Things to Stop Doing With Your Money in 2025

Summary

Summary of "Smart Money Happy Hour with Rachel Cruze and George Kamel"

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Podcast Information:

• Title: Smart Money Happy Hour with Rachel Cruze and George Kamel
• Host/Author: Ramsey Network
• Episode: Things to Stop Doing With Your Money in 2025
• Release Date: January 2, 2025

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Introduction and New Year Motivation

In the inaugural episode of 2025, Rachel Cruze and George Kamel welcome listeners with enthusiasm for the new year, emphasizing the opportunity it presents for financial rejuvenation. They celebrate making it to the new year despite any past skepticism, setting a positive tone for the discussions ahead.

"Happy New Year... maybe it's a fresh start. Maybe people think, hey, we want to listen to a money podcast and start a new trail, a new journey." (00:29)

Highlighting Bad Financial Habits to Shed in 2025

The core of the episode revolves around identifying and eliminating detrimental financial behaviors while encouraging the adoption of healthier money habits. Rachel and George delve into several key areas where listeners can improve their financial well-being in the coming year.

1. Putting Financial Goals on the Back Burner

George criticizes the common tendency to defer financial planning, such as investing or saving, to a later time, which often leads to perpetual postponement.

"People who are putting their financial goals on the back burner... I'll just do it next year." (03:11)

Rachel echoes this sentiment, comparing it to aimlessly scrolling on social media instead of taking proactive steps toward financial stability.

2. Not Knowing Your Bank Account Status

Rachel admonishes the trend of being oblivious to one’s financial status, describing it as a misguided notion of "ignorance is bliss."

"It's like ignorance is bliss. Their head is in the sand... they don't even want to know what is going on with their money." (04:43)

She emphasizes that understanding one’s financial standing is crucial for making informed decisions.

3. Using Credit Cards as Emergency Funds

Both hosts strongly advise against relying on credit cards for emergencies due to exorbitant interest rates that can worsen financial strain.

"The fact that you think the credit card company is your friend... they're going to charge you 25% APR on that purchase when you're in an emergency." (06:14)

They advocate for building a robust emergency fund as a more sustainable safety net.

4. Overbuying Because of Sales

Rachel confesses her vulnerability to purchasing items simply because they are on sale, highlighting how such impulse buys can derail financial goals.

"Just because it's on sale doesn't mean it's a good deal. You can go broke while quote unquote, saving money." (11:06)

George adds that sales tactics often mask the true value of purchases, urging listeners to evaluate whether they truly need the items.

5. Comparing Yourself to Others on Social Media

The hosts discuss the negative impact of comparing one’s financial and personal life to others’ curated social media posts, which can lead to unnecessary spending and dissatisfaction.

"Stop comparing yourself to others. It's all back into stop comparing yourself to others." (13:26)

Rachel ties this to lessons from Ecclesiastes, advocating for contentment and internal peace over external validation.

6. Paying for Subscriptions You Rarely Use

George shares his experience of canceling underutilized subscriptions, illustrating how small recurring expenses can add up and weaken financial stability.

"I finally quit my gym. Stop paying for the membership." (19:19)

They encourage listeners to regularly audit their subscriptions and eliminate those that don’t provide significant value.

7. Letting FOMO Control Financial Decisions

The fear of missing out (FOMO) often drives individuals to make unplanned and financially irresponsible decisions, such as overspending on events or products to fit in socially.

"I'm going to go into debt for this thing. I'm going to use my emergency funds to go here or there." (23:57)

Rachel advises setting financial boundaries and adhering to budgets to prevent FOMO from undermining financial goals.

Personal Finance Insights and Strategies

Throughout the episode, Rachel and George interweave personal anecdotes and practical strategies to combat these bad habits. For instance, George discusses his journey of eliminating credit card debt by establishing an emergency fund, which he refers to as a "never go into debt insurance policy."

"There's a correlation between people who get ahead with money and people who aren't getting all these ankle biters emergencies." (07:31)

They emphasize the importance of financial discipline, setting clear goals, and creating a supportive environment to foster positive financial habits.

Guilty as Charged Segment

In the "Guilty as Charged" segment, Rachel and George candidly share their personal financial missteps, acknowledging struggles with impulse purchases and subscription management.

• George's Confession:

  George admits to not fully utilizing his gym membership and other fitness equipment, leading him to cancel his subscription and opt for home workouts.

  "I have an honest confession that is also on growth. I finally quit my gym. Stop paying for the membership." (19:19)

• Rachel's Confession:

  Rachel shares her experience of purchasing a workout app she never used, resulting in an unwanted renewal charge. She explains how she proactively sought a refund, turning a financial slump into a learning experience.

  "I bought a $150 workout app... It renewed to the next year... I submitted it to the Apple store... they refunded me." (29:22)

Their honesty serves to humanize the discussion, showing that financial mistakes are common and can be rectified with proactive measures.

Conclusion

The episode wraps up with a light-hearted discussion about their signature drinks, "frostbite" and "Oops. All Booze," reinforcing the relaxed and relatable atmosphere of the show. Rachel and George reiterate the importance of shedding bad financial habits to embrace a healthier financial future in 2025.

