July 22, 2025 • 21 mins
Summer often invites us to pack in travel, events, and to-do lists—but what if the most powerful move you could make right now is to slow down?
In this solo episode, Melissa Joy, CFP®, reflects on her own slower-paced Michigan summer and the meaningful lessons it’s brought—about happiness, well-being, money, and the beauty of doing less with more intention. Drawing inspiration from the slow living and slow money movements, Melissa shares personal stories, client experiences, and practical ideas for embracing a slower rhythm in both your financial life and everyday choices.
Whether you're managing a hectic calendar or simply trying to spend more intentionally, this conversation offers a grounding reminder: small joys and deliberate choices add up to a truly rich life.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- Why slowing down can increase your happiness, contentment, and financial clarity
- How the slow money movement parallels the principles of long-term investing and sustainable living
- Why “less but better” spending habits often lead to greater satisfaction
- How to audit your subscriptions, triage financial decisions, and adopt a summer spending pause
- The link between gratitude, joy, and long-term financial success
- Real-life strategies to savor the season without overspending
Melissa also shares a must-read article from The New York Times on finding “microjoys” in daily life—a beautiful reminder that happiness doesn’t always require a major overhaul.
📩 Tiny Little Joys: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/27/well/happiness-positivity-tiny-little-joys.html?unlocked_article_code=1.S08.MfIZ.W_os-KboW4X-&smid=url-share
Slow Money Movement: https://verifiedinvesting.com/blogs/education/the-slow-money-movement-long-term-investing-in-a-fast-paced-world
#WomensMoneyWisdom #SlowMoney #FinancialWellness #MindfulSpending #JoyInTheLittleThings #IntentionalLiving
The previous presentation by PEARL PLANNING was intended for general information purposes only. No portion of the presentation serves as the receipt of, or as a substitute for, personalized investment advice from PEARL PLANNING or any other investment professional of your choosing. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and it should not be assumed that future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy, or any non-investment related or planning services, discussion or content, will be profitable, be suitable for your portfolio or individual situation, or prove successful. Neither PEARL PLANNING’s investment adviser registration status, nor any amount of prior experience or success, should be construed that a certain level of results or satisfaction will be achieved if PEARL PLANNING is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services. PEARL PLANNING is neither a law firm nor accounting firm, and no portion of its services should be construed as legal or accounting advice. No portion of the video content should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience a certain level of results if PEARL PLANNING is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services. A copy of PEARL PLANNING’s current written disclosure Brochure discussing our advisory services and fees is available upon request or at https:...
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the Women's Money Wisdom Podcast.
I'm Melissa Joy, a certifiedfinancial planner and the
founder of Pearl Planning.
My goal is to help youstreamline and organize your
finances, navigate big moneydecisions with confidence and be
strategic in order to grow yourwealth.
As a woman, you work hard foryour money and I'm here to help
(00:21):
you make the most of it.
Now let's get into the show.
Welcome back to the Women'sMoney Wisdom Podcast.
I wanted to talk to you guystoday, just one-on-one.
(00:47):
It's been a minute since we'vehad a solo episode and we're in
the heat of the summer.
I'm really loving the Michigansummer because it does a great
amount to offset Michiganwinters and it's just a really
special time of year around here.
But I'm having a particularlydifferent summer this year
because we have some thingsgoing on at Pearl Planning
exciting updates and transitions.
That has resulted in a need tostay closer to the home and get
(01:09):
a lot of work done in the office, and so, whereas a lot of
recent summers we've had a bigsummer vacation to look forward
to more travel kind of trips, itfeels like a little bit of a
slower summer outside of worktime and I'm really enjoying
that, and it made me think aboutjust the need sometimes to slow
(01:31):
things down and how that can beprofound in terms of mindset,
well-being and also moneymatters, frankly, and so I
thought I would talk about that.
On this episode there's been anintersection of several kind of
reminders of this idea ofslowing down the pace.
One is I was reading an articlethat featured a local Dexter
(01:54):
store, one of my favorites.
