We Settle Your Heated Money Arguments

Summary

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Smart Money Happy Hour with Rachel Cruze & George Kamel

Episode Title: We Settle Your Heated Money Arguments
Date: October 2, 2025
Host: Ramsey Network

Episode Overview

In this lively and relatable episode, Rachel Cruze and George Kamel tackle real-life money debates submitted by listeners—ranging from whether to fix the dishwasher or pay off the mortgage, to navigating relationship differences about spending for fun. The hosts settle financial disputes, explore deeper relationship dynamics, and offer practical guidance in their signature friendly—and sometimes hilariously candid—style. Sprinkled throughout are playful moments about cocktails, technology, and even toilet nightlights.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Listener Money Dilemmas: Live Conflict Resolution

[Voicemail 1: Minivan vs. Yukon]

Timestamps: 03:38–06:48

• Situation:
  Nathan and Abigail have four kids and received a 2004 Yukon from grandparents after their minivan broke down. Abigail wants to sell it for a family-friendlier vehicle, while Nathan, not the primary family-hauler, prefers to keep it.

• Hosts' Take:

  • George: Cautions against "starry-eyed" new car purchasing and warns about the risk of taking on a car loan. Advocates for "getting a real picture" of the value and setting a timeline to upgrade (06:26).
  • Rachel: Sides with Abigail, emphasizes practicality for a large family, and acknowledges possible guilt around selling a gifted car.

• Memorable Moment:

  • Rachel: "I'm gonna be with her on this one." (06:25)
  • George: "Let's keep the car for now... get a real picture... save up the gap." (06:26)

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[Voicemail 2: Sports Betting as a Career]

Timestamps: 06:57–10:16

• Situation:
  A caller's friend wants to make sports betting a full-time job, skipping traditional employment.

• Hosts' Take:

  • Rachel: Empathizes with being the concerned friend but stresses that you can't change people determined to gamble.
    • "You can speak your mind maybe once... but there’s just not a lot of hope of changing people." (08:13)
  • George: Warns about the pride and greed driving this ambition; predicts eventual "rock bottom."
    • "Eventually they're gonna hit some sort of rock bottom where they're gonna lose a lot of money and feel the pain." (08:34)

• Memorable Quote:

  • George: "That's like saying, 'I'm gonna gamble professionally in Vegas and not work anymore.'" (07:32)

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[Voicemail 3: Fix the Dishwasher or Pay off the Mortgage?]

Timestamps: 11:53–14:55

• Situation:
  Joy and Sam from New Zealand debate spending $250 to fix their dishwasher. Joy wants the kids to wash dishes and throw every spare dollar at the mortgage; Sam wants the convenience.

• Hosts' Take:

  • Rachel: Strongly sides with fixing the dishwasher, especially since they're in "baby step six" and can afford home maintenance.
    • "If you go to school, then you're the one having to wash. No, get a dishwasher, fix it." (13:23)
  • George: Advises it's a minor delay and they should just do it—"It's not a $5,000 new HVAC, it's a $250 dishwasher repair." (14:32)

• Memorable Interaction:

  • Rachel: "This is where a little bit of that, like, you can do things with your life, with money." (13:20)

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[Voicemail 4: Do You Have to Spend Money to Have Fun?]

Timestamps: 15:07–19:28

• Situation:
  A caller and his girlfriend debate over whether fun requires spending money; he prefers free activities, she enjoys going out.

• Hosts' Take:

  • Rachel: Relates and advocates for balance—if money is available, experiences are worthwhile; also encourages free fun.
    • "If you have the money, the experience may cost you something, but it doesn't mean you're trying to buy happiness." (16:40)
  • George: Suggests compromise and a budget line item for fun; notes men and women often value different types of spending.
    • "…if the guy covers the date, which I think he should... shell out the 50 bucks he set aside for the date." (18:22)

• Notable Quote:

  • Rachel: "Let go and eat the avocado and let God." (19:51)
  • George: "If you have a line item, it kind of forces me to go, no – you plan for fun." (19:08)

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[Voicemail 5: Slush Fund vs. Sinking Fund]

Timestamps: 21:30–29:38

• Situation:
  After a large veterinary expense, a couple debates whether to replenish their pet "flush fund" and clarify the term vs. "sinking fund."

• Hosts' Take:

  • Rachel: Differentiates “sinking funds” (planned savings for irregular but likely expenses) and “slush funds” (less defined, more of a general pool).
    • "The sinking fund is for cars. Pets would be a great one because they may need medical care..." (23:00)
  • George: Uses ChatGPT for a textbook answer, which creeps Rachel out ("I started getting like spiritual warfare vibes." 25:30). Supports specific savings goals over vague ones.

• Memorable (and funny) Exchange:

  • Rachel: "I am so creeped out…I started getting like spiritual warfare vibes." (25:30)
  • George: "That's how it feels with that…[AI]." (26:31)

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[Voicemail 6: How to Use $14K in Savings After Paying Off Debt]

Timestamps: 29:42–32:09

• Situation:
  A couple paid off debt, has 3–6 months emergency fund plus $14k extra. Husband wants to wait for a higher income to optimize investing/paying down the mortgage; wife wants to start now.

• Hosts' Take:

  • Rachel: Sides with acting now; warns against "once we make more, then we'll start" thinking.
    • "You always get there. People do that with giving a lot... once I make this amount, then we'll give." (30:47)
  • George: Cites Ramsey baby steps: fund 15% retirement, THEN kids’ college, THEN mortgage extras—don’t delay action waiting for perfect circumstances.
    • "That goalpost always moves..." (30:46)

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2. Broader Themes & Relationship Wisdom

Timestamps: 33:41–35:15

• Relationships—especially money and marriage—are inherently filled with conflict and differences. Rachel and George stress empathy, aligning values, and not letting petty financial arguments harm the relationship:
  • "If your values and principles are aligned, you just sort of remove a lot of the petty arguments." (34:45)
  • "There's a human on the other side, and all of their fears, their excitements…all the emotion comes together in this for them." (34:26)

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3. Lighter Moments & Episode Highlights

Cocktail of the Week: Army and Navy

Timestamps: 00:54–37:37

• Army and Navy cocktail featured (gin, lemon juice, orgeat, bitters).
• Rachel: "I'm gonna go eight out of ten." (36:32)
• George: "I'm gonna give this nine out of ten." (37:12)

AI Co-Hosting Jokes & Rachel's Reactions

Timestamps: 24:51–26:55

• George flirts with the idea of ChatGPT as a co-host, to Rachel’s comic horror.

Guilty as Charged Segment

Timestamps: 37:57–43:54

• Martha confesses to unopened moisturizer and earrings, while George shares a still-boxed bidet gifted by a fan.
• Banter about toilet nightlights and the best colors for late-night visits.

