MoneySavingMom.com is one of the very first frugal living sites that I followed. In fact, I’d say that Crystal of Money Saving Mom was a big force behind me starting Family Friendly Frugality.
Now, I didn’t set out to make my blog like the Money Saving Mom blog (and I’d argue our blogs are actually quite different. Both awesome, but different 😉 ), but it was the knowledge I gained from her site (and a few forums and books) and the enthusiasm I had for my newfound money saving skills that spurred me to share the great news of savings with anyone I could!
Now, she’s taken all that information on her blog and much more and turned it into The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year!
I was lucky enough to get a review copy of this book and pretty much read it cover to cover in just a day or so (disclaimer: I am a VERY fast reader. YMMV on how quickly you get through the book! It’s not a short book, but it is an easy read).
Here are some of my observations:
- The material is presented in a very logical, step by step fashion. She doesn’t ask you to play the drugstore game on page 1 and she doesn’t explain what a budget is in the last chapter. Now, it might seem like that’s a no brainer, but I’ve read plenty of books on personal finance that don’t follow that format.
- Like I said, it’s an easy read. Crystal’s style of writing has always appealed to me. She talks to everybody and isn’t the type to use a $5 word when a $1 word will suffice. When you are teaching readers, this is so important. You don’t want to lose them due to simple semantics when the concept is what’s really important.
- There’s a lot of personality in this book. This isn’t a dry, boring personal finance book that you’ll have to read a few pages at a time before the yawns kick in. Crystal talks about her own personal experiences and also brings up reader testimonials as well.
- Now, I personally didn’t really learn anything new. BUT, you have to understand that I’ve been a long time Money Saving Mom reader. Not only that, the content of the book is totally in my niche. I didn’t expect to go into it to learn anything new. I did expect it to recharge me though, and it definitely did! Crystal is very uplifting and positive and has a great “You can do it!” attitude.
- Finally, there’s something special about reading a book written by someone you “know”. Now, I don’t pretend to know Crystal on a face to face basis, but I do consider her a colleague in this blogging world. I have been a follower for a long time and have even guest posted on Money Saving Mom two times (here and here). I’ve emailed her questions and her responses have always been kind and generous. She’s just a good person, and seeing this happen for her gives me so much joy! I also thought it was cool that when I read her dedication, I actually KNEW some of the people she was thanking! Okay, geek out alert over ;).
Do I think this book is worth reading? I definitely think if someone is trying to get themselves out of debt, or just trying to learning to manage their money better, this book is a must read.
Even if you know what you are doing, I think this book is a great read. You might learn something new, or you might rekindle the initial spark you felt when you first learned how to coupon! (the book discusses MUCH more than coupons though.)
The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year is available TODAY (January 10, 2012) from Amazon.com and ships for free with Prime Shipping (or get the Kindle version and read it instantly on your Kindle or your Free Kindle Reading App).
Definitely add it to your wish list and get it on your bookshelf soon! You won’t regret it.
However…Money Saving Mom has graciously allowed me to GIVEAWAY 5 copies of The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year to 5 Family Friendly Frugality readers!
To enter, just use the Rafflecopter form embedded in this post (if you can’t see the form in your email, RSS reader or phone, you’ll have to come direct to the site to enter. ).
Here are some of the optional entries you can use to increase your chances!
- Subscribe to Family Friendly Frugality by email (be sure to confirm, these will be verified)
- Follow Family Friendly Frugality on Facebook
- Leave a blog post comment telling me what you hope this book will help you with.
Giveaway ends on 1/15/12. Winners will be contacted within 48 hours of giveaway ending barring any unforeseen circumstances. Winners will be announced on the blog and personally emailed. If winners do not respond within 48 hours of receiving their winner email, the prize is forfeited and another winner will be chosen.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
For more chances to win a copy of The Money Saving Mom’s Budget, also check out the following blogs:
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this review. I did receive a free copy of the book to facilitate my review. My opinion is the opinion of a longtime Money Saving Mom reader, and is mine alone. This giveaway is not facilitated, sponsored or administered by Facebook.
As a mom of 1 (who wishes there were 2)…..and a wife (who lost her job last summer) to a man (that is temporarily unemployed)….I would LOVE to win!
Our budget is getting tighter due to my husband’s ACL surgery and him at home recovering. So this would help me out a lot!
This book would be awesome because I am trying to save my family money anyway I can but it doesn’t seem to always workout & I’d luv to find a new way to do it.
I’ve been an avid couponer for quite awhile now, but could really use some help on making and sticking to a budget! I follow her blog and would really like to read her book as well.
i’d love her advice!
Would love to win this!
Great Job Heather and any book that can help get me out of debt and create a workable budget would be great!
I would like the books because I am in need of learning how to save and live more frugally
Need all the help I can get! 70% income loss has really challenged me.
I hope that this book will keep me on track with my savings goals this year!