Grace Proper and Brianna, who'sthe store proprietor, was
talking about her desire tocultivate a place that engaged
in slower experiences, slowerliving, kind of embracing the
moment, which I definitely getthe feeling from in that store.
(02:15):
I just happened to stop inthere today, the same day I'm
recording this, and definitelyfelt those vibes.
And then you know, oftentimesin kind of our neck of the
world's in the financial world,historically there's been
slowdowns during the summer,business wise, because people go
(02:36):
on vacation.
So actually investment marketsare a little less volatile and
fewer things happen Oftentimesin the summer.
I never personally feel thatway because we're kind of a go
all the time type of company,but there's some historic
rhythms when it comes to money,about that in the world of
investing.
(02:58):
And then I also just read thisfantastic article in the New
York Times recently.
It was a newsletter article andthe title of it is happiness
doesn't have to be a heavy lift.
It was talking about micro joys, tiny little joys that can
really boost your mood andmindset, and I found a variety
(03:20):
of clients are having a reallydifficult year this year for
personal reasons, you know, justmindset a little bit heavier or
glass half empty.
And this is an article I wantto share with just about
everyone I know because itreminded me of just like the
small moments that bring youpersonal pleasure, whether it's
(03:44):
someone like me in middle agewho sees New Bird was an example
in the article or a momentreading a book you enjoy, or,
you know, just spending timewith friends, and so, anyway,
all of these intersected.
By the way, I'll have a giftlink to that article in the
episode show notes because Iencourage everyone right now to
(04:06):
read this article about having asmaller lift to bring you
happiness and joy.
But it made me want to recordthis episode and I'm going to
try to kind of intersect someresearch I did for the episode
that talks about slow money,which is seems to be an offshoot
of kind of the slow foodmovement, and then also just
(04:29):
some ideas of how to slow downyour summer, and some of these
ideas are money ideas as well to, you know, kind of maximize a
little respite, a little reliefand perhaps a little more joy
and a little more, you know,financially solid foundation.
So I hope you'll enjoy thisepisode and I would love to hear
(04:52):
everybody's feedback in termsof how you find your tiny little
moments of joy, you know kindof along the way.
So, first of all, the case forslowing down, when you aren't
kind of tied to the rat race,doing what everybody else says
you need to be doing, it oftencan result in increasing
(05:15):
feelings of contentment, whichis something that we're always
seeking here at Pearl Planning,as well as just kind of
satisfaction and happiness.
And also, of course, the lessyou do sometimes, the more there
are funds available foreverything else or the things,
(05:35):
the big rocks that you reallyvalue.
You know there's research thatsays like a less cluttered life
and I'm certainly someone whocould use those organizational
experts when it comes to stuff,I'm definitely a shopper, but
you know, a less cluttered lifeless is more really focusing on
(05:56):
higher quality and perhaps lessquantity All of these things
tend to, in psychologicalstudies, result in greater
happiness and fulfillment.
One of the interesting areas inarticles that I read about and
I'll include this in show noteswas from the American
(06:17):
Psychological Association,talking about how important the
quality of your friendships are,that quality over quantity can
help to increase resilience andpersonal well-being when it
comes to friendships as well.
And so, both in life as well asin money, slowing down, you
know, kind of savoring themoment, practicing patience and
(06:41):
also really being introspectiveabout what brings you happiness
and joy, what you would chooseto either focus on for personal
goals or invest in when it comesto money all of these can both
result in more, perhapsfinancial success, or more
personal and experientialsuccess and joy, and so it
(07:04):
really thematically, especiallyin a Michigan summer, felt worth
it to explore a little bit morein this discussion, and so,
with my research, part of thatcase for slowing things down is
that slow money movement that,like I said, kind of came out of
the slow food movement, whichyou know, if you go to
(07:25):
restaurants that really focus onlocal food that may not be as
mass produced, might not be inthe cheapest section of the
grocery store, but comes fromthe surrounding area, is perhaps
much more seasonal and perhapsorganic.
That slow movement, that slowfood movement, also birthed an
(07:48):
offshoot of slow money movement,and some of the components of
that movement include patientcapital that is invested for a
much longer period of time.
