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.

Older couple looking at laptop and looking annoyed

She and Her Husband Have $2.5 Million Saved and Two Stepsons Who Cut Them Off Over Every Minor Disappointment, and Now They Have to Decide What Those Sons Are Actually Owed When the Time Comes

ByKristin Stones

She and her husband had been married for 40 years, both now 73, navigating a blended family that included his two sons from a previous marriage, now in their early 50s, along with their shared daughter, 35. The relationship with her stepsons had never been entirely stable, marked by periods of no contact whenever they…

Woman looking upset as she looks at a bill

She Bought Her First Home for $409,000 and Got a Tax Assessment Notice Saying It’s Worth $9.2 Million, and the Error Is About to Cost Her an Extra $500 Every Single Month

ByKristin Stones

She’d bought her first home two years earlier, a small 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom property in a rural area sitting on 2.3 acres of land, paying $409,000 for it at the time of purchase. Recently, an assessor had come by to evaluate the property, and the notice that followed left her stunned. Her home was…

Woman sitting on table looking tired while working on house projects

Her Brother Wanted to Sell Their Childhood Home the Moment Their Father Died, She Talked Him Into Keeping It and Funded All the Renovations Herself, and Now His Two Kids Own Half of It and Won’t Help Pay for Anything

ByKristin Stones

She’d inherited her childhood home jointly with her brother years earlier, after their father deeded the property to both of them before he passed away. Their father had always expected them to keep the house, since neither sibling would agree to sell it while he was alive. The property itself wasn’t in a desirable area…

Woman quitting her job and walking out with a box of her belongings

She Left Her Job After Filing a Complaint About a Bullying Manager Who Never Faced Consequences, Claimed She Had Multiple Offers, Went Six Months Without Work, and Now Her Old Boss Wants Her Back as a Manager

ByKristin Stones

She’d left her previous organization after a stretch of real frustration, feeling stuck at her career level, dealing with visible favoritism, and watching a bullying manager get protected by leadership despite her formal complaint about the behavior. At the time, she’d told everyone she had a job offer lined up, when in reality she was…

Woman holding her hands up in frustration and screaming

She’s Furious That Sellers Asking $1.1 Million Painted Over Nicotine Stains Throughout the House, Never Disclosed a Cracked 1958 Septic Tank, and Waited Until the Last Minute to Mention $40,000 in Chimney Repairs

ByKristin Stones

She and her spouse had put an offer on a home in Virginia after a year of working with a broker without much success, eventually deciding to go it alone as unrepresented buyers this time around. The house had originally listed for $1.3 million at the start of June, then dropped by $75,000 two weeks…

Man talking to car salesman and not looking happy

He’s Furious That a Dealership Promised to Fix a Scratch Before Delivery, Ignored It Entirely, and Had the Audacity to Quote Him an Additional $1,000 for the Fix

ByKristin Stones

A couple of days before he was supposed to take delivery, he’d signed the purchase contract on a car that had been sitting on the dealership’s lot since late April. During that process, he noticed a deep scratch on the driver’s side fender, something he hadn’t caught earlier because the car had been parked tightly…