Intentional Living

Finding happiness through living a more intentional, mindful life.

Reflecting on 40 Years – Words of Advice From the Old Man

Reflecting on 40 years - words of advice from the old man

As of this posting, I have been on this earth for 40 years. 40 years! How often do we hear the phrase, “Seems like just yesterday”? But, it really does seem like just yesterday that I was playing Little League baseball, watching Punky Brewster, and playing Contra on Nintendo. Where does the time go? As more and more gray hairs keep showing up on my head, I have really started to reflect back on the … Continue reading...

I Quit Social Media – And I’m Loving It!

I quit social media
Photo by dole777 on Unsplash

Maybe it was the incessant political arguments on Facebook. Or it might have been the almost robotic responses to so many Instagram posts clamoring for likes and followers. It could be the personal finance “bros” on Twitter mocking another person for not saving $250,000 by the time they turned 30. I’m not sure what pushed me over the edge. Either way, I did it. I quit social media. And I … Continue reading...

How One Simple Change Can Save Money

Lessons From a Cup of Coffee

We often focus on the major expenses in our lives, and we should. Switching from a large, expensive house to a more affordable one would immediately save lots of money. So would moving to a less expensive part of the country or a whole new country for that matter. But sometimes those options aren’t really possible or realistic. Instead, I like to look at the smaller expenses and I’m … Continue reading...

The 3-2-1 Morning Routine For Better Productivity

3-2-1 Morning Routine for Better Productivity
Photo by Artem Maltsev on Unsplash

Recently, I adjusted my mornings to something I am calling the 3-2-1 routine. And when I say adjusted, I mean totally changed everything. Normally, I don’t like to make such radical changes. I feel like the bigger the change, the more difficult it will be to stick with it.

But, this switch has been…dare I say… life-changing! Really!

Since I started the 3-2-1 morning routine, I have found myself … Continue reading...

Making the Case for Paying Full Price

Pay full price?

Avoid sales?

Wait, doesn’t this go against every key belief of personal finance experts?

Shouldn’t we be seeking deals and coupons? 

There’s a potential problem with sales and savings on products. In order to save on any of these products, we must still spend money. While sales and great deals can save money, and sometimes great offers come along offering huge discounts, the fact remains that money must be spent regardless. 

We … Continue reading...

Can School Be More Fun and Relevant? Yes, with Practical Learning

Each year, I cover the reform era in American history. For those of you who may have been sleeping during history class, it was a time of change (or attempted change) in pre-Civil War America. Among many things, the reformers worked to abolish slavery and improve working conditions, prisons, treatment of the mentally ill, and education. To cover the education reform of the 1800s, I have students write about a reform they would like to … Continue reading...