In a world where publiclytraded stocks have to report
their financial results every 90days and if you work in that
corporate rat race you may be,you know, kind of pushing just
(08:10):
constantly for very short-termkind of bursts of effort, a more
patient investment of capitalthat is built for years, if not
decades, can start to feel alittle bit foreign in terms of
where we're nudged.
Some other components of slowermoney include a focus on local
(08:31):
and community.
So perhaps this is why I feltthis was a great topic right now
, because I'm spending more ofthis summer kind of within my
own zip code than I typicallywould be, and almost the entire
summer I'm going to be spendingin Michigan.
So for all the travel that wedo do, it will mainly be to see
(08:53):
family and then our vacationhouse, which is mostly rented
out for the summer.
We will spend five days therein northern Michigan as well,
but we're really staying closerto, you know, kind of our local
boundaries than we typicallywould be, which is another
component of that, theprinciples of slow money.
(09:15):
Another component is holisticreturn, so not just looking at
the profit only of something,but also looking at an emphasis
on you know kind of stewardshipof capital in terms of the
environmental results, fairwages for the labor that goes
(09:36):
into you know kind of theeconomic output and kind of
leaving the world in a betterplace as your capital touches it
.
And so I think this reflectsenvironmental, social and
governance investing values,which is also something that
many of the clients of our firmask us to incorporate into the
(09:58):
way that we invest.
And then one of the lastcomponents is a deliberate pace,
so that you're not trying to doeverything you know kind of
accomplish or do everything atonce, and so I just loved the
ideas of these beingincorporated into discussions,
mindset, in some cases perhapsinvestment decisions.
(10:22):
Certainly, I know that mostinvesting results that we seek
are not about the best week orthe best month, but enduring
investment results.
It can allow people to haveconfidence to plan their
financial goals over longperiods of time, including, of
course, for many of us, the mostimportant you know kind of
(10:43):
self-funded financialaccomplishment, which is funding
and retirement, and so I lovethat look over time with a
slower pace and and perhaps asharper filter in terms of
what's important, what youchoose to invest in, how you
choose to either spend or placeyour capital, your money.
(11:06):
So, as we've explored this topic, I'd love to talk about ways
that you might be able to slowdown this summer without
breaking the bank.
One of them would be just kindof giving yourself an inventory
of the things you really lovedoing.
That might not.
They may be more experientialand less spendy they may be.
(11:30):
You know, smaller events withwhen you're focusing on those
quality of friendships withfewer people.
I know sometimes I find myselfin this.
You know, kind of circular,chasing my tail trying to plan
bigger events with one or twofriends or couples and making
(11:59):
more time, but not with.
You know big groups thatrequire a lot of forethought in
terms of planning and thingslike that Entertaining more at
home or locally and making plansto get together in areas that
are ripe during the summeraround here, like festivals.
You know local events andtraditions that don't always
(12:20):
have a big upfront price or costbut have a lot of great, both
new experiences as well astraditions, and so, you know,
really just focusing on timeoutside, if you're in a great
place to be in the summer,making that space with people
(12:42):
you enjoy being with or want toknow more or want to revisit you
know kind of your connection,focusing on activities that can
kind of integrate multiplethings, like perhaps you'll have
a meal in a place where you canalso walk around and spend time
and things like that, and alsogiving yourself space for
(13:02):
downtime.
So one of the things I'm tryingto do this summer and I'm always
, you know, kind of a hyperplanner, love to have things on
the calendar it's just leaving aspace in time to slow down.
I have a new chair hammock thatI really love and so if I have
plans every night I won't spendas much time reading on that
(13:22):
hammock.
But if we leave kind of someblank spaces in the calendar for
those moments in time, then Ithink that is, you know, kind of
part of the savoring the slowsummer that also, of course, may
lead, I have found, to perhapsa little more money in the bank
(13:44):
at the end of the month or alittle less of a spend than
typically happens.
So it seems to be dovetailnicely when you kind of maximize
outdoor space.
Maximize and capitalize ontraditional, you know kind of
annual community events to boostthe happiness, boost the
(14:05):
experience, but keep the budgetvery attainable.
But keep the budget veryattainable.