I am a newbie at being frugal and need all of the help I can get!
I would love this book because I am somewhat new to couponing and would love to acquire this art!
I would love to win! I love Crystal Paine and her site and what she offers, I would love to read her book.
I would love to read the book because I love reading what Crystal has to say on her blog!
I would love to win this and have crystal’s insight.
Sounds like a great book, would love to read it!
I really want this book…we have been reading Dave RAmsey and I think this would be a nice addition
I am hoping this book will help me with additional ideas of how to live a simpler life and save more in different avenues of spending.
I would REALLY like to have this book. I have benefitted from Crystal’s advice on MSM. Thanks!
I would really love and need this book to help my family and I work on refining our budget.
I am SO excited to read this book. I had my first child in November and just gave notice at my job that I will not be returning from my maternity leave. So, we are in the process of becoming a one-income family and I’m looking for ways to help us stretch that money.
I would love to have the book. I have been following MSM for over two years and would love to have a book with all her great advice
Thanks for the giveaway! Can`t wait to read this book
I really want this book!
I want to learn to save more money
I’m most interested in the sections on goal-setting and better organization. Thanks!
I would love to read this book to compare it with Coupon Mom. Which of the two I would like better. =)
I would love to win a copy of this book! I am constantly looking for ways to live more frugally! Thanks for hosting the giveaway!
i need to learn how to save money
It would be great to read a different book and learn new ways to save money.
I would love a chance to win!
Seems like a really good book to own. Thanks.
Hoping this will help me learn how to put together a family budget. My parents were not as good with money as they would have liked, and I would love to have some more resources.
As of last week our family has become a homeschooling family, which has required me to go down to working one day a week. We’re very excited about our new journey as a family, but we need to now especially learn how to live more frugally! I think that this book would be very helpful to us!
I am hoping this book will help me shop more wisely. I love to shop and sometimes I shop just to shop. I want to be better at this money thing, so I can share my knowledge with my children.
I would like to save money at the grocery store and other things too. I don’t drive though so I might have to modify some of the strategies. kristiedonelson(at)gmail(dot)com Thank you.
I’d love to win a copy of this book! We’re expecting our first baby in six weeks and I can use all the inspiration/know-how possible. 🙂
I would love this book just to have more resources at my fingertips!
Really want to learn how to set goals for the family budget & myself…… & stick with them! 😉
We are trying to get on a budget this year and would love to read the book!
I want to win because I would like to learn more money saving tips
elena150980 at yahoo dot com
I would love to hear what Crystal says about couponing as I am new to it. I also am interested in the information about resolving clutter as this is an area that I struggle with.
I love to have this book! I’ve been waiting for months since Crystal announced she was writing a book!
Found your blog through Crystal’s site! I love it and would also love to win the book :). I’m trying to be a better steward of my money this year
I really could use more saving tips
I would really like some help on how to save money for a large family.
I can’t wait to read her book!
I get your email subscription
I’d love to learn more about savings with this book!
subscribed via email
Because I have tried to find simple ways to save and need help..
I would love to set up an online budget/record keeping system. While my calendar/bill book has worked for years, it would be nice to access it when away from home and see everything in one place. But where do I start? This book would help me get off to a running start.
My biggest challenge is setting up a budget and actually sticking to it. My hope for this book is that I will be able to learn some “tricks” to follow that will make sticking to a budget work for me.
I signed up for your daily updates by email. Thanks for the great blog!
gksedgeman@msn.com
I need help in SAVING, not just spending.
hope the book will help me get out of debt
I would love to pick up any new tips but if I don’t find any then I would just love the extra inspiration that I am sure Crystal delivers in this book!
I would love to get this valuable resource!! Can’t wait to read it and share it with outhers!
I would like more concrete tips on saving. I know there are blind spots in my spending!
I’d love to actually stick to our budget for once!
I’d like to know how to teach my children to live simplier and not as the world has taught them that they need need need everything.
I hope this book will help me to pay down my debt and reduce our spending.
I’m hoping to learn new tricks to saving money on an already limited budget.
I hope this book will help us tighten our budget so that we can achieve more of our financial goals.
I would love to win this book, because I really want it, but I don’t want to spend money to get it! 🙂
Thank you for this generous giveaway! This is the first time I have visited your blog and I must say it is rather impressive!
Brenda
i love the money saving mom blog already… and feel this would add some momentum to our debt snowball!
i need something easy to understand..have heard good things about this book.
monicaandrew25@hotmail.com
Now that I am a stay-at-home mommy of 2 babes we just brought home from China, I REALLY need to save money and live frugally. Would love a copy of this book!
I added your Website to my RSS feeder.
I love her blog … have read a lot about this book and would love to have a copy. Thanks for hosting such a great giveaway!!!
My mother needs some serious help!
Would love to win a copy of the book!
I would love this set of books because it looks very interesting!