Sneaky Marketing Tactics That Aren’t Your Friend

Summary

Smart Money Happy Hour: Sneaky Marketing Tactics That Aren’t Your Friend

Episode Release Date: January 23, 2025
Hosts: Rachel Cruze and George Kamel
Podcast: Ramsey Network

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Introduction

In the latest episode of Smart Money Happy Hour, hosts Rachel Cruze and George Kamel dive deep into the world of sneaky marketing tactics that masquerade as friendly advice but are designed to siphon your hard-earned money. Through engaging discussions, personal anecdotes, and expert insights, they unravel the complexities of marketing strategies embedded in everyday products and services.

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The Conspiracy of Expiration Dates

Rachel and George kick off the conversation by dissecting the often confusing array of expiration labels on food products.

• Rachel: “Companies will do things to get you to buy more of the product. Right.” [01:15]

• George: “They know how to push the buttons... make you think you need this and you need it now or else you're gonna harm your body.” [29:06]

They explain the differences between "Sell By," "Best By," and "Expiration" dates, highlighting how each serves different purposes—from inventory management to safety assurances.

• Rachel: “The stores just can’t sell it. It’s fine for a long time after that.” [02:11]

The hosts share personal experiences, such as Rachel’s aversion to expired products and George’s anecdote about leaving pimento cheese in the car overnight.

• Rachel: “Once I see mold, I’m not working my way around it.” [05:36]

• George: “I'm a real man's man. I left pimento cheese overnight in the car and ate the whole thing.” [05:45]

Marketing Tactics in Non-Food Items

The discussion extends beyond food to include skincare, prescription medicine, and supplements. Rachel recounts her experience with expired face lotion, emphasizing the risks of using outdated beauty products.

• Rachel: “It wasn’t a full breakout, but it was a little bit clumpy.” [08:17]

Prescription Medications and Supplements

They explore how expiration dates on medications impact potency and safety, advising listeners to assess the necessity versus the risk.

• Rachel: “Six months expired, I think you just lose some of the potency.” [08:01]

Car Maintenance Marketing Myths

Rachel and George scrutinize common car maintenance recommendations, questioning their legitimacy and necessity.

• George: “Oil changes... they want you coming in more.” [09:52]

• Rachel: “I use synthetic blend so I don’t have to go as often.” [10:50]

They discuss the pressure tactics used by service centers to sell additional services, such as air filter replacements, often at inflated prices.

• George: “They show you a fake air filter that’s dirty.” [11:19]

Free Trial Scams

The hosts move on to digital marketing strategies, particularly focusing on the pitfalls of free trials.

• Rachel: “I use a site called privacy.com that creates virtual debit cards... set all these parameters.” [11:56]

• George: “I've gotten scammed a couple times with them just taking money out.” [12:18]

They warn about the risks of data sharing and subscription traps, urging listeners to protect their personal information.

• George: “Data brokers will go and buy, sell, trade your personal data out there.” [12:28]

Return Policies as a Marketing Tactic

Rachel praises generous return policies while George humorously admits to frequently returning items.

• Rachel: “If it's a good return policy, I do feel better about buying it. That's why I love Costco.” [13:38]

• George: “I have no shame when it comes to returns.” [13:54]

They discuss how return policies are designed to encourage more purchases by reducing buyer hesitancy.

The "Got Milk?" Campaign and Breakfast Myths

Reflecting on nostalgic marketing campaigns, the hosts analyze the "Got Milk?" initiative and its impact on consumer behavior.

• George: “Isn't that weird that we were told as kids you had to drink milk...” [14:21]

• Rachel: “Another one... Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A concept invented by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg.” [17:20]

They debate the validity of breakfast being essential, juxtaposing it with the rising trend of intermittent fasting.

• Rachel: “Intermittent fasting is all the rage, and people are saying it's great for you.” [17:41]

• George: “Breakfast is important... but skipping it altogether is true.” [17:53]

The Clean Plate Club

The conversation shifts to childhood dining habits, specifically the "Clean Plate Club," and its psychological effects on current eating behaviors.

• Rachel: “I try to do it. I try not to put so much food that I know I can't eat it.” [20:13]

• George: “We had that in our house... It wasn’t that it had to be clean, but you have to have three bites.” [19:46]

They explore how these ingrained habits influence modern-day snacking and portion control.

Regular Appointments as Marketing Tactics

Rachel and George critique the necessity and frequency of regular appointments in various sectors.

Dentistry

• Rachel: “I try to say no when they're like, hey, you have 19 cavities that need to be filled.” [22:53]

• George: “I think it's a scam.” [23:07]

They discuss the pressure dentists place on patients to agree to extensive and often unnecessary treatments.

Chiropractors and Physical Therapy

• Rachel: “They have to pay for their chiropractor school and the practice... jack up the prices.” [24:39]

• George: “We have reputable chiropractors, but some are scams.” [25:02]

The hosts share personal experiences and emphasize the importance of choosing trustworthy professionals.

Life Hacks to Avoid Marketing Scams

To conclude the discussion, Rachel and George offer practical strategies to resist manipulative marketing tactics.

• Rachel: “Trust your gut. If it looks too good to be true, it is.” [30:31]

• George: “Have a healthy level of skepticism. Do your research.” [28:48]

They encourage listeners to set boundaries, say no confidently, and prioritize quality over convenience or overly generous offers.

Interactive Segment: Guilty As Charged

In the fun segment “Guilty As Charged,” Rachel and George share personal confessions about deceptive parenting tactics.

• George: “The lie I tell my kids a lot... they're gonna get arrested.” [33:25]

• Rachel: “I haven’t figured out how to scam my 1-year-old yet.” [36:01]

This lighthearted exchange highlights common parenting strategies to influence behavior, reinforcing the episode’s theme of awareness and mindfulness in everyday interactions.

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Conclusion

Rachel Cruze and George Kamel deliver a compelling episode that illuminates the hidden marketing strategies influencing daily life. By fostering a sense of vigilance and informed decision-making, they empower listeners to navigate the marketplace with confidence and clarity. Whether it’s understanding expiration dates, questioning service recommendations, or resisting subscription traps, Smart Money Happy Hour equips you with the knowledge to safeguard your finances and make choices aligned with your values.

