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.

Man looking worried while looking at a letter

The IRS Sent Him an $18,200 Bill for Taxes His Employer Withheld From Every Paycheck for Three Years, and When He Drove to the Business Address on File He Found a UPS Store Mailbox

ByKristin Stones

He worked a standard W-2 job for a small HVAC company in Georgia from 2022 through early 2025, and nothing about it seemed unusual at the time. Federal and state taxes came out of every paycheck the way they’re supposed to. His W-2s for all three years showed withholding amounts. He kept his pay stubs,…

Parents arguing with kids in the room

Two of Her Children Inherited a Significant Sum From a Will That Was Finalized Just Before Her Third Child Was Born, and Now She and Her Husband Disagree on Whether to Spend Their Own Money to Make It Equal

ByKristin Stones

A relative passed away recently and left a will that named only two of their children as beneficiaries. The third child had already been born when the will was written, but the timing was close enough that there was never a chance to update it before the relative died. A fourth child is on the…

Couple posing for picture

His Family Hired a Caregiver Through an Agency a Year Ago, She Quit and Married Their 94-Year-Old Grandfather Last Week, and by the Time Anyone Found Out the Locks Were Already Changed and His Phone Calls Were Being Blocked

ByKristin Stones

Nobody in the family saw it coming. One week a professional caregiver hired through an agency was helping a 94-year-old man with his daily life in his Florida home, and the next week she had quit her job, married him, changed all the locks, and started controlling who he was allowed to speak to. His…

Man and pregnant women sitting on a couch arguing

They Own Two Paid-Off Cars With No Loans and Strong Safety Ratings, His Wife Is Six Months Pregnant and Wants to Finance a $50,000 SUV, and the Moment He Pushed Back She Said He Was Prioritizing Money Over His Family

ByKristin Stones

He and his wife have two fully paid-off cars sitting in the driveway, a 2012 CR-V and a 2015 Mazda 3, worth somewhere between $18,000 and $20,000 combined. Both have complete service histories, solid safety ratings, and no loans attached to them. He’s been proud of the fact that they’ve never carried car debt during…

Man working at his computer looking stressed

Man Who Has Lived in His Grandmother’s Home His Entire Life and Paid the Property Taxes for Seven Years Finds a Transfer in the County Records That Nobody in His Family Knew About

ByKristin Stones

He discovered something unexpected while browsing county property records online, and it’s turned into a situation that could affect where he lives entirely. His grandmother passed away in Virginia in 2018, and as far as anyone in the family knew at the time, she didn’t leave a will. He’s lived in her home his entire…

Man in bright vest and hard hat looking frustrated on the phone

Man Writes a Check to Help a Family Member With Moving Expenses and the Bank Reverses It After It’s Already Been Cashed and Converted Into Money Orders With No Explanation

ByKristin Stones

He wrote a check to a family member a week ago to help cover some moving expenses, which felt straightforward enough at the time. His relative took it to the bank, cashed it, and used the money to buy money orders at the post office, choosing that route because the fees were lower than other…