So, as you are slowing down withyour money this summer, though,
I had a few kind of ideas orsuggestions that you might wanna
consider, and I will as well,for how to slow down your money
(14:26):
and your financials during theyear.
One idea is to slow down thepace of your financial decision
making.
Perhaps you've got four or fivethings kind of on your list to
accomplish, but instead offocusing on all of them at once,
you're going to triage and say,well, this can wait, but this
is more important.
And do spend time reflecting onwhat you've really appreciated
(14:51):
or enjoyed in past decisions andother decisions that haven't
felt as impactful as you thoughtthey would, so that you can
help to evaluate the decisionsthat you value the most.
Another thing that I'm alwaysmentioning on the podcast is
audit or edit your subscriptions.
Podcast is audit or edit yoursubscriptions.
(15:15):
You really decide.
You might take the summer offfrom a few streaming services or
cancel.
I can use an example myself Itried to rent the runway earlier
this year, and it's just notfor me and I didn't find that I
was getting the value out of it,like some of my friends who I
know love the service.
And so I canceled thatsubscription because I just
wasn't using it to its fullforce and effect and had
(15:39):
preferences to kind of put moneyelsewhere but go through and,
you know, kind of pare down thethings.
That may, you know, be morework than gain things like that.
You know, be more work thangain things like that.
You might want to consideradopting a summer spending fast
where perhaps you really workhard to spend as little as
(16:00):
possible.
But another great idea might beto just cut out one, perhaps
part of your budget and focusmore on different things so it
could be eating out for a weekor um, you uh, entertainment
like doing things differently.
Or again, it could fit in withthat audit and edit for
(16:22):
subscription services.
Um, plan that frugal fun bylooking at events calendars.
And, um, you know, some of myfavorites are the?
Um local fairs.
We will be attending the 4-Hfair later this summer as well
as, I'm sure, um uh, the Chelseafair, which is just from the
(16:46):
next town over and is always agood time.
Um, we love summer concertsthat are outdoors or spending
time in the park, and we'refortunate to live close to a
lake, so time on the lake aswell.
We've already got our boat,which is always a challenge as a
boater in terms of are yougetting the value that you
(17:08):
really need from this investment, and so we're really focused on
spending quality time at leastonce a week out on the lake.
Not the most frugal thing Iknow as a boat owner.
It comes with costs, but if youcan make the most of something
that already has that sunk cost,that can really make a
(17:29):
difference and is a great way toentertain friends.
Also, just practicing gratitudeand this goes back to the tiny,
little joys, but just findingthe small, particular moments
that really bring you value canreally make a difference in
terms of your mindset, youroutlook and kind of your vibe.
I remember a conversation wehad with clients that just
(17:52):
things weren't going their waywhen we spoke about a year ago
and they made some investment indecisions to make changes that
went as far as to relocate interms of where their family
lives, and we met with themagain today and they were full
of or recently, and they werefull of gratitude, the changes
that they made really were afantastic fit for their of or
recently, and they were full ofgratitude the changes that they
made really were a fantastic fitfor their family, the culture
(18:16):
of the family, and so beinggrateful for the opportunity to
make different decisions likethis and then, courageous, to
really invest in kind of adifferent pathway, all of those
can be ways, actually,interestingly, to perhaps slow
down.
They kind of relocated from afaster and more furious, you
(18:39):
know kind of city to one thathad a pace that was a better fit
for them and their lifestyle.
So if you've been listening tothis and you've either found
those tiny moments of joy or arethrilled with the challenge to
slow down the summer, take apause, think longer term and
(19:02):
make the pace more deliberate,I'd love to hear what ideas you
have, what you've committed toor the changes you've made.
Have what you've committed toor the changes you've made.
Summer isn't just about packingevery single moment with
something on the agenda, andneither is your financial life.
Sometimes you've got to letthings bake, let things grow,
and that takes time, and slowingdown in terms of your
(19:25):
expectations for results canreally mean more success, and
with each season.
I think there's the opportunityto understand and reflect on
what you value most with thattime and that season and really
reinforce your investment bytaking a moment to plan the way
(19:46):
you're going to enjoy, tacklewhat budget you need for that
and all that good stuff.
