When it comes to frugal living, fresh inspiration is often hard to find. Oh sure, we do what we can, from attempting a budget to washing out baggies in order to save money. Often, the problem, though, is that we aren’t armed with a solid start to finish plan. Crystal Paine’s book, The Money Saving Mom’s Budget gives you that plan, and explains the importance behind each step.
I haven’t seen anything this good since Amy Dacyczyn’s The Tightwad Gazette, a book on frugal living that has now pretty much obtained cult status. Paine’s book, however, is updated with more modern practicality and real life actions that help you see the forest for the trees, incorporating everything from yard sale tips to budgeting a la Dave Ramsey.
That last part is so important. What is the use of saving money on laundry detergent when you already owe thousands of dollars on credit cards. (If you do, don’t worry, Paine will give you a practical plan to pay down that debt.)
While just the word “budget” can make people cringe, Paine breaks everything down into easy steps that can be integrated into your whole life. Accountability is a big thing, but so is inspiration. Paine dedicates an entire section of her book on how to cultivate contentment.
Granted, some of the ideas in the book we have all seen before, such as using coupons to save money at the grocery store, nothing new there, but it is the emphasis on core competencies, the idea of budgeting time as well as money, and the guidance of getting one’s life in order first so you can be in a good place to budget, that sets this book apart from all of the other frugal advice books out there.
I had a sense that I was talking with a friend over coffee, someone who really cared about how everything would all turn out. It is that accessibility, along with the good advice, that makes this book one to pick up.
The Money Saving Mom’s Budget will be published by Simon and Schuster and available for sale on January 10th. You can bet that I will be running out to purchase multiple copies of this book for some very dear friends that I know.
Book Giveaway
You could win a copy of this book. To enter, just click “Sign Up For Our Newsletter” at the top of this page. Then email your name and mailing address to admin@families.com. All completed applications will be considered and must be submitted by January 11, 2012. Winners will be selected randomly and prizes will be awarded by Simon and Schuster. We will post the winner’s names on our Families.com Facebook fanpage.
Note: An advanced reader copy of this book was provided to the reviewer for review purposes.
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