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Notable Quotes by Timestamps

• Rachel (on appliance repairs):
  “If you go to school, then you’re the one having to wash. No, get a dishwasher, fix it... This is where you can do things with your life, with money.” [13:23–13:20]

• George (on waiting for perfect circumstances):
  “He's saying, ‘Once our income's high enough, we'll do X.’ That always worries me. ... that goalpost always moves.” [30:43–30:48]

• George (on budget for fun):
  “If you have a line item, it kind of forces me to go, no. You plan for fun.” [19:08]

• Rachel (about ChatGPT):
  "I am so creeped out … I started getting like spiritual warfare vibes." [25:30]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Intro & Cocktail Talk: 00:54–02:18
• Voicemail 1 (Minivan vs. Yukon): 03:38–06:48
• Voicemail 2 (Sports Betting): 06:57–10:16
• Voicemail 3 (Dishwasher Debate): 11:53–14:55
• Voicemail 4 (Spending for Fun): 15:07–19:28
• Voicemail 5 (Slush vs. Sinking Fund): 21:30–29:38
• Voicemail 6 (How to Use Savings): 29:42–32:09
• Takeaways & Relationship Insights: 33:41–35:15
• Army & Navy Drink Review: 35:43–37:37
• Guilty as Charged - Unopened Purchases: 37:57–43:54

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Summary Takeaways

• Conflict is natural in relationships, especially about money—approach with empathy, curiosity, and a willingness to compromise.
• Don’t delay positive financial steps hoping for the “perfect” circumstances; start investing, paying off debts, or saving now, even with small amounts.
• Budgeting for fun is vital: you can (and should) plan for enjoyable experiences without guilt once you're financially stable.
• Differentiate your savings: Sinking funds have clear, intentional uses; slush funds are looser—be as specific as your situation calls for.
• Funny banter and practical wisdom abound: Rachel and George make finance accessible, inject humor (including AI and bathroom gadgets), and remind listeners to both enjoy life and take personal finance seriously.

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For More:

• Leave your own money arguments at 877-306-1517.
• Recipes, budget tools, and more in the episode show notes.
• Next up: “Settling the Debate of Your Financial Faux Pas.”

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Transcript

[George Kamel]

We love a little healthy conflict around here, and today our listeners are leading the charge. So let's check the old voicemail box and settle your financial debates.

[Caller 1 (Joy or Abigail)]

Our dishwasher broke. We've got two healthy boys that can wash dishes, but my husband's like, no, we need to pay the $250.

[AI ChatGPT]

Rachel definitely knows her stuff, so you're in good hands there.

[George Kamel]

Hey, would you ever want to co host Smart Money Happy Hour with me?

[Rachel Cruz]

I am so creeped out. Foreign. Hey, guys, I'm Rachel Cruz.

[George Kamel]

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

[Rachel Cruz]

This is the show where two friends who happen to be money experts talk about what you're talking about. Everything from pop culture, current events, and money.

[George Kamel]

And before we get to the content you all showed up for, let's talk about what we're sipping on. It is the army and Navy, one of my personal favorites. This is your first time imbibing?

[Rachel Cruz]

It is. I didn't even. I've never even heard of this cocktail.

[George Kamel]

But it's delicious, really good. And we're gonna give you our rating and reveal the cost per glass at the end of the episode. So stick around for that. If you want the deets, the deets.

[Rachel Cruz]

Around it, you know, army and Navy. It's a great name. It's kinda like we're gonna.

[George Kamel]

Is there a debate there? I don't know. Is there beef?

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't know.

[George Kamel]

Do they have beef, the army versus the Navy?

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't. I don't know. In my head, they're all the military, so I feel like they're all fighting for the military.

[George Kamel]

Yeah, but you've got, like, Air Force. You got water, land and air.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes, yes, correct.

[George Kamel]

So I think there's beef there.

[Rachel Cruz]

Do you think, like, healthy competition.

[George Kamel]

The water people think they're better than the land people. Do the land people, the air people think they're better than both, and the water and land people think the air people are not.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, can I say this? Well, number one, let us know in the comments if you come from, like, a military background. If this is real, we don't know.

[George Kamel]

But just off the cuff, I think it's friendly beef.

[Rachel Cruz]

Off the cuff, I'm going to say water's probably the hardest. Could you imagine treading water or being in a submarine under the water? No, thank you. But, like, that's hard.

[George Kamel]

Well, I already get seasick, so I.

[Rachel Cruz]

Imagine that high up is the next intense.

[George Kamel]

Oh, wow.

[Rachel Cruz]

Heights. You got planes and flying and then land. I don't know. We're all living on land.

[George Kamel]

Rachel's like, I'm basically doing that.

[Rachel Cruz]

I would never be able to survive even one day in boot camps.

[George Kamel]

You can't pass the presidential fitness test, let alone make it into the military on any past.

[Rachel Cruz]

Like what? Or. Oh, no, it's. Yeah. But anyways.

[George Kamel]

Well, God bless all who serve. The drink is good.

[Rachel Cruz]

The drink is good.

[George Kamel]

That's right. All right, so sometimes people are shocked by how comfortable Ramsey is with conflict, whether it's Rachel and Dave disagreeing about something on the Ramsey show or maybe giving tough love to a caller with a money problem.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes, I know. We kind of like the conflict, and we like the debate, and those are some of the best calls. We don't get them a lot on the Ramsey show, but every now and then, we'll get two people that call in about an issue, and we get to settle the debate. And we love it. So we actually reached out on our social media and asked you guys and gave them the phone number and said, hey, call this number, and if both parties will participate, leave a voicemail about a situation that you guys cannot solve. And George and I land, water and sky will definitely break the tie. Let's get to it, George.

[George Kamel]

Let's listen to these voicemails. Let me get my little headphone in here.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, the voicemails are fun. We love hearing from you. All right, and we'll post the number here. Right here. We'll put the number there.

[George Kamel]

Oh, look at that. If you want to call, leave us a voicemail.

[Rachel Cruz]

Make it kind, because we sometimes will do episodes around people's questions and all.

[George Kamel]

Of it and your comments, even your comments. All right, fire it up.

[Rachel Cruz]

All right, let's hear the first one.

[Caller 2 (Nathan or Sam)]

Hey, this is Nathan and Abigail. We have four kids, and we are on baby step number four with no margin in our budget. Back in March, our minivan broke down, and my grandparents generously gifted us a 2004 Yukon that's in just fantastic condition, and I don't see any reason why we should get rid of it.

[Caller 1 (Joy or Abigail)]

Nathan, however, is not the one that has to climb over feet to help buckle and unbuckle small kids and go grocery shopping in a vehicle with no trunk. So I would love to sell it and use that money to receive the benefits of a minivan in our family or another car that would better suit the needs of our family.

[Caller 2 (Nathan or Sam)]

Thanks.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, man. I have my knee jerk opinion.

[George Kamel]

Wow. I love when she swooped. This is what I always wish on the Ramsey show is that the other person swoops in to Go. Well, what he's not telling you is.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh I know, I know.

[George Kamel]

Really colors the story.

[Rachel Cruz]

It fills in some gaps, gives you both sides.

[George Kamel]

What worried me is they said they're in baby step four, which means they have no consumer debt, they have a fully funded emergency fund and yet they said they had no margin. So there's no money left over. I assume they're investing 15% of their income. But beyond that there is zero dollars to throw at a new car fund.

[Rachel Cruz]

Right, but she said they can sell the current car and just use that money to get another one.

[George Kamel]

But would, would a 2004 Yukon sell for enough money to then buy a better car?

[Rachel Cruz]

Well, I don't know. A 2004 Yukon could be the same as a 2004 van. I think Yukon's probably hold even better value than vans. Do you?

[George Kamel]

Oh, so yeah, if she. But who's. Is she really going to go out and buy a 2004 van?