But if you're enjoying a slowsummer, like I am, then I'd love
for you to share your bestideas, and here's to a quiet
week with some moments forreflection and some tiny little
joys.
Until next time, have a greatweek.
(20:08):
Support the podcast is toforward an episode to a friend
or leave a review.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Go to proplancom and the podcast link to get all the
resources and links mentioned.
This presentation by PearlPlanning is intended for general
(20:39):
information purposes only.
No portion of this presentationserves as a receipt of or a
substitute for personalinvestment advice from Pearl
Planning or any other investmentprofessional of your choosing.
Copies of Pearl Planning'scurrent rent and disclosure
brochure and form CRS discussingour advisory services and fees
are available upon request or onour website platform at
(21:01):
pearlplancom.
The information that we shareis meant to educate and inspire,
not serve as personalizedfinancial advice.
Everyone's situation is unique,so be sure to consult with your
own financial professional forguidance that fits your life.
And just so you know, theopinions shared in this podcast
are Melissa's own and those ofher guests.
They don't necessarilyrepresent any organizations with
(21:24):
which Melissa is affiliated.
For more important disclosures,please go to our webpage at
proplancom.
Welcome to the Women's Money Wisdom Podcast.
I'm Melissa Joy, a certifiedfinancial planner and the
founder of Pearl Planning.
My goal is to help youstreamline and organize your
finances, navigate big moneydecisions with confidence and be
strategic in order to grow yourwealth.
As a woman, you work hard foryour money and I'm here to help
(00:21):
you make the most of it.
Now let's get into the show.
Welcome back to the Women'sMoney Wisdom Podcast.
I wanted to talk to you guystoday, just one-on-one.
(00:47):
It's been a minute since we'vehad a solo episode and we're in
the heat of the summer.
I'm really loving the Michigansummer because it does a great
amount to offset Michiganwinters and it's just a really
special time of year around here.
But I'm having a particularlydifferent summer this year
because we have some thingsgoing on at Pearl Planning
exciting updates and transitions.
That has resulted in a need tostay closer to the home and get
(01:09):
a lot of work done in the office, and so, whereas a lot of
recent summers we've had a bigsummer vacation to look forward
to more travel kind of trips, itfeels like a little bit of a
slower summer outside of worktime and I'm really enjoying
that, and it made me think aboutjust the need sometimes to slow
(01:31):
things down and how that can beprofound in terms of mindset,
well-being and also moneymatters, frankly, and so I
thought I would talk about that.
On this episode there's been anintersection of several kind of
reminders of this idea ofslowing down the pace.
One is I was reading an articlethat featured a local Dexter
(01:54):
store, one of my favorites.
Grace Proper and Brianna, who'sthe store proprietor, was
talking about her desire tocultivate a place that engaged
in slower experiences, slowerliving, kind of embracing the
moment, which I definitely getthe feeling from in that store.
(02:15):
I just happened to stop inthere today, the same day I'm
recording this, and definitelyfelt those vibes.
And then you know, oftentimesin kind of our neck of the
world's in the financial world,historically there's been
slowdowns during the summer,business wise, because people go
(02:36):
on vacation.
So actually investment marketsare a little less volatile and
fewer things happen Oftentimesin the summer.
I never personally feel thatway because we're kind of a go
all the time type of company,but there's some historic
rhythms when it comes to money,about that in the world of
investing.
(02:58):
And then I also just read thisfantastic article in the New
York Times recently.
It was a newsletter article andthe title of it is happiness
doesn't have to be a heavy lift.
It was talking about micro joys, tiny little joys that can
really boost your mood andmindset, and I found a variety
(03:20):
of clients are having a reallydifficult year this year for
personal reasons, you know, justmindset a little bit heavier or
glass half empty.
And this is an article I wantto share with just about
everyone I know because itreminded me of just like the
small moments that bring youpersonal pleasure, whether it's
(03:44):
someone like me in middle agewho sees New Bird was an example
in the article or a momentreading a book you enjoy, or,
you know, just spending timewith friends, and so, anyway,
all of these intersected.
