For a long time, I’ve known that there was a difference between Corporate Money and Personal Money.  I know as a Controller/CFO I made $5,000 money decisions with the snap of a finger.  Never have I made a $5,000 purchase for myself without bunches of research and deliberation.  They are different things, corporate and personal purchases, and they use money differently.

So today I was pondering, is Summer Money different than money from the rest of the year? If it is, how is it different? What do the seasons and the time of year have to do with how we spend money?  And it seems to me that the answer is: a lot!

Summer money is, for me, full of lemonade and the pool.  It’s fun money.  Winter money is more about hot chocolate and cozy corners.  It seems more like time to contemplate and be still. Fall money is more about cider and walks in the woods.  Some fun, but some preparation, too. Spring money is tomato plants.  It’s about renewal.

What does all this really have to do with money, you say?  Well, as I often say, money reflects  different purposes as well as being a messenger.  The Corporate/Personal money shows you when you are at your work, and when you are away from it.  Money can also tell you when you take good care of yourself through fun summer stuff and when you are taking care of yourself by meeting your obligations.   It shows you fun as well as hardship.   It’s all there in the money.

So as you are enjoying your summer, please give a nod to money.  Thank it for helping you have fun, sit in the sun, and recharge for the fall.  Know that money is always there to show you where you are, and lead you to what you want.   You just have to notice whether or not you are using money in ways that work for you.

And to do that, you do, of course, have to look at money.  But no one said that you can’t look at it through sun glasses while sitting by the pool!

Happy summer!