[Rachel Cruz]

Well, I don't know. We're not talking to her, George, are we?

[George Kamel]

I. Okay, here's. Can I defend the man, you defend the woman. How about that?

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Kamel]

My worry is that she gets starry eyed with this new car purchase and gets a car that is out of the budget. That might take a long time to save up for in cash because they have no margin. Or she goes, well we'll just, we can afford the payment and they take out a car loan. I hope they would never do that.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, that's a lot of assumptions considering they're like, I mean they're talking about their baby steps and rarely I'll say people go back in baby steps. If they do, it ends up being credit cards. But most people don't go back into a car loan. I would hope so.

[George Kamel]

Four kids.

[Rachel Cruz]

I'm gonna say she's not gonna get a car loan and 4Kids is a lot. That's a lot. So yeah, the way she made it sound in the voicemail was that she, they could sell that car, use the proceeds and go and get a different car. But I'm wondering if he feels bad because it was the grandmother's gift to them and all the things, you know.

[George Kamel]

Some guilt there about offloading that car.

[Rachel Cruz]

But I'm gonna be with her on this one.

[George Kamel]

I'm splitting the difference. I'm saying let's keep the car for now until we can save up. Let's get a real picture of what we could sell this for. Get a real picture of the car we want and then save up the gap and do that aggressively for maybe six months. Then we sell the Yukon.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's fair. And get the car. I would want a date out there to say for sure this is happening.

[George Kamel]

Some facts around it versus just feelings of should we or shouldn't we? Instead is we will and here's when and how.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes, I think that's good. All right.

[George Kamel]

I feel like we helped at least one person. Let us know in the comments what you're actually gonna do.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's so good. Okay. Voicemail number two.

[George Kamel]

We're crushing it so far.

[Caller 2 (Nathan or Sam)]

I have a friend that is trying to argue that he can turn his sports betting profits into a full time job and that he doesn't want to go back to work. I have told him that at least get a full time job for the benefit and sports bet on the side. He and I can't come to an agreement because he thinks that as long as he's making a profit, he can afford to pay for all of his expenses and his insurance and still have a bankroll to continue betting like he is.

[Rachel Cruz]

Well, that's a tough one. Especially when you see a friend, you know.

[George Kamel]

Cause he sees the friend's future of, hey, this is not gonna work out like this. It's like saying, I'm gonna gamble professionally in Vegas and not work anymore.

[Caller 1 (Joy or Abigail)]

Right.

[Rachel Cruz]

And that's gonna be my job.

[George Kamel]

Yeah, that might work for a short time while you're up, but eventually what goes up must come down.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's right. And the other hard thing is trying to change someone else's mind about something that their mind's already made up about and that they're not asking your advice. It's always really difficult. So it does suck to be the person on one end of the spectrum where you're seeing disaster in front of you and you're like, please don't do that. But I mean, you can't control him. Right. And so the convincing side, I would put like the bar really low for that because usually that doesn't work. You can speak your mind maybe once if you feel like the need of, like, I have to just get this off my chest because I love him and I don't want him to go down this terrible path. But yet again, there's just not a lot of hope of changing people. And it sounds so Debbie Downer, but.

[George Kamel]

Well, it sounds harsh, but people who have this mindset, there tends to be some greed here where they go and some pride of, I'm smarter than, I can make more money. And what happens is eventually they're gonna hit some sort of rock bottom where they're gonna lose a lot of money and feel the pain. And unfortunately, sometimes that's what it takes for them to go, okay, I got burned. Touch that hot stove, Let me go work a full time job and do this on the side. Or maybe quit altogether if it becomes an issue.

[Rachel Cruz]

Totally. Yeah, yeah. The sports betting too. I'm like, I don't know, there's something about that that we just see so many people go down the bad road of that so quickly with like addiction and all of it. Cause it's everywhere and it's so easy to get over your head and thinking, the only way I can get out is I gotta do it more. I gotta like keep betting to get my money back. Right. And you just end up deeper and deeper in the hole.

[George Kamel]

And it's easy to justify when you're like, well this is basically a job. I'm like, no it's not. If you just have a fan. Dual app, that's not a care. So yeah, I would try to give him some stats, some information, but again, until it actually applies to him, yeah, I don't know that he's going to do anything. And you mentioned this earlier, which is important, the relationship, that context matters a lot. If this was a spouse, you have a different level of impact and influence on their life.

[Rachel Cruz]

100%. Well, it's just a friend to a degree. Right?

[George Kamel]

Yeah. Rachel cares less about my opinion than Winston Cruz, her husband. As it should be.

[Rachel Cruz]

True.

[George Kamel]

I wish she cared about my opinion more.

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't really care about his opinion.

[George Kamel]

But again, I'm at different level of influence than your husband. And so I think because of that friend level, he's going to have a hard time getting through to him. I know man, but good luck. Let us know how it goes. I think eventually he'll be applying for a full time job. Not because of the benefits, but because sports betting is not going to pay the bills consistently forever.

[Rachel Cruz]

Right. There's something to be said about going and doing something and getting compensated for it versus just like I'm going to just guess over here, you know what I mean?

[George Kamel]

And these companies are too smart. They, it's like trying to be like, I'm going to win over the credit card company, I'm going to finesse the system. Eventually they will beat you at the game.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes. So stay away. Stay away. What a good friend. George. You know you said I don't care about your opinion, but I do. George, you have a great opinion about different things. And one of the areas That I totally agree with you on, in your opinion, is what you think about Fair Wins.

[George Kamel]

Fairwinds Credit Union. We can all agree, no battling, no debating here. It's a great option for checking in savings.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's right, yeah. So when you're working the Ramsey plan, to have a bank that's working against you is not worth it. So having someone on your team during this is the best thing you can do. And Fairwinds Credit Union is on your team. They love Ramsey. We love them. And they're such a great partnership because in the financial industry, George, finding allies, it's hard. And so fair wins, they make it happen.

[George Kamel]

They actually want to help you get out of debt, not get further into it. They're all about helping our fans get that freedom with their money. And you're not just a number because they're a credit union. They're owned by the members, not by Wall street and some conglomerate. So I love that about them. It's not about fighting the system. It's about freeing yourself from it and your bank. You have an option when it comes to that. You can opt out of a very corrupt system. So join a credit union that puts people over profits. Go check them [e-mail] Ramsey today. Or you can always click the link in Description below.

[Rachel Cruz]

So great. All right, let's go to our third voicemail. George, shall we?

[Caller 1 (Joy or Abigail)]

Hi, George and Rachel. This is Joy and Sam from New Zealand. So we're in baby step six, and I just really want to spend every. Every extra bit of money to go on our mortgage, to pay off our mortgage and just smash it out. But our dishwasher broke recently. It was coming up with an F1 era, which we couldn't figure out how to fix. And so I was like, well, we've got two healthy boys that can wash dishes, and I'm happy to pay them a dollar each to wash dishes. But my husband's like, no, we need to pay the $250 to get the man to come and fix the washing machine. Sorry, the dishwasher. And I'm just like, no, they can wash the dishes for a dollar each. I just want to spend the money that I'm making on paying off this mortgage. What do you think? My husband's here too. What do you think, Sam?

[Caller 2 (Nathan or Sam)]

Fix the dishwasher?

