Suns Out, Funds Out (With Intention…SIMMER Style!)
by Anoushka Mirchandani, Founder & CEO
With the first official day of summer around the corner, it’s easy to feel the itch to do more, book more, spend more.
The kids are out of school, the sun is blazing, and vacation is calling to me like the One Ring—whispering my name every time I open Instagram.
It’s not that I don’t want to enjoy it—trust me, I do.
But every time I’ve rolled into summer without a plan, I blink and the budget’s gone.
Camps, trips, spontaneous dinners, too much takeout… it adds up fast.
This year, I’m trying something different.
Not a spending freeze. Not a rigid budget.
Just a more intentional approach to summer spending—one that lets me have fun without the regret hangover.
Start With the Sure Things
I’m someone who loves to wing it.
But I’ve learned to wing the fun parts, not the parts that I’ll pay for financially later.
So now, I start by listing the non-negotiables.
For me, that’s:
- Camps and childcare
- Takeout once a week (so that cooking doesn’t end up feeling like a chore)
- One travel escape (because let’s be real: travel is my Achilles’ heel)
These are the fixed costs. The things that are definitely happening.
Getting them on paper helps me see what I’m working with—and where I need to rein it in before the spending spiral starts.
Because when I don’t map it out, I always underestimate the bill.
And then I’m somehow shocked when the credit card balance creeps up until suddenly I’m halfway into a debt spiral.
Then Comes the Edit
Once the non-negotiables are in, the real challenge begins: everything else.
Now, it’s time to edit.
Because summer is full of temptation—spontaneous dinners, last-minute getaways, events I didn’t plan for but suddenly feel like I have to attend.
I think of my summer budget the way I pack for a trip.
I’m not an over-packer—I hate suitcases. I’m a backpack girl.
But with two young kids, I’ve learned how to pack one suitcase really well.
No extras. Just the stuff that actually matters.
Same goes for money. So now, I pause before I say yes.
Does this add real value, or is it just exciting in the moment?
Would I still want this if it meant leaving something else behind?
If it’s not going to make the trip (or summer) meaningfully better, it doesn’t make the cut.
I still want the fun. I still want the magic.
I just want it to fit in the bag I’ve got.
And I Still Leave Room for Joy
Even with a plan, I want summer to feel like summer—not a spreadsheet.
So I always leave a little flex room.
Not a lot, just enough for the random things that make the season feel good.
Like:
- An impromptu ice cream run—because how do you say no after your kid swims their heart out at a 7AM Saturday meet?
- A last-minute beach day that means extra takeout and maybe some fancy beers.
- Valet parking in Laguna, because finding a spot might just break you before your feet even hit the sand.
These aren’t budget wreckers. They’re sanity savers. And they matter.
Because if everything’s planned down to the dollar, I’ll rebel.
Not in a dramatic way—just in the quiet, “I. Am. A. Robot.” kind of way.
And that’s not the energy I want.
I’d rather live the “Go to the edge of the cliff and jump off. Build your wings on the way down” life.
(Obviously jumping SIMMER style—with intention.)
This isn’t about deprivation.
It’s about leaving space for joy—without falling off track.
Clarity Always Beats Chaos
Everyone’s perfect summer looks different.
You just want to feel good while it’s happening—and more importantly, feel good when the bill comes.
That’s what financial confidence looks like.
No guilt, no restriction. Just clarity and a little breathing room.
