What to know
- Desjardins RECHARGE brought music, wellness activities and the concept of making room in the budget for what matters to Universal Music Canada’s Toronto headquarters (80A Studios).
- Portuguese-born, Toronto-raised pop singer-songwriter Sofia Camara performed an acoustic set featuring her emotionally driven pop sound.
- Guests enjoyed hand massages, food and drinks, and a vinyl and plant giveaway.
- Financial advisor Myrtho Désir-Knights encouraged young people to pay themselves first, build consistent savings habits and make room in their budgets for the things they enjoy.
Great music, hand massages and the idea of making room in the budget for what matters were on the agenda as Desjardins brought its RECHARGE experience to Toronto last week.
Held at Universal Music Canada’s Toronto headquarters in the heart of Liberty Village, the event blended live music, wellness activities and practical money conversations for young adults.
Guests could enjoy drinks and light bites, get a hand massage and join a vinyl giveaway – which consisted of the latest projects from today’s biggest pop stars. Attendees could even take home a plant — because what better way to recharge than by nurturing a little new life?
Keeping the evening rooted in music, Toronto-raised singer-songwriter Sofia Camara took the stage for an acoustic performance. Known for her emotionally driven tracks like “Girls Like You” and “Hallucinating,” Camara released her latest EP, Still Somewhere Here, on Oct. 9, which explores heartbreak, nostalgia and the process of moving forward.
But beyond the activities, RECHARGE had a bigger message rooted in what Desjardins calls the JOY Economy: financial well-being and enjoying life don’t have to be at odds.
The idea is that managing money isn’t simply about cutting back or giving up the things you love. It’s about building healthy financial habits that leave room for the experiences, interests and everyday moments that bring you happiness.
Myrtho Désir-Knights, a Wealth Management Advisor at Desjardins, spoke about making financial planning feel more manageable for young people, emphasizing that budgeting should be about balance rather than deprivation.
“RECHARGE is an ongoing conversation about financial wellness,” she explained to Now Toronto at the event, adding that joy and budgeting should go hand-in-hand. “It’s not like you’re depriving yourself; you’re living life, enjoying the things that matter the most for you, but still learning to actually make some changes while you can, and it becomes a lifestyle.”
One of her suggestions was to pay yourself first by setting aside 10 to 20 per cent of each paycheque — or whatever amount is realistic according to your budget — as soon as it comes in. She also suggested finding small ways to save on everyday spending and putting leftover cash aside to build the habit.
“We give back to the community, and so, understanding and hearing the voice of young people is really important for us because we can’t plan for the future if we don’t know what people are really going through right now,” she said.
For young people navigating rising costs and competing financial priorities, that conversation is especially relevant. And as Désir-Knights emphasized, helping them plan for the future starts with understanding the financial pressures they’re facing today.
Find out more today at Desjardins website, and continue the conversation with Count Us In, a Desjardins series exploring the financial realities, career challenges and perspectives of Ontario’s youth.