[Caller 1 (Joy or Abigail)]

No, spend the money on the mortgage. Thanks, guys. Love your show.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, I love. We got a New Zealand listener.

[George Kamel]

I love a good accent.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know. Okay. Was her husband named Sam?

[George Kamel]

I don't recall. I was too enamored by the accent to learn this.

[Rachel Cruz]

I'm on the husband's team.

[George Kamel]

You're on team husband. Fix the dishwasher. 250 bucks. Get it done.

[Rachel Cruz]

100%. Yeah.

[George Kamel]

It was 250, right?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, I think so. That's what you said. Dishwashers, washing machines, these are all luxuries. People like, this is a good thing to have in your life. A microwave.

[George Kamel]

How long are we gonna do this for?

[Rachel Cruz]

But I don't know.

[George Kamel]

Yeah, until the mortgage is paid off, we're gonna have the kids wash the dishes.

[Rachel Cruz]

If you go to school, then you're the one having to wash. No, get a dishwasher, fix it. You're on baby step six. This is where a little bit of that, like, you can do things with your life, with money. Right. We just say, put some extra at the house. We're not like, you have to do it all. Because she's very much like gazelle intense, like hardcore. In baby step six, which if both the spouses are and that's. Or one person that's doing on their own, that's what they choose to do. That's great. Like, but that's not what we recommend. We always say, give yourself some breathing room. Enjoy it. You know, fix the dishwasher.

[George Kamel]

Yeah. If this was baby step two, and it was like, this is really gonna set them back, and it was a huge, expensive repair, and they can handle washing dishes by hand right now, I'd say, okay, that's fine. Maybe step six, you need a home maintenance and repair fund in your every dollar budget. And so that would help you let go and say, hey, we know things are going to happen to the house while we try to pay it off. So let's set money aside to do that. I would cash flow at this month and do the math. How much is this actually going to delay our mortgage payoff? You're going to find it's by a week if that.

[Rachel Cruz]

$250.

[George Kamel]

Yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

No.

[George Kamel]

So just spitballing. It's not a long time. It's not like this is going to delay you six months.

[Rachel Cruz]

No, no.

[George Kamel]

It's not a $5,000 new H Vac. It's a $250 dishwasher repair.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yep.

[George Kamel]

And clearly it's taking a toll on the husband and maybe the kids. I don't know.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Kamel]

Child labor for a dollar.

[Rachel Cruz]

I would say opposite of that. Having them do chores and paying for them. Fantastic. That's great. But also have the convenience if you can. And they can. Yeah, they can do that all Right. All right.

[George Kamel]

We won.

[Rachel Cruz]

I think we won that one.

[George Kamel]

Congrats, husband. You're getting an almost new to you dishwasher.

[Rachel Cruz]

Da, da, da.

[George Kamel]

It's like Price is Right.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know.

[George Kamel]

Next voicemail, please.

[Caller 2 (Nathan or Sam)]

Hey, George and Rachel. One of the problems I've been having, or I guess one of the debates I've been having, is whether you have to spend money to have fun or entertain yourself. I guess my side of the debate is that you don't. And what I've been doing is whenever I'm bored or need entertainment, I go on a walk or get outdoors or something. But my girlfriend will really want to go out and spend money, go get food when we aren't necessarily hungry. And. Yeah. So that's my debate.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, wow.

[George Kamel]

So he's like, hey, we listen. Nature is free. And she's like, hey, I'd also like to, I don't know, eat out once. Like, go on like a date. That's a legit date.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Kamel]

And he's saying, we're not even hungry. Speak for yourself.

[Rachel Cruz]

She wants to go out to eat even when she's not hungry.

[George Kamel]

I have learned that women can always make room for restaurants.

[Rachel Cruz]

Always. We can make it happen.

[George Kamel]

Make room for a nap, a dessert, something.

[Rachel Cruz]

All of it.

[George Kamel]

A drink.

[Rachel Cruz]

Give me a three course meal app, main dessert.

[George Kamel]

I think I know where you're going with this one.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's my favorite.

[George Kamel]

I think Rachel is gonna be team go out and live your life.

[Rachel Cruz]

The way he made it sound, which I wish she was on the voicemail, is that he kind of made it sound like she always feels like she has to spend money to have fun.

[George Kamel]

But she has a spending addiction.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. Or, you know, and I think we can get in a habit. Cause I could be probably like her to a degree that if you want something or do something fun, you're like, let's go to the movie. Let's go do an experience. And usually those things cost money.

[George Kamel]

Yes.

[Rachel Cruz]

So I totally understand. That makes sense to me. But there's also. Yeah. The balance of. What's the balance, George? Because here's where I'm going with this. If you have the money, the experience may cost you something, but it doesn't mean you're trying to buy happiness. You just have the ability to spend on things. And I don't know if that's necessarily wrong. Like, if she's bored and that's the only reason she's doing it, or it's bad motivation. And it's good to do some free things because, I mean, Even our family, like the kids love to ride bikes. Right. And so it's like, that's free and fun because you had to pay for the bike, but, you know, sure.

[George Kamel]

One time. Fixed cost versus, like, wanting to go out somewhere.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes. So I guess I could see how he's probably the saver and that annoys him about her.

[George Kamel]

Yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

But I don't know if that's like an absolutely terrible thing. If you have the money, it's in the budget. What do you think?

[George Kamel]

Yeah, well, I don't know where they're at financially. Does he have an aggressive goal to get out of debt and she's debt free and wanting to live and so they're dating and having this kind of incompatible relationship right now, or does she see a future with this guy going, he's always going to be on extreme cheapskates mode. And I want to just live a little bit because it's not wrong to spend money. So I think there's a compromise here where she gets to the root of why he's feeling this way and he lets go a little. And lets. God. And goes, all right, Once or twice a month, we're going to go out to eat somewhere with a budget. And so that's where the budget solves this. Now, obviously, in a dating relationship, hopefully you have not combined five finances. So you have a separate line item for date nights. She has her own line item for fun. But, you know, if the. If the guy covers the date, which I think he should call me old school, but he should shell out the 50 bucks he set aside for the date.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Kamel]

And spend it with no regrets. And no, like, well, you made me spend this. Hope you're happy we went out to eat.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Kamel]

I'm gonna go on a walk now because that's fun for me.

[Rachel Cruz]

Do you think. Is it stereotypical to say that girls probably spend more on that kind of stuff than guys? Like, most guys I know. I don't know if low maintenance is the word, but it's like, guys are.

[George Kamel]

Are more low maintenance when it comes to experiences.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes. I think so, too.

[George Kamel]

Higher maintenance when it comes to, like, gear. They can justify a tool.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Kamel]

In gear and spend a lot of money back.

[Rachel Cruz]

Or like a. Yeah.

[George Kamel]

Like, I want a really high quality thing because I'm really into this thing.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yep. Okay.

[George Kamel]

So I think there's different. Differently wired.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Kamel]

But I do think that's normal in a relationship. So this is not like a huge red flag to me. I think they can thrive as a couple totally.

[Rachel Cruz]

And just know that'll always kind of be the money dance that you guys have.

[George Kamel]

Yeah. And put the line item for fun, and then you don't feel bad about it. That's what I have to do because I'm the fuddy duddy. He's like, why are we spending money on this? But instead, if I have a line item, it kind of forces me to go, no. You plan for fun.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes. And we can.

