“What Is Money? A Conversation About Meaning, Values, and Financial Freedom.”

This is the summery of the first episode of a new series of blogs

Financial planners Jim Crider and Cade Grimm of Intentional Living unpack one deceptively simple question—what is money?—and reveal how understanding it can reshape your relationship with wealth, purpose, and life itself.

The Question Everyone Thinks They’ve Answered

When financial planners Jim Crider and Cade Grimm sit down to talk about money, the first question they ask isn’t about budgets, investments, or markets. It’s the one almost no one thinks to ask: What is money, really?

At first glance, it sounds obvious. But as Jim points out, “It’s like asking a fish what water is.” We live in it, use it every day, and yet rarely stop to examine it. For most people, money is just a tool for transactions—something to earn, spend, or save. But at Intentional Living, Jim and Cade see it differently.

“Money is a means of communicating, storing, and transferring value across space and time,” Jim says. “It tells a story about what you value, and how you relate to the world around you.”

Money as Communication

In their view, money isn’t neutral—it speaks. How you spend it, save it, and share it communicates what you care about most.

“If I use my money to feed my family or provide a home,” Jim explains, “I’m saying health, safety, and stability matter to me. If I buy a sports car, I’m saying that experience or image has value.”

Cade nods. “It’s not about judging those choices,” he says. “It’s about understanding them. Money becomes a mirror—it reflects what you believe is important.”

That’s why Jim and Cade start client conversations by going deeper than the numbers. Before they ever talk about investments or retirement, they help clients articulate what matters most. “The technical side of money only makes sense in the context of purpose,” Jim says. “Otherwise, you’re just managing numbers.”

Beyond Numbers: The Qualitative Side of Finance

For most people, money conversations begin with tactics—how to save, where to invest, what to buy. But Intentional Living’s philosophy flips that order.

“We see money as both qualitative and quantitative,” Jim explains. “Yes, you need to plan well and manage investments wisely. But first, you have to define what success even means to you.”

“Our job isn’t just to manage assets,” Cade adds. “It’s to help people align their financial resources with the life they want to live.”

This values-first mindset shapes every client relationship. Jim calls it “living anywhere and everywhere your life and money intersect.”

Q: Why Do Couples Fight About Money?

A: Because money expresses values—and when values aren’t aligned, neither is communication.

Cade often sees this tension in families. “When one spouse is a saver and the other a spender, they’re not actually opposites,” he says. “They’re usually chasing the same goal—like wanting more time as a family—but expressing it differently. One thinks saving leads to freedom later; the other wants to create memories now.”

The key, they agree, is having conversations that reveal the shared values beneath the surface. “Once you realize you’re after the same thing,” Jim says, “you can stop fighting over the method and start building toward the meaning.”

From Goals to Values

Most financial plans start with goals—retire at 65, buy a house, pay for college. But Jim and Cade have learned that goals are just the surface.

“When people are asked about their goals,” Jim says, “they often repeat what they’ve heard. ‘I guess I should want to retire.’ But those goals aren’t always theirs. They’re borrowed.”

Instead, the Intentional Living team helps clients dig deeper—to the values and motivations underneath. Jim outlines their process in four steps:

Values → Goals → Decisions → Actions.

“Your values inform your goals. Your goals shape your decisions. And your decisions determine your actions,” he explains. “If you get the first step wrong, everything else wobbles.”

Cade adds, “Most people skip straight to the action step. They open an account or buy a stock before ever asking why. Slowing down to define values first makes every step after that easier and more consistent.”

Q: What Happens If My Goals Change?

A: That’s okay—they’re supposed to.

Jim laughs when he says it, but he’s serious. “My goals in my twenties were totally different from my goals now with four kids. And they’ll change again in another decade. But the values underneath—faith, family, integrity—those stay constant.”

Cade agrees. “People avoid goal setting because they think changing a goal means failing. But goals are just tools. They help you make the next right decision.”

That flexibility helps clients stay motivated and reduces guilt. “When you tie your goals to your values,” Jim says, “you stop chasing perfection and start pursuing purpose.”

The Statement of Financial Purpose

One of the signature practices at Intentional Living is creating a Statement of Financial Purpose—a one-sentence mission statement for your money.

Clients fill in the blank:

‘I desire financial independence so that ______.’

That blank becomes a compass for every financial decision. “When you’re clear on the ‘so that,’ everything else comes into focus,” Cade explains. “If a new opportunity doesn’t align with that statement, it’s an easy ‘no.’”

Jim sees it as a form of accountability. “It’s not about guilt—it’s about clarity. Either your money supports your mission, or it’s drifting away from it.”

Q: What If What I Value Isn’t Good for Me?

A: Then it’s time for honest reflection.

Jim is careful to add that not every desire should be pursued. “Just because you want something doesn’t make it healthy,” he says. “Part of our role is to hold space for those conversations—to help people question whether a goal aligns with their faith, their family, or their bigger purpose.”

Their Christian worldview influences that discernment. “We’re not preaching,” Jim says. “But we do believe money is a form of stewardship. It’s not just about what you can do with it, but what you’re called to do with it.”

Intentional Living: Where Life and Money Intersect

The philosophy behind Intentional Living is embedded right in the name. Jim and Cade believe financial planning is not about spreadsheets—it’s about helping people live out what they say they value.

“Money touches everything,” Jim says. “Your relationships, your career, your peace of mind. If you don’t manage that connection intentionally, money starts managing you.”

Cade adds, “We help people slow down, get clear, and make decisions that actually feel like them. When money supports who you are instead of competing with it, life gets lighter.”

Quote Highlights

“Money is more than a medium of exchange—it’s a mirror of what you value.” — Jim Crider

“People don’t fight about money; they fight about meaning.” — Cade Grimm

“If your calendar and your checkbook tell different stories, alignment is the missing piece.” — Jim Crider

“The goal isn’t perfection—it’s purpose.” — Cade Grimm

In Short: Money Isn’t About Money

If there’s one lesson Jim and Cade hope listeners take away, it’s that money isn’t about money. It’s about meaning.

“Pause and ask yourself what’s really important,” Jim says. “Most people go through life reacting instead of living intentionally. But if you take the time to define what matters—and use your money to support it—you’ll feel more peace, not just more wealth.”

Cade nods. “Everyone wants to be known. And the way you spend, save, and give tells a story about who you are. When that story lines up with your values, that’s freedom.”

About the Speakers

Jim Crider, CFP®, and Cade Grimm, CFP®, are financial planners at Intentional Living FP, a firm that helps individuals and families align their money with their life’s purpose. Together, they bring more than two decades of experience guiding clients toward clarity, stewardship, and freedom.

Readable Transcript of conversation

Watch the video here