes to Italy and finds the Sbarro the best.

[B]

Or you're in New York and it's like the one in Times Square.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And you're like, no, don't go to that one. But, oh, so good.

[A]

That one's not authentic.

[B]

So good.

[A]

Anyways, we'll give you the rating and reveal the cost per glass on the Enzoni at the end of the episode. Stick around for that. All right. Nostalgia is, as the kids say, popping off right now.

[B]

Yeah. I feel like it is everywhere. There's some of my favorite reels that come up are. They're like, women my age, they're like, usually like in their. I feel like late 30s, maybe early 40s. And they have items and dress up like it's like 2005 or 2004.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

Like their style and stuff. Oh. And it just makes me so happy because it's like, that was us. Like, that's like, what is it?

[A]

Because we're not happy in the current chaos that is America.

[B]

No, surely not.

[A]

Do we pine for a simpler time? Is that what's going on here?

[B]

I do wonder if we do. We introduced my kids to Sandlot, the movie.

[A]

Oh, how did that go?

[B]

Great. They watched the whole thing.

[A]

It holds up.

[B]

They laughed. There's a lot of cussing in it. So every time there was a cuss word, my kids were like. And I was like, but it's really funny. And they were like, mom. Caroline said, mom, I want a neighborhood like that. And we live in a great neighborhood with kids everywhere. But it's not.

[A]

It's no sandlot.

[B]

It's no sandlot neighborhood. You know, it's just like there is some something about it. And again, I know that was in 2005, that was, like, based in, like, the 60s, but I don't know, George. Maybe we all crave. Maybe we all have a little craving of a little.

[A]

I wonder if every generation feels that way. It's like their era growing up was the best.

[B]

I do. Because people that grew up in the 80s, like, were like little kids in the 80s and loved the 80s. People in the 90s loved the 90s. Like, I feel like everyone loved their, like, area.

[A]

But I wonder if kids of, of the 2000s will feel the same way. Like 2010 will, like, gen Z and Gen Alpha look back at this time be like, ah, simpler times with chat GPT when it didn't take over the world, you know, I don't know, like, what's going to be their version of this?

[B]

I know. That's a good. That's a great question. I don't know.

[A]

Like, I miss. When the computers weren't implanted into our brains, we had to look at it with our hands. It was crazy.

[B]

Do not put a computer in my brain. Don't do that. Conspiracy Rachel is gonna.

[A]

Yeah, but it's true. Every generation wishes it was 20 years ago. And. And I do think there's a simplicity to our former lives when we were kids.

[B]

Yes. And when we talk about money and buying and shopping and that all kind of plays in. So there's some pros and cons to, I don't know, we could say two decades ago.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Let's go back to 2005 mall culture.

[A]

When Hot Topic was at its peak. Claire's was where we all met up. It was the meetup spot.

[B]

So good. Great American Cookie. Oh, man.

[A]

Right? This is a true story. One of our first dates. Whitney and I went to the mall. I didn't. I was not convinced she had a true gluten allergy. And she said. She said, hold my beer. She went to. She went to Sbarro, ordered a slice. They were heating it up. Runs across to Great American Cookie. Co. Gets a double doozy.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Gets back to her pizza. Eats both immediate Kardashian lips. She swelled up like a blowfish.

[B]

Why would she do that?

[A]

I think to prove it to me. She was so fed up with Me saying, oh, you can have a little bit of gluten, though. I mean, how many times have you heard that one, George?

[B]

Terrible.

[A]

She proved it that night.

[B]

Oh, my gosh.

[A]

But Sbarro and Great American Cookie Co were her goat. She knew exactly what she was doing.

[B]

She knew. She said, I'm gonna get to the heart of my.

[A]

I think she liked it.

[B]

I think she wanted to prove it. I know. But, yeah, those were good times. Small culture was a great culture.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

11.

[A]

Christmas have changed.

[B]

Christmas time.

[A]

The mall at Christmas was something special.

[B]

Gosh, just like, gives you butterflies now.

[A]

It's depressing. Have you been to a mall lately?

[B]

Yeah, not lately. We went. It was probably six months ago or so. And it was kind of the bougie mall.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

In Nashville.

[A]

Different vibes there, I think A little.

[B]

Different vibes, but it was still like, who goes to the mall?

[A]

You ever wonder how these stores are.

[B]

Staying open A little bit. Do you think it's a conspiracy?

[A]

Especially the weird ones where I'm like, I've never seen someone step foot in the store.

[B]

Yes, I. I know. And now that everyone, like, doesn't like scented candles, like, how's Yankee Candle still, like a thing? You know what I mean? Like, I don't know, how's it still happening?

[A]

Some new conspiracy theories there. Well, we're gonna talk about some drastic changes in spending trends over the last couple decades. And here's the question. Are we really missing out with the way consumerism has evolved? We're gonna talk about the pros and cons of 20, 25 and 2005. So a 20 year span. So grab your Bermuda shorts from Hollister. Let's get into it.

[B]

Let's do it. All right, 2005 pros. You ready for this? Okay, we're gonna think like T9, you know, you're gonna do T9 on your.

[A]

Nokia playing Snake on the Nokia.

[B]

Nothing like it. Nothing like it. Wonderful is that it was a social event to go to the mall. You know, you had the food court is what we were talking about. It's like really the place to be.

[A]

The world was your oyster Sarcoo Japan at your disposal.

[B]

Just right there. All the samples, you know, but. But yeah, there was something about the hangout of the mall specifically. Maybe you bought something, maybe you didn't. But it was like a social thing.

[A]

Yeah. And you had the in person advantage. So that was a pro. You got to see and try things on in store. Now we just stare at a screen and squint and hope that things fit.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And we're like, well, we'll just return it. And that becomes a hassle in and of itself to order a bunch of stuff knowing you got to go return it later. Yeah, that can be exhausting.