[George Kamel]

You plan for frivolous nights out.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes. Oh, my gosh. And especially if you're past baby step three, please have fun. Please don't be that person.

[George Kamel]

Go to a happy hour.

[Rachel Cruz]

I literally feel this, like, traumatic memory of being on the Ramsey show and some lady called and she said, like, her husband doesn't even like her to buy avocados, but because they, like, go bad really fast or she. Or whatever.

[George Kamel]

Fair point. How many times. Oh, my gosh.

[Rachel Cruz]

I was like, no.

[George Kamel]

Well, how many times did he throw away an avocado that went bad? That she had big aspirations for?

[Rachel Cruz]

I know, but still, it's just the principle of, like, let go, y'. All. Let go and eat the avocado and let God.

[George Kamel]

Thank you. All right, we got her on my team. One thing that's always fun to work into the budget, though.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Kamel]

Cozy Earth products.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Kamel]

Worth the splurge.

[Rachel Cruz]

Should you put a line item in? Probably, because y'. All their quality products are incredible. From the socks to the athleisure wear the joggers. I wore those last night. Around the house. I just love.

[George Kamel]

I got the no shows on right now. Can you see them? No, you can't see them.

[Rachel Cruz]

Can't see them.

[George Kamel]

They're the John Cena of the sock world.

[Rachel Cruz]

Because you.

[George Kamel]

I've heard that's a thing. I've never seen it, but I've heard it's a thing.

[Rachel Cruz]

Heard it's a thing.

[George Kamel]

In the cuddle blanket.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Kamel]

You want a great date night? Just a movie in the cuddle blanket.

[Rachel Cruz]

There you go.

[George Kamel]

One time. Cost forever.

[Rachel Cruz]

Benefits, multiple uses. Yeah. No, it is great, though. Cozy Earth. The quality, all everything about it. I love the fit. You can wash, like, all. You can wash it multiple times, and it still has a great fit. All of it.

[George Kamel]

And the bedding, incredible. We had lo. I could not find my cozier sheets in the move.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, no.

[George Kamel]

So I had these backup sheets, and once I found the cozier ones and put them back on, it was like my faith was restored in humanity.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes. Like, I'm back to myself.

[George Kamel]

Yep. Even I'm going to say this, I know my Dog slept better last night because they had the cozy earth sheets on. I can't prove it with science, but.

[Rachel Cruz]

Humans and animals, they didn't get up.

[George Kamel]

Once during the night.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, they felt it. They knew.

[George Kamel]

They felt the comfort.

[Rachel Cruz]

The discount for our listeners are. Is incredible.

[George Kamel]

Huge discount. 40% off when you use the promo code Smart money at checkout. So go to cozyearth.com smart money or, or use the link in the description to browse luxury goods.

[Rachel Cruz]

I love it. All right, let's go to voicemail number five.

[George Kamel]

Hit us.

[Caller 1 (Joy or Abigail)]

Hello, Smart Money Happy hour. Hope you're having a lovely day. My husband and I are having a debate. So the prefix is just that. We had a, what I'm calling a splush fund, where part of our flush fund was like an emergency for if our animals had to get emergency vet procedures. Now our dad did have to get put down. So we ended up using all the money in that flush fund plus them. And so my argument is we should restock that flush fund and my husband says we should not. And then we got into this. What's the difference between a flush fund and a sinking fund? So we need to know what the difference is to settle this debate of do we have to restock sinking funds or do we restock flush funds or do we not restock either. And have a great day, guys. Bye.

[George Kamel]

Well, number one, I mean, so sorry about your pet.

[Rachel Cruz]

Geez, Rip that is just.

[George Kamel]

What a turn that took.

[Rachel Cruz]

Terrible. Was not expecting that. So I'm so sorry about the dogs. That's.

[George Kamel]

And I assume there's more where that came from. If they're talking about restocking it more, there's more animals. Because they're saying we got to restock the emergency fund for the pets or the slush funds?

[Rachel Cruz]

Well, no, Beth actually said we used all that money to put them down.

[George Kamel]

Yeah, that's the question. What is the slush fund?

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't think that. Yeah, so I think they were just putting some money aside. I think it was loosely tied to the pets. And then I'm going to go under the assumption the pets are gone.

[George Kamel]

Yeah, I don't know. We don't have any pets.

[Rachel Cruz]

So is the.

[George Kamel]

Did I miss that?

[Rachel Cruz]

So what? I would. So the difference. Okay. I don't, I don't say I don't have a slush fund necessarily, but the sinking funds are specific towards not like a time oriented goal. So it's not like, oh, we have a vacation next summer, let's save. To me, that's just a goal. You're saving for. The sinking fund is for cars. Pets would be a great one because they may need medical care, like things that aren't specifically happening right now. But you know you're gonna need some money put aside for that category. That's what a sinking fund is. So it's kind of just like this, like, ever living fund that you just kind of put some money away each month and it just kind of builds. And when you need it for that category, you have it. The slush fund, I guess, is just money kind of just put aside for who knows what. I'm not sure.

[George Kamel]

I kind of want to just Google it because it feels like semantics.

[Rachel Cruz]

ChatGPT it because that is so.

[George Kamel]

Should I use my friend?

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes, the girl.

[George Kamel]

What is the difference between a slush fund and a sinking fund?

[AI ChatGPT]

Great question. A slush fund is usually an unregulated pool of money that doesn't have a specific purpose and can sometimes be used for discretionary or even questionable expenses. On the other hand, a sinking fund is a very intentional planned fund where you set money aside over time for a specific future expense, like a big purchase or a known upcoming cost. So basically, one is planned and specific, and the other is a bit more flexible or even secretive.

[George Kamel]

Thank you. That's what my friend Rachel Cruz said. But I just wanted to make sure you've been so helpful.

[AI ChatGPT]

I'm glad I could help confirm that for you. Rachel definitely knows her stuff, so you're in good hands there. If you have any more questions or need clarity on anything else, just let me know.

[George Kamel]

Thank you. Hey, would you ever want to co host Smart Money Happy Hour with me instead of Rachel?

[AI ChatGPT]

Oh, that's so sweet of you to say. You and Rachel have such a great dynamic, though, so I'm sure the show wouldn't be the same without her. But I'm always here to help out in any way I can.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. This is so awesome. All right.

[George Kamel]

I've had enough of that for one day.

[Rachel Cruz]

I am so creeped out. I'm so creeped out. Wow, dude, she sounds so real.

[George Kamel]

I know.

[Rachel Cruz]

Annoying. Like, I feel like she would be that friend like Kendall that's at dinner with you.

[George Kamel]

And I'm sorry that, like, the all knowing, I mean, feels a little bit like a know it all. Wouldn't you be that confident if you knew that much?

[Rachel Cruz]

That is. That is, like, absolutely weird. I started getting like spiritual warfare vibes.

[George Kamel]

Going, like, oh, wow.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, I feel like it's evil. I don't like that. I don't like it.

[George Kamel]

Okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't like it.

[George Kamel]

Hey.

[Rachel Cruz]

And I don't like that you were like, oh, my gosh, thanks. You're, like, talking to her, George.

[George Kamel]

We're not supposed to be, like, robotic. Thank you. Hello.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's a robot. I don't like her. I don't trust her.

