Women's Money Wisdom

Episode 281: Slow Summer for Great Vibes and Money Outcomes

• Melissa Joy, CFP® • Season 1 • Episode 281

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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:...

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Women's Money Wisdom Podcast. I'm Melissa Joy, a certified financial planner and the founder of Pearl Planning. My goal is to help you streamline and organize your finances, navigate big money decisions with confidence and be strategic in order to grow your wealth. As a woman, you work hard for your money and I'm here to help you make the most of it. Now let's get into the show. Welcome back to the Women's Money Wisdom Podcast.

Speaker 1:

I wanted to talk to you guys today, just one-on-one. It's been a minute since we've had a solo episode and we're in the heat of the summer. I'm really loving the Michigan summer because it does a great amount to offset Michigan winters and it's just a really special time of year around here. But I'm having a particularly different summer this year because we have some things going on at Pearl Planning exciting updates and transitions. That has resulted in a need to stay closer to the home and get a lot of work done in the office, and so, whereas a lot of recent summers we've had a big summer vacation to look forward to more travel kind of trips, it feels like a little bit of a slower summer outside of work time and I'm really enjoying that, and it made me think about just the need sometimes to slow things down and how that can be profound in terms of mindset, well-being and also money matters, frankly, and so I thought I would talk about that.

Speaker 1:

On this episode there's been an intersection of several kind of reminders of this idea of slowing down the pace. One is I was reading an article that featured a local Dexter store, one of my favorites. Grace Proper and Brianna, who's the store proprietor, was talking about her desire to cultivate a place that engaged in slower experiences, slower living, kind of embracing the moment, which I definitely get the feeling from in that store. I just happened to stop in there today, the same day I'm recording this, and definitely felt those vibes. And then you know, oftentimes in 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 on vacation. So actually investment markets are a little less volatile and fewer things happen Oftentimes in the summer. I never personally feel that way 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.

Speaker 1:

And then I also just read this fantastic article in the New York Times recently. It was a newsletter article and the 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 and mindset, and I found a variety of clients are having a really difficult year this year for personal reasons, you know, just mindset a little bit heavier or glass half empty. And this is an article I want to share with just about everyone I know because it reminded me of just like the small moments that bring you personal pleasure, whether it's someone like me in middle age who sees New Bird was an example in the article or a moment reading a book you enjoy, or, you know, just spending time with friends, and so, anyway, all of these intersected. By the way, I'll have a gift link to that article in the episode show notes because I encourage everyone right now to read this article about having a smaller lift to bring you happiness and joy. But it made me want to record this episode and I'm going to try to kind of intersect some research I did for the episode that talks about slow money, which is seems to be an offshoot of kind of the slow food movement, and then also just some ideas of how to slow down your summer, and some of these ideas are money ideas as well to, you know, kind of maximize a little respite, a little relief and perhaps a little more joy and a little more, you know, financially solid foundation. So I hope you'll enjoy this episode and I would love to hear everybody's feedback in terms of how you find your tiny little moments of joy, you know kind of along the way.

Speaker 1:

So, first of all, the case for slowing down, when you aren't kind of tied to the rat race, doing what everybody else says you need to be doing, it often can result in increasing feelings of contentment, which is something that we're always seeking here at Pearl Planning, as well as just kind of satisfaction and happiness. And also, of course, the less you do sometimes, the more there are funds available for everything else or the things, the big rocks that you really value. You know there's research that says like a less cluttered life and I'm certainly someone who could use those organizational experts when it comes to stuff, I'm definitely a shopper, but you know, a less cluttered life less is more really focusing on higher quality and perhaps less quantity All of these things tend to, in psychological studies, result in greater happiness and fulfillment. One of the interesting areas in articles that I read about and I'll include this in show notes was from the American Psychological Association, talking about how important the quality of your friendships are, that quality over quantity can help to increase resilience and personal well-being when it comes to friendships as well. And so, both in life as well as in money, slowing down, you know, kind of savoring the moment, practicing patience and also really being introspective about what brings you happiness and joy, what you would choose to either focus on for personal goals or invest in when it comes to money all of these can both result in more, perhaps financial success, or more personal and experiential success and joy, and so it really thematically, especially in a Michigan summer, felt worth it to explore a little bit more in this discussion, and so, with my research, part of that case for slowing things down is that slow money movement that, like I said, kind of came out of the slow food movement, which you know, if you go to restaurants that really focus on local food that may not be as mass produced, might not be in the cheapest section of the grocery store, but comes from the surrounding area, is perhaps much more seasonal and perhaps organic.