By the way, I'll have a giftlink to that article in the
episode show notes because Iencourage everyone right now to
(04:06):
read this article about having asmaller lift to bring you
happiness and joy.
But it made me want to recordthis episode and I'm going to
try to kind of intersect someresearch I did for the episode
that talks about slow money,which is seems to be an offshoot
of kind of the slow foodmovement, and then also just
(04:29):
some ideas of how to slow downyour summer, and some of these
ideas are money ideas as well to, you know, kind of maximize a
little respite, a little reliefand perhaps a little more joy
and a little more, you know,financially solid foundation.
So I hope you'll enjoy thisepisode and I would love to hear
(04:52):
everybody's feedback in termsof how you find your tiny little
moments of joy, you know kindof along the way.
So, first of all, the case forslowing down, when you aren't
kind of tied to the rat race,doing what everybody else says
you need to be doing, it oftencan result in increasing
(05:15):
feelings of contentment, whichis something that we're always
seeking here at Pearl Planning,as well as just kind of
satisfaction and happiness.
And also, of course, the lessyou do sometimes, the more there
are funds available foreverything else or the things,
(05:35):
the big rocks that you reallyvalue.
You know there's research thatsays like a less cluttered life
and I'm certainly someone whocould use those organizational
experts when it comes to stuff,I'm definitely a shopper, but
you know, a less cluttered lifeless is more really focusing on
(05:56):
higher quality and perhaps lessquantity All of these things
tend to, in psychologicalstudies, result in greater
happiness and fulfillment.
One of the interesting areas inarticles that I read about and
I'll include this in show noteswas from the American
(06:17):
Psychological Association,talking about how important the
quality of your friendships are,that quality over quantity can
help to increase resilience andpersonal well-being when it
comes to friendships as well.
And so, both in life as well asin money, slowing down, you
know, kind of savoring themoment, practicing patience and
(06:41):
also really being introspectiveabout what brings you happiness
and joy, what you would chooseto either focus on for personal
goals or invest in when it comesto money all of these can both
result in more, perhapsfinancial success, or more
personal and experientialsuccess and joy, and so it
(07:04):
really thematically, especiallyin a Michigan summer, felt worth
it to explore a little bit morein this discussion, and so,
with my research, part of thatcase for slowing things down is
that slow money movement that,like I said, kind of came out of
the slow food movement, whichyou know, if you go to
(07:25):
restaurants that really focus onlocal food that may not be as
mass produced, might not be inthe cheapest section of the
grocery store, but comes fromthe surrounding area, is perhaps
much more seasonal and perhapsorganic.
That slow movement, that slowfood movement, also birthed an
(07:48):
offshoot of slow money movement,and some of the components of
that movement include patientcapital that is invested for a
much longer period of time.
In a world where publiclytraded stocks have to report
their financial results every 90days and if you work in that
corporate rat race you may be,you know, kind of pushing just
(08:10):
constantly for very short-termkind of bursts of effort, a more
patient investment of capitalthat is built for years, if not
decades, can start to feel alittle bit foreign in terms of
where we're nudged.
Some other components of slowermoney include a focus on local
(08:31):
and community.
So perhaps this is why I feltthis was a great topic right now
, because I'm spending more ofthis summer kind of within my
own zip code than I typicallywould be, and almost the entire
summer I'm going to be spendingin Michigan.
So for all the travel that wedo do, it will mainly be to see
(08:53):
family and then our vacationhouse, which is mostly rented
out for the summer.
We will spend five days therein northern Michigan as well,
but we're really staying closerto, you know, kind of our local
boundaries than we typicallywould be, which is another
component of that, theprinciples of slow money.
(09:15):
Another component is holisticreturn, so not just looking at
the profit only of something,but also looking at an emphasis
on you know kind of stewardshipof capital in terms of the
environmental results, fairwages for the labor that goes
(09:36):
into you know kind of theeconomic output and kind of
leaving the world in a betterplace as your capital touches it
.
And so I think this reflectsenvironmental, social and
governance investing values,which is also something that
many of the clients of our firmask us to incorporate into the
(09:58):
way that we invest.