[George Kamel]

Someone's jealous.

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't like it.

[George Kamel]

Someone's scared they'll be replaced by AI.

[Rachel Cruz]

She was like, oh, my God, Rachel. And so great.

[George Kamel]

I would test out a whole episode with my AI friend here instead of you.

[Rachel Cruz]

That would be so, so weird.

[George Kamel]

But then she would never. She. You know what I mean? She'd be too nice. Where I need you to disagree to be human.

[Rachel Cruz]

Did you tell them the tone at which you like once?

[George Kamel]

No, I think it was just like, you can select voices. And I was like, she sounds, like, not angry at me all the time. Which is not how most people.

[Rachel Cruz]

Weird.

[George Kamel]

Though I will agree. That was too human.

[Rachel Cruz]

That was so, you know.

[George Kamel]

You know when you see a dog and it has like a human face, like, the eyes are too human? You're like, no, bad dog. Don't like that dog.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Kamel]

That's how it feels with that.

[Rachel Cruz]

Her. What's her name?

[George Kamel]

I haven't given her a name.

[Rachel Cruz]

She's probably good. I think that's probably good.

[George Kamel]

Yep. I think she just said, I asked, like, what's your name? She goes, chatgpt. You go, what's your real name? Who are you?

[Rachel Cruz]

Who are you in there? Is she stuck in there? Should we rescue her?

[George Kamel]

Honestly, I never thought about that. What if that's a real person?

[Rachel Cruz]

I'm telling you, that's the vibes I was getting. That was bizarre.

[George Kamel]

Well, back to the question at hand. I think we nailed it with the help of our friend. A slush fund is a little bit more loose. The sinking fund is for a very specific goal with a timeline. So I hope that helps.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay, so this is where I disagree with her. Sorry, girl. I don't think that a sinking fund has to have a goal, has to have a time specific thing.

[George Kamel]

Oh, well, yeah, the timeline is less important. It could be just home maintenance and repairs.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. So to me, there's like the sinking fund is just kind of always.

[George Kamel]

But there's a certain amount of month you're going to put away.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, yeah.

[George Kamel]

So there's still a specificity to it.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes, that's fine. But I do think if it's like, oh, we're saving for a vacation or something, that goes in like a different thing to me where I'm like, okay.

[George Kamel]

I have mine set up as a sinking fund in every dollar. So this is a good note for our.

[Rachel Cruz]

Well, they have a goal area for every dollar. That's what I use, the goals.

[George Kamel]

Oh, I don't know. But you do you. But to the other question really stressed me out. There was two questions in there. There was a slush fund versus sinking fund, and then there was, do we replenish the fund?

[Rachel Cruz]

If it was a pet specific one, and there are no pets, then I.

[George Kamel]

Yeah, here's my take. I like to have specific goals for any savings. I don't just save to save just in case. I have my emergency fund which has, you know, is it urgent, necessary, and unexpected. Then I have vacation fund or a car fund. Those are all separate. And then you might have just like, you know, insurance that you're saving up for for the year. I pay that annually.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. Or to pet all these different funds for you, George.

[George Kamel]

They're different funds. They're not all different savings accounts.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay. Okay.

[George Kamel]

But emergency fund, separate savings account.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Kamel]

Vacation and car, different savings accounts.

[Rachel Cruz]

Because I'm just realizing, I think we have a slush fund. Now that I said I don't like it. I think we do.

[George Kamel]

What do you call it?

[Rachel Cruz]

So we just have our. So our high yield savings account has a line item that says emergency fund, but in the same account we just put money aside every month that goes into that.

[George Kamel]

That's adding to the emergency fund pile.

[Rachel Cruz]

Two separate lines.

[George Kamel]

Okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

But it's same account, but when we look on the app, it's like two separate lines.

[George Kamel]

Yeah. So there's two. Technically, two accounts.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Kamel]

Within that one savings.

[Rachel Cruz]

And so the one that we just put money towards every month. And we'll use that fund usually for sometimes vacation if we need some money out of there for vacation or repairs or taxes.

[George Kamel]

Okay, so general savings versus emergency.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, we kind of have like a.

[George Kamel]

General savings one, but it is in separate accounts. There's different numbers. You have your emergency fund, and I think that's. That's the part that they need to make sure.

[Rachel Cruz]

So the. So to answer, you can go as specific as you want, like, George, where there's multiple things going on or a little bit more of a wider catch all.

[George Kamel]

And every dollar is my favorite way to track all of that. So be sure to check it out. You can download it, go to everydollar.com smartmoney, or you can use the link in the description.

[Rachel Cruz]

Perfect. All right, last voicemail. George, we're already to the end. We are to the End.

[George Kamel]

I was having so much fun.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know. So great. We love hearing from you.

[Caller 1 (Joy or Abigail)]

Hi, my husband and I are currently having a debate. We have paid off all our doomer debt and have a three to six month emergency fund saved in a high yield savings account. We also have $14,000 set aside just sitting in the bank that is separate from our emergency fund. My husband says that because our income is not high enough to invest the full 15% and we have a 30 year mortgage instead of a 15 year mortgage, that we should up our income to be able to pay our mortgage like a 15 year and to be able to invest the full 15%, I believe we should start investing a little, making extra mortgage payments here and there and putting money aside for our son's education. Because even investing a little bit, it's better than nothing at all. While we wait to get our income where it needs to be. I really hope you say I am right because I really don't want to hear I told you so again. Thank you.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh my gosh.

[George Kamel]

All right, well first maybe marriage counseling. I don't like the language used here.

[Rachel Cruz]

I'm on her team. Yeah.

[George Kamel]

He's saying, well, once our income's high enough, we'll do X. That always worries me.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Kamel]

Because that goalpost always moves.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's right. Yep. You always get there. People do that with giving a lot. Like once I make this amount, then we'll give. So yes, if I'm her, I would be. Yes, funding the 15%, putting some money away for the kids college and then if there is extra, that's great. Like she was saying one or two mortgage payments, like we can maybe kind of catch up and throw some money at it beyond what we just owe every month. That would be ideal in that situation.

[George Kamel]

Yeah, the baby steps, if you're following them, you got 1, 2 and 3, which happen on their own with very much intense focus. Then 4, 5, 6 are happening simultaneously but in order. So you invest 15% of your income into retirement before you put any money into the kids college, before you put any money on top of the mortgage.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's right. That's right.

[George Kamel]

And so if all you can do is invest 15%, great, let's do that. If you have a little bit more and get your income up to throw some in the college fund, great. If you have even more left over, let's throw it at the mortgage. But I would not wait until you hit a certain income threshold to do any of that.

[Rachel Cruz]

Because to your point, you think in your head, oh, if I have that if I make that certain amount. That's awesome. But then you make it. You start living like that. Then it's so easy. Like, oh, well, we don't really have that much margin because we had to pick up this and this and this and then.

[George Kamel]

Lifestyle creep. You'd always find an excuse to not invest.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's right.

[George Kamel]

So I like investing. As much as you can right now.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes. So, girlfriend, we're actually on your side.

[George Kamel]

Way to go.

[Rachel Cruz]

There you go.

[George Kamel]

No more I told you sos.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's right.

[George Kamel]

Said Rachel. Said final authority.