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Notable Quotes:

• Rachel: “If something smells off to you, metaphorically or physically, don’t do it. Smells fishy. Throw it out.” [30:43]
• George: “Download DeleteMe and protect your data from being sold to brokers.” [12:56]
• Rachel: “They make you think you need this and you need it now or else you’re gonna harm your body.” [29:06]

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For more insights and detailed discussions, subscribe to Smart Money Happy Hour on your favorite podcast platform, and join Rachel and George every Thursday for another enriching episode.

Transcript

[A]

Today we're talking about sneaky marketing tactics, pretending to be your friend just so they can steal your money.

[B]

The free trial.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

If you will. You give them your information to sign up for the free trial, and then you get charged. They start charging you.

[A]

Can I give you my hack for this?

[B]

Yeah. Hey, guys, it's Rachel Cruz and George Camel. And this is Smart Money Happy hour.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Delicious. Well, this is the show where two friends who happen to be many experts talk about what you're talking about. So everything from pop culture, current events, and money. And what are we going to sip on, George, while we're chatting about this?

[A]

Sipping on Rachel's, I assume, first drink, an amaretto sour. A classic. I will say it's nostalgic for you.

[B]

It is my bachelorette party 15 years ago. This is what we all drank because.

[A]

We were young and you wanted to.

[B]

Probably have great taste.

[A]

Tasted like candy. It's good.

[B]

Tastes like candy.

[A]

So stick around till the end. We're going to give you our rating and reveal the cost per glass at the end of the episode.

[B]

Yep. Okay. So I'm like the resident conspiracy theory.

[A]

Thank you for owning it.

[B]

Friends here. Right. And I know there's many of you out there. Thanks for reaching out. Appreciate you. But, you know, one of the conspiracies I think, though, is that, like, companies will do things to get you to buy more of the product. Right.

[A]

That makes sense.

[B]

And one of those expiration dates, that's.

[A]

The one you feel like is the conspiracy.

[B]

I don't know. It is a very interesting thing. It scares me to death. They got me. So even if it is a conspiracy, I am one that I don't do well when I see that something is expired because I immediately think food poisoning.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Right.

[A]

There's a range of like, oh, it loses some quality and taste or you will die. I think there's a spectrum we can agree on.

[B]

And I think the smell is big. Right. If something is.

[A]

I think smell is big.

[B]

Yes. So that is one. But they have the Sell by date.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

Right. Where stores have to, you know, stop allowing the food to be on the shelves and they have to get rid of it. Right.

[A]

So Sell by is my favorite because it means it's fine for a long time after that. The stores just can't sell it.

[B]

Yes. Which is tricky because if you see a date on a package, I immediately. You see sell by, I see expiration, but it's not. So you got sell by. You got Best Buy. So it's like the optimal flavor of.

[A]

The Product, you're going to get the most quality. But beyond this date, you'll start to lose some of that.

[B]

Yep. And then we got expiration date, which is the manufacturer's guarantee or responsibility for food safety. What do you think?

[A]

I think companies. I'm not going to try to defend corporations. Not what I'm here for. But I will say part of it is liability on their part. They're going to try to err on the side of being conservative and being safe. Because the last thing you want is like, there's an E. Coli outbreak and it hurts your company and their brand and reputation.

[B]

Remember Jack in the Box?

[A]

Yeah. Did you go there?

[B]

No. But they had the worst E. Coli breakout in America. It was like 20 years ago. Do you not remember that?

[A]

No.

[B]

Anytime. So this proves the point. Anytime. I see one.

[A]

I was 16 years old. I wasn't really concerned about Jack in the Box.

[B]

You didn't watch the nightly news.

[A]

Well, there's not a Jack in the Box near me.

[B]

Okay. Yeah.

[A]

At the time. You know what I mean? So it wasn't a big. It wasn't my problem.

[B]

But it can. It can. Harper. A negative feeling towards the brands if it makes national news.

[A]

Like lettuce was a big one. Remember there was lettuce. E Coli. For a long time I was like, I just won't eat salad. Fine. I twist my arm.

[B]

Twist my arm.

[A]

Don't touch the stuff.

[B]

I'll say no. Just yes to the gluten free pizza. Okay. You know who's the worst at this? When we go through her refrigerator. Refrigerator.

[A]

Sharon Ramsey.

[B]

Y'all, there is stuff in there. And what does she say? It's fine. It's fine. I mean bad.

[A]

What does your mom know that we don't?

[B]

I don't know, but she's fine.

[A]

Well, she's from a generation where you didn't just throw things away because a date said you should.

[B]

Yeah. No, no, no, no, no. Do you. What do you do?

[A]

Usually it depends on the item. Like, I know I'm not gonna trust for. I think meats is one. Like, I just have an issue with meat.

[B]

Can I give you examples and you tell me what you would do?

[A]

All right.

[B]

You cook chicken, have some extra chicken, put it in the refrigerator because you think, oh, we'll use it later this week for other recipes.

[A]

Cooked chicken.

[B]

Yep, Cooked chicken. But you don't. How long?

[A]

I'm giving it three or four days.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Beyond that, it's a toss for me.

[B]

It's a toss for you. Okay.

[A]

I'm not willing to risk it.

[B]

I'm a five.

[A]

I try to eat everything soon after. I'm not gonna, like, leave it till the last second and then be like, I guess I should eat this.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

How about you?

[B]

Fair. Yeah.

[A]

Five day.

[B]

Five day. Five to six day. When we're hitting a week, I get a little nervous with, like, a leftover situation.

[A]

I just saw a thing about rice. Cooked rice, if it sat out before you put it in the fridge, becomes poison, apparently.

[B]

No.

[A]

Whitney sent my. My wife sent me the Instagram reel, and there was some doc talking about it of, like, the actual bacteria. Yeah, bacteria that. That forms as it sits on the counter. So they say if you cook rice, don't let it sit out too long before you put it in the fridge.

[B]

Gosh.

[A]

Like, don't let it sit out for hours.