"Well, y'all, some good habits to leave behind in 2024. That's right, because 2025 is going to be a new, beautiful year." (25:00)

They encourage listeners to engage with them on social media for future interactions and promote upcoming episodes that continue to provide timeless financial advice.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• "People who are putting their financial goals on the back burner... I'll just do it next year." (03:11)
• "It's like ignorance is bliss. Their head is in the sand... they don't even want to know what is going on with their money." (04:43)
• "The fact that you think the credit card company is your friend... they're going to charge you 25% APR on that purchase when you're in an emergency." (06:14)
• "Stop comparing yourself to others. It's all back into stop comparing yourself to others." (13:26)
• "I finally quit my gym. Stop paying for the membership." (19:19)
• "I'm going to go into debt for this thing. I'm going to use my emergency funds to go here or there." (23:57)

This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the episode, highlighting the key discussions on financial habits to eliminate in 2025, supported by relevant quotes and timestamps. It provides a clear and engaging overview for those who haven't listened to the episode.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign. Hey, guys, I'm Rachel Cruz.

[B]

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

[A]

Cheers, George.

[B]

Cheers.

[A]

Delicious.

[B]

Amazing.

[A]

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

[B]

And today's vibes are excellent already, Rachel. Because it's the first episode of 2025.

[A]

I know you guys. Happy New Year.

[B]

We made it. The haters doubted.

[A]

And thanks for be in here. You know, maybe it's a fresh start. Maybe people think, hey, we want to listen to a money podcast and start a new trail, a new journey.

[B]

Yeah, we're all on a journey as we are, and today we're talking about money habits you should leave behind in 2025. Before we get to 2025, all things good and bad, let's share what we're sipping on. Rachel. Yes, it's a frostbite.

[A]

What a fun drink name. And it's really good.

[B]

It looks like the milk after you eat Lucky Charms.

[A]

Oh, my gosh. That's so true.

[B]

And I'm gonna call this drink Oops. All Booze. It's a boozy one. For being such a fun color. It looks like you'd just be drinking blue milk, but it's not.

[A]

Oh, my goodness. Well, for those of you that don't know, George and I, we are in the personal finance space when it comes to what we talk about in life. And one of the best parts of our job when it comes to this is just new beginnings, fresh starts, clean slates, a do over, whatever you want to call it.

[B]

Yeah. Getting out of debt, maybe investing for the first time, getting that emergency fund in place. We love to cheer people as they take control of their finances and start rewriting a different story.

[A]

Yeah. In the new year, it presents itself in that way. Right. Everyone's looking for the fresh start.

[B]

For some reason, January 1st is just a day, but it feels like a blank slate.

[A]

It really does.

[B]

Who knows what's possible?

[A]

Who knows? We have all of 2025. Can you believe 2025? I remember Y2K. Do you remember Y2K? Yeah, man. And that was.

[B]

I think I still have trauma from what they said was gonna happen.

[A]

Oh, yeah. Dave and Sharon may have had a few cases of water in the basement.

[B]

I don't doubt it.

[A]

Yeah, we didn't know.

[B]

I was too young to even know.

[A]

Oh, you were?

[B]

Well, I mean, I was in, like, fifth grade.

[A]

I know. Did you not know?

[B]

So I wasn't like a prepper at that point.

[A]

I just remember everyone being like, the computers can't take a 2000. They can't take it. Yeah.

[B]

The banks are gonna shut down.

[A]

It's all gonna crash. Yeah.

[B]

And here we are.

[A]

Here we are 25 years later. The world crumbled for different reasons. A quarter of a century.

[B]

Yeah. I was real nervous about what you.

[A]

Were gonna say that decade. And I was like, that's not the right word. That's not the right word.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Oh, man. Well, we're gon about, you know, some habits, good and bad to look at in 2025 when it comes to your money.

[B]

Well, when you leave behind a bad one, you got to pick up a good one.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

And, you know, I'm sure James Clear's talked about that. I'm sure he invented that somehow. Father of the habit.

[A]

Father of the habit. He birthed it. Birthed the habit. Yeah. So we are going to talk about habits in this, in this episode. It's going to be fun, George.

[B]

Yeah. We'll call out a few non money related habits and behaviors that we'd like to see each other leave in 2024. I've got some bones to pick with you, Rachel.

[A]

All right. I can't wait to hear about it. Okay, George, what's one habit you want to see leave in 2025?

[B]

People who are putting their financial goals on the back burner. It's always a. You know, this is like with investing. Well, I'll just do it next year. I'll get to that later on. I'll save when I'm older. Right. That's, that's what people say to themselves. And it's like when you're scrolling Instagram on your couch after dinner and you're like, I'll get up. I'll go to bed at 8:30 and 8:31 hits, you're like, make it 8:45. Then before you know it, it's midnight and your spouse is waking up to feed your infant child. And you're still.

[A]

Oh my gosh.

[B]

Rotting on the couch like a low life.

[A]

It is weird how time just evaporates when you scroll. It's not good and doing any.

[B]

I was up late last night watching a Netflix series and I was like, I'm gonna regret this in the morning. But I just want to finish it and be done with it.

[A]

See, I don't do that. I don't have that issue. I, I'm, I'm.

[B]

Are you like the clock hits?

[A]

Because I just physically, I'm physically tired. I'm like turning to A pumpkin. Even if I wanted to try to stay up late, I really can't.

