Attention World! This Is What Things Should Cost
September 17, 2026
AI Summary
5 min readA family trip to the movies can easily run $80 these days. A small popcorn at the theater? $9.49. A medium drink? $10. And that’s before the ticket. “It is rough out there,” says Rachel Cruze, and she and co-host George Kamel spend this episode doing something unusual with the pain of inflation: they laugh about it, rank what things should cost, and tease apart which price hikes are genuinely absurd and which are actually worth paying.
The throughline is simple but effective. The hosts acknowledge that our mental price tags are stuck in the past—George still thinks a Panera You-Pick-Two should cost $6, and Rachel remembers getting three Mariah Carey CDs for $100 and getting $9 back. The conversation moves from nostalgia to a practical game (blind-ranking items into $1, $5, $10, $20, or $50 buckets) to a broader discussion of fees, tradeoffs, and what we can actually do about it. The episode doesn’t pretend to solve inflation; it teaches you to recognize when you’re being overcharged and when you’re getting real value.
What things should cost (according to two people who think about this for a living)
The centerpiece of the episode is a blind-ranking game. George and Rachel are given five items and must assign each a price from a set of five tiers: $1, $5, $10, $20, and $50. The twist is they see the items one at a time and don’t know what’s coming next.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:05) **Opening: The Sticker Shock of Modern Life** - Rachel and George introduce the topic of inflation, sharing their disbelief at how much everyday items now cost compared to their youth.
- 2 (02:08) **Worth the Money: Spending That Pays Off** - The hosts list items and services they believe are genuinely worth the price, from TSA PreCheck to term life insurance.
- 3 (04:03) **A Detour on Fears and Friendship** - A humorous, off-topic segment where Rachel reveals her fear of being framed for a crime, leading to a playful debate on loyalty.
- 4 (05:43) **The Dollar Menu Dream: Repricing Nostalgia** - The hosts fantasize about a world where certain items are mandated to cost $1, starting with fast food and water bottles.
- 5 (07:49) **Fees and Friction: Items That Should Be Cheaper** - The conversation shifts to expenses that feel like a rip-off, including license plate renewals and parking fees.
- 6 (11:55) **The Blind Rank Game: Repricing Five Items** - George and Rachel play a game where they must assign a price ($1, $5, $10, $20, or $50) to five unknown items without knowing the next one.
- 7 (16:10) **Refusing to Pay: High School Sports and QR Codes** - The hosts discuss things they refuse to pay for, leading to a tangent about the modern ticketing system for school events.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
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A family trip to the movies can easily cost $80 these days; it’s rough out there! Today we’re talking about the reality of inflation . . . but in a fun way, we promise.
Next Steps:
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Today’s Happy Hour Special: 🍹 Peach Julep
Recipe By: @Cocktails
· 6 mint leaves
· 2 tbsp. diced ripe peach
· 1/2 tsp. simple syrup
· 1 ounce peach puree
· 1.5 ounces whisky
· Fresh mint and peach slice for garnish
Instructions: Put 6 mint leaves, 2 tbsp. diced ripe peach, and 1/2 tsp. simple syrup in a glass and muddle. Pour 1 ounce peach puree and 1.5 ounces whisky in glass. Add ice. Then stir. Garnish with fresh mint and a peach slice. Serve and enjoy!
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