And then one of the lastcomponents is a deliberate pace,
so that you're not trying to doeverything you know kind of
accomplish or do everything atonce, and so I just loved the
ideas of these beingincorporated into discussions,
mindset, in some cases perhapsinvestment decisions.
(10:22):
Certainly, I know that mostinvesting results that we seek
are not about the best week orthe best month, but enduring
investment results.
It can allow people to haveconfidence to plan their
financial goals over longperiods of time, including, of
course, for many of us, the mostimportant you know kind of
(10:43):
self-funded financialaccomplishment, which is funding
and retirement, and so I lovethat look over time with a
slower pace and and perhaps asharper filter in terms of
what's important, what youchoose to invest in, how you
choose to either spend or placeyour capital, your money.
(11:06):
So, as we've explored this topic, I'd love to talk about ways
that you might be able to slowdown this summer without
breaking the bank.
One of them would be just kindof giving yourself an inventory
of the things you really lovedoing.
That might not.
They may be more experientialand less spendy they may be.
(11:30):
You know, smaller events withwhen you're focusing on those
quality of friendships withfewer people.
I know sometimes I find myselfin this.
You know, kind of circular,chasing my tail trying to plan
bigger events with one or twofriends or couples and making
(11:59):
more time, but not with.
You know big groups thatrequire a lot of forethought in
terms of planning and thingslike that Entertaining more at
home or locally and making plansto get together in areas that
are ripe during the summeraround here, like festivals.
You know local events andtraditions that don't always
(12:20):
have a big upfront price or costbut have a lot of great, both
new experiences as well astraditions, and so, you know,
really just focusing on timeoutside, if you're in a great
place to be in the summer,making that space with people
(12:42):
you enjoy being with or want toknow more or want to revisit you
know kind of your connection,focusing on activities that can
kind of integrate multiplethings, like perhaps you'll have
a meal in a place where you canalso walk around and spend time
and things like that, and alsogiving yourself space for
(13:02):
downtime.
So one of the things I'm tryingto do this summer and I'm always
, you know, kind of a hyperplanner, love to have things on
the calendar it's just leaving aspace in time to slow down.
I have a new chair hammock thatI really love and so if I have
plans every night I won't spendas much time reading on that
(13:22):
hammock.
But if we leave kind of someblank spaces in the calendar for
those moments in time, then Ithink that is, you know, kind of
part of the savoring the slowsummer that also, of course, may
lead, I have found, to perhapsa little more money in the bank
(13:44):
at the end of the month or alittle less of a spend than
typically happens.
So it seems to be dovetailnicely when you kind of maximize
outdoor space.
Maximize and capitalize ontraditional, you know kind of
annual community events to boostthe happiness, boost the
(14:05):
experience, but keep the budgetvery attainable.
But keep the budget veryattainable.
So, as you are slowing down withyour money this summer, though,
I had a few kind of ideas orsuggestions that you might wanna
consider, and I will as well,for how to slow down your money
(14:26):
and your financials during theyear.
One idea is to slow down thepace of your financial decision
making.
Perhaps you've got four or fivethings kind of on your list to
accomplish, but instead offocusing on all of them at once,
you're going to triage and say,well, this can wait, but this
is more important.
And do spend time reflecting onwhat you've really appreciated
(14:51):
or enjoyed in past decisions andother decisions that haven't
felt as impactful as you thoughtthey would, so that you can
help to evaluate the decisionsthat you value the most.
Another thing that I'm alwaysmentioning on the podcast is
audit or edit your subscriptions.
Podcast is audit or edit yoursubscriptions.
(15:15):
You really decide.
You might take the summer offfrom a few streaming services or
cancel.
I can use an example myself Itried to rent the runway earlier
this year, and it's just notfor me and I didn't find that I
was getting the value out of it,like some of my friends who I
know love the service.
And so I canceled thatsubscription because I just
wasn't using it to its fullforce and effect and had
(15:39):
preferences to kind of put moneyelsewhere but go through and,
you know, kind of pare down thethings.
That may, you know, be morework than gain things like that.