[B]

Thanks for saving lives, Whitney.

[A]

I'm. I'm just here to be a blessing, and my wife is the one who tells me this.

[B]

And. Yeah. Is Whitney more conservative on the expiration date?

[A]

I think now that we have a child, if it's going to be eaten by our child, she's a little more, you know, on edge. For us as adults, we're less concerned. But, you know, there's. We pulled out the fridge. There's some, like, mold. I'm like, once I see mold, I'm not, like. I'm not working my way around it.

[B]

You know one thing I don't do either, when stuff's been left in the car. Oh, do you know who doesn't care about that?

[A]

Winston Cruz.

[B]

Winston Cruz. Are you ready for this story?

[A]

A real man's man.

[B]

Are you ready for this? I left pimento cheese. Pimento cheese overnight in the car. Cause I forgot about it in a grocery bag the next day. I see it, and I was like, crap. Because it was the jalapeno. I love. I love pimento cheese.

[A]

I know which one you're talking about. I know exactly the brand. I can picture it.

[B]

Shoot. I totally forgot about this bag. Winston's like, I don't care. I'll eat it. I was like, no. He's like, just put in the fridge. I'll eat it later. Ate the whole thing. Man of steel. And I would not touch it the whole time. I was like, that's dairy. Dairy.

[A]

But I want to know, like, you see the wheel of cheese sitting out at Whole Foods? Like, why can they do that?

[B]

Well, and he claims in Europe, cheeses and meat sit out overnight all the time.

[A]

There we go.

[B]

That's, like, what it But Europe's a different story. Let's just be honest.

[A]

That's fair.

[B]

Better situation.

[A]

I'm a little more on edge about.

[B]

Oh gross, gross.

[A]

I feel like milk is one. I'm just, I'm going, I mean if.

[B]

It'S not the date of expiration, it's out like. And I, and I have a very sensitive nose and I can smell that stuff.

[A]

That's a tough one. Eggs. If it says like Best Buy and it was a week past user toss.

[B]

A week I'm tossing.

[A]

I just don't think it's worth it for the cost savings.

[B]

I agree.

[A]

To me it's a risk analysis.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And I'm like, was this a hundred dollar Items or a $3 box of eggs?

[B]

That's right. That's right. I'm going to condiments. We'll go, we'll go six months to a year on a ketchup. I feel okay with that.

[A]

That's impressive. What about like a Chick Fil? A condiment. Like you got it in the bag, didn't use it. You save those and we do.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

How long?

[B]

We don't know.

[A]

Cuz there's no dates on this.

[B]

I know, I know.

[A]

It feels like it's like Russian roulette with Chick Fil A sauces in my fridge. Yeah.

[B]

But it's all sealed and it doesn't have to be refrigerated. That all feels preservatives.

[A]

Which also feels concerning.

[B]

But if, well that we're putting it in our body in the first place. Sure.

[A]

And we don't know when they made that sauce.

[B]

It could have been 2002, but everyone's feeling great. Right.

[A]

So food is one.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

What about like skin care, prescription medicine, supplements? Like do you feel more conspiracy theory about those?

[B]

Yeah. Expired medicine. Is that terrible. But.

[A]

Well, I think it depends on what it is.

[B]

Tylenol.

[A]

Like there was one that was three years old the other day and I went, I'm going to hard pass on that. I'm going to toss that. But like six months taking a Tylenol and six months expired, I think you just lose some of the potency.

[B]

Okay. Yeah, that's what I would want to wonder. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

But I don't think they're going to like hurt you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

One that is interesting. I had a face lotion on this last trip I took and it expired eight months ago. But I thought it's face lotion.

[B]

Oh yeah.

[A]

What could go wrong?

[B]

Did it go wrong?

[A]

It didn't go right. It wasn't a full Breakout. But it was a little bit, like, clumpy. Like, I could just tell when, like, I was like, oh, that didn't look right.

[B]

Did you shake it?

[A]

Like, I don't think I. I didn't think it was, like, something to be shaken. I've never shaken lotions.

[B]

You don't do. I always do my lotions. I'll, like, kind of mess with the bottle, I think.

[A]

No one told me, you should shake your lotions. This is why I listen to this. This podcast is the reason I listen.

[B]

I'm like, yeah, okay. Yeah, I. I have makeup from a long time ago that I still use, so.

[A]

But part of it is, like, I spent good money on this, and I don't want to waste it. Do you ever feel that way?

[B]

Yes. Oh, 100%.

[A]

Especially makeup.

[B]

Yeah. And especially if it's, like, little things. You just need, like, a dot every now and then, and you're like, I don't like, what are you going to do?

[A]

It'll take 19 years to use this whole thing.

[B]

And I had stuff from high school through college. I mean, I kept stuff forever and ever.

[A]

You still have, like, your. Your bath and body work?

[B]

Not today, no. But I wish if I could go back to that warm vanilla smell that would take me back to the mall in seventh grade.

[A]

Like, I feel like you were a cucumber melon kind of gal.

[B]

No, I was warm vanilla.

[A]

Oh, yes. Wow. Not cold vanilla. Warm vanilla.

[B]

It was called warm vanilla. I'm pretty sure it was. I think it was.

[A]

Those names are crazy. Okay, so today we're going to dive into more of these marketing schemes that pretend to be looking out for you. But we are cautiously skeptical. So let's play a little game. Helpful tip or marketing myth? Rachel. Oh, I love oil changes.

[B]

Oh, man. I always tell you, you need a marketing myth. Winston would say needed. He's big on oil changes. Like taking care of your car. Me? Eh, it'll be fine.

[A]

But then what if your car, like, blows up because you didn't do any oil changes?

[B]

Are you an oil changer when it's, like, it's time? Because I think my car indicates it later than the little sticker they give you up at the top. Oh, yeah, because they want you coming in more. Because then they also come to you, and they're like, well, your tire, your engine, your whatever, whatever. And I'm like, all of you.