[B]

Yep. I'll say this. It was an active time, especially when you were shopping, you know, actually move. I mean, and there's the mall walkers. Right.

[A]

Love a mall walker.

[B]

There is. There's some exercise.

[A]

You worked at a mall, right?

[B]

I did, yes.

[A]

Did you see the mall walkers?

[B]

No, cuz I was tucked in a department store. Oh, within a department. It was like a. It was like a little store within a department store.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So I wasn't like in the milling.

[A]

About with the people.

[B]

And just remember I worked there for about six months. It wasn't a long stint for Rachel.

[A]

Sure, that's fair.

[B]

I realized I can make more babysitting. I think I'm going to leave and quit.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, you're just. That's economics. That's capitalism.

[B]

I think they were probably happy I quit too. I think I took a lot of time off.

[A]

You were not a great mall employer.

[B]

I don't know if I was a great mall employee. At 16.

[A]

Did you get a mall discount? That was one of my favorite things about working at the mall is you had like a discount in different places.

[B]

No, I don't think so. How did you get a discount at different places, not just the store you worked.

[A]

Because if you were a mall employee, certain stores would discount the food. For example, the Food Corps, they'd give you a 10 or 20% off if you were a mall employee.

[B]

Oh, nope, we didn't have that in Tennessee.

[A]

It's one of the perks.

[B]

That must be a Massachusetts thing.

[A]

One of the many perks of working at the apple store circa 2009.

[B]

Yeah, there you go. Yeah, go back 2005. That's where we're at.

[A]

That's close.

[B]

Okay, how about this? Less decision fatigue. You got the Gap store.

[A]

Whatever you see on the rack is what you got.

[B]

It's what you got.

[A]

They don't have your size. Kick rocks and pound sand. Keep moving. Get out of there.

[B]

Get out of here. They may ship it to you if that was the case. But yeah, what you had was there. That was it. That was it. I like that. So there's something about like I even went on Loft, Ann Taylor Loft, like to the website. Yeah. And I think I typed in like dresses or something and it was like 58 pages.

[A]

Oh my goodness.

[B]

And you're just like. That is like I mean probably a thousand.

[A]

It's a part time job just to click the filter button and try to.

[B]

Filter it all down and you're like, man. So it is kind of nice. The simplicity of it. I liked.

[A]

And just to see it in person is a much better gauge than to see something online.

[B]

Yes, for sure.

[A]

Cuz then you're trying to find photos of people actually wearing it like in the reviews to see how it actually looks on a person.

[B]

Yeah, it's convenient, the online shopping. We'll talk about that later. But like, man, there was just nothing about the. Yeah, all the decision fatigue is gone. You got. You got what you got.

[A]

Less overspending, less overc consumption. Next on the list, physical payment only. No phone waving cash checker card. Pick your poison.

[B]

100%. I even remember before cards because they would like if you had a card.

[A]

Oh, back in those days.

[B]

Yeah. I remember when it was like literally you just carried cash everywhere. That's all you did. And maybe if you were fancy. I had a card in 2005 because I had a teen checking account. So I would have had a debit card at that point. But before that, I mean even my parents. I just remember everyone using cash all the time.

[A]

Yeah, it was very normal.

[B]

Very normal. Now we don't have cash on this ever.

[A]

No, they freak out if you use cash. They're like, I don't want that, don't.

[B]

Want to touch that.

[A]

I can't count change. I have to get a special marker to make sure this isn't counterfeit.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

That's kind of the vibe now when I use cash.

[B]

Totally.

[A]

Next on the pros, a catalog. The original Amazon.

[B]

Love a catalog. Delia's. That was my favorite dahlias. Yeah, that was a girl catalog. And they never had a store. I think they may have eventually came out with a storefront, but not. Oh, and you would just circle what you wanted. That felt like an endless wonderful time.

[A]

Yeah. Did you ever get what you wanted once you circled it? How does that work? Sometimes you go to mom and dad and say, here's.

[B]

Yeah, well, Delia's was the first on quote unquote, online. No, it was not online. It was a catalog. And you had to like fill out a form and mail it in.

[A]

Yeah. So that's after.

[B]

That's how you did the order.

[A]

You had to really want.

[B]

That's how you did the order. It was crazy. But limited. Two would give out catalogs. Toys R Us, we give out catalogs for toys.

[A]

Love the Toys R Us catalog.

[B]

All of it. Yeah. How did you. You like catalogs?

[A]

I loved it because it was like a book, but with just pictures.

[B]

I know. So fun.

[A]

Way better. I don't remember if I got every.

[B]

Would you like to circle stuff?

[A]

But part of the joy was just circling stuff.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It didn't really matter if I got it.

[B]

All right. But you just kind of felt like you were shopping. Yes, I know.

[A]

It's kind of like adding to cart now on Amazon.

[B]

Yes. You know, just feels like it. All right, George, let's head to the cons.

[A]

Let's.

[B]

Of 2005, the things that were not great. One thing that wasn't great is that there were no online banks or credit unions.

[A]

Brick and mortar. Two of my least favorite words. I don't like brick. I don't like mortar.

[B]

Yeah. Get it out of here. Yeah. But Fair Winds Credit Union is an incredible place to keep your money. You guys, they are a credit union, not this massive big bank where you get lost and you're just a number and they nickel and dime you to death. Like, no, Fairwinds does not do that. They care about you, the person. And they're actually really big Ramsey fans.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Which we love. And so when you go and you actually bank with Fair Winds, they're going to guide you along the Ramsey plan. Like, they want you to win. They want you to get out of debt and have an emergency funding. This is stuff that most banks don't care about.

