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The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Review and GIVEAWAY

| Filed Under: Book Reviews, Giveaways

Today I’m excited to share with you a one of my must-read book picks for 2012 that is available for purchase as of today!!  Y’all need to add this book to your reading list this January, especially if you are interested in taking control of your money and getting your budget on track for the year.  Crystal Paine, aka The Money Saving Mom, spent the beginning of 2011 writing her very own book about what she knows best…Saving Money!  I love Crystal and her blog, MoneySavingMom.com, if you haven’t visited her blog you must!  She posts daily about how to find deals, save money, and get out of debt.  She even has a series on her blog about how she paid 100% cash down for their home!  
Crystal sent me an early copy of her book, The Money Saving Mom’s Budget, at the end of last year and the day I received I was so excited I could hardly put it down to make dinner and get my kids to bed.  I started reading it that night and was literally done by the next evening.  It is such a great read.  She has broken down saving money into easy to digest chapters that walk you through the what it takes to get your family out of debt or, if you have no debt, to streamline your finances so you can save up a nice chunk of money for college educations, a new house, whatever your dreams may be.  
Crystal writes,

Maybe you have piles of debt and are always behind on payments.  Maybe you feel stuck in a job where you’re barely keeping your head above water, and you have two children and a dog to take care of, too.  The good news?  You’re never stuck–unless you choose to be.  You can choose to set goals, work hard, get creative, persevere, and make wise choices.  Ultimately, these wise choices can propel you to greater financial success than you’ve ever dreamed.  

There are chapters on:  Decluttering your life, Learning how to set up a budget, Going credit card-free, Beginning to use coupons, Lowering your grocery bill, and even a chapter on ways to enjoy life with out spending lots of money…hello?  date night for many of us these days includes:  paying for a babysitter, paying for a dinner out, paying for a movie or some type of activity = spending lots of money!!!  If you are interested in reading a chapter and getting a feel for this great book visit Amazon.com to see more.  
I truly loved reading this book.  Not only was it an easy read but it was jam-packed with lots of tips and information.  I had a pen and paper next to me while I read so I could jot down all my notes, all the great tips, and all the web site address she offers to help you save money.  I especially loved reading the last page of the book, behind all the free worksheets she offers and the acknowledgements.  It’s the page where Crystal shares that all the proceeds of this book, every.single.penny., are being donated to Compassion International.  How awesome is that?  I have to be honest that reading that last paragraph pretty much blew me away.  I’m telling you, Crystal is really one amazing woman, how many people would actually do that?  (PS. You can actually read more about that here where she wrote more details about it yesterday.)  
Thanks to Crystal, I have FIVE brand spankin’ new copies of this book to giveaway to FIVE of my lucky readers!!  If you’d like a chance to win your very own copy and start saving money and slashing your budget in 2012…
1.  Leave a comment telling me what one of your goals in 2012 is this year!  
2.  Be/Become a fan of Smashed Peas and Carrots and leave me a separate comment saying you did/are!
3.  Like Smashed Peas and Carrots on Facebook HERE and leave me a separate comment saying so!
**Must be 18 years or older to enter and a US resident to qualify!!
This giveaway will end Saturday, January 14 2010 at 8 am!!!
Good luck friends!!
XOXO,

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Comments

  2. The Running Mama says

    My goal for 2012 is to save some money to have baby #2!

    I am a fan on Facebook and a follower.

    BTW, I finally remembered to get the ingredients for the no- bake energy balls and baby girl and i devoured them!

  5. LuR says

    Goals for the year – get out of credit card debt and stay that way – save money to be able to pay cash for Disney trip at the end of the year.

  7. thehappycrochetchic says

    I have a ton ofngoals this year, but i really want to get imto a better household routine…i have 4 kids and my house always seems messy unless i.clean all.day… i need a better way to do it so i dont have to do so mich all at once. Maybe this book would help…

  10. Demitria says

    My goal for 2012 is to pay off any debt that’s looming above our heads so we can start saving for a house!

  14. Heather says

    One of my goals for 2012 is to work on getting ahead financially. We are already credit card free but need to work to get ahead instead of living month to month!

  17. Kathy says

    Once my husband finishes grad school this summer, our goal is to really start our debt snowball. We were able to pay for his grad school all in cash, thanks to side jobs, renting for as cheaply as possible, and me taking a night job as a cleaning lady so I can still stay home with our three year old during the day.

