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.

Woman putting her hand up to refuse an engagment ring

He Wants to Buy a Lab-Grown Diamond That’s Chemically Identical to Natural and His Girlfriend Said No, Called Him Cheap, and Is Hinting at a $10,000 Ring That Costs as Much as a Used Car

ByKristin Stones

He’d been shopping for an engagement ring when his girlfriend accidentally came across pricing for affordable options online, likely from a retailer like Ritani, and had since started hinting toward a ring in the $10,000 plus range, roughly the cost of a used Honda. In response, he’d been researching lab-grown diamonds instead, drawn to the…

Couple sitting together and arguing on a bus

She Separated Finances From Her Husband Because He’d Maxed Out Her Credit Cards Before and Just Found Out He Opened a $4,000 Klarna Account Under Her Personal Information Without Asking

ByKristin Stones

She’d recently gotten a notification about a change to her credit score and decided to actually pull her full credit report, something she admitted she hadn’t been consistently monitoring. What she found was a series of Klarna purchases she hadn’t made, totaling roughly $4,000 in credit usage. After contacting Klarna directly to understand what she…

Woman looking upset while looking at her phone

She Spent 2.5 Hours on the Phone With Someone Posing as Law Enforcement Who Referenced Real Details About Her Life, Sent Her Fabricated Court Documents, and Walked Her Through Sending $3,900 to a Bitcoin Machine Before She Realized What Had Happened

ByKristin Stones

She’d received a call claiming to be from her local sheriff’s office, informing her she’d missed a jury summons and now faced a failure to appear charge along with a contempt of court warrant. The caller instructed her to come down to the department to resolve the matter, and the details he referenced, a jury…

Woman at door talking to door-to-door salesman who looks annoyed

She Declined an ADT Salesman (Who Showed Up Despite Her No Solicitation Sign) and He Left by Telling Her She’d Hear From Him When “Something Happened”

ByKristin Stones

As new homeowners, she and her partner started getting approached by home security solicitors almost immediately after receiving their keys, a pattern persistent enough that it felt like salespeople specifically watched for them being outside. After one particularly pushy interaction with Vivint, she’d put up a no solicitation sign specifically hoping it would deter future…

Man looking angrily at his phone

He Let a Plumber Use His Credit Card for Water Heater Materials and Found Out After He Left That $140 in Tools Had Been Charged to the Card Without Any Discussion and the Plumber Kept All Three Items

ByKristin Stones

He’d hired a plumber with strong reviews, over 80 five star ratings on Google, to replace his water heater, agreeing to a clear payment structure upfront. He’d cover the labor directly with the plumber, while paying the store separately for materials needed to complete the job. Once at the store, the plumber called the pro…

Man having engine problems with popped hood

He Owes $15,000 on a Car That Just Blew Its Engine, the Shop Wants $12,000 to Fix It, There Are Already Other Problems They Haven’t Diagnosed, and the Buyback Offer Won’t Even Cover What He Still Owes the Lender

ByKristin Stones

His 2017 Subaru WRX STI had developed a knocking sound in the engine bay on his way to work, prompting him to have it towed to a Subaru shop once he arrived. Once there, the shop started the engine, which produced a loud boom before locking up entirely, confirming a rod knock had completely destroyed…