[A]

And the best part about a credit union, it's owned by the members, not by Wall Street. And so with all the savings, they pass it on to the members with lower fees, better terms, you name it. So if you want to go check them out, go to Fairwinds.org Ramsey and win on the Ramsey plan by doing it.

[B]

Yep. It's incredible. You guys make sure to check them out. They're fantastic.

[A]

All right, next con for 2005. More effort. Yeah, that's true. I don't think we minded back then. We didn't have anything else to do other than put effort into going places. But, you know, you had to hitch a ride, block out an afternoon. It was a whole experience.

[B]

Yeah. The traffic, the mall traffic, Christmas traffic was crazy. It still is crazy.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I feel like even still today. But it was like another level then.

[A]

That was part of the fun back then. It was just now we dread it. And now you just buy your toilet paper on Amazon from a cubicle, get everything instacarted, don't have to leave your house, but more effort. That's a true Con for some people. I get it.

[B]

Also, fewer options. So while it is nice that you just have what you have and, you know, you don't have, like, decision fatigue, you don't always get exactly what you want. And it is kind of nice that if you have the money to buy something nowadays, you can pretty much get whatever you want. Like, my girls, I remember they would ask for the craziest stuff for Christmas. It would be like, we want. I want a llama that has a scarf on it and it's a pillow. And you're like, what? And you can, like, literally type it into Google and there it is. Someone's made a llama with a scarf and it's a pillow. And you're like, there you go. So it is pretty crazy that you can kind of get what you want.

[A]

Etsy has gone too far. Isn't that why We've just gone too far?

[B]

I'm serious.

[A]

Wow. So I guess we just love the comfort and ease of having exactly what we want, what we need at our fingertips. So that's part of it. That's a con. Fewer options.

[B]

Y.

[A]

Then you've got trial and error. We didn't have reviews. There was no like. This is rated 4.6 stars with 4000 reviews. You just hoped. There's no influencers who swore by it.

[B]

Y.

[A]

Just you with a hope and a prayer.

[B]

Yeah. And it's not always great because you could buy something crappy and not know it until you've used it and you're like, oh, this wasn't a great purchase. Where nowadays people are like, do it or don't do it, you know?

[A]

Yeah. I don't remember the return policies back then. Were they generous? Would you, like, just take stuff back if it didn't work?

[B]

It's a good question. I feel like they're 90 day. 60 day. 90 day, like, was pretty average.

[A]

Yeah. But you still had to go through more of a process.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Trial and error there. Even though now I don't know if I can trust reviews.

[B]

Okay. Is it true, though, that companies will, like, go on other companies, competing companies, reviews at, like, restaurants and stuff? Like, bash them and give them.

[A]

Yeah, I could see that happening.

[B]

That'd be terrible.

[A]

And people. I mean, Yelp, you basically have to, like, you pay them, like, a mafia bribery fee to, like, kind of hide the bad reviews and keep the good ones.

[B]

And I didn't know that.

[A]

It's all about money.

[B]

Okay. So would you not use Yelp?

[A]

I don't. Let's. I'll put it this Way Yelp is only one place I go to check. So I have to bet it against Google reviews and Yelp and other places to get a full vibe.

[B]

Okay. Okay.

[A]

And then some places you realize they're only going to leave a review if they had a bad experience. If it's like a service based business, totally.

[B]

That makes sense.

[A]

So it's hard to trust anything these days. And back in the day, I don't. I didn't have as many trust issues. You know what I mean?

[B]

Just the older you get. Is that what it is?

[A]

The older I get, the more trust issues I have. I'll work that out with my therapist.

[B]

All right, those were the pros and cons of 2005. Let's fast forward to today. George. 2025. Here we are.

[A]

Hit me with the pros.

[B]

It's the pros. I'm gonna say online brands.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because if you didn't have a storefront back in the day besides Delia's and their catalog, you didn't. There's nothing else you could do. I mean like. But there's all these now, whether it's like clothing brands or direct to consumer.

[A]

Brands where they're not sold in a store, they just sell it directly through.

[B]

Yes. And so it's nice because you can get other options and people can start things too. I like that. The entrepreneurial spirit is very alive and well because you can start your own thing, but you don't have to have brick and mortar. There's my brick. There's my two words.

[A]

Bringing back brick and mortar.

[B]

Brick and mortar. Hate brick. Hate mortar.

[A]

Great example though of a direct to consumer brand. You ready for this?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Cozy Earth.

[B]

Oh, great one.

[A]

One of the great direct to consumer brands.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

You're not going to find them like in a Target. You go to their website, you order it, you know it's going to be good and you get all your stuff. They have a great return policy, 10 year warranty on bedding. So that I can trust.

[B]

It's incredible. And the fact that they can spend so much of their effort on their quality, we love that. Versus trying to manage a store or pay a middleman.

[A]

They're not having to do that.

[B]

Yeah, that's true.

[A]

It's direct to consumer.

[B]

It's so nice.

[A]

They pass the savings on to you.

[B]

Yes. If you go to cozyearth.com you guys, smartmoney. It is an incredible place. Go and just bask in the beauty of Cozy Earth because the quality is fantastic and so is the discount.

[A]

So they're 40% off.

[B]

Giving our listeners. You guys. So you guys out there, you get 40% off all cozy earth purchases. And let me tell you, from the pajamas to the athleisure to the socks to the blankets to the sheets, all of it is just absolutely incredible. You will not be disappointed. Make sure to check them out.

[A]

I got their no show socks on right now. Guess what? You can't see them. The John Cena of socks out here.

[B]

The no show is real. The no show is real.