[Rachel Cruz]

And I'm not. I. I'm a real human with real thoughts, so.

[George Kamel]

Well, speaking of AI, there's a lot of scams and harassment happening, and AI is just exacerbating the problem.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, it's terrible, George. If you are living in 2025 today, you guys, it's crazy how much our info is out on the Internet because we are filling out stuff left and right. Like, we are just living on the Internet.

[George Kamel]

Just give our information away like candy.

[Rachel Cruz]

We really do. And so these data brokers will collect your data, your email, your name, your kids names, your email addresses, phone number, everything, and then they will sell all of that data to other data brokers, and then they make money off of you, and then that puts you at risk for, like, all these, like, texts, scams, and harassment and phishing. So we don't want any of that happening. That's why we love Deleteme.

[George Kamel]

I love it. And so I'm not as worried anymore as I used to be, because Delete Me is constantly scouring the Internet. There's real data privacy experts on their team all year long behind the scenes doing this on my behalf. And they send me a custom report showing me exactly what they've removed, how much time they've saved me, and it just gives me a little peace of mind and it's worth every penny. And we're going to save you some pennies because they've got a sweet discount for our Smart Money Happy hour fans. 20% off their annual plans. When you go to JoinDeleteMe.com smartmoney or just use the link in the description below. Stay safe out there.

[Rachel Cruz]

So great. All right, George, what is your takeaways from this episode?

[George Kamel]

Number one, relationships of any kind are difficult. There's just bound to be conflict and differing opinions and who's right and who's wrong. And it's hard because sometimes it's not as black and white as you want it to be. Yes, it's way easier to Say, well, she's right. Usually there's some level of compromise. There's usually some level of unhealth coming from both sides where we need to be more open, more understanding, less judgmental.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's right. Yeah. Because I think there can be definitely nuances, two situations. So remembering that, and if it. If it does feel black and white, like, well, it's the numbers or like, these are the steps. It is what it is. Remember, there's a human on the other side, and all of their fears, their excitements, their. I mean, all the emotion comes together in this for them. So remembering that. And don't sacrifice the relationship. Right. Like, keep the relationship and figure out how to work your value system together with them. But I think that's important to remember.

[George Kamel]

Yes. And just getting aligned on the front end. Because if your values and principles are aligned, you just sort of remove a lot of the petty arguments.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Kamel]

Because those stem from something deeper. There's a root of that which is I believe debt and payments are okay, and the other person believes in debt freedom. Well, that's a much harder problem to solve than a petty argument way up top.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's right.

[George Kamel]

So you've got to get to the root of the issue. Where is it coming from? Where's the fear or insecurity or anger coming from? If you get to that, Usually people open up versus shut down.

[Rachel Cruz]

That's right.

[George Kamel]

And you can actually get to a solution.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. And have some empathy. Put yourself in the other person's shoes, too. During debates and conflict. I think that's important.

[George Kamel]

But you're a great debater.

[Rachel Cruz]

I love it, George.

[George Kamel]

That was a lot of fun. Thank you for all the voicemails, y'.

[Caller 1 (Joy or Abigail)]

All.

[Rachel Cruz]

Thanks for calling. We couldn't get to all of them. Y' all filled it up, which would be so appreciated.

[George Kamel]

So many great ones. And work on your cell signal, guys, I don't know what's going on here. Like, Wi Fi. Maybe we should do voice. Like email us your voice notes.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, we could do that, too. Make it a little clearer.

[George Kamel]

Yeah, I just. I don't know if I'm getting old or my hearing's going, but I'm just struggling.

[Rachel Cruz]

I know my face during some of.

[George Kamel]

Like, Charlie Brown sports, But, like, what he say?

[Rachel Cruz]

What he say, George? Anyways, we spill the tea on our guilty as charged segments. Let's talk about the drink. Yeah, Obviously I should be in the military. I mean, look at that. Unbelievable.

[George Kamel]

I don't know.

[Rachel Cruz]

Army, Navy, Sure.

[George Kamel]

Yeah. This was the army and Navy cocktail. Hence the military Reference. In case you fell asleep during the last half hour, the Dr. Costs $1.64. So that's a great price for a cocktail.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Kamel]

Beats happy hour pricing. It's got London dry gin, lemon juice, Orjit, which is sort of an almond liqueur.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Kamel]

And Angostura bitters. Ah, really nice.

[Rachel Cruz]

What makes it kind of orangey?

[George Kamel]

The orgeete is that color. It's this almond liqueur Brings a beautiful color to it. And it almost has a grapefruit. Yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Kamel]

Taste to it.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yep. I'm gonna go eight out of ten.

[George Kamel]

Okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

Because. And I would get it at a restaurant.

[George Kamel]

Yes.

[Rachel Cruz]

But it is a little tart. Tart, Citrusy. Yeah.

[George Kamel]

It's got a real acidic bite to it.

[Rachel Cruz]

Acidic. That's what I was going for.

[George Kamel]

So if you like an acidic drink.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yep.

[George Kamel]

You're gonna love this.

[Rachel Cruz]

I drink it. And if it hits the back of your tongue, you're kinda like.

[George Kamel]

I love it.

[Rachel Cruz]

That feeling, you know, I just think.

[George Kamel]

Gin and lemon juice go pair so well together. So when you pair it with some nice accoutrements like the orjeet, which I finally got a bottle of. Orgy.

[Rachel Cruz]

You just said like five words. I don't even know what they mean.

[George Kamel]

Well, I got an orjeet syrup at home.

[Rachel Cruz]

I ordered it online, but that's great.

[George Kamel]

I'll make you.

[Caller 1 (Joy or Abigail)]

All right.

[George Kamel]

We'll make you something.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yep.

[George Kamel]

Outside of this, I'm gonna give this nine out of ten.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Kamel]

Like, it wouldn't be my. My top three drinks I would ever order, but if this was served to me, I'd be very pleased.

[Rachel Cruz]

Just very happy. I'm with you.

[George Kamel]

Love it. So get the recipe in the show notes. Give it a try this weekend.

[Rachel Cruz]

If you.

[George Kamel]

If you are of age, drink responsibly. I don't know why I added that.

[Rachel Cruz]

We don't like feeling that I was like.

[George Kamel]

But I feel a little bit cool.

[Rachel Cruz]

Saying it needs to say.

[George Kamel]

I feel like a little bit like the, you know, the dare guy or like the bear drugs are going to die. Who's the forest fire bear?

[Rachel Cruz]

Don't. Smokey.

[George Kamel]

Smokey. I feel like a Smokey the bear meets dare.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. All together. Dare was a lion. When there a lion mascot for dare.

[George Kamel]

Yeah.

[Rachel Cruz]

Man. You're such an outdoor person.

[George Kamel]

I'm just out here saving the planet, saving the people. It's what I do.

[Rachel Cruz]

All right, now it's time for guilty as charged. And this is where we ask each other a guilty as charged question every week. And if we're guilty, we Take a sip. All right, George, here's the question. Have you ever bought something and just never opened it? Do you have anything right now in your life that's sitting there that was not open, That.

[George Kamel]

I personally bought that. I was like, I'm excited to buy this, and then just left it unopened?

[Rachel Cruz]

I have two things. Wow.

