Score with These Buzzworthy Books & Summer Essentials
APPOINTMENT TELEVISION
May I Have Your Attention Please
World Cup mania has officially arrived and for the first time ever, three countries in North America – Canada, the United States, and Mexico – are hosting. The group stage is underway and it has not disappointed. From unlikely nil-nil draws, fit players and entrepreneurial WAGs, to the world’s tidiest fans, there’s something here for everyone.
While the ticket prices may be jaw dropping and the positive economic impact to these host cities debatable, in these divisive times it’s encouraging to see so many people come together for the most beautiful game.
SUMMER READS
Three Books for Your Beach Bag
As we mark the fifth federal celebration of Juneteenth and the accompanying long weekend, consider adding one of these books to your summer reading stack. Each one is part of Filuent’s summer reading list and reflects something we believe deeply: that the best financial decisions start with knowing yourself, and great books have a way of helping with that. This summer, we’re reading about family, financial autonomy, and what we actually value; no graphs or complicated financial jargon, we promise.
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
A tradwife influencer travels back to 1855 to live in the reality of what she’s been cosplaying online. Already optioned by Anne Hathaway to become a movie, this book is equal parts satire, suspense, and commentary on motherhood and marriage in America.
Strangers by Belle Burden
Belle Burden’s twenty-plus-year marriage ends in an instant during the first days of lockdown, leaving her to untangle a messy financial situation and confront her decision to leave a high-paying career as an attorney to stay home with her children. No stranger to conscious uncoupling herself, Gwyneth Paltrow has been tapped to portray Burden in the Netflix film adaptation.
This book is a must-read for every woman, particularly those who have deferred financial decisions to the higher-earning spouse, and will be the topic of discussion for Filuent for most of July.
This Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman
This one comes personally recommended by a well-read friend of Filuent, and we don't take those lightly. If you loved the family drama and dynamics in Nobody Wants This (and wondered if it was semi-biographical), Allegra Goodman’s take on a thirty-year family feud is for you.
WHAT’S SAVING MY LIFE RIGHT NOW
The $13.99 item I can’t live without
As World Cup fans visiting America can attest, people like things big in the USA. But that desire for what’s always bigger and better (read: more expensive) can sometimes distract us from the small choices that can have a big impact.
Don’t worry, I would never ask you to give up your daily latte. Instead, I’d encourage you to think about one inexpensive purchase that would add a little more ease to your life.
For me, that meant spending $13.99 on a second deodorant that now lives exclusively in my carry-on, instead of relying on myself to remember the one under my sink before every overnight or summer getaway. It’s a tiny purchase, but it removes one more thing from the mental checklist. And when you are already carrying the logistics for yourself, your family, your work, and your money, fewer tiny decisions can feel surprisingly freeing.
Over time, I’ve built a small travel kit of dedicated items I no longer have to remember to pack:
an eye mask,
a reading light, and
None of these are affiliate links, simply items that have made my life a little easier.
That’s often the Filuent lesson, too: financial ease does not always come from one dramatic overhaul. Sometimes it starts with noticing the small frictions and giving yourself permission to solve them simply.
Happy reading and safe travels!
Lara Bubalo Manor
President & CEO
Filuent