[A]

Check it out. 40% off. Cozyearth.com smart money. Or click the link in the description. All right, here's a pro of 2025 shopping convenience. You know, you get it. You're a busy mom. The kids are crazy. Works crazy. It's nice to be able to purchase something right there from your phone and get it in no time.

[B]

It's so bad. This is like my. This is my number one.

[A]

Your kryptonite.

[B]

My kryptonite. I love it. I love it and I'll do anything.

[A]

You get a dopamine hit hair clip. To this day, when you just hit that add to cart purchase button, especially.

[B]

If it's something I want. Even it's like face wash and I quote, unquote, need it. You know, it's like not an exciting purchase. But even that, I'm like, yes.

[A]

It just feels good knowing you're gonna get something.

[B]

I know. What, George? I have a sickness. I have a sickness. I've been doing this job way too long. Still feel like this. Why do I love it?

[A]

The question is, does Winston get to get anything in this marriage or is it just you?

[B]

Yes, I should get a line item.

[A]

What is the last thing he bought?

[B]

Nothing, really. You know, I've started putting in his line item because he doesn't buy anything. He'll get lunch out with friends. And I usually would put that in the restaurant category. I've started putting it in his because.

[A]

He'S like, hey, give him something to put in there.

[B]

I'm like, just stick it in there so it doesn't take away from our restaurants. And you're not going to use your money anyways.

[A]

So you ever think about buying something for him through his line item? That could be nice. Does he need a new rock to add to his rock wall?

[B]

No, no, no.

[A]

Can I tell you, I got to see the rock wall.

[B]

You did when you came over this weekend.

[A]

It's a beautiful rock wall.

[B]

What do you think?

[A]

I threw shade. I thought it was like he was like collecting rocks. Like a 7 year old. These are the biggest rocks I've ever seen. These are like Jurassic rocks.

[B]

They're like boulders.

[A]

Like, they have dinosaur fossils in them. I don't even know how someone was able to move this rock from one place to another. It was a feat. It's like whoever built the pyramids delivered this rock.

[B]

Same guy built the rock wall. You see it?

[A]

It was impressive.

[B]

What do you think? All the rocks?

[A]

I think that's quite the hobby to have and I respect it. After seeing it, it was like an eighth wonder of the world. I was like, how did someone even put all these rocks?

[B]

How they do it? And it looks good, doesn't it?

[A]

It looks beautiful.

[B]

Yeah. They did a great job.

[A]

You got to have a rock guy. Winston. He gave me the contact for his rock guy. Hard to come by.

[B]

And our porch fence person and a fence guy. Yeah.

[A]

These are the adult things we do with our fun home.

[B]

And like, George texted me again. I was like, about what? And it was like, a fence guy. Yeah, he needed someone. I was like, well, there you go.

[A]

I love it. But if you don't have a Winston, you know, good luck with your life. That's all I gotta say. Convenience. That's a big one.

[B]

Yeah. Next is price comparing options. So you can quickly pull up different websites at different stores and compare the item, which is fantastic. Versus before. You may have to take a little.

[A]

Just fingers crossed, a little Saturday and.

[B]

Be like, I'm gonna hit hh, Greg, Best Buy, Sears, you know.

[A]

Yep. And then you figure out who has a price matching policy that I can play.

[B]

And they used to do that. That is right. They did.

[A]

I think Target just got rid of theirs.

[B]

No way.

[A]

It was a long time thing they had.

[B]

They're just doing fine now.

[A]

It's just.

[B]

They don't need it.

[A]

Unbridled capitalism. Just, we're gonna do what we wanna do and charge what we wanna charge.

[B]

Just moving up.

[A]

But I use price comparisons all the time. And for a hack, this is not. There's a site called camelcamelcamel.com no relation. And you can track Amazon price history. So you'll know. Am I actually getting a good deal? Is it really 70% off MSRP or is it always this price or even higher than it should be?

[B]

Okay, that's good.

[A]

And there's different plugins. You can get like all kinds of different ones that do price comparison. So when you're shopping online, when you're on an item, it'll be like, bloop. You can get this cheaper over here right there. I love it. So that's definitely a perk of 20, 25. That saves me time and money.

[B]

Also a pro is that there's more options for small businesses. So you can do, like, Venmo Cash app, even things like Etsy where you can sell your products.

[A]

Yeah. What'd you do back in the day? I don't just go to, like, the local farmer's market.

[B]

What are you talking about?

[A]

Like, if they wanted to sell a handmade good, you couldn't do it.

[B]

Oh, yeah. You go to flea market sometimes, like, or they do a craft kind of, like, fair. Yeah, yeah. I mean, it was probably a rough go for the. For the handmade.

[A]

Yeah. But, you know, the problem with Etsy now, it's all a bunch of crap that's not handmade anymore.

[B]

Really?

[A]

From, like, Alibaba and, you know, Temu, and they just. Yeah, no, it's a huge problem and it's hurting the true artists out there trying to make a living. So shout out to the true artists out there. Keeping it real.

[B]

Very passionate.

[A]

Yeah. I think Etsy needs to do something about this. Get rid of all the kind of stuff.

[B]

Are you on Etsy a lot? Like, I haven't been on Etsy in years.

[A]

I wouldn't say a lot, but I like to peruse.

[B]

You do? Okay.

[A]

Yeah. Like, you know, looking at Turkish rugs. Yeah, they have a great selection of Turkish and Persian rugs on there.

[B]

Okay. On Etsy.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, I was thinking the whole time you've been saying this. Pinterest, Pinterest. But you're not talking about Pinterest, you're talking about Etsy. Yeah. Where you actually buy stuff.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I was a little confused.

[A]

Pinterest is just sort of like you're. You're dreaming.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

You're dreaming it up. Etsy is like, we're making it happen.

[B]

I don't go to either of those.