[B]

Does your body just know or do you have like a, an alarm set on your phone? That's 8:00. Bedtime.

[A]

No, my body. My body's like, good night, Rachel.

[B]

Wow. Good night, moon.

[A]

Yeah, good night, Rachel. Good night.

[B]

Is Winston the night owl?

[A]

No, neither of us.

[B]

He's out.

[A]

Yeah, we both go to bed in an embarrassing early time sometimes, but we get great sleep, which is why we're so healthy. Just kidding.

[B]

Didn't we just do an episode about your Sonic and McDonald's runs?

[A]

Yeah, we did.

[B]

Okay. But you know, you make up for that with your other healthy habits.

[A]

That's right. That's right. So healthy habits are great. Okay. You know the one I Hope stops in 2025?

[B]

What's that?

[A]

This whole, like kind of cool factor of like not really knowing what's in your bank account.

[B]

It has become trendy.

[A]

It's like a trendy be like, oh my gosh, I don't really know, but we're just gonna go for it or like whatever the excuse is. But some people, it's like ignorance is bliss. Their head is in the sands. They don't even want to know what is going on with their money. We got to stop that, y'all.

[B]

Yeah, I saw the video. The girl said, I don't want to look at my bank account because I don't need that negative energy in my life or it's none of my business. Like, it's literally your business.

[A]

It's literally your business.

[B]

If you are the business, your business is about to be bankrupt, girl. Yeah, let's do something about this. So people like to make light of it because I think it's a coping mechanism.

[A]

Yeah. And again, money's not everything in life. Like, we're okay to take some light hearted approaches for sure. Right. But when it starts to like become a pattern and that's really how you function, you're not just kind of like joking about it with your friends? Yeah, we, we, yeah, we're going to.

[B]

Raise if it's like your personality trait to make fun of how broke you are. Maybe you need a new personality.

[A]

George, stop that.

[B]

That's all I'm saying. Just like people who make CrossFit. I think people make veganism their personality. I think we need a better personality.

[A]

Yeah, but there are people that like work hard and it's like, yeah, it all goes. And then they just like kind of have fun with the fact of like, oh, well, look at so and so over there doing that.

[B]

And usually there's some toxic habits that they're sort of just like, yeah, but I'm gonna keep my toxic habits.

[A]

Yeah. If it's justifying it. Some people are wise with it. Come on, George, don't be. Don't be grumpy.

[B]

Duddy.

[A]

Don't be grumpy. So grumpy.

[B]

I don't wanna see that in my feed. Okay, we get it.

[A]

We get it. Okay. Other things to stop doing in 2025, using your credit card as an emergency fund.

[B]

This one grinds my gears.

[A]

I bet it does.

[B]

The fact that you think the credit card company is your friend and your saving grace and your little security blanket, and they're going to charge you 25% APR on that purchase when you're in an emergency.

[A]

Here's my theory.

[B]

Terrible.

[A]

I don't think people think. I don't think people always are like, oh, yeah, the credit card companies are for me. I don't think they always think that. I think they believe I have no other option and this is it. Like, this is my option.

[B]

I don't have 10,000. So if I needed to spend 10 grand for an emergency, I could swipe the card.

[A]

I could just swipe the card. Yeah. They see it as kind of like the last line of defense, where we want you to be the last line of defense and to actually say, hey, let's have some goals around this so that the credit card doesn't become the safety net. Because what ends up happening is you have a car issue and then you got to fix it with a credit card. Well, your car issue's fixed, but now you have a money issue versus getting the car fixed with money you've saved and then you're done. No more issues. No more issues. Right.

[B]

And I found there's a correlation between people who get ahead with money and people who aren't getting all these ankle biter emergencies. Always dragging them down, using the card to swipe. And that's why the starter emergency fund is key. Getting a thousand bucks saved. While it may not sound like life changing money, it really does cover those little ankle biters that keep throwing you off the wagon.

[A]

Well, 40% of Americans can't cover a $400 emergency in cash. So for less, a little less than half of America, a thousand bucks is pretty good.

[B]

Which means they're swiping that card. If you have a $450 merchant.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're swiping it probably a lot. So.

[B]

So $1,000 to start get that done really fast. Takes most people 30 days or less to do this. Probably next paycheck, if you can just hunker down, cut some expenses, sell some stuff, and then you want long term, a fully funded emergency fund once you're out of debt. And that's three to six months of expenses.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

I call this, like, the never go into debt insurance policy. Because when you have that, you never have a reason to go swipe the card.

[A]

That's right. That's right. Yes. And that's a great place to be. Like when you're. When you get to baby step three and it's done, it's like, oh, my gosh, I have no payments and I have a fully funded emergency fund. I'm good. Like, that's. That's where really the stress dies down.

[B]

And in my early. In my early 20s, I had the Amex Sky Miles card. Yeah, you had the Discover cash back card.

[A]

Did you get a lot of cash back?

[B]

No, I was broke. It's like, when you think about this, when you're, you know, 20 years old, you're making no money and you're thinking like, well, this is. I'm going to get a great credit score. I'm going to get some sweet cash back. So I was in credit card debt, and finally when I cut up the cards and I took debt off the table, it was amazing what happened. I just made very different decisions.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And I got the thousand bucks saved, got out of my debt about 18 months, got a fully funded emergency fund, and I never looked back. No credit card since.

