Intentional Living

To “live intentionally” means to live according to your values and beliefs.  I believe when we commit to being more thoughtful in how we spend our time and our money we can overcome the overwhelm, reduce financial stress, and live a more purposeful life.

Intentional living allows us to take better care of our minds and our bodies, and in turn, better care of those around us.

Here you’ll find content to help you spend less time and money on the things that matter less so you can create margin in your life and your budget to spend more on the things that matter most.

Middle-aged couple arguing in the kitchen

She Says His Daughters Don’t Like Her but He Still Expects Them to Build a Relationship and She’s Not Comfortable

What started as a flexible, independent relationship is starting to feel more complicated than she expected. She’s 43 and has been dating her boyfriend, who is 59, for almost two years. For the most part, things have worked well because they both value their space, and they’ve built a routine around spending intentional time together…

Mother and older daughter having a difficult conversation

15-Year-Old Says Her Parents Take Half Her Income Each Month for a Cavity and She’s Using Savings to Survive

What started as trying to be responsible with money has turned into something that doesn’t feel manageable anymore. She’s 15, lives in Georgia, and earns about $80 a month walking dogs. She already covers some of her own expenses, including her phone bill and a small payment to her sibling to help with her dog…

Father and teenage daughter arguing

Dad Says He’s Using His Inheritance for Retirement and a Family Trip Instead of Paying Off His Daughter’s Student Debt and Now Their Relationship is Strained

The conversation started as something positive, but it didn’t stay that way for long. What was meant to be an exciting update about a financial change quickly turned into a much deeper conflict about past decisions and present expectations. He has a 25-year-old daughter who graduated from college about three years ago. Back when she…

Man shopping for countertops and looking upset

Man Says He’s Paid Over $31K in Rent While Waiting for a House That Still Isn’t Finished and He’s Losing Money Each Month

Signing the contract felt like a milestone he had been working toward for years. It was one of those moments where things finally started to feel real, and sharing the news with his parents made it even more meaningful because they were genuinely proud of him. At the time, everything pointed to a clear path…

Family sitting on the couch arguing

Woman Says Her Family Won’t Stop Asking Her Salary and Now They Think She’s Changed Since Getting a Better-Paying Job

Getting a better-paying job should have felt like a win, but for her, it quickly turned into something uncomfortable. What started as a positive change ended up creating tension she didn’t expect. After she got the new job, her family started asking how much she makes almost right away. At first, she brushed it off,…

Parents arguing with their adult daughter

Parents Say Their Adopted Daughter Chose Her Birth Family Over Them and Now They’re Treating Her Differently Financially

They raised all three of their children with the same intention, even though one of them came into their lives through adoption. For years, everything felt steady, and they believed they had built a strong foundation that would carry into adulthood. As their youngest daughter got older, things began to shift in a way they…