[A]

Websites and it shows way to support local artists. That's fine. I kid, but no, that's true. More options for small businesses is wonderful. I'm a fan of that. Next up on the Pros list for 2025, buying secondhand is way easier because you got Poshmark and ebay, Facebook Marketplace, which reduces waste and allows people to buy nice things way cheaper than you could at retail prices.

[B]

Yep. I love this because we would always say, sell your stuff, and usually it would be a garage sale. And when it was a garage sale, I mean, it was like. I mean, you're selling it cheap.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I mean, at that point, garage sales.

[A]

Can be brutal These days. People just show up with, like, a dollar bill, like, I'm taking this. And you're like, no, no, no, no. That's. It's worth 50 bucks.

[B]

Yeah, totally.

[A]

And then you just give up and take it all to Goodwill, Right? Right now you can list it on Facebook.

[B]

You can be strategic about it, about selling.

[A]

We've done this a lot with furniture, and it's been a lot of fun to just get rid of stuff. And I'm helping people get things at a deal. Basically, I would give it away, but at least you're getting something for it.

[B]

Yeah, for sure.

[A]

So we probably made a few grand just selling stuff.

[B]

Oh, that's nice.

[A]

Before we moved.

[B]

Yeah. Good for you guys.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Well, and was it. What was your number one site that you used?

[A]

Facebook Marketplace.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

That's the number one, especially for furniture. I had to get Whitney to start posting, though, because I was doing it for my personal Facebook, and I. I'm not great. And so people would think it's a scam because they'd see my profile and go, wait, that's the. Why would the Ramsey guy be posting stuff on Facebook? Marketplace. But it really was me.

[B]

Yeah. You're like, I'm practicing what I preach. Yeah, man.

[A]

So I. I've. I made some mistakes.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

But I took a photo of some people in my driveway.

[B]

Well, there you go.

[A]

Picked up a bedroom suit. Yeah. And it was like, hey, you're the guy. I'm like, yeah. I was like, can you mind if we get a photo? I'm all sweaty from helping him move this guest bedroom suite. And so we took a nice, sweaty photo right there we are somewhere out there. It's a nice, sweaty photo of me.

[B]

I love it. George, People will be stalking you now, figuring out what they can buy from. What can I buy?

[A]

I'm not listening anymore. You're not going to find me out there.

[B]

All right. Those were some good pros. Now there's some cons to our world today, George.

[A]

Many cons.

[B]

One of them is online scams. Because we are online all the time, and that's why we love. Delete Me. Delete Me goes in and removes your information from online data brokers, and they take it and they're like, oh, well, we're going to remove this, because if they don't data brokers then go and sell your data to companies, and that puts you at risk for fraud. Phishing, the ph. Phishing, which is not great. Harassment, all this stuff. When you want your information removed as soon as possible. And delete me helps you do that.

[A]

Yes. And it's happening more and more. And so the more I'm protected, the better I sleep at night. And it's wild because they'll send you the custom report showing you what they removed and how much time they've saved you. And you're just like, how does this just keep on coming? And so they have real data privacy experts working behind the scenes all year long to scour the Internet to help keep you protected. And I salute them for their work and effort. So go check it out. Go to joindeleteme.com smartmoney and you'll get 20% off their annual plans. Protect the whole family, especially the boomers out there. Need it. They need it the most.

[B]

If 2005 was, like, your peak in life, you need to leave me. Let's just say that much.

[A]

So link in the description if you want to check it out.

[B]

So great. All right. Some cons, constant returns. Ah, this is me, George.

[A]

I have. I think I have 12 returns sitting in my garage right now.

[B]

I have some right now, too. I know.

[A]

You know what? I can make a business of doing the returns for other people. Oh, you send me, like, the QR code for the Whole Foods Amazon return, and I'll go and do it for you.

[B]

Yeah, and you'll do it. Okay, that's good. I always take mine to Kohl's.

[A]

Oh, wow. I haven't darkened the door of a Kohl's in over a decade. What's it like in there? Who's in there?

[B]

Where else do you return your Amazon stuff?

[A]

I go to the Whole Foods drop off. It's way faster, and I don't have to go into a cold.

[B]

Wait, wait. How do you return stuff at a Whole Foods, though?

[A]

So, you know, I don't know if you know this. Amazon bought Whole Foods.

[B]

Oh, you know that, George.

[A]

So now they put an actual Amazon return, like, kiosk and a desk with real people staffing it. That's all they do? Yeah, that's all they do.

[B]

Well, Kohl's has a similar setup.

[A]

You're not gonna try to win me over on going to Kohl's to do my returns?

[B]

I don't know why. It's really easy. It made it easy. I don't know.

[A]

This is not a shot at Kohl's. It's also. It's a shot at Kohl's. Do you have Kohl's cash you're also trying to use while you're there?

[B]

No, but they Give me Kohl's cash, because I do Amazon returns, see? So I have a lot of.

[A]

They're trying to lure you in with the Kohl's cash.

[B]

They are. I mean, serious. Oh, my gosh. You know, now that I'm thinking about it, Kohl's does kind of feel like 2005. Like, you're stepping back in time a little bit.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Maybe they haven't changed much, but it's.

[A]

I'm sure they're very nice people over there. Don't get me wrong, but I find I can be in and out of Whole Foods.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Very quickly. But, yeah, I have a lot of returns to make. And it just feels constant because half the time, the stuff on Amazon didn't work out. I know. Was wrong. Defective, not the right size, yada, yada, not good.

[B]

So it is. The. The returns are.

[A]

Do you ever have them? The ones where they go, hey, just recycle it, donate it, and we'll give you your money back.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

I'm like, this feels like a scam.