[A]

You know, that's a really good point. It's almost like, even though the quote unquote, I pay it off every month. Credit card idea. We see you, we know you're out there. We know you're out there. If other parts of your money are not great either, like, we don't really have a big savings account. We do have some other debt over here. You know, you're kind of just like. You kind of got all these, like, what do they call it? Rods in the fire, Sticks in the fire, Irons. Irons in the fire. There's a lot of irons in the fire.

[B]

Been waiting to use the word irons. That's great. I was like, rods in the fire. Is this biblical? Spare the child, burn the rods. Oh, my God. That's the line.

[A]

You got a lot of irons in the fire that aren't great. Right. Like, you're kind of just managing your money, like, barely getting by. It's like, oh, my Gosh, we got all this stuff. So to completely turn your whole perspective around money, do something drastic like cut up the credit cards. And it's not even the fact like you had to depend on the credit cards, because I think some people don't. But they're still paying car loans. They're still kind of like managing everything else just to keep their head above water. When you do something drastic with your money, it forces everything else to change.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

So it's kind of a good, like shock the monkey. There's another phrase.

[B]

There we go.

[A]

I got that one.

[B]

So irons in the fire were shocking the monkey. How about this one? Burn the ships. That's one of my favorites.

[A]

Wait, wait. Don't burn them. Right? We don't.

[B]

There's some story about they burned the ship so they couldn't turn back. So there's this like, I'm never going back moment. I don't know. It probably. It was a great historical thing. Read the book about it. I'm not gonna give you a history lesson.

[A]

The emergency phone, the emergency fund is the lifeboat on the burning boat. So burn the boats, get in the lifeboat, and then you're good. They're sailing, sailing away to new heights.

[B]

Wow. We have analogied this to death. The four people that are left listening are just hanging on for dear life to their little life raps.

[A]

Oh, my gosh.

[B]

Gonna keep it going.

[A]

Okay, the next one's for me.

[B]

This is for you.

[A]

Stop buying things on sale just cause they're on sale. This is one of my downfalls, you know, you see a great sale, so you throw in an extra sweater in the cart because it's 50% off.

[B]

Right. Do you get a little dopamine? Hit just seeing the word sale.

[A]

Yeah. And mine's not cause I get to save more money. It's cause I get more stuff.

[B]

Oh, thank you for your honesty.

[A]

It's not this like, oh, I'm playing this great game. It's like she's happy to pay full price. I get more for the same amount of money.

[B]

I was gonn more bang for the buck.

[A]

I'm a. I'm a quantity over quality. I know it's not like the minimalism cool thing, but that is Rachel.

[B]

All day.

[A]

All day.

[B]

Yeah, this is a big one. Just because it's on sale doesn't mean it's a good deal. Yep, everything's 100 off if you don't buy it. And you can go broke while quote unquote, saving money. Right. I bought it was on sale. I Put on the cards. I am wasting.

[A]

I'm kidding.

[B]

A lot of people mistake me. For instance, when I'm walking around the streets, I have to explain to them, he's a little bit taller. No, this is a good one.

[A]

That's true, though. I know.

[B]

Probably the hardest one to pass up, especially holidays and sales and emotional spending. Retail therapy. And now that the phone apps, like, they go to you, the notification pops up, letting you know.

[A]

See, I don't do notifications.

[B]

What about emails? Do you get the emails? I feel like you're old school.

[A]

I do. But I do try to subs unsubscribe. I'm sorry, hold on. You feel like I'm old school?

[B]

You just seem like an email newsletter kind of guy.

[A]

I don't know why that's offensive. I think. I think that's great.

[B]

But, like, would you rather me say, will you wait for the J. Crew catalog to arrive by pigeon?

[A]

By pigeon.

[B]

How do you find out about sales?

[A]

Yeah, email. But I do try to unsubscribe. I will go through and unsubscribe because it'll. Man. Yeah, it's crazy the amount of emails you get.

[B]

I love doing that. Like, right before Black Friday, November 1 hit, and it was like, every company decided, go, go, go, descend, descend. And I just started unsubscribing in mass.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

On November 1st. Because I was like, they're starting their campaigns.

[A]

Yeah, they're. Oh, and you'll get so much. So. Yeah, so don't fall for it. And you taught me this, George, that sometimes these stores, it's the same price, but they, like, just say it's on sale or something. I feel like that should be illegal.

[B]

Well, they have the msrp, or retail price, and so they go, well, it's. It's 40% off. And you go, it's still $78 for this cardigan, even 40% off. And next week, when the sale's over, they're gonna have a new sale, and it's still gonna be $78.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So they use a lot of tomfoolery to trick you. Rachel. Don't fall for it.

[A]

Don't fall. Don't fall for the scams. All right. Another habit to leave behind, George. Talking to myself, comparing yourself to others. Can I just add with a little asterisk on social media?

[B]

That's the big one.

[A]

I mean, man, social media, we always talk about it, but it's just true.

[B]

I mean, I think it's mostly Instagram or do you see, like, Facebook and.

[A]

Other places I don't get on anything else.