[A]

That happened to me when I got. I. I had a. A tire situation. Of course they, like, measure all your tires. Like, hey, these things are so bald. That you're putting your entire family in jeopardy right now as you're on the road. I'm like, okay, I'm not going to pay a thousand bucks to get new four new tires right now. It's insane. But oil changes. I will follow the actual. If the car has a. A meter that shows you like the percentage. I'll follow that versus the sticker.

[B]

Me too. Me too. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

But that's just me also. I'm like, but to me, out of all the things you could do to keep your car going, an oil change I'm happy to do. I do go try to go synthetic blend so I don't have to go as often. It lasts longer than the traditional oil changes.

[B]

Good for you, George.

[A]

Full synthetic's a little pricey. It's a little rich for my blood.

[B]

Yeah, but you do it.

[A]

I don't go full synthetic. I do the blend.

[B]

The blend? I'm sorry. Okay, okay.

[A]

It's a blend.

[B]

Wow, you're so bougie, George.

[A]

Now I'm bougie for doing the synthetic blend oil changes, which, by the way, neither of us have to do with our cars. That's house's cars. That's honestly one of the best parts about owning an electric car. That's underrated.

[B]

Got nothing. It's a computer.

[A]

Never have to go to a jiffy.

[B]

That's pretty. That's pretty wild. Yeah, he's got to change time.

[A]

Some guys sell me on why my air filter needs to be replaced.

[B]

Yeah, that's.

[A]

Now, that's a scam. I've heard they show you a fake air filter that's dirty. I've heard. I'm not saying all places do this, but they always show you, like, hey, your filter needs to be replaced. And it's always like 7, 700 to do it through them versus just buying a cheap one.

[B]

That's it, too.

[A]

Do it yourself. Even I can change an air fil.

[B]

Good for you.

[A]

Even me.

[B]

I like that. Okay, how about the next is the free trial?

[A]

Oh, if you will.

[B]

So you get in, you give them your information to sign up for the free trial, and then you get charged. They start charging you.

[A]

Can I give you my hack for this?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I use a site called privacy.com that creates virtual debit cards. So I use that for trials. And you can say, hey, don't let this charge more than a dollar or let this expire after a certain amount of time so you can set all these parameters around this virtual debit card.

[B]

Oh, so smart. So then when they charge. There's no.

[A]

And you can just delete the card as if it never existed. So take that. Wow, Good for free trials. You're not getting me.

[B]

Yes, I've gotten scammed a couple times with them just taking money out.

[A]

Well, in a lot of free trials, you get to enter all of your personal info and data, which they can then use to remarket or sell to.

[B]

Data brokers, which one reason delete me, though, is a subscription that I am all about. Because in our world today, how often we put our information out there and data brokers will go and buy, sell, trade your personal data out there, they're making money off your data.

[A]

They send our info like Pokemon cards.

[B]

Out there, and then they send it all. And you get tech scams and email all this stuff. It is frustrating. Like, if you go and buy, like, I bought tickets to something and I swear they sold my data because you're.

[A]

Getting inundated with all these other random.

[B]

Like, ticket company stuff. And I'm like, oh, my gosh. But delete me goes in and they swipe all these data broker websites and take your information off, find it, remove it, send it. It's amazing. Yeah, we'll put a link down below because we have actually a discount for smart money happy hour users.

[A]

They get 20% off any of the plans. If you go to JoinDeleteMe.com smartmoney or just click the link in the description, it'll take you there. And we love having them as a sponsor because we want to protect our listeners and viewers out there from getting scammed and fraud and all the stuff that's happening.

[B]

That's right. All right, George, how about good return policies? Good being in quotes, if you want.

[A]

Like, you can return it at any time or up to a year.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So is this a scam? Is it a marketing tactic? I think it's definitely marketing. They know that you're more likely to spend money once you're in the store. And you know, if it's a good return policy, I do feel better about buying it. That's why I love Costco.

[B]

You send so much stuff back in.

[A]

Life, it is embarrassing. It's an embarrassing amount of stuff.

[B]

It's pretty wild, George.

[A]

I have no shame when it comes to returns.

[B]

You really don't.

[A]

I've returned things as we were sitting here. I think that's how much I returned.

[B]

Stuff is just getting returned as we speak. As we speak. Okay. You know one scam that got all of us in the 90s got milk.

[A]

Oh, my goodness.

[B]

You know that whole campaign. Yeah, it was everywhere. Every celebrity had like a milk mustache. Like, everyone they. The milk.

[A]

Great campaign. I think we just say that out loud. It was a great campaign.

[B]

Where did it go? Did like almond milk override cow's milk? Like, what happened?

[A]

I don't know what happened there.

[B]

Isn't that weird?

[A]

How did it just die?

[B]

And isn't it weird that we were told as kids you had to drink milk? Like, you had to drink a glass or two of milk because your bones are gonna be frail? Calcium. It was like a whole.

[A]

How much milk do you drink today? Very little. 0.

[B]

0.

[A]

When's the last time you had a glass of milk? I mean, honestly, I'm worried about your bones.

[B]

I know.

[A]

You could bump into a door.

[B]

That's actually a great question. We buy milk every week. Cause my kids like sweet cereal, but I don't eat cereal. So a glass of milk. I cannot tell you. You.

[A]

No, only for our daughter. I will use cereal. I'll use like an oat milk or something like that. I try to go dairy free these days. Anti inflammatory.

[B]

Good for you.

[A]

If you know, you know.

[B]

So I'm saying, did nuts take over milk?

[A]

I don't know.

[B]

And here's the conspiracy. I'm not blaming dairy farmers at all. I'm just Go with me people. But like, did they have some stake in how much milk was being sold across America that funded the FDA to promote the milk? And then they made a lot of money on the back. Like, is there a cahoots happening? And then one day the farmers were like, we're good. We don't.

[A]

We have enough money. We are billionaires now.

[B]

And then they stopped the campaign. I don't get it. Who funded the milk campaign? Milk.

[A]

Big dairy cows.

[B]

I mean, like, it's a. I guess.

[A]

The companies that produce milk.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

And then the farmers benefited.

[B]

I know, but I do follow Ballerina Farm, who's like a homesteader.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

She milks her cows and just drinks that sucker right out of the jar. No plastic. The jar. The glass jar.