You know, be more work thangain things like that.
You might want to consideradopting a summer spending fast
where perhaps you really workhard to spend as little as
(16:00):
possible.
But another great idea might beto just cut out one, perhaps
part of your budget and focusmore on different things so it
could be eating out for a weekor um, you uh, entertainment
like doing things differently.
Or again, it could fit in withthat audit and edit for
(16:22):
subscription services.
Um, plan that frugal fun bylooking at events calendars.
And, um, you know, some of myfavorites are the?
Um local fairs.
We will be attending the 4-Hfair later this summer as well
as, I'm sure, um uh, the Chelseafair, which is just from the
(16:46):
next town over and is always agood time.
Um, we love summer concertsthat are outdoors or spending
time in the park, and we'refortunate to live close to a
lake, so time on the lake aswell.
We've already got our boat,which is always a challenge as a
boater in terms of are yougetting the value that you
(17:08):
really need from this investment, and so we're really focused on
spending quality time at leastonce a week out on the lake.
Not the most frugal thing Iknow as a boat owner.
It comes with costs, but if youcan make the most of something
that already has that sunk cost,that can really make a
(17:29):
difference and is a great way toentertain friends.
Also, just practicing gratitudeand this goes back to the tiny,
little joys, but just findingthe small, particular moments
that really bring you value canreally make a difference in
terms of your mindset, youroutlook and kind of your vibe.
I remember a conversation wehad with clients that just
(17:52):
things weren't going their waywhen we spoke about a year ago
and they made some investment indecisions to make changes that
went as far as to relocate interms of where their family
lives, and we met with themagain today and they were full
of or recently, and they werefull of gratitude, the changes
that they made really were afantastic fit for their of or
recently, and they were full ofgratitude the changes that they
made really were a fantastic fitfor their family, the culture
(18:16):
of the family, and so beinggrateful for the opportunity to
make different decisions likethis and then, courageous, to
really invest in kind of adifferent pathway, all of those
can be ways, actually,interestingly, to perhaps slow
down.
They kind of relocated from afaster and more furious, you
(18:39):
know kind of city to one thathad a pace that was a better fit
for them and their lifestyle.
So if you've been listening tothis and you've either found
those tiny moments of joy or arethrilled with the challenge to
slow down the summer, take apause, think longer term and
(19:02):
make the pace more deliberate,I'd love to hear what ideas you
have, what you've committed toor the changes you've made.
Have what you've committed toor the changes you've made.
Summer isn't just about packingevery single moment with
something on the agenda, andneither is your financial life.
Sometimes you've got to letthings bake, let things grow,
and that takes time, and slowingdown in terms of your
(19:25):
expectations for results canreally mean more success, and
with each season.
I think there's the opportunityto understand and reflect on
what you value most with thattime and that season and really
reinforce your investment bytaking a moment to plan the way
(19:46):
you're going to enjoy, tacklewhat budget you need for that
and all that good stuff.
But if you're enjoying a slowsummer, like I am, then I'd love
for you to share your bestideas, and here's to a quiet
week with some moments forreflection and some tiny little
joys.
Until next time, have a greatweek.
(20:08):
Support the podcast is toforward an episode to a friend
or leave a review.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Go to proplancom and the podcast link to get all the
resources and links mentioned.
This presentation by PearlPlanning is intended for general
(20:39):
information purposes only.
No portion of this presentationserves as a receipt of or a
substitute for personalinvestment advice from Pearl
Planning or any other investmentprofessional of your choosing.
Copies of Pearl Planning'scurrent rent and disclosure
brochure and form CRS discussingour advisory services and fees
are available upon request or onour website platform at
(21:01):
pearlplancom.
The information that we shareis meant to educate and inspire,
not serve as personalizedfinancial advice.
Everyone's situation is unique,so be sure to consult with your
own financial professional forguidance that fits your life.
And just so you know, theopinions shared in this podcast
are Melissa's own and those ofher guests.
They don't necessarilyrepresent any organizations with
(21:24):
which Melissa is affiliated.
For more important disclosures,please go to our webpage at
proplancom.
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