[B]

Instagram is the place you flex. I don't think Facebook. There's a lot of flexing. It's mostly venting.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Mostly Facebook groups. That's where I hang out.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Like, the neighborhood Facebook group is.

[A]

I'm like, see, we have a group. Me, I get popcorn. We have a group. Me, the app for our neighborhood.

[B]

That's pretty hip. Well, you think the guys are in there too?

[A]

I feel like, oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

[B]

What are the guys posting and.

[A]

Well, they have a guys group and a girls group. Like that. That was the. Overall.

[B]

So they split up.

[A]

There's a lot of different groups. There's, like, referral group, there's social group, there's book club group. There's the.

[B]

Are you in any of the groups?

[A]

Yes, I'm in all of them.

[B]

Are you, like, mayor of your neighborhood? What are you doing?

[A]

No, I just like to go to. I go to everything I can.

[B]

Wow. I didn't know you were, like, social butterfly in your own neighborhood.

[A]

Oh, yeah. I started a Bible study in my neighborhood. Got 12 ladies coming.

[B]

That is actually shocking. What? I mean, you're a busy mom, you know, like, that's a. That's a long week.

[A]

And it's just per semester. It's like six times a semester we get together.

[B]

Wow. Do you come up with a curriculum?

[A]

Are you ready for the title of it?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Jesus and Wine.

[B]

Oh, wow.

[A]

So we bring wine and we go through it with, like, a study or a book or. Yeah, whatever it is.

[B]

That's wonderful.

[A]

We went through. Ready for this? We went. We just finished. Last night was our last one for the semester. It. What's the book of the Bible that I just went through for last semester that I'm blanking on, but you love. Nope.

[B]

Oh. Ecclesiastes.

[A]

Ecclesiastes. I was gonna say Ephesians. Like, it wasn't Ephesians. We did Ecclesiastes.

[B]

What'd you think?

[A]

We went through a book with. With it? Yeah.

[B]

I need to read the book.

[A]

It's called Living Life Backwards.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

Yep. You'll like it.

[B]

Any favorite verses or takeaways from Ecclesiastes you like to share with the group?

[A]

Yeah, since we're talking about, like, comparing others. I like the level of, like, moodiness of Ecclesiastes that, like, kind of gets you down to, like, what's really, like, listen, we're all gonna die.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

You know, but then it'll. Then it'll flip around and be like, but. But be Merry. Enjoy your hard work. So I love that too.

[B]

Yes. It's like Bon Iver into Michael Buble. It's a very different vibe. It's like the Titanic is going down. Let's have a good time. Let the band play.

[A]

That's exactly it. Dance, be merry. Don't worry about trying to be in control. Like just enjoy life. Yeah.

[B]

So everything is meaningless. So stop comparing your life to someone else.

[A]

It's all back into stop comparing yourself to others.

[B]

That is a good one. And it's difficult because even as you, you know, you get better in your career, you get better with money. Well, there's always someone who's nine steps ahead of you that you're like, but we don't have that kind of money.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

And we live in this county where Ramsey is. It's like the 11th wealthiest county in the nation. So the level of wealth here is just mind blowing.

[A]

Yeah. People are. Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

So just don't compare. And you talk a lot about contentment. That's a great way to fight the temptation to compare. You wrote a book about it. You've got a kid's book about it. You got a journal about it. You're all about it.

[A]

I need more of it.

[B]

You are messing with.

[A]

That's why I write about it. No, no. But there is a level of peace in life that is so worth chasing and to have and to rest and be like life is good, like life is fine. Why do I feel like I have to just keep going and going and having goals and striving for stuff? It's not bad. But it's out of the motivation. Where that's coming from is what is so important.

[B]

As someone who's goal oriented and futuristic, it's harder for me to pause and be grateful and be content.

[A]

And you know my level of like, oh gosh, keep going, keep going. It's not cause I want everyone else to think I'm great. It's not that. It's this feeling of like, oh, but if I get. Go there, get that or do that, accomplish that, something is in my life is going to be better because of it. And that's just.

[B]

And it rarely is, rarely is. You go with you. That was. It's one of my favorite quotes.

[A]

Yes. It's so true.

[B]

So like get yourself to a healthy place internally before you accomplish any external goals.

[A]

Yes, I know. I remember we were building our house and we were moving in. I was like nine months pregnant with Charles. We had a two year old and a four year old and we were in the kitchen of our old house, and it was, like, a few nights before we moved into our new house. And I remember telling Winston, we're, like, feeding the kid in the high chair, and there's food. I mean, everything's just, like, a mess. And I was like, I cannot wait to get to the new house.

[B]

It'll all be better.

[A]

Well, yeah. And he, like, looked at me. He was like, babe, just, like, pick this up and set it in a new kitchen.

[B]

Move this mess into a nicer kitchen.

[A]

It's gonna be the exact same scenario, maybe with a, you know, a different.

[B]

Nicer countertops there. You.

[A]

But that's it. But like. But for real, you kind of have this belief of, like, oh, my gosh, if I just had. That something else is going to be fixed within me, and it is an empty promise. An empty promise not fulfilling.

[B]

Who knew from a smart money happy hour podcast you'd be getting such deep life lessons?

[A]

Oh, George, this isn't deep. This is life.

[B]

Oh, wow. Wow. Sorry. This is just vanity, then. It's all vanity. She's been reading Ecclesiastes clearly.