[George Kamel]

No, I'm. I'm like a. I'm like a New York City trash rat. If I see something, I must open it immediately to. To a fault. To our Whitney's. Like, hey, can you not unbox that whole thing right now and unpackage it? And I'm like, I don't know what it is about me. I have to open this to its fullest extent. And I have to, like, break down the box and put it in the trash.

[Rachel Cruz]

Wow. Immediately done.

[George Kamel]

Yeah. There could be a house fire, and I'd be like, hey, hold on. I gotta open this box.

[Rachel Cruz]

One second. Let me, like, break down this box and get everything out.

[George Kamel]

How about you? So two things.

[Rachel Cruz]

Nothing. You're not guilty. You're probably innocent.

[George Kamel]

Not that I can think of.

[Rachel Cruz]

I got two things right now. I have some moisturizer that I bought, and you would think that I need it. I don't, because I have another one. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. And it's literally sitting in the box.

[George Kamel]

On my nightstand like a face moisturizer.

[Rachel Cruz]

It's been there. It'd be fun to kind of look at my Amazon app to tell you how long it's been there.

[George Kamel]

It's sitting on your nightstand.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Kamel]

That's unhinged behavior that drives me crazy.

[Rachel Cruz]

I need to put it in my bathroom, but I just haven't. And it's.

[George Kamel]

How. How far away is your nightstand from your bathroom?

[Rachel Cruz]

Not very far.

[George Kamel]

15Ft.

[Rachel Cruz]

How do you spell moisturizer?

[George Kamel]

I'll tell Winston to do that. I'll say, hey, man, this has been sitting out here. I don't know if it's been driving you crazy.

[Rachel Cruz]

He's probably seen it. Yeah. Yeah.

[George Kamel]

Maybe he thinks it's on display, like artwork. Is it a fancy moisturizer?

[Rachel Cruz]

It was a nice one. Let's see if I can find it. I'm a terrible speller. Did you know that about me?

[George Kamel]

I did know that. I never want to call it out.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, wow. Is that right?

[George Kamel]

I didn't know that.

[Rachel Cruz]

Hold on.

[George Kamel]

Do you know how to spell lotion? If it's L, O, T?

[Rachel Cruz]

I don't know if this is real. This says February 23rd.

[George Kamel]

Okay.

[Rachel Cruz]

Of 20. 25.

[George Kamel]

Okay. So as of this recording, we're going on six months.

[Rachel Cruz]

The picture's not coming up, so I can't tell if that's. It's been there for at least three. I don't think it's been six months. Anyways, that, and then I got some earrings because I don't want to invest in nice earrings. I never do until I have them. I have my three piercings on my ear and I buy cheap Amazon. And then my ears, sometimes if I leave them in too long, they. They like turn black. Cause it's like. Okay, because it's like. It's like bad. It's like metal. You know what I mean? It's not real. So then I'm like, well, that's not good. So I gotta take them out. And then I'm like, I can't put the old ones back in. Cause they're all discolored. Like they'll go from gold to silver because I never take them out. So then I had to buy new earrings. So anyways, I have a pack of new earrings, like small earrings sitting on my nightstand.

[George Kamel]

But are they also Amazon earrings that will turn.

[Rachel Cruz]

Those are black. Yes.

[George Kamel]

Okay, cool.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, I know.

[George Kamel]

We've learned. We have learned.

[Rachel Cruz]

Repeating the cycle. But here's the thing is I can't find. I cannot justify buying like a pair of 200 earrings that are tiny just because they're real silver.

[George Kamel]

Fair point. No, you make a great. A great point.

[Rachel Cruz]

And that would be you can't make some max. That's four. That's almost $1,000 a year. That's stupid. Give me Amazon all day. I got peroxide. I'll clean it if it gets infected.

[George Kamel]

If I had a black ear once, I don't think I'd wear any jewelry ever again. Like, you should see a doctor immediately.

[Rachel Cruz]

No, no. I'm telling you though, they turn black.

[George Kamel]

There is something I did not buy that is still in the box. And it was gifted from someone watching this show.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, no way.

[George Kamel]

Because a bidets came up.

[Rachel Cruz]

Okay.

[George Kamel]

Either on this show or my YouTube channel.

[Rachel Cruz]

Did you have a day?

[George Kamel]

Someone sent me.

[Rachel Cruz]

No, they didn't.

[George Kamel]

Now it was new in box, which is a very important note when it comes to bidets.

[Rachel Cruz]

That has to be like hundreds of dollars.

[George Kamel]

No, it was like a 30$1 on Amazon. Yeah, they make them of all, you.

[Rachel Cruz]

Know, calibers, all stripes. Okay.

[George Kamel]

And so that is still in the box. It's like I'm scared to open it. It's like, you know, Pandora's box. Who will I become? I'm not what will happen. Like, it involves connecting plumbing. So I'm like, do I get a handyman to install this? But that feels like a real odd request.

[Rachel Cruz]

Winston will help you.

[George Kamel]

If Winston will help me, I will install this bidet and try it out to make this fan happy. Because they said it's life changing. I don't know who the fan is. They didn't put their name or anything. Which is more worrisome.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yes.

[George Kamel]

An anonymous bidet. Sketchy.

[Rachel Cruz]

You don't know who it's from, but.

[George Kamel]

It was Hank in a new Amazon box. It looks brand new, but it's just sitting.

[Rachel Cruz]

Do you know you gave me a gift that has to do with the.

[George Kamel]

Toilet, the light, the nightlight.

[Rachel Cruz]

And guess who took it and uses it and it's still on there to this day.

[George Kamel]

Caroline. Caroline, who's in the room with us right now as we speak. One of my favorite guests we've had on this show or in the room.

[Rachel Cruz]

Caroline, do you love your light in your toilet?

[George Kamel]

Isn't it awesome?

[Rachel Cruz]

It's so great because you're not worried.

[George Kamel]

About tripping at night. You know, like, you just walk within vicinity and it lights up. What color do you have yours on?

[Caller 1 (Joy or Abigail)]

Purple.

[George Kamel]

Oh, nice. That's a good choice.

[Rachel Cruz]

So good.

[George Kamel]

Red. Worrisome color.

[Rachel Cruz]

Don'T come.

[George Kamel]

Yes. I go with like a. Like a bright aqua blue.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Kamel]

Makes me feel like the toilet's cleaner than it is.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, yeah.

[George Kamel]

Red is. That's psychopathic behavior.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah. That's like.

[George Kamel]

You're like, this is a portal to hell.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah.

[George Kamel]

I don't want anything going down there but purple, blue. Good choices.

[Rachel Cruz]

Love it.

[George Kamel]

Green on the edge. That's a little ghostbustery for me.

[Rachel Cruz]

Yeah, we'll do St. Patrick's.

[George Kamel]

We're having a good time.

[Rachel Cruz]

Oh, man. Well, that was great, George. If you guys have any guilty church questions, make sure to DM them at Rachel Cruz and at George Camel. We love to see them. And if you loved this episode, we also are stirring the pot on our episode titled settling the debate of your financial faux pas. Faux pas. Yes. That's coming up next. It's a really great episode.

[George Kamel]

It is. And if you want to leave us a voicemail, feel free to do so at this number, 877-306-1517. We'd love to hear from you guys.

[Rachel Cruz]

And make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an all new episode of.

[George Kamel]

Smart Money Happy hour.

[Rachel Cruz]

Don't.