[B]

Okay. I did the same thing on a. On a bathing suit website, you guys. And I ordered a bunch because they were really inexpensive. So I was like, well, I'll get a couple and just see which ones I like, and I'll return the ones I don't. And I went to return it, and they were like, we'll give you 75% your purchase, and you can just keep it and not return it, or we'll give you 100% if you return it. I was like, well, I'll take the 75%. So I'm to go and return it.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

And I thought, is that, like, how.

[A]

Rachel's getting paid to shop out here?

[B]

I mean, literally, I'm like, that doesn't make sense. Sense to me. But I guess that they're just so in. They're so cheap that in order to hire someone to do all the picking and stuff, they're like, oh, yeah, we save money there from the returns we get.

[A]

I guess it can cost more to return it.

[B]

And I didn't do this because I am a honest, good person, I think. But couldn't you lie and say, like, I don't want these anymore, and then go and get 75% of your money back even if you're still going to wear it?

[A]

You could, but you'll be judged by me and God.

[B]

I know, I know.

[A]

It's up to you. None of our viewers or listeners would do that. They're people of integrity. So we don't know.

[B]

But I did think, like, how are they not getting like, how are they still in business? Why isn't everyone doing this?

[A]

You know, just makes you. It makes you think.

[B]

It's crazy, crazy, crazy. Okay, up next, a con comparison culture. This is real.

[A]

This is social media. And the trend cycles and what's in and what's out and what the heck is a babaloo or whatever they're called. It just feels exhausting, all of it. Back in the day, you didn't know what the trends were except what you're. What the cool kids at school were wearing.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The popular girls.

[B]

That was it. Yeah. Now you're learning about Dyson hair wraps. All these things that you're like, I never would have known that existed.

[A]

You didn't know you needed. And now you're insecure because you don't have it.

[B]

Yes, I know. Terrible.

[A]

I like old school. I like old school where the popular girl at school was wearing it. And that made you insecure.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Not the popular boy, but the girl.

[B]

Let's go. Let's go back. Let's go back to that day.

[A]

What were the jocks wearing? I guess Abercrombie and Hollister. That was like top tier toxic, bro.

[B]

Yes, that was the thing. Yeah, for sure.

[A]

Aeropostale was like a. Tear down from that.

[B]

Yes. Tear down from there.

[A]

What was that? I think Old Navy. I was like, you're. You're a real American. You know what I mean?

[B]

Yes. With the American. Yes.

[A]

It felt like that was the common man. Was like Old Navy was the common denominator. If you were wearing anything that's highfalutin. If you're wearing Abercrombie. I was like, okay, tell me you have money without telling me you have money.

[B]

What was there a polo with the actual. Oh, God. Now.

[A]

Now you're cost Polo.

[B]

Now your money.

[A]

Double polo. Billionaire status.

[B]

Billionaire. Unbelievable.

[A]

You summer.

[B]

Okay. In the same vein, the fast fashion I think is a con.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Like this is like the really, really, really, really cheap websites and the quality is terrible.

[A]

And if you want to name one you want to name drop Sheen, I would say, yeah, that's true. Well, and truthfully. And T is Amazon.

[B]

Te Teemu is another one.

[A]

A lot of the stuff on Amazon would be considered fast fashion.

[B]

Don't say that.

[A]

Rachel feels better because she buys it through Amazon instead of through Shein. That's fine. But yeah, quality decreases, profits go up, waste increases, because it's not made to last.

[B]

Yeah. It's just kind of crappy stuff, but we end up buying it.

[A]

And it's just very. Like, it's on trend. I'll buy it now, and next season I'll throw it away or goodwill it.

[B]

Right. And the trends change so much. Like, even your jeans, I'm like. It would be like, wide leg. And now it's barrel. Now it's. I mean, it's like, oh, my gosh, the cuts are all different. It's just crazy.

[A]

So it can keep up. What are we at right now, as of this recording? What is in trend?

[B]

I think barrel jeans are, like, kind of the. Like, on the cutting edge, I would say. But I don't know. I could be wrong.

[A]

I mean, how wide can we go before there's a revolution? Back to skinny.

[B]

You know, it kind of. It gives flavor of cargo. You know the baggy cargo pants that.

[A]

Guys would wear, like JNCOs.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. That's kind of what I see now with the women. They're wearing basically JNCO jeans.

[B]

It's kind of funny.

[A]

Like, I'm like, yeah, but mom jeans are kind of out.

[B]

I don't know. Maybe.

[A]

Gosh, I can't keep up. By the time I figure it out, it's already moved on.

[B]

It's changed. I know. You went away from skinny, though. You're now at skinny.

[A]

These are the bag. Yeah. I'm trying out some baggier jeans. I have a. Let me caveat this with. This is my version of a dad bod. So I don't fit in a lot of the clothing that I used to fit in.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

Like my skater kind of tight jeans and all. It just doesn't.

[B]

Doesn't work.

[A]

I can't breathe.

[B]

Yeah. Just.

[A]

Your boy's gotta breathe.

[B]

Can't get the oxygen flowing.

[A]

Yeah. So I've been going a little, you know, more athleisure. Things that can add a little more stretch to it.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Next con. Not to make it financial, but sneaky debt, like buy now, pay later.

[B]

Oh, that's a great one.

[A]

It's poison in the waters.

[B]

Yes. Klarna. And all these things. And it's like, hey, get this $20 sweater for $4. For $4. You know, for the next four to five months. Five months. Terrible. Yeah. So the whole idea of pushing out payments and pushing out purchases. Not a great idea.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Buy in the present, swipe the debit card, use the apple, pay, do what you got to do, and then be done.

[A]

Yeah. Debt has become more subtle, more normalized, more frictionless. And so now just that checkout, one button. Boom. It adds to your tab and just puts you into debt without you really thinking about it. So this is one you got to watch out for. Always make sure you can afford it in full at the time of purchase without derailing any other financial goals. Otherwise, it's a Not now.