[A]

This is. This is where we go. No, no, no. I mean, like, this is the level at which.

[B]

This is a normal level of depth for you.

[A]

This is a good.

[B]

Very deep. For me.

[A]

George, you're not.

[B]

This is shallow waters for Mrs. Cruz. I am getting my life.

[A]

Because your ship is burned.

[B]

I don't. I don't know where you bought that boat.

[A]

Row us to deeper waters, George.

[B]

We're rowing. We're in a rowboat. Oh, that is.

[A]

Yeah. No, let's have a.

[B]

You should have went to Rick's Boats and got a nicer boat. What are you doing? You can afford a better boat.

[A]

Thanks for the call.

[B]

I'll sell you one.

[A]

Thanks for the call back.

[B]

All right, next. Habits leave behind in 2025, paying for subscriptions you rarely use. This one is close to home. And I have an. I have an honest confession that is also on growth.

[A]

Oh, Buckle.

[B]

I finally quit my gym. Stop paying for the membership.

[A]

Good job, George. How does it feel?

[B]

Dave talks about, you know, when it's time to quit. Like, quitting is good if you're quitting the wrong things. And for me, it was the wrong thing in the wrong season.

[A]

Totally.

[B]

Totally. And so I've. Now we got a workout bench. I'm gonna start working out with Whitney at home in the garage.

[A]

Oh, my gosh. This whole. And I do That's.

[B]

I said the cruises do this.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And so she's Been tr. I found that Whitney is the type that needs, like, the supportive spouse who's also doing the thing.

[A]

It is a.

[B]

It is a. I'm not great at that.

[A]

Yeah. Okay.

[B]

I'm like, you should commit. I don't want to have to commit. Cuz you're. You know what I mean? But she loves the accountability of both.

[A]

Of us doing this. Totally. It'll feel great too. You'll. Yeah. That's great, George.

[B]

It feels good to cut that.

[A]

Okay. Another habit to drop. Justifying little treats.

[B]

This one's the easiest to justify because it's a little treat right now.

[A]

And you.

[B]

It's five bucks here, seven bucks there, and it adds up.

[A]

I know. I was telling some of the girls today during content meeting where I was like, man, I missed. Because of my age. I think the brunch era. Like, you know how brunch is really cool right now?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, it wasn't 10 years ago, like, when I didn't have kids, like, no.

[B]

One was going to brunch. Yeah.

[A]

Maybe I just wasn't. I didn't know it was. Maybe I wasn't cool and it wasn't. People were doing that.

[B]

Nobody was inviting you to brunch.

[A]

Maybe that was it. I don't know. But now I see V. Instagram.

[B]

You center your whole week around people like.

[A]

Like girls going out to brunch with their. I don't know. And I'm like, man, I miss the brunch era. And I'm like, that's where I would, like. It's those things that I'm like, oh, my gosh. I would justify that. Like, if I had the time and the bandwidth all day, like, give me a social situation in a restaurant. Those are. That would be my little treat.

[B]

Yeah. Or we're like.

[A]

When I'd be like, it's fine. Just bottom. Bottomless mimosas. Yay.

[B]

Go for it.

[A]

Just add it to the tab. It's just a little treat. It's been a. It's been a big week. We're going to just enjoy this. That's. Yeah, it's real.

[B]

Do you do this when you're running errands? You're like, well, should stop and get a little treat. A little Starbucks or a little something on the way. You know, I'm not out. Let's get lunch.

[A]

Okay. So mine's food. I. I'm not a Starbucks person.

[B]

I've never seen you darken the door of a Starbucks. I mean, I wouldn't even know your Starbucks order.

[A]

Oh, you ready? Either Just a medium Pike's Place black coffee or a chai tea latte. That's it.

[B]

Pike Place.

[A]

Well, I don't know.

[B]

Is the best you can do?

[A]

Yeah, it's what they have on tap. So the only time I really eat.

[B]

Get there before noon, get a blonde.

[A]

Roast, is an airport. So give me the bacon gouda sandwich. Breakfast sandwich.

[B]

Oh, that is a good one.

[A]

And a Pike's Peak medium black coffee.

[B]

Pike Place. You just keep changing the name on us, but I respect that you drink black coffee. Is that true?

[A]

Yeah. No cream.

[B]

Look at that. That's on growth.

[A]

Yeah, I did that because that's a.

[B]

Habit to leave behind. Just pouring all of the dairy and sugar you can into your coffee.

[A]

I do black coffee and Keurig George.

[B]

That I think you need to cover up. That's worth putting some cream in.

[A]

Yeah, I. Yeah. So no. So my. My little treat is not Starbucks. Mine would be grabbing lunch out, a little Shalotsky's run through, if you know what I mean. Little drive through action there. Number one without black olives.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Cracked peppers.

[B]

I feel like you keep saying it as if you're hoping someone's gonna like, ship you this order or something.

[A]

Like, people that like Shalotsky's appreciate this. Yeah, that would be mine. And. Or if I was like at Target, I'd like, pick up a sweater or something. That'd be a little treat.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

So I don't know if that's considered little treats, but. No, those are mine.