[A]

Which I also have concerns about.

[B]

Straight up, y'all. I mean, it's. It's pretty.

[A]

What other liquid from an animal would you consume straight out?

[B]

I don't know, but she is great. So something's right.

[A]

I've seen like raw, unpasteurized goat milk or cow's milk is supposed to be great for you. I don't know. I don't know what's happening in the pasteurization process other than avoiding me dying at an early age, so. I appreciate that, but I could be wrong.

[B]

I know. But anyways. Got Milk. Very interesting.

[A]

This was 1993 to 2014. Was the Got Milk 2014.

[B]

Really?

[A]

2014. Where were you? Nowhere to be found.

[B]

No, they took spreads out in Seventeen magazine. You'd open up Seventeen magazine, there would be Jennifer Aniston, all the friends cast with their milk.

[A]

And how much were they getting paid? They weren't cahoots with Big Dairy.

[B]

Yeah, because they had to pay the celebs for. Oh, my gosh. It goes, George. It goes so deep.

[A]

You think Jennifer Aniston is doing anything for free? No.

[B]

She has a good heart.

[A]

Here's some other 90s food scams. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A concept invented by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg. No. So of course they would push. Breakfast is so important. Also, here's a great option for breakfast. Sugar crunch. Sugar crunch. That's all it is. That's what you're giving your kids. Rachel.

[B]

It's so true. No, mine are like Trader Joe's Br. It makes me feel better.

[A]

I don't know that they're any healthier, but if you feel that way, I.

[B]

Got a Costco organic chocolate, like, oat thing. Feed them.

[A]

That feels better.

[B]

And Honey Nut Cheerios. Y. Anyways.

[A]

Another one.

[B]

Okay. For real, though, Breakfast. I do think breakfast is important. Starting your metabolism, getting energy for the day.

[A]

But now intermittent fasting is all the rage, and people are saying it's great for you.

[B]

And that's so true. Not to eat till lunch. Yeah.

[A]

You eat between a certain window. Like 12 to 6 is your time to eat. Which means skipping breakfast altogether is true.

[B]

Are you a breakfast eater?

[A]

I'll just do, like, a bar. Perfect bar. Those are my favorite.

[B]

The Perfect bar where I get them.

[A]

At Costco, as one does. They're refrigerated.

[B]

Fancy.

[A]

Yeah. And I like the dark chocolate chip peanut butter. It kind of tastes like a Reese's Cup.

[B]

All right.

[A]

But healthier.

[B]

That's good.

[A]

So that's my go to. I wouldn't say it's healthy. If you look at the ingredients. It's not. But it's got a lot of stuff in it that I think most people would be like, you need to do better. Not looking for your judgment. Thank you, though.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I used to do Lara bars. I tried RX bars.

[B]

Yep. Yeah.

[A]

Way too gummy for me.

[B]

Yeah, well, chewy.

[A]

I'm chewing, like, three days later, I'm still chewing back there like it's some dip that I've had Stuff.

[B]

Oh my God.

[A]

Disgusting. So no thanks. Breakfast for you.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I feel like you're not a breakfast person.

[B]

I'm not. Yeah. If I'm like on vacation, I enjoy breakfast. But if it's like normal, I'll do my protein shakes.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

In the morning, if I work out. If I don't work out, I get the fig bars from Costco.

[A]

Both Costco breakfast.

[B]

I don't work out and I just have. I'll like grab coffee that and eat in the car.

[A]

I thought you'd be the type to be like, I had a big gust of wind on the way in. I'm good. A bowl of ice for bread. I'm fine.

[B]

No, but my protein shake, it does fill me up though. It keeps me full.

[A]

Wow. Well, can I say for this is a little behind the scenes. In the Ramsey Cafe, in the cafeteria where we all eat lunch, Rachel has a sandwich named after her on the menu called the Rachel.

[B]

It's true. It's a wrap.

[A]

Guess who doesn't have anything named after him on the menu.

[B]

Turkey, pepper jack, cheese, lettuce, bacon, tomato and honey mustard in a wrap. Heated, toasted.

[A]

Try it at home, see if you can recreate it. That's a good one. Speaking of which, Clean Plate Club. A scam invented by Gen X parents to avoid the feeling of grocery budget waste.

[B]

Yep. We had that in our house.

[A]

Were you a clean plate? Like Sharon was like, you must clean your plate. Whatever you put on your plate, you must eat.

[B]

Mom and dad were a strict, you have to sit there and eat. And sometimes it was down to like, you need three bites of that. And we would y'all in protest. We were, we would sit at that table and the food would become cold and all of it, oh gosh. And they would not let us get up until we ate. It wasn't that it had to be clean, but it was like, no, you have to have three bites of that. Whatever, whatever, whatever. And yeah, we, uh huh. But you were like celebrated if you cleaned your plate.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

The Clean Plate club was a real thing.

[A]

I feel I try to do it. Cause what I try to do is not put so much food that I know I can't eat it. So what I do is put a little bit less, knowing that I'll probably be full if I just take my time, eat slowly, let it sit. And if I want more, I can always get more.

[B]

Yeah. Now I do like when my kids clean their plate. Cause I know they're gonna be full and they wanna ask me 45 minutes later. And tell me they're hungry.

[A]

Oh, but really, when they say they're hungry, they want, like, a snack or dessert. A treat.

[B]

Oh. Oh. And you're just like, we just ate dinner. I just cleaned the kitchen. I swear, they watch me dump the plates. We're in some. Put on the dishwasher. We're so hungry.

[A]

Oh, my goodness. I would pick it out of the trash. Look at that.

[B]

I know.

[A]

I found some food.

[B]

It's frustrating. It's frustrating. And see, I'm the opposite. My eyes are bigger than my stomach. Like, at restaurants, I'm the worst.

[A]

You're like, let's get four apps, three entrees.

[B]

That side looks so good. The potatoes. Yes, you have brought that. And we'll do the spinach. Someone will eat it. And then I eat, like, four bites of everything. And then I'm like, I'm good.

[A]

I take everything home.

[B]

You fl.

