Money Hack! Being Intentional With Your Money
People ask how to be better with money because they want relief. They want to feel calm when they open their banking app. They want a better relationship with money so they can trust themselves again. Intentionality is the bridge. It shifts you out of reaction and into purpose.
It removes the excuses, “I’ll get back on track next month.”
It removes the blame, “Things would be better if the other government was in power.”
It removes the denial, “I don’t spend that much on beer.”
Intentional money habits don’t start with numbers. They start with honesty.
Ask yourself what matters to you now. Not what mattered to you five years ago. Not what matters to the people around you. Name the things that give your life meaning. This is your foundation. You can’t be intentional with money if you don’t know what you’re aiming for. And you can’t truly help the people around you until you help yourself.
Look at where your money goes. Not to judge yourself. To understand yourself.
Your spending tells a story about your life. It shows your stress, your tiredness, your hope, your values, your survival, and your comfort. Your spending is a true reflection of your priorities. It all shows up in your transactions. When you study your patterns, you learn what you reach for when life feels heavy. You learn what you protect when life feels good. This awareness strengthens your relationship with money because it brings compassion into the picture. We’re all human.
For me, I’ve shifted my stress reaction from alcohol and video games to sugar, energy drinks, and unhealthy foods. I still have work to do in this space, but I also want to give myself grace as I’m in a busy season with two kids under five, with one on the way, while shifting to a self employed role.
Set rules that reflect the season you’re in.
People get stuck when they try to copy someone else’s plan. Life stages matter, income matters, health matters, family matters, and your reality matters. Choose rules that support the version of your life that exists right now. This is how you get better with money in a sustainable way.
I often tell myself that I wish I started my self employment journey before kids because I would have had so much more time to work on it. But family is a top priority for me, and if I grow a little slower because I’m prioritizing this, then that’s something I’ll celebrate.
Create a shortlist of your priorities.
Pick three things you refuse to sacrifice because they support your wellbeing. Pick three things you’re comfortable reducing. You gain clarity when you accept that money reflects your choices. This isn’t restriction. This is alignment. You stop leaking money in places that don’t matter. You put it toward the things that do.
A gym membership is a perfect example. I often encourage clients to keep that membership going because physical health gives so many non financial benefits.
Slow your spending decisions.
Most poor choices happen in speed. Take a breath. Ask what future you prefers. Ask if the purchase brings you closer to your values or pulls you away. Intentional spending isn’t about saying no. It’s about saying yes with purpose. This builds confidence because each decision reinforces your sense of control.
Black Friday sales and upcoming non stop Christmas, Boxing, and summer sales are only good purchases if they’re for something you need. Don’t let companies tell you what you do and don’t need. There are sales on these things every long weekend. They can wait.
Review your week without shame.
People often fear this step because they expect judgement. What you need is awareness. Look at what worked. Look at what slipped. Ask why. Your habits are shaped by emotions. Knowing that you probably made your mistakes, your learning opportunities, when you were tired, stressed, bored, or hopeful turns those mistakes into data. And with data, you can form better habits. Reflecting without blame teaches you to understand your behaviour instead of fighting it. This is the foundation of a healthier relationship with money.
And try to have some fun when you review your finances. Laugh at the kitchen tool you bought because a video said it would change your life, then realised a spoon does the same job. The free trial you signed up for and forgot to cancel three days after the annual fee came out. The fancy journal you bought for your new routine, then left unopened on the shelf.
Being intentional with your money isn’t a personality trait. It’s a practice. You build it through repeated small choices that match your values. You build it by slowing down when life moves too fast. You build it by being honest about what matters to you. This is how you become better with money in a way that feels steady. This is how you create a better relationship with money without losing joy.
Being intentional turns money from a stress trigger into a tool. You decide where your money goes, not the other way around. That is how intention works for you, the Maverick way.