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.

Mother and older daughter having a difficult conversation

Her Mom Makes Less Than $40,000 a Year, Expects Her 21-Year-Old Daughter to Cover Most of the Rent on a Three-Bedroom Townhouse After Graduation, and Told Her Yesterday That Her Bank Account Is the Family Emergency Fund and She Should Stop Being Stingy

ByKristin Stones

She’s 21, still in college, has no savings, no car, no license, and student loan debt, and her mother told her yesterday that her bank account is essentially the family emergency fund and that she shouldn’t be stingy with her money because of everything her mother sacrificed raising her. She is working this summer specifically…

Man looking stressed about money with cash in the background

His Bumper Tapped a Tesla in a Parking Lot, the Other Driver Refused to Show Insurance and Drove Off With Expired Registration, Her License Got Suspended for Being Uninsured, and She Has Been Demanding He Correct His DMV Report and Threatening to Prosecute Him Ever Since

ByKristin Stones

He was in a minor backing accident in a California parking lot on May 13 when his driver-side rear bumper made contact with the middle of a Tesla Model 3’s rear bumper. At the scene, the other driver refused to provide her insurance information, claiming she needed to download it, and became uncooperative. He left,…

Couple arguing with mother-in-law

They Have Paid $495 a Month for Five Years on a $130,000 Debt That Legally Belongs Entirely to His Mother-in-Law, and She Just Called to Say His Wife Should Take Over the Full $990 Payment Because Her Other Daughter’s Loans Are Now Due

ByKristin Stones

He and his wife are in their late twenties and have been paying $495 a month for the past five years toward Parent PLUS loans his mother-in-law took out to cover his wife’s private college education. The original agreement was that his wife would be responsible for half the cost of her education, but she…

Man looking angrily at his phone

His Mother Told Him in Years Ago That He and His Brother Would Inherit Everything, and He Just Found Out She Died Over a Year Ago and Left It All to a Friend Instead

ByKristin Stones

His mother passed away in Pennsylvania in February 2024, and he found out a week ago. She had a will naming a friend as executor and leaving that woman everything, including a paid-off house. He, his brother, and his aunt were never notified of her death. They’re estranged from his mother, but he’s struggling to…

Mother yelling and daughter who looks sad

She Works Seven Days a Week at Her Parents’ Bakery (While Only Being Paid for One) and Can’t Leave Because Her Mom Says It’ll Go Bankrupt Without Her

ByKristin Stones

She’s 19 and lives with her parents, who opened a bakery in their town a little over a year ago and expected her to help from the start. She makes 90% of the baked goods and food sold at the bakery, fills in whenever other employees call out, and works seven days a week. She…

Older parents arguing with adult son

His In-Laws Will Contribute $1 Million to Buy a Two-Unit Property That Goes Entirely in His Name if He Agrees to Cover Their Living Expenses, Transportation, and Any Medical Costs Medicare Does Not Pay for the Rest of Their Lives

ByKristin Stones

His in-laws are retired and want to live near their daughter. Their offer is straightforward on paper. They’ll contribute $1 million toward the purchase of a two-unit multifamily property in a high cost of living area, with no conditions attached to the money and full title going to him and his wife. The total monthly…