Speaker 1:

That slow movement, that slow food movement, also birthed an offshoot of slow money movement, and some of the components of that movement include patient capital that is invested for a much longer period of time. In a world where publicly traded stocks have to report their financial results every 90 days and if you work in that corporate rat race you may be, you know, kind of pushing just constantly for very short-term kind of bursts of effort, a more patient investment of capital that is built for years, if not decades, can start to feel a little bit foreign in terms of where we're nudged. Some other components of slower money include a focus on local and community. So perhaps this is why I felt this was a great topic right now, because I'm spending more of this summer kind of within my own zip code than I typically would be, and almost the entire summer I'm going to be spending in Michigan. So for all the travel that we do do, it will mainly be to see family and then our vacation house, which is mostly rented out for the summer. We will spend five days there in northern Michigan as well, but we're really staying closer to, you know, kind of our local boundaries than we typically would be, which is another component of that, the principles of slow money.

Speaker 1:

Another component is holistic return, so not just looking at the profit only of something, but also looking at an emphasis on you know kind of stewardship of capital in terms of the environmental results, fair wages for the labor that goes into you know kind of the economic output and kind of leaving the world in a better place as your capital touches it. And so I think this reflects environmental, social and governance investing values, which is also something that many of the clients of our firm ask us to incorporate into the way that we invest. And then one of the last components is a deliberate pace, so that you're not trying to do everything you know kind of accomplish or do everything at once, and so I just loved the ideas of these being incorporated into discussions, mindset, in some cases perhaps investment decisions. Certainly, I know that most investing results that we seek are not about the best week or the best month, but enduring investment results. It can allow people to have confidence to plan their financial goals over long periods of time, including, of course, for many of us, the most important you know kind of self-funded financial accomplishment, which is funding and retirement, and so I love that look over time with a slower pace and and perhaps a sharper filter in terms of what's important, what you choose to invest in, how you choose to either spend or place your capital, your money.

Speaker 1:

So, as we've explored this topic, I'd love to talk about ways that you might be able to slow down this summer without breaking the bank. One of them would be just kind of giving yourself an inventory of the things you really love doing. That might not. They may be more experiential and less spendy they may be. You know, smaller events with when you're focusing on those quality of friendships with fewer people.

Speaker 1:

I know sometimes I find myself in this. You know, kind of circular, chasing my tail trying to plan bigger events with one or two friends or couples and making more time, but not with. You know big groups that require a lot of forethought in terms of planning and things like that Entertaining more at home or locally and making plans to get together in areas that are ripe during the summer around here, like festivals. You know local events and traditions that don't always have a big upfront price or cost but have a lot of great, both new experiences as well as traditions, and so, you know, really just focusing on time outside, if you're in a great place to be in the summer, making that space with people you enjoy being with or want to know more or want to revisit you know kind of your connection, focusing on activities that can kind of integrate multiple things, like perhaps you'll have a meal in a place where you can also walk around and spend time and things like that, and also giving yourself space for downtime.

Speaker 1:

So one of the things I'm trying to do this summer and I'm always, you know, kind of a hyper planner, love to have things on the calendar it's just leaving a space in time to slow down. I have a new chair hammock that I really love and so if I have plans every night I won't spend as much time reading on that hammock. But if we leave kind of some blank spaces in the calendar for those moments in time, then I think that is, you know, kind of part of the savoring the slow summer that also, of course, may lead, I have found, to perhaps a little more money in the bank at the end of the month or a little less of a spend than typically happens. So it seems to be dovetail nicely when you kind of maximize outdoor space. Maximize and capitalize on traditional, you know kind of annual community events to boost the happiness, boost the experience, but keep the budget very attainable. But keep the budget very attainable.

