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.

Couple sitting on couch looking upset

She’s Remarrying at 49 and Her Fiancé Wants to Put His Condo Proceeds Into Her House and Her Daughter Asked One Question That Made Her Realize Nobody Had Thought Through What Happens to That Money if She Dies First

ByKristin Stones

She was 49, divorced, and preparing to remarry next year to a man of 52 who was also divorced. Neither of them came into the relationship wealthy, but both had built something solid on their own over the years. She had about $280,000 in retirement savings and roughly $160,000 in equity in her house, while…

Parents arguing with adult daughter

She Spent Months Arranging $300,000 to Buy Her Parents an Apartment They Could Afford to Live In and When the Money Was Ready They Said the Apartment Was Too Small and Found a More Expensive Condo Instead

ByKristin Stones

She and her husband, living in Wisconsin with children of their own, had built up significant savings through solid but not extravagant careers, hers in sales and his in teaching. That savings wasn’t at a level where $300,000 was money they could simply give away without meaningful impact on their own financial security. Her parents,…

Father and teenage daughter arguing

She’s Paid for Every Repair and Insurance Bill on Her Car for Eight Years Since Her Grandmother Gave It to Her, and Her Father Just Told Her He Plans to Sell It and Keep the Money Because the Title Is in His Name

ByKristin Stones

Her grandmother had given her the car she currently drives as a high school graduation gift over eight years ago, and since receiving it, she’d personally covered every repair, all her insurance payments, and every other cost associated with owning and maintaining it. At the time it was given to her, her siblings weren’t yet…

Man looking frustrated while looking at his phone

He Co-Signed on an Engagement Ring Loan Six Years Ago, His Friend Barely Made Payments and Then Stopped Entirely, and Now $1,600 Is in Collections Under His Name and His Friend Won’t Return His Calls

ByKristin Stones

He’d co-signed on an engagement ring loan for someone he’d considered a friend about six years earlier, a decision that had steadily unraveled over time as that friend barely kept up with payments. The account eventually stopped receiving any payments at all the previous year, leading to a formal charge-off in February. Since then, letters…

Man looking worried while looking at a letter

He Worked as a Maintenance Man With 50% Off Rent as a Benefit, Got Fired After a Management Change, and Is Being Billed the Full Rent for His Last Month While His Statement Reflects an Active Discount

ByKristin Stones

He’d worked as a maintenance man at this property for a year and a half, an arrangement that came with an apartment lease under the company itself, giving him 50% off rent as part of his employment benefits. That stability shifted dramatically once the company changed hands in management, and the accumulated standing he’d built…

Man trying to sell car online and looking at his phone

He Sold a Car He Spent Months Repairing to a Couple Who Brought Their Own Mechanic, Insured It, Registered It the Same Day, and Are Now Demanding a Full Refund and Threatening to Show Up at His Workplace After It Wouldn’t Start the Next Morning

ByKristin Stones

He’d bought a car on Marketplace for very little, purchased from someone who’d originally acquired it for scrap. The vehicle would crank but wouldn’t actually start when he got it, and he worked through a substantial list of repairs to bring it back to functional condition, including wiring repairs, four new coils, front axles, inner…