[B]

I went to this local coffee shop, very hip, thinking, like, well, I gotta try it out. And of course the lattes are, you know, six something. Then you get the non dairy milk. That's an extra dollar. So I walked out of there and I spending, like, for two drinks, $15.

[A]

Oh, my geez.

[B]

And they were fine. Not 15 worth.

[A]

Sure, totally.

[B]

And it just made me a little disgusted at myself for falling for this little treat culture.

[A]

Yeah, I get that.

[B]

But it was our anniversary.

[A]

I get that. Yeah.

[B]

So I thought, treat. If there's ever a day to treat yourself to a little treat, it's our anniversary.

[A]

Go get the nice coffee.

[B]

But let us say that we are pro treats. As long as it's in the budget, it's not impulsive, and you actually wanted to buy it and you know what it's doing to your other financial goals.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

The problem is, like, where'd my money go? And I look at your bank statement and it's just little treat, little treat, little treat, big treat, little treat, little treat.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, that's fair. That's fair.

[B]

It feels like the worst kids book ever. It's like the worst Dr. Seuss book.

[A]

Little treat, little treat. Okay, Last 1. Letting FOMO control your financial decisions.

[B]

So this is real?

[A]

Yeah. This is a habit of, like, oh, my gosh. I just don't want to miss out. So I'm going to go into debt for this thing. I'm going to use my emergency funds to go here or there, like, whatever it is, and it's affecting your financial foundation, we'll call it.

[B]

This happens a lot socially, you know, like, there's the bachelor trip, the wedding, whatever. The thing is, that's going to be really expensive. You're out to dinner, and everyone's ordering this thing, and it's going to cost you this much, and you're like, it's not. I don't have the money for this, or I shouldn't be spending money on this. But you do it because of the, you know, the surroundings that you're in. Your environment.

[A]

Yeah, that's right. Yeah. It can happen very easily. And I would be guilty of this. This is where I'm like, let's just.

[B]

Go in the spirit of the moment with everyone there. You're like, sure, why not?

[A]

Totally.

[B]

So you got to have the boundary in place before you show up.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Know what you're going to spend, know what's in the budget, and know how to say no.

[A]

I love it. Yep. Well, y'all some good habits to leave behind in 2024. That's right, because 2025 is going to be a new, beautiful year.

[B]

Wow. You said it was such confidence and ease. I believed it.

[A]

Like, that was like, 2020 for me is what you can say, like, oh, my gosh, that was so 20.

[B]

I remember 2024.

[A]

That was so 2024. This is 2025, and we're doing something new. Okay. What. What's. What's a habit you're going to break, George?

[B]

A habit I'm going to break. Oh, my gosh. I think phones is the new thing I need to break. Like, it's just the. You just get used to just pulling out the phone anytime, anywhere, for as long as you want. Just open app, close the app, scroll, tap the like button, get out of there, tap another app. I just need to put my phone away more and be more present and.

[A]

Get outside more before we get to guilty as charge. What is in this drink?

[B]

This is called a frostbite.

[A]

And why is it blue?

[B]

Well, there's an ingredient that has the word blue. In it. That's any indication.

[A]

That's a good. That's a good hint.

[B]

Blanco Tequila Blue curacao, creme de cacao, and heavy cream. Okay, so it's a creamy tequila blue drink. I don't know the flavor of Blue Curacao.

[A]

Am I. Are my teeth blue?

[B]

Not that I can tell.

[A]

Okay, good.

[B]

But thank you for smiling at me. That was very nice. What would you rate this drink?

[A]

I'm going 10 out of 10.

[B]

Wow. It feels like I'm inside of the movie Frozen.

[A]

If I was out with friends and we were like, oh, let's get, like, a dessert drink. I'd be like, we should order the frostbite.

[B]

Oh, yeah. Because it's such a fun on a crisp night.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It feels like this is what Elsa would drink on her 21st birthday. If I may, whenever she gets there. When Frozen 9 comes out, I hope they're having frostbites by the fire. That's very nice. So this.

[A]

Do you think. Do you know that they think that the ship at which Elsa and Anna's parents died in was actually the ship that the Little Mermaid was swimming around?

[B]

Is that a conspiracy?

[A]

I don't know, but they all connect. Did you know that all Disney movies, they, like, have connections?

[B]

I didn't know that.

[A]

Yeah. Wild.

[B]

I didn't know you could have real conspiracies for fictional movies. That's amazing.

[A]

I can find them anywhere.

[B]

That's amazing. Thank you for that fun fact.

[A]

Yeah, you're welcome.

[B]

Well, hey, try this drink. The recipe's in the show notes. It costs $2.27. My rating, in case you were curious. 8 out of 10.

[A]

Okay. Why not a 10 out of 10?

[B]

I'm just exhausted by the dairy drink. I just.

[A]

Michael keeps giving us dairy drinks. I know.

[B]

I'm just never, like. You know what I'd love is a cold glass of milk with some booze in it. So I'm not there yet. I'm not there yet. But it is a good drink as far as dairy goes. And.

[A]

Cause I'm gonna say this. It may be the tequila, but there's, like, that aftertaste that' yeah, it's nice. It's nice.

[B]

And I will say mixologist Michael did an incredible job with the glass.

[A]

Beautiful.