  18. Anonymous says

    I just had baby #2 and I want to figure out a way to stay home with my 2 beautiful children!
    -Mandy Regina

  24. Anonymous says

    My goals for 2012 are to set a budget for my family & declutter our house! We have been married almost 10yr. without having a budget & I swear the toys in our home are multiplying! I definitely know that this book will help me with both of my goals 🙂

    jessi_crandell@hotmail.com

  26. Carri says

    My goals for this year are to get my home more organized, work on paying off debt, and start saving for our own home. 🙂

  27. bhafer says

    One of my goals for this year was to read more than last year. So I am aiming for 30 books. This would help me reach that goal.

  28. Amanda says

    One of my goals for 2012 is to declutter my home. I plan on selling as much stuff as I can, not only to simplify life, but to put money in the bank. This book would be a great resource for me as I continue my debt free journey!

  37. Randee says

    One of my goals is to finish the many projects I have going on! No more spending money on new ones until the old ones are done!

  42. The Wille's says

    sounds like a great book!! my goals this year are to eat healthier as a family, learn to not stress the small stuff, and become more organized on a daily basis 🙂

  52. All Things Beautiful says

    My #1 goal for the year is to delivery a healthy baby and not too early. Other goals would be to adjust to having a 3rd child without going crazy. In the mean time I am working on all sorts of crafty baby projects and children’s projects for my older two. I am hoping this will help the last couple months fly by.

  55. TiffanyB says

    My goal for this year is to get out of debt or start getting out of debt, prove to my husband we can live our lives the way we want to so we can have baby #2.

    I am a follower and I like (LOVE!!) you on Facebook!

  60. Dara says

    Goals for 2012, get the kids to be less picky with their food, set up a family budget, become more active as a family!

  68. Becca says

    Oh, I so need this book this year! I’ve failed at budgeting and saving money every-single-time I make it one of my goals.

    This year, my goal is to pay off my credit cards and actually START putting money into my savings.

  72. whitneyh says

    Lots of goals for this year, but a couple are to fully fund our Emergency Fund & start saving to have cash for a new(to us) car when my 18 year old one konks out!

  74. cooperkelly4 says

    One of my goals is to get rid of even more clutter from our home. Twice a year I go through each room in the house and declutter, but this year I want to be more ruthless with it and really get rid of the stuff we have not been using.

  78. Mommarock says

    My first goal for 2012 is to take better care of myself so that I can take better care of everyone else. My health has been giving me some problems, but this has to be #1.

  81. Suzy says

    I’ve been quietly checking out your blog for several weeks now, but am now an official follower (via email!)

  82. TonyaElise says

    One of my goals is to start working with my three-year-old three times a week in structured play and learning (some people call that home school, but she is too little for school, so I just call it a structured day). Of course, my goal for TODAY is to finally get Christmas decorations taken down. January 10th, that is embarrassing…

  83. Suzy says

    I have lots of 2012 goals: Pay down our mortgage so we can sell and move out of state; Keep a cleaner, more organized home; get our entire family healthier; read more…just to name a few!

  84. Suzy says

    I’m now officially following your blog! Oh, and the kiddos and I made the no-bake energy bites last week…WAY too yummy!

  85. Suzy says

    I like you a facebook…that’s how I found out about the contest. Thanks for the chance to win a copy of the book!

  98. Erin says

    one of my goals this year is to actually learn how to budget, budget well, and stick with a budget. we will be having our second child in 2 1/2 months and i will be out of work for a few months, so i really need to get on track now!!

  102. Anonymous says

    I want to simplify and get out of debt. I want to teach my kids the value of hard work and the proper way to handle money!
    Love the blog!
    kimmers

  103. nicky says

    I would love to win a copy of the book. I follow your and Crystal’s blogs daily! My goal of 2012 is to lower that credit card bill!!

  112. Crystal says

    Our family goals this year are to fix up our house in order to sell it in a few years, and to declutter and reorganize and save money (So this book sounds perfect for me!! LOL)

  116. kristine says

    Hmmm..I’m terrible about new year’s resolutions. I don’t usually make any. However, with baby number four on the way one of my goals is to spend more individual time with each of my kids (and encourage my husband to do the same).

  119. jackie says

    I’d really love to become more organized and de-clutter my home. I’d also like to stop wasting so much money and get some debts paid off so we can afford to buy a bigger home so we can add on to our family.

  122. Wylie says

    I would love to win this book. We feel overwhelmed by student loans, mortgage, taxes, and need some good concrete advice to help us get out of the rut we are in….

  128. ginger freckle says

    This looks like a great book! One of my 2012 goals this year is to make 9 aprons out of my Grandmother’s vintage fabrics. Thanks for hosting a great giveaway!

  135. Julianne says

    One of my goals is to simplify my life. I am too much of a clutter catcher and I need to change!!