[A]

If there's like, one ounce of food left, I'll get a to go box.

[B]

Oh, this is from New York City to Nashville. Put a bag of ice at his hotel, Put the to go food in the bag and flew home. Flew home with food. I can't believe you did that.

[A]

It was worth it.

[B]

I cannot believe you did that.

[A]

It was so much food. We did a gluten free Thanksgiving in New York City. It was very. It was stupid expensive. I was already angry at how much you pay.

[B]

I want to say, like, 200 a person.

[A]

I want to say, like, maybe 150 bucks a person total. Like, yeah.

[B]

So it was expensive.

[A]

Drinks, tax, tip, all of that. And we barely ate. I mean, it was so much food. It was like where you're eating for eight and it was just the two of us. So I thought, there's so much food. Box it all up. I'll figure it out. So we get back to the hotel, get our luggage, and I went, I'm gonna go to the ice machine in the hotel. I got, like, a laundry bag, filled it with ice, put it at the bottom of the bag, stacked it all, and then carried it through the subways.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

Buses, trains, planes, automobiles. I lugged that thing home.

[B]

What did they do through security?

[A]

They judged me.

[B]

They did.

[A]

But they let food through? I don't think so. They probably just, in their hearts judge me. It wasn't like a public, like, sir, what are you doing with all this food? You're a little guy, like, hush puppies.

[B]

But to be fair, hush puppies.

[A]

I ate on that for, like, four days after.

[B]

Yeah, it was an incredible amount of Food.

[A]

But I did wonder, should I be eating all this food that, like, sat this long, maybe not properly refrigerated for.

[B]

Seven hours, what we were talking about?

[A]

Yikes.

[B]

All right, let's talk about regular appointments. I'm going to go down a list, and let's just do a quick hit.

[A]

You've got a lot of conspiracies on this one.

[B]

Okay, ready?

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Dentist scam.

[A]

Twice a year for cleanings. I try to say no when they're like, hey, you have 19 cavities that need to be filled. I'll go. I'll wait on those. And I say no to fluoride now.

[B]

Oh, wow. Look at you.

[A]

Get some crunchier. Crunchier than I thought. Yeah.

[B]

I think it's a scam. No offense, dentists out there, but, wow.

[A]

People are upset in the comments every time we talk about things.

[B]

Really? Are they?

[A]

Like, Rachel doesn't floss. She doesn't trust the dentist. And all the, like, dental hygienists and the, you know, they're all very upset with you.

[B]

I bet they are. This is their living. I get it.

[A]

Well, I do think genetics plays into it.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

You must have, like. Did you ever have braces?

[B]

No.

[A]

Hold on.

[B]

I know.

[A]

How are your teeth? Perfectly straight.

[B]

I never have braces, but I will say I got a gomectomy last year. Do you remember this whole thing? Oh, do you remember that?

[A]

Yes. This is when they add.

[B]

Yes. I always had small teeth. That was always my thing. And I kind of was on a kick of like. I don't know. It was one of those things, like, if you had to change anything, like, I think my teeth, I would have made. Like, I would have bigger teeth if I could. And I went to this dentist. Yeah. And he was like, well, veneers. You know, you can go all these options. I'm like, I don't know if I. You know, he's like, well, we could do what's called a gummectomy. And you. It's. It's. It's gross. I'll just tell you. But they basically laser off part of your gum to see if you have more bone, more tooth up there that the gum is just overlaid. And sure enough, a lot of tooth. A lot of tooth up there. They excavated some more tooth, but my gums have settled. They're not as. They're not as big as they were. Because, like, he did tell me, though, the gums may settle, so I did do that.

[A]

Wow. They look great, honestly.

[B]

Thank you. Thank you.

[A]

The higher the gums the closer to God. That's what I always say.

[B]

I know. So, anyways, maybe it's genetics, but I do think maybe it's my senior silly. Okay. Chiropractor.

[A]

Oh, gosh. I do. Okay. I don't want to, like, sully the. The good name of some chiropractors out there. There's some great ones.

[B]

Winston goes. Winston's a red.

[A]

But there's some heebie. GB ones. And I was guilty of, like. I went because they would do a free exam and a free. Whatever they do where they crack your back. And of course, they go, hey, we examined your spine, and, oh, you're gonna need about a year. It's gonna be 3, 600 for the treatment plan. And I'm like, oh, you know, exactly one year from now, I will magically be better with exactly this many treatments.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

How about I go. And when I can tell that it's solved, I'll stop.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So I feel like there's a lot of scamming going on because they gotta pay for their chiropractor school and the practice, and so they just have to jack up the prices. I feel like.

[B]

Okay, that's fair. These treatment plans, I will say Winston goes regularly. He actually went today at 3.

[A]

What does he think?

[B]

And his. His. He was having, like, neck stuff. And they took an X ray, and.

[A]

Legitimately, they showed him the difference.

[B]

Yeah. And it's. Yeah.

[A]

And how do we know that's his spine? What if they have.

[B]

What if it's, like, the air filter and they're like, this is a different X ray.

[A]

Oh, I wouldn't know my spine from Adam. I mean, I. You gotta.

[B]

George, it's a great question. Couldn't they have fake images of someone's.

[A]

Spine adjusting over time?

[B]

But we did get recommended this chiropractor from a really great reputable. Okay, friends.

[A]

I'm sure the chiropractors will come after me now.

[B]

They will. They probably.

[A]

What are you gonna do? Crack my back?

[B]

Oh, my gosh. Massages.

[A]

Oh, I feel like this one's not a scam because there's.

[B]

I do think this results. I do think that's real.

[A]

But I do think the effects wear off faster than I'd like.

[B]

Fair.

[A]

And it's not a habit that I could sustain. It's like, I get a massage every month, you know? Now, if I had, like, an actual injury, I want to make this clear. If it's like, an injury or, like, a medical thing different for the average person. This is more just therapeutic.

[B]

Okay, I got a I got an injury thought coming up next, because we got physical therapy. Oh, I broke my toe two years ago. Do you remember this? I broke my toe. I don't know why you'd remember, but broke my toe, ran into the pool.