[B]

That's right. Okay, last but not least, the ads. They will find you.

[A]

They're insufferable.

[B]

Unbelievable. And it's not even just like the ads themselves. It's even the people on Instagram that show up in my feed, showing me things that they have. Oh, and, like, wanting to buy from them too. I'm like, how does. How does. How does it know? How does social media know everything? Do you think your phone does listen to you 100.

[A]

Okay, I've tested it.

[B]

Yeah. When we talk about, like, olives or something, I'm like, olives, Olives. And olives show up. And you're like, how do. Like, this is.

[A]

You're getting ads for olives. The food.

[B]

Mean. Like, I just talk something random. Cruises. Like, I'll be talking about a cruise, and then cruise ads come up. I mean, like, yes.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Does that not happen to you?

[A]

It does with specific products. Okay, if I mention a brand, like, I mentioned Abercrombie, it would not shock me if I'm getting ads for Abercrombie as I scroll my Facebook, as I like to do.

[B]

Yeah, no, you don't.

[A]

I do.

[B]

You're a Facebooker.

[A]

I've returned to Facebook because Here's the thing. LinkedIn got too toxic. Everyone's fake on there, trying to find their next job. Hold on.

[B]

Who's on LinkedIn? Like, hanging out?

[A]

Exactly. It's the dark time over there. They always have some crazy first line that's like, I quit my job today for one hour to hang out with my kid because I want to. I'm like, hey, all right, we get it. You're a great dad. But Facebook is where the true honesty is still happening over there. And Facebook groups is where I find joy now. So I'll just go to neighborhood. It doesn't have to be my neighborhood. Any neighborhood. Facebook group. I'll just try to work my way in there to get into some drama.

[B]

My gosh.

[A]

I'll just post a picture of dog poop on a lawn. Be like, hey, someone needs to handle this.

[B]

No, you didn't.

[A]

Do I have a fake account? You'll never know. I don't have hobbies. We made that clear.

[B]

Oh, my gosh. Unbelievable.

[A]

But the ads will find us. That's all I need to say about that.

[B]

For sure. Okay, so We've been talking about shopping, the good and the bad. The truth is, George, we have to do it today. Like, we have to shop. You gotta buy stuff.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

You don't have a choice. Right.

[A]

But you can be intentional.

[B]

You can. So there's some tips that I think are important to think through when we are shopping.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

First and foremost, check your motivation. Saying it to myself, why are you buying it? Are you buying it because you're bored? Are you buying it?

[A]

Happy, Sad, Mad. Glad.

[B]

Oh, look at you. Great one. Yeah, yeah. What's like the, what's the emotion going on in you? What's the comparison? You want people to see it. You want to feel better about yourself. Like, what's going on with the purchase? What's your motivation?

[A]

I try to be emotionless when I make a purchase. Just stone faced, just no, no emotion. I'm not happy about it. I'm not sad about it. We just need toilet paper.

[B]

It just is what it is.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

I love it.

[A]

Next. Never use debt to make a purchase. It's that simple. And it's easy to be tempted. Let me just put it on the card. We'll pay it off next month. Let me do the buy now. Pay. No. Full stop. No. If you're not comfortable using your own money to pay for it now, then you should not be buying it at all. And if America believed that and took it to heart, we would be zero dollars in consumer debt.

[B]

I believe it, George. Well done. Should you run for president, I don't.

[A]

Think I'd be very good. I need people to like me.

[B]

Yeah. I don't know.

[A]

People pleaser. I would please nobody.

[B]

Please nobody doing that job. All right. And last but not least, check the purchase and the budget. So if you have not done every dollar and every dollar budget, you guys do that, download the app and it's great because when you know where your money's going and you know, do we have enough money in the budget, it's a much easier yes. Right.

[A]

And there's no guilt.

[B]

Yes. And you're like, oh, yeah, it's in there. Financially, I'm not being stupid, I'm being wise with it. So it's a fantastic thing.

[A]

Even for the fun stuff that feels frivolous. If you just put it in the budget, you go, oh, this isn't impulsive anymore.

[B]

Yes. Yeah, you know, I planned for it, I love it.

[A]

So there you go. Some budget smart shopping tips. And those work whether it's 2005 or 2025. I like my financial advice to be Timeless. Because who knows what the future holds?

[B]

You never know.

[A]

What if Blockbuster comes back? We don't know.

[B]

Stick to your guns now. That would be a great time.

[A]

If Blockbuster came back, would you actually go? I feel like you say you would go and then no one would go and they would just shut down again.

[B]

But I wish. I wish.

[A]

Insult to injury.

[B]

I know. I just wish it would, like, if.

[A]

Toys R Us still existed, would your kids go?

[B]

Yes. Because there's a toy store called Brilliant sky in Cool Springs in Franklin. And my kids, they always ask to go just to look around.

[A]

I haven't been there.

[B]

Should I do it? You haven't.

[A]

It's my daughter. We did take it to Barnes and Noble toy store.

[B]

I'm like, there's no toy stores anymore. Yeah, but it's great. It really is. And the people working there are fantastic. Really sweet.

[A]

You've got to be. If you're working at a toy store, like, you've got to love it.

[B]

I know. And they have, like, great stuff, but my kids, they love it, so. See, it's in us, George. Like, in human nature. We want to be present or we want to be, like, connect it to.

[A]

Real things and real people and see.

[B]

It and look at it. Yeah. So bring back 2005 shopping.

[A]

I love it.

[B]

That's what I say. All right, before we spill the tea on our guilty as charged question, let's share the drink details and the rating.

[A]

Yes, this was and is the enzoni. The cost, $2.96 per glass. You know, what is my rating on this drink?