Speaker 1:

So, as you are slowing down with your money this summer, though, I had a few kind of ideas or suggestions that you might wanna consider, and I will as well, for how to slow down your money and your financials during the year. One idea is to slow down the pace of your financial decision making. Perhaps you've got four or five things kind of on your list to accomplish, but instead of focusing 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 on what you've really appreciated or enjoyed in past decisions and other decisions that haven't felt as impactful as you thought they would, so that you can help to evaluate the decisions that you value the most. Another thing that I'm always mentioning on the podcast is audit or edit your subscriptions. Podcast is audit or edit your subscriptions. You really decide.

Speaker 1:

You might take the summer off from a few streaming services or cancel. I can use an example myself I tried to rent the runway earlier this year, and it's just not for 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 that subscription because I just wasn't using it to its full force and effect and had preferences to kind of put money elsewhere but go through and, you know, kind of pare down the things. That may, you know, be more work than gain things like that. You know, be more work than gain things like that. You might want to consider adopting a summer spending fast where perhaps you really work hard to spend as little as possible. But another great idea might be to just cut out one, perhaps part of your budget and focus more on different things so it could be eating out for a week or um, you uh, entertainment like doing things differently. Or again, it could fit in with that audit and edit for subscription services.

Speaker 1:

Um, plan that frugal fun by looking at events calendars. And, um, you know, some of my favorites are the? Um local fairs. We will be attending the 4-H fair later this summer as well as, I'm sure, um uh, the Chelsea fair, which is just from the next town over and is always a good time. Um, we love summer concerts that are outdoors or spending time in the park, and we're fortunate to live close to a lake, so time on the lake as well. We've already got our boat, which is always a challenge as a boater in terms of are you getting the value that you really need from this investment, and so we're really focused on spending quality time at least once a week out on the lake. Not the most frugal thing I know as a boat owner. It comes with costs, but if you can make the most of something that already has that sunk cost, that can really make a difference and is a great way to entertain friends.

Speaker 1:

Also, just practicing gratitude and this goes back to the tiny, little joys, but just finding the small, particular moments that really bring you value can really make a difference in terms of your mindset, your outlook and kind of your vibe. I remember a conversation we had with clients that just things weren't going their way when we spoke about a year ago and they made some investment in decisions to make changes that went as far as to relocate in terms of where their family lives, and we met with them again today and they were full of or recently, and they were full of gratitude, the changes that they made really were a fantastic fit for their of or recently, and they were full of gratitude the changes that they made really were a fantastic fit for their family, the culture of the family, and so being grateful for the opportunity to make different decisions like this and then, courageous, to really invest in kind of a different pathway, all of those can be ways, actually, interestingly, to perhaps slow down. They kind of relocated from a faster and more furious, you know kind of city to one that had a pace that was a better fit for them and their lifestyle. So if you've been listening to this and you've either found those tiny moments of joy or are thrilled with the challenge to slow down the summer, take a pause, think longer term and make the pace more deliberate, I'd love to hear what ideas you have, what you've committed to or the changes you've made. Have what you've committed to or the changes you've made.

Speaker 1:

Summer isn't just about packing every single moment with something on the agenda, and neither is your financial life. Sometimes you've got to let things bake, let things grow, and that takes time, and slowing down in terms of your expectations for results can really mean more success, and with each season. I think there's the opportunity to understand and reflect on what you value most with that time and that season and really reinforce your investment by taking a moment to plan the way you're going to enjoy, tackle what budget you need for that and all that good stuff. But if you're enjoying a slow summer, like I am, then I'd love for you to share your best ideas, and here's to a quiet week with some moments for reflection and some tiny little joys. Until next time, have a great week. Support the podcast is to forward an episode to a friend or leave a review.

Speaker 2:

Go to proplancom and the podcast link to get all the resources and links mentioned. This presentation by Pearl Planning is intended for general information purposes only. No portion of this presentation serves as a receipt of or a substitute for personal investment advice from Pearl Planning or any other investment professional of your choosing. Copies of Pearl Planning's current rent and disclosure brochure and form CRS discussing our advisory services and fees are available upon request or on our website platform at pearlplancom. The information that we share is meant to educate and inspire, not serve as personalized financial advice. Everyone's situation is unique, so be sure to consult with your own financial professional for guidance that fits your life. And just so you know, the opinions shared in this podcast are Melissa's own and those of her guests. They don't necessarily represent any organizations with which Melissa is affiliated. For more important disclosures, please go to our webpage at proplancom.

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