[A]

Did you make a big deal of it?

[B]

Stupid.

[A]

Did you have a little, like, toe cast? What do they do?

[B]

They just wrap your toe? Okay, so it was so stupid. It was. I checked my foot. I kicked it. Well, I was walking fast and my. Yeah, my foot hit the frame of the door, like at night.

[A]

I want to know the scenario in.

[B]

Which you would kick during the day. I just was walking fast. I had a purpose.

[A]

Did you not see the door? Did you think the door was open?

[B]

Nope, it was the frame. I mean, I was just walking fast and I just off. I just didn't angle myself right and my foot hit the. Yeah, my big toe was fine, but the rest of my toes. Yeah. So anyways.

[A]

The rest of your toes.

[B]

Well, one broke. Oh, my gosh. Okay, okay, let's focus. So one of my toes broke and I went. They got a neck strike fractured. I was like, this is so. I was so mad. I was so stupid. So then they make you come back to the orthopedic, like, a lot to, like, relook and all that. And every time you go, you're paying. You're paying.

[A]

They're billing insurance. Every time.

[B]

Yeah. And after like the fifth time, I was like. I mean, I think my toes like. I think like, it's.

[A]

We don't need to check on it.

[B]

So I just stopped going and have felt fine since.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

So I. I think that possibly probably over cautious for the average person, but I question how much you got to go.

[A]

Yeah. You know, now, to be fair, Whitney just finished pt. She just went. Her back was jacked up.

[B]

Oh, I thought she was gonna PT school.

[A]

No, my wife is not a physical therapist.

[B]

Disgusting. Wait, this is going to be.

[A]

But what's funny is they call it graduating. She graduated from pt. Like, as in she did. And I think you know, but here's what's.

[B]

Like, I didn't get a graduation.

[A]

Just. I'm so sorry. There's like, you need to come forever for your toes. Well, she graduated and then she did a bar class and she was like. It was almost exactly the same, but more enjoyable because it's a bar class workout versus pt. So there's your life hack. Just do bar. And it's kind of like pt.

[B]

Oh, man. All right, George, so what do we think about all this?

[A]

Oh, yeah. Yeah. I think you need to be careful where and how you spend your money. But also don't walk through life paranoid that everything's a scam, but it's just an exhausting existence when you're. That there's a level of cynicism and skepticism that I think will exhaust you personally.

[B]

That's fair.

[A]

I want you to have a healthy level of skepticism. Do your research. Make sure it's recommended by other people. And feel free to say no, because their sales tactics, they make you think you need this and you need it now or else you're gonna harm your body.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

The pressure is they know how to push the buttons.

[B]

They do on a lot of these areas of life.

[A]

So you need to be really good at saying, no, thank you, or, you know, I'm gonna look into that. I'll call back if I'm interested.

[B]

That's what I always say. Oh, yeah. Let me look at my calendar and everything, and I'll call you back.

[A]

Do you ever say, I'm gonna talk to my husband. Do you ever play that card?

[B]

I play the calendar card more. Let me look at my calendar and kind of get some date situated, and I'll call you back and reschedule.

[A]

What about when, like, the. The cashier asks you if you want to donate?

[B]

Do you think that's Firehouse subs last week.

[A]

No shock to anyone.

[B]

And they went to Jersey Mike's today.

[A]

What?

[B]

I just love a sub, you know?

[A]

Does Firehouse. No.

[B]

No. But Firehouse did ask me to round up for the local fire department, and I said yes because I thought, why, why. Why am I being stingy with 63 cents?

[A]

That's fair.

[B]

I might be a rounder upper these days.

[A]

I think the Franklin Fire department appreciates your donation.

[B]

I know. So, yeah, I round up now.

[A]

My dad pulled this one. I was with them recently, and he said to the cashier, we've already committed all of our. We. We donate through our church, and we've committed all of our giving. I went, wow, what a life. Hack Flex.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Yeah, he was. He was sharing his faith. At the same time, I was like, this is a beautiful.

[B]

So good. Well done, Mr. Camel.

[A]

Way to go.

[B]

Oh, man. So good. So just be aware, you guys. Money can easily slip out of your hands if you're not careful. But there are some great things in life that we should be, you know, as a society, joining forces with because it's good for us.

[A]

And trust your gut.

[B]

Yeah, it's good physically.

[A]

I mean, theoretically, metaphorically. Trust your gut if it Unless you.

[B]

Drink a lot of unpasteurized.

[A]

Yeah. If it looks too good to be true. It is. If it looks stinky. It is.

[B]

You don't know. Possibly.

[A]

If it smells off to you, metaphorically or physically, don't do it. Smells fishy. Throw it out. Unless it's fish sauce, which even then. Fish sauce.

[B]

I did buy fish sauce for something I saw that feels like they should.

[A]

Just make them an individual single use.

[B]

Very much so. Why do we need a bottle?

[A]

Why do we need a bottle? A single drop of that stuff leaks out and something died in your fridge, my friends.

[B]

But one thing I can be confident in is that Cozy Earth has some of the best quality products. George.

[A]

Not a scam on this planet.

[B]

And in fact, I got a lot of Christmas gifts this year for people via Cozy Earth.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Because there it is. So great. I'm like, people have. They have to know.

[A]

It's like one of those gifts you can get for the person who has everything. You know, they don't have the Cozy Earth blanket or.

[B]

Or the pajamas or the sheets. And I went through and I bought new lounge pants and a shirt.

[A]

Something for you too.

[B]

I did. I Christmas shopped. You're that person. Because they were running some good deals at the time. But for real Cozy Earth, you guys, their products, phenomenal. Like, the quality, it's worth it. Like, that's one of those things that you're like, I have like a Target sweatshirt that's like really silky and nice. But you go up against the Cozy Earth and you're like, oh, no, this one's way more like. You can. You can tell. You can tell if the quality matters. Like, it's real. It's very real.

[A]

The good news for our listeners and viewers, they've got good deals because they listen to Smart Money Happy Hour. So you can go to cozyearth.com smart money or use the promo code Smart Money at checkout and you'll get up to 40% off, which is nuts.