[B]

I didn't drink a lot of it.

[A]

I'll go seven out of ten.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

You're going less. I can sense it.

[B]

I may go six.

[A]

That feels generous based on your.

[B]

Because it was fine. It was fine. I don't know if I'd order it at a restaurant, but if it was at a restaurant, I wouldn't be mad. Like, if someone, like, ordered it for me. It was like a rounds of aonis.

[A]

I could see it pairing well with pizza.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. It's kind of a fun summer drink, too.

[A]

Yeah. Here's what's in it. It's got gin, Campari, simple syrup, muddled grapes, and some lemon juice. And for some reason, it just tastes like a really nice grapefruit y cocktail.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

That's not a grape cocktail, but grapefruit.

[B]

Yes. I agree with that 100%.

[A]

So get the recipe in the show notes, give it a try this weekend, and maybe you'll prove Rachel wrong. Maybe it's a 10 out of 10 for me.

[B]

Maybe you'll love it.

[A]

I don't know.

[B]

Maybe you'll love it.

[A]

None of my business.

[B]

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, you ready for this, George?

[A]

Hit me.

[B]

Have you recently made any impulse purchases?

[A]

Oh, my goodness. Yeah. I mean, come on.

[B]

I'm guilty, too. I did one just last week.

[A]

What was yours?

[B]

A Kindle. I went to the other side.

[A]

Like, you bought an Amazon Kindle to read books off of?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

What was the other side?

[B]

Physical books. Oh, like actual books? Cause I love to read. And I. And I refused.

[A]

How are you gonna do your book giveaways now?

[B]

I refused, George. I'm telling you, it's very hard. I refused to get a Kindle. And then I was on a trip. One time, we were taking a trip, and all of our team, they started a text message with me. There were, like, eight of them, and they were, like, just convincing me over. And they have been for a while. Be like, you need a Kindle? Get a Kindle. Cause I was gonna pack three books, like, in my suitcase.

[A]

Oh, I can't imagine.

[B]

And they were like, get a Kindle. Get a Kindle. And I was like, I. I was like, I don't want one. You know, it was this whole thing. And finally they were like, just get it, and if you hate it, you can return it. And I was like, I guess. So I bought it, and I love it.

[A]

Wow. It doesn't. You don't miss turning a physical page.

[B]

I hate that. I love it, but I love it.

[A]

Wow. What are you gonna do with all your books? Burn them?

[B]

No, I give them away on Instagram.

[A]

Oh, that's true.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

So hold on. I'm still confused. You took three books on one trip to just read the whole time in a different place? Like, what are you actually doing on this trip?

[B]

Nothing.

[A]

You're just reading in a different environment. That's what you're paying for.

[B]

In the pool? Yeah. Winston and I.

[A]

You have a pool now, so you could just use your pool.

[B]

No. Winston and I take a trip every summer for three nights.

[A]

What's Winston doing the whole time? It feels like you're ignoring him.

[B]

Reading, sleeping. I mean, that's our trip. We want to do nothing. Give me drinks by the pool and books, nice dinners out and a show at night. And I'm good.

[A]

New idea. You pay me, I'll come to your house. Serve you drinks and give you a little show. That's a great side gig for me. You're supporting a local business. You don't have to pack your bags, sleep in your own bed.

[B]

Does that's vacation to me. Sitting by a pool and.

[A]

Yeah, I guess I'm just shocked because I'm realizing now that you don't take trips. You just go to places to read and be served drinks. But. Okay, that's great.

[B]

That's it. That's what I love.

[A]

So you go to places to experience that place and that culture?

[B]

Oh, yeah. No, not necessarily. Sometimes.

[A]

So you're in Miami just reading a book at a different pool?

[B]

Yes, exactly.

[A]

Cool.

[B]

Okay. What about you?

[A]

Impulse purchases. Mine involve things that are on sale that I stock up on like it's an apocalypse. Okay, so this happened yesterday. Stocked up on Spindrift because it was bogo.

[B]

Oh, I love Spindrift.

[A]

So it brought the price down to, like, 40 cents per can.

[B]

Oh, Jesus.

[A]

Because your boy did the math. You can't beat that.

[B]

Yeah. No.

[A]

And so I did a pickup, and this poor soul unloaded 17 cases of spindrift into my trunk. The other one was ice cream bars. I got Jenny's ice cream bars. 50% off ice cream. So we're talking Jenny's ice cream pints for like, three bucks. Four bucks.

[B]

Amazing.

[A]

Your boy stocked up and you said. Yep.

[B]

So you're telling me you could eat ice cream when I don't know.

[A]

Say it.

[B]

I was trying to give you a hard time, but I can't come up with it.

[A]

No. Give me a hard time for having joy in my life. I dare you.

[B]

I know you made fun of my trip. It's my nightly ice cream.

[A]

Hence the dad bod. My nightly treat is having a little bit of ice cream.

[B]

No ice cream. I don't like ice cream.

[A]

So those are my impulsive purchases. They hurt nobody. They only bring me and others joy.

[B]

I'm so glad.

[A]

So if you ever come over, I got plenty of Spindrift. Every flavor, Spindrift and ice cream drift.

[B]

I believe it. I believe it.

[A]

You want the island punch? We got it.

[B]

Good purchase. Great purchase, George. Oh, my gosh. Well, if you have any guilty as charged questions for us, make sure to DM us RachelCruz and GeorgeCamel. And if you loved this episode, you're going to love our episode. What today's teens are buying.

[A]

Wouldn't you like to know.

[B]

And it's fantastic. So to find out, make sure to watch that episode coming up. Next. And make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an all new episode of Smart Money Happy Hour. Cheers.

[A]

Cheers.