Money Saving Mom®

“Crystal Paine does it all as an entrepreneur, wife, and mom—and that means she knows all about finding room in a home budget! From reducing clutter to finding amazing coupon deals outside the grocery aisle, The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget will help you make dollars and sense of your life again.”

—Dave Ramsey, New York Times bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio talk show host

The Audacious Dream

For a long time, I’ve had a big dream of one day being a published author. I figured it would be years down the road–maybe after my children were grown.

However, God had different plans. And near the end of 2010, a vice president of Gallery Books (a division of Simon & Schuster) stumbled upon an article of mine and wrote me saying they’d like to offer me a book deal.

I had to read the email multiple times to make sure I was getting it right. No, my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me.

Jesse and I spent the next eight weeks praying about it and discussing whether this was realistic and something we wanted to take on. Truthfully, Jesse was really stoked about the whole thing. I was much more hesitant as my plate felt plenty full, I’d spent the last six months working towards margin and balance in my life, and I was scared to embark on something that might be too overwhelming–especially since I’d only have a few months to start and complete the manuscript.

Jumping In With Both Feet

But God kept confirming to Jesse and me that this was what I was supposed to do. So we streamlined and delegated, hired an assistant to take over a lot of the behind-the-scenes business tasks for me, and jumped in with both feet.

There were definitely some grueling moments and I won’t say that the writing process was easy–especially since I had no clue what I was doing and everything was completely new to me!–but it went much smoother than we could have ever expected. Plus, I truly enjoyed the entire process.

The manuscript was completed in early May and the last few months have been a whirlwind of new learning curves in editing, publicity, and traditional marketing (I’m used to internet marketing, so the traditional marketing is a whole new ballgame for me!)

Finally! It’s Done!

After months of effort, I’m thrilled to let you know that The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life and Save Thousands a Year is finished and off to the printers with a planned release date of January 10, 2012.

This book is the culmination of years of personally living frugally and simply and teaching others how to have a paradigm shift about money. I’m more than a little excited about it (more like crazily ecstatic about it!) because I believe its message is direly needed, especially right now as so many people are struggling to make ends meet. I believe this book has the potential to radically change your budget–and your life!

The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget is a comprehensive step-by-step plan to take you from financial mess to financial success. In this straightforward book, you’ll learn:

::How to set big goals and break them down into bite-sized pieces.

::How to prioritize your time and life in order to live intentionally.

::How to streamline your home and life in order to have breathing room to work toward your financial goals.

::How to go from no budget at all to a full-fledged, realistic, written budget by following a simple three-step plan.

::How to make a cash envelope system work for you.

::How to cut your grocery bill in half (including 25 ways to save money without using coupons!).

::How to save big on restaurants, travel, clothing, utility bills, prescription glasses, gym memberships, and much more.

::And finally, how to cultivate contentment, embrace today, and live a rich and full life, no matter your income.

What I’m Most Excited About

You know what I’m most thrilled about in publishing this book? That all of my profits are going to Compassion International–an organization that helps to feed and clothe needy children around the globe.

Knowing that this book has the potential to not only change lives in our country, but to also give food, clean water, shelter, and clothing to those who are living in unimaginable circumstances, gave me so much purpose and excitement while writing. I’m humbled to be partnering with Compassion’s ministry to the poorest of the poor.

“For this mama of six, driving a 14 yr. old vehicle, endeavoring to live frugally and to live generously, this book not only offers fresh inspiration, it offers a practical, creative plan to make your life priorities — the reality of your life. And her last chapter on contentment? Standing ovation!”

—Ann Voskamp, author of the New York Times bestseller One Thousand Gifts

Pre-Order Your Copy Today

The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com. It’s $10.98 right now, with a price-guarantee that if the price goes down any between when you order and the release date, you’ll get the lowest price. Shipping is free with an Amazon Mom account.

It’s also available for pre-order on Barnes & Noble. If you prefer ebooks, you can pre-order it for your Kindle or Nook.

No matter your level of thriftiness or how much or little you make, I think you’ll find help, hope, and inspiration in the pages of The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget. This book would also make a fabulous Christmas gift for someone you know who is struggling financially or just wants to do a better job of setting financial goals and stewarding the money they have.

If you can’t afford the $10.98 price tag, you could ask your local library to order in a copy. And don’t worry, I’ll be giving lots of copies away here, too!

PSST! If you do pre-order a copy, I have a little special something for you next week, just to show my appreciation. Stay tuned for more details. 🙂

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support of this project. Your excitement in comments and emails has knocked my socks off. I have the best readers ever!

Guest post by Katey from Having Fun at Home

With the holidays nearing, many families find themselves with a house full of guests and a temptation to overspend so that their visitors feel welcome and have a nice visit. Here are some creative ideas for being warmly hospitable without spending too much money:

1. Be attentive to little details.

• Place a bouquet of bright fall leaves from the backyard on the guestroom dresser.
• Have your kids make a welcome banner.
• Spread a couple of magazines you think your guests might enjoy on the nightstand in their room.
• If your guests are coffee drinkers, put a coffeemaker and coffee in their bedroom.
• Keep a basket full of travel toiletries available in case someone forgets something.
• If you wanted to be over the top, you could even put chocolates on their pillow or try your hand at toilet paper origami!
• These ideas cost next to nothing but communicate care!

2. Become familiar with free outings in your area.

• Look into factory tours.
• Find good hiking trails.
• Figure out if there are any unusual claims to fame nearby. For example, here in Austin, we have North America’s largest urban bat colony. Every night, they make a dramatic appearance and are lots of fun to watch!
• Around Christmas, keep an eye on the neighborhoods that seem to be the most decorated and drive through them together one evening.
• Ask around to find out the best sledding hill in town.

3. Opt for fun, community-building meals rather than impressive menus.

• Make homemade pizzas together.
• Build a fire in the backyard and roast hot dogs.
• Set out lots of fresh ingredients, and let everyone string their own shish kabobs.
• Serve “Breakfast for Dinner.”
• Arrange for the men to be the chefs one night (or the kids if they are old enough!).

4. Make your home an enjoyable place to be.

• Stock your closet with lots of cards and board games. (German board games can be especially absorbing for adults and teenagers.)
• Keep a mental list of fun projects that everyone can do at the same time while still enjoying conversation (stringing popcorn garlands, putting together a surprise gift package for a mutual friend).
• Start a fire in the fireplace and roast marshmallows.
• Allow the kids a place of their own where they can make things together, get dirty, and have adventures (a basement or a fort in the back yard).

5. Apply yourself to the task of heartily enjoying your guests.

Heartily enjoy your guests and it will make it almost impossible for them not to have a good time!

Katey enjoys hosting her own house guests as a stay-at-home wife and mother in Austin, Texas. Her blog, Having Fun at Home, is resource for fun, inexpensive ideas for families.

photo credit

After a long and wearying day of traveling with our three children (6, 4, and 2), we were anxiously waiting to disembark at our final destination. I couldn’t have been more ready to get off the plane.

All three children had been especially whiny and antsy that day. I was sure everyone around us was desperate to get off, too, after being unwittingly subjected to over an hour of fussing, loud, and animated youngsters.

The stress levels continued to rise in me as the minutes ticked on and the decibels of whining increased. I was poised for someone to turn around and let out an exasperated sigh or give me a very sharp “what-were-you-thinking-bringing-these-unruly-children-on-this-flight?” look.

Read the full article over at MomLife.