[B]

So that's a very kind of great percentage off. Go check them out for sure. All right, before we get to Guilty as charge, what are we sipping on, George? We are sipping on Amaretto Sour.

[A]

The Amaretto Sour.

[B]

What do you rate it?

[A]

Rachel's bachelorette party drink back in. 09. I think it still hits 15 years later. I'm going to give this a nine out of 10.

[B]

You know, I'm going to go nine out of 10 to George. It's not a 10 out of 10. I don't think I'd probably Like, always order it at a restaurant. But if all my friends came back and they're like, amaretto sours, I would be like, teens.

[A]

Well, this is a high quality. Like, some of them are made with, like, nasty mixes and low quality liquors. This one is really well made. It costs 2.95 per glass. It's got. Wouldn't you know it, Amaretto, which is a sweet Italian liqueur. I feel like it's got some almond or cherry notes.

[B]

Yeah. There's like a nutty.

[A]

Yeah, it's really nice. And you got fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, a lemon slice or peel for garnish.

[B]

Fresh lemon juice.

[A]

It's got to be fresh.

[B]

Thank you, Eboo. She did it for us.

[A]

So check out the recipe in the show notes. Give it a try this weekend if you're of age. Good reminder. Drink responsibly.

[B]

All right, now it's time for Guilty As Charged. And this is where our producer, Kelly gives us a new Guilty as Charged question every week. And if we're guilty, we take a sip. Kelly.

[A]

All right. Have you ever scammed your kids or.

[B]

Gotten scammed by your parents?

[A]

Not like literally like your parents stole all your money. Oh. Kind of scam.

[B]

But like the things that you tell your kids or that your parents told.

[A]

You that you grew up and you're.

[B]

Like, that's not true. Shoot. You know, the lie I tell my kids a lot, and I need to start unwinding it probably soon, is that they're gonna get arrested.

[A]

What? What?

[B]

A. Mostly in the car because they're not putting on their seatbelt or they're not sitting. And I'm always like, if the cop pulls us over, you could be arrested.

[A]

They could be arrested. Not you.

[B]

As the parent, I just say arrested, and they all freak out, sit down and put on their seat belts. Wow. I know I should stop, but the.

[A]

Fear of God in them.

[B]

I know.

[A]

I guess out of all time, they say cop.

[B]

They're like, are we okay? And I'm like, oh, shoot. We need you to be like, no, they're for us in our community.

[A]

Like, you know what, be so funny, though, if you told the cop, like, hey, would you go over there and tell my kids they're getting arrested?

[B]

Oh, my. Oh, my God.

[A]

Cause some trauma.

[B]

That would be so traumatic.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I think even just getting pulled over is scary.

[A]

Mine involves a car too. My dad growing up, if the car light was on, we were going to get pulled over and arrested.

[B]

They make you feel like they're the.

[A]

Light inside the car. I would turn it on for who knows what. And you go, we're going to get pulled over and arrested. What are you doing? That's how my dad sounds, by the way.

[B]

Okay, so you were threatened with an arrest, threatening my kids. Are you okay? You're okay in life?

[A]

I'm okay. We did get pulled over once though, but it was because he was speeding.

[B]

Oh, there you go.

[A]

Huh?

[B]

Isn't that funny?

[A]

You're on our way to church.

[B]

That is one thing. My dad would yell at us if we turned the light on. My dad did the same and my kids told me it was illegal.

[A]

That's what that's, I feel like is the biggest okay.

[B]

But my kids do it now and I'm fine. I'm like, what is the big deal? Did windows.

[A]

You're a well adjusted adult.

[B]

Maybe that's what it is. But I'm like, it's really not that big of a difference.

[A]

I will say it's bought like the lights. Back in the day, you know, they had on the cars and maybe it was.

[B]

Maybe it was like brighter. Now they're like dim to a certain level.

[A]

Well, they're more like focused lighting. Back in the day it was just like you're lighting up the car and if you're driving at night.

[B]

Yeah. It was that big light in the.

[A]

Middle of the car that you just tapped. Yeah. Everything was lit up.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So what can you do? We didn't have screens to light our way back then.

[B]

No. We played Barbies on the floorboard. We never wore our seatbelts while driving.

[A]

How big was this floorboard?

[B]

We had an Astro van.

[A]

Oh, wow.

[B]

We had a blue Astro van growing up and yeah, we would. Yeah.

[A]

Just going 78 down the interstate.

[B]

Oh, yeah. And then why am I threatening my kids with arrest? I don't know.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

I. Yeah.

[A]

I haven't figured out how to scam my 1 year old yet, but if I can figure out how to do.

[B]

It, I can't wait to hear it. Because we all have that as parents. We all have the thing, those little.

[A]

White lies that we do to protect ourselves and our kids.

[B]

It's all about control.

[A]

Stay out of jail, Amelia. We need you. Charles, good luck.

[B]

Oh, my gosh. So good. Well. Oh, that was a great episode, George. If you guys enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe. Share it with a friend. Leave a review. We love hearing from you guys and we have a great episode on ridiculous things People spend Their money on. Coming up next. Or we'll put the link in the description. We'll see you guys next Thursday on an all new episode of Smart Money Happy Hour.

[A]

What's up guys? George Camel here. I know there's lots of influencers on social media telling you which cryptocurrency to invest in for your star sign or which tech startup is definitely maybe going to be the next Microsoft. But seriously, investing can feel confusing and stressful and it doesn't have to be that way. That's why I'm pumped to be hosting Investing Essentials with the man himself, Dave Ramsey. This is a two night virtual event where we're going to deep dive into investing. We're going to talk about how to get the most out of your 401k and mutual funds and share strategies for staying confident in your investments. Plus, we'll give you the inside scoop on popular investment trends to follow and the ones you need to avoid. It's also the only event where you're going to hear Dave Ramsey unpack his personal playbook for how he made millions in real estate investing. Now, I know what you're thinking. How could this possibly get better? Well, it's virtual, so you don't even have to leave your house to watch. Join us live on March 4th and 5th to start investing with confidence. Tickets start at 199 bucks. Get [e-mail] events.