I wonder if the pearl system was designed to be easy to break, or it hasn't been balanced properly yet. Currently, after you get your first reset, it's better to immediately buy out all of the girls you just got (don't bother breaking new barriers), and reset immediately. This process, if done quickly (and don't get stuck when switching between girls...) takes <5 minutes to get the same amount of pearls as your first reset. (For me, it's currently in the mid-20's.)