[B]

It's got the, like, frosted cranberries with the sugar and simple syrup on there. The coconuts that are glued on there somehow with Elmer's, I don't know what he did to this. It's impressive.

[A]

It's so great.

[B]

So go check it out. In the show notes and make it for yourself.

[A]

All right, George, 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. All right.

[B]

Have you ever made an ambitious purchase that went with one of your goals.

[A]

Or resolutions that you didn't do anything with?

[B]

This feels like a personal burn. Almost every goal that wasn't financial, I think. I mean, buying books that I didn't read, that I was like, I'm gonna read 50 books. I gotta buy the books.

[A]

Oh, no, you buy the book.

[B]

Didn't read 50 books.

[A]

Oh, no, George.

[B]

Man, that's a tough one, man. The other one is literally any workout gear or equipment. I was like, well, if I get the right shoes, I'll work out better.

[A]

But you're about to start a home gym, so you gotta. You gotta use.

[B]

We did buy the bench. I have not used said bench. Okay, so far, do you have free.

[A]

Do you have free weights?

[B]

I have some dumbbells.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I need to. I need to up my dumbbell game.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

Not quite there yet.

[A]

Yep. Okay, that's good.

[B]

How about you?

[A]

Yeah, I think the worst one for me was it was. It was a workout. This was like, I don't know, maybe two years ago, and I bought a workout app because of a girl I followed on Instagram, swore by it. And I was like, oh, yeah, this would be good. I could do this, like, by myself. Like, you know, And I went to buy it, and of course they give you a deal, but they're like, if you buy it for a year, it's $149, or if you buy it for a month, it's $20. So you get a better deal if you buy the year long subscription. And I was like, look at you.

[B]

Trying to save money.

[A]

And I was like, well, of course I'm going to use it for a year. Yeah. So I bought a $150 workout app. Yep. And didn't use it. Oh. And then the worst part of it all. Say it, Kelly.

[B]

Oh, no. It. It.

[A]

Renewed. Renewed to the next year. And I didn't.

[B]

I just. Home alone. Oh, my gosh. But that is awful.

[A]

Do you know what I mean?

[B]

The renewal hurts my soul.

[A]

Oh, it was my. My stomach. I literally got. And I. My stomach dropped. I was like, oh, no, no, no, no, no. That was 20. That's like, no, that's not good.

[B]

Oh, God.

[A]

But you know what I did is I submitted it to the Apple store.

[B]

Oh, For a refund.

[A]

And they refunded me.

[B]

Thank you. That is the most George thing you've ever done in your life. That is the life hack. If it charges you as soon as it charges.

[A]

It was within 15 minutes.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Cause I got the, like the email. I got the email.

[B]

Look at her getting emails.

[A]

I got the email and I was like, oh, no, no, no, no, no. And yeah, and it was great. It refunded me and it was fine. So I felt good about myself.

[B]

I'm really proud of you for even knowing that was a possibility.

[A]

And you know what else I did and that was so great. This isn't guilty as charge. This is like amazing as charged because I did that. And then the other thing I did was I want to do my steps. I'm into steps right now.

[B]

Oh, that's right. You just found out that the Apple health app tracks your steps.

[A]

That's my story. Yeah. So I downloaded it. A step app.

[B]

Did you pay for it?

[A]

Well, that was the thing. The step app was like, oh, you get 30 days free, but, you know, whatever, whatever. So I bought it, but it wasn't gonna charge me till after the, like, 30 day trial. Well, then I learned that Apple's been keeping my steps, which is another conspiracy theory. They know where I've been for, like a long time. And I was like, oh, my gosh. But they tracked my steps. So then I went through George and I canceled my trial of the other app, so I didn't get charged. Wow. I felt very responsible.

[B]

That really is growth for you.

[A]

I know. I felt good. It felt good.

[B]

Also, you should just text me before you make any life decision so I can show you the better, easier, cheaper way.

[A]

And it's free on the Apple version.

[B]

It is free on the Apple.

[A]

It's great. It's great.

[B]

This is really good. Yeah. The other things are like, we bought a peloton during COVID Never used it.

[A]

That was the hot thing. Where have pelotons gone? I feel like they kind of.

[B]

Then there was the. The portable treadmill. It's just like a flat, little, nice little treadmill.

[A]

Okay. I thought about doing that for the winter to get my steps.

[B]

I should have sold you the one that we never used.

[A]

Was it good?

[B]

It was great. We just never used it.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And so then I was like, we're gonna sell it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And so there's a lot of things that we buy and then sell for a loss and then go, we'll never do this again. And then we go do it again.

[A]

Man the workout industry, but makes a lot of money.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Well, they can try Good intentions.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. Good Intentions is a great business model.

[A]

It's great. So good.

[B]

All right.

[A]

Okay, George. Well, if you guys have any fun guilty as charged questions, send them our way. We're on social, just dms. We look for them because they're always fun when they come from you all. And make sure to follow us on social. Subscribe to this Share the episode with friends and family and make sure to check out our episode on how to start becoming a millionaire in 2024. So we're gonna go back a year, but all the advice still applies because we talk about timeless money advice, don't we, George?

[B]

That's right. It still works year after year.

[A]

Yep. And so we'll see you guys next Thursday on an all new episode of Smart Money Happy hour.

[B]

Foreign 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 gonna 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 gonna 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.