  137. Julianne says

    I now “like” you on facebook…can’t believe I didn’t do that before…I read your blog daily! 🙂

  138. Nicole says

    One of my goals is to be more organized. In turn I am hoping it will help me de-clutter and make less of a mess. I keep saying to my self put this item in it’s home not on the counter.

  144. Miller Moments says

    My goal for 2012 is to establish a purposeful budget. This is my first year as a stay-at-home mom so I’m much more in tuned to my daily spending. I would love to read this book!

  147. Heidi says

    Well one of my goals is to send all my family and close friends a birthday card and try not to stress about everything….

  154. Chenille says

    One of my goals for 2012 is to get our family on a “real” budget, not just online banking! We would also like to buy a home this year.

  156. MeenyMoe says

    One of my goals for 2012 is to get a grip on my paper clutter. I pay my bills online but still feel the need to hold on to the paper bill that comes in the mail. I have 3 accordian folders with tabs and the paper bill goes in its spot…theoretically. LOL Typically what happens is that the bills pile up in an unsightly heap in a basket and when the basket is overflowing, I have to sit down and spend a lot of time sorting and filing. I loathe it. There must be a better way! – Karen

  159. Anonymous says

    my goals for 2012 is to have a happy healthy baby girl (due in April!) and to find the right church for my family.

    Tera
    eveybirr at yahoo dot com

  172. Casey says

    My goal for this year is to save for a house (the first year of our 5 year plan). I’m trying really hard to cut our grocery expenses.

  175. regan says

    My #1 goal for 2012 is to get organized….my sewing room is, why isn’t the rest of the house? So I would love to see what tips she might have in that book! Thanks for the chance!

  189. Eileen says

    my major goal is to get healthier!! then to get my ufo’s transferred to fo’s!!! play the piano a few minutes each day. read good books, not just for entertainment…scriptures in particular. thanks for the opportunity and have a great day

  191. Kelli says

    My number one goal for 2012 is to be in my devotional EVERY day…keeping my head and heart where they should be. Once that is in order, everything else seems to fall into place (or at least I’m better equipped to deal with it when it doesn’t!). 🙂

  197. Margie says

    Our goals are to pay off credit card debt and save for baby #2! I follow your blog and Facebook — so excited to read this book and get some fantastic ideas!

  206. Abby says

    My goal for 2012 is to tackle an organization project every weekend! I have already started on a cleaning/organization schedule!

  208. Ashley M. says

    Our goals for 2012 are to become completely debt free, and to also save for our 2nd adoption from Korea 🙂

    And I subscribe to your blog, and like you on FB!

  209. Abby says

    My goal for 2012 is to tackle a different organization project each weekend. I’ve already started on a cleaning/organization checklist to declutter my home and my mind!

  218. Rachael Stilley says

    Goal: keep a more organized home! I am participating in 52 weeks to a more organized home, there is a weekly challenge so complete so its not crazy cleaning, just to fall back into the same habits-but instead gradual changes that are easy to stick to!! so excited!!

  228. Abby says

    My goal for 2012 is to get more organized! I am going to tackle one organizing project every weekend!

  229. Chris says

    I follow you through Google reader! It’s the best way to stay up to date on all my favorite blogs 🙂

  256. Anonymous says

    Awesome! i love books by women educating others about saving money! instead of a food diet matt and i are on a money diet. so i’m only allowed to spend money on bills. that means no shopping for new clothes, any crafts supplies, and eating out as i please. it’s been a tough first 2 weeks but i have already noticed my bank account getting bigger!
    you’ve been liked on FB and i’m already a follower!

    pick me pick me pick me!!
    Chelsea
    artstork . etsy. com

  261. twrightgirl says

    My one goal is to simplify my house and that means getting rid of all our extras plus some. So far I have the kitchen organized and the living room gone thru and toys whittled down.

  273. Rebecca says

    I have been following you on blogger for a while. I’m thrilled to see this book being given away. 2012 is my year of transformation. I really want to be a better steward of all God has given my family, be it health, finances, our home, our time. I would love to use this book as a way to reach that goal.

  274. Rebecca says

    I’ve been a fan of SP&C for a long time through blogger. I have made (and loved!) the energy bites several times. 2012 is my year of transformation: physically, financially, relationally, parentally. I really just want to be a better steward of all God has given my family be it time, money, our home, our health, our daughter, etc. Thanks for the opportunity to win this book. It will propel us toward success – I just know it!

    Rebecca at rbassett4 at cfl dot rr dot com.

  276. Amy B says

    Our family goal is to get out of debit this year so we can get out of our little twin home and into a home with a basement so we have more room to grow with our growing family.

  278. Mary says

    Well my goal at the beginning of 2012 was to pay at least one credit card off. Now, it is to take care of Hubby (I would still love to pay off some debt though!)