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.

Blonde woman counting money

She Spent Her 20s Keeping Everything in a Checking Account With No Plan Behind It and Just Hit $12,000 in Savings Two Years After Finally Starting and Still Wishes She Hadn’t Waited So Long

ByKristin Stones

She was in her late 20s and had only actually started saving seriously about two years earlier, a timeline she wasn’t entirely proud of looking back. For years before that, she’d kept everything sitting in her checking account without any real budgeting structure behind it, money coming in and getting spent without much intentional separation…

Couple talking on couch

His Wife’s Car Was Burning Three Quarts of Oil a Month and He Found Her a Replacement for $10,000 Before Anything Was Even Signed, and She Called Him an Ass for Taking Her Choice Away

ByKristin Stones

His wife’s current car had been steadily falling apart, an ongoing maintenance project he’d personally managed since, in her own words, she didn’t know much about cars herself. Over the past year, he’d worked hard trying to keep the vehicle functional, with the most recent problem being an engine burning through three quarts of oil…

Man looking very upset sitting on the couch with his face in his hands

He Spent $2,500 on His Best Friend’s Bachelor Trip and Now He’s Looking at a New Tuxedo, a Traditional Chinese Outfit, Two Nights at an Upscale Venue Hotel, and a $4,000 Total Bill Before the Wedding Even Happens

ByKristin Stones

One of his closest friends was getting married in a couple of months, and he genuinely wanted to be there to support him, confident that the same support would come back around if their positions were ever reversed. Even holding that genuine goodwill, though, he couldn’t shake how drained the whole process had already left…

Parents arguing with adult daughter

Her Parents Told Her the $2,000 They Gave Her for a Car Was a Gift With No Strings Attached, and Now That Her Brother Needs Money They’re Asking for It Back and Calling Her Selfish for Saying No

ByKristin Stones

Two years earlier, her parents had given her $2,000 toward a used car, explicitly telling her at the time not to worry about it and that it was a gift. She thanked them, bought the car, and moved forward with her life the way anyone would after receiving a genuinely generous, no strings attached contribution…

Young woman sitting on a couch looking at her phone

She Waved at a Buyer Touring Her Neighbor’s House, Told Them How Much She Loved the Area, and Got Reported to the Listing Agent for Having an Unsolicited Positive Conversation

ByKristin Stones

She was out on a walk with her child when a prospective buyer pulled up for a showing at her neighbor’s house next door. She waved, said hi, and asked if they were looking at the house, which turned into a genuine conversation about the neighborhood, the schools, and what living on the street was…

Older woman sitting at laptop looking very stressed

She’s Fed Up With Paying Property Taxes on an Inherited House She Can’t Afford to Repair, Can’t Sell Without Fixing, and Never Wanted in the First Place

ByKristin Stones

Her aunt had passed away the year before and left her a house in Kentucky, a state she hadn’t lived in for years since relocating to Texas. The house itself was old and clearly needed work, starting with a roof that was past its useful life and plumbing issues she suspected went deeper than what…