The Money Saving Mom’s Budget- Book Review

Out of Time Mom ♦ April 3, 2012 ♦ Leave a comment

I received a free promotional copy of the book “The Money Saving Mom’s Budget” to review on my site. I have been a huge fan of her blog, Money Saving Mom, and I was eager to pick up more tips for managing my budget. After all, she was the one who inspired me to use coupons and manage my spending at both the grocery store and the pharmacy. I saved a lot of money using her advice on how to use coupons, and also the coupon match-ups that she provides through her site. I have enough toothpaste for a year stockpiled away, along with many other health and beauty supplies that I scored for free or nearly free because of her. When I heard she had a book on budgeting, I eagerly signed up to receive a copy to review on my site. I was thrilled when I was selected to receive it!

I got the audio copy of the book, along with PDFs of the visuals in the books. As I was taking a train trip with Out of Time Toddler, I downloaded the audio onto my phone for listening while on the train. If you are familiar with that trip at all, you know that didn’t happen. I did listen at nights when I was going to sleep, but Crystal’s voice was so soothing, I quickly fell asleep and would have to start the chapters over again. It’s not reflective of her book, just my exhaustion and her soothing voice. She must have the most rested children ever!

Once I was finally able to stay awake and really listen to the book, I was impressed with her frugal life story. She and her husband were able to save the money to be able to buy their first house in CASH! That’s quite impressive. She and her husband have always lived a frugal lifestyle, which, is also impressive, but it made me feel like maybe she didn’t know where the rest of us are coming from. I have been swamped in debt, over-extended, and under funded. I have almost lost a house to foreclosure, lost a house to divorce, and *gulp* even had my car repossessed. I’m not sure she understands how those things happen and how you pull yourself out of that mess. It may be that I wanted more from the book than she is able to give because of that.

Becoming fiscally responsible after living your life in a more extravagant way is challenging. There are so many ways that we define ourselves by our belongings and financial status. There is such an emotional component to money. When you don’t have money and are buried in debt, it seems like you’ll never be able to get your head above water. While Crystal has a fascinating story of her newlywed life while her husband was going to law school, and how they were able to live on a minimal amount of money, I felt a little resentful that her husband was even going to law school. When you have debt, it’s hard to see your way out of the tunnel when there is no light shining at the other end. They had a means to an end. Often that’s not the case for many people, it seems as though you’re never going to get to a financially secure place in life. I would have felt a little more inspired if she knew what it was like.

That being said, the book offered a lot of tips that would be really beneficial to people who are new to living a more frugal lifestyle. The book gives you ways to set financial goals, and how to break them down into manageable pieces.  She also gives tips on how to make an extra $100 per month, and also how to trim down your clutter and make money at the same time.  I was inspired by her tag sale stories, and am looking forward to pulling one together this spring! I have a ton of baby stuff I need to shed before we move!

Overall, I think Money Saving Mom’s Budget is a great book for those first starting down the frugal path. It is well worth the money in the savings you’ll pick up from using her helpful tips. However, for more advanced Recessionistas, you probably know this information already, and can go back to enjoying her website, with your pennies pinched firmly in hand.

As part of her book tour, Crystal is celebrating by giving away an ipad 2. Check out the button on the sidebar for more information! Good luck!