The Money Saving Mom’s Budget (review & giveaway)
Whenever a program comes on the radio with money saving tips, we listen up — mostly out of curiosity. And at the end of the program, my husband and I compare notes, the result almost always being the same: we’re already following every money saving tip they listed.
We use PaperbackSwap and Swagbucks. We thrift and consign. We don’t have a landline or cable. We buy ahead, in bulk, what’s on sale. And we always cook based on what’s in the pantry or garden.
I thought it would be the same way with Crystal Paine’s new book. Except that the word “budget” tipped me off.
We don’t operate on a cash-only basis. And we don’t “budget”, per se. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t learn a new thing or two on saving money from “The Money Saving Mom” herself.
I’ve never even considered coupon clipping, since usually the ones I see are for things we never buy. But after reading two chapters on couponing techniques, I realized that maybe some coupons could be worth my time and save me money!
I enjoyed all the little illustrations scattered throughout the book about how saving a few dollars here and there would quickly add up to big savings of more than a thousand dollars per year. And even though I thought I had being “cheap” down to a science, it gave me a lot of new ideas for how I could make do with a little less here, or get something for a better deal there.
But most importantly, I appreciated Crystal’s emphasis on more than just money and things. She made it clear that contentment was more necessary than riches; giving was mentioned almost as often as saving. And she even had a few things to say about how decluttering could help save you money!
The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year is a money saving read for more than just moms. The sooner you get started operating on these money saving principles, the more natural the habit will become. But the sooner you learn contentment, the sooner you’ll be happy — regardless of how much money you ever save or earn.
And, you can even save the price of the book — Crystal is giving two YLCF readers a copy of The Money Saving Mom’s Budget for free! To enter the giveaway, comment and share one money saving tip you’ve learned. (Giveaway extended: ended January 18 at midnight EST.)
Congratulations to Laura and Christine for winning copies of The Money Saving Mom’s Budget!
Many money saving tips I do are ones I’ve heard or seen as I mature into a young adult woman on my own and each one makes me more excited than the last.
My most recent task was stop using the dryer and hanging out laundry more! It has not only saved me quite a few dollars a year, but makes me feel like a stronger woman and not so much lazy (I only coin that on myself and not others I know that don’t have the time to do this). Not to mention the clothes keep the nice clean smell without smelling burnt!
my money saving tip is to use cash for everything. and only take as much as you want to or need to spend. your less likely to add on extras along the way
My tip is to always make a shopping list before grocery shopping, otherwise you buy more than you need and go off budget.
We borrow books on CD and DVDs from our library, using its website to get on the wait list for the most recent releases.
Don’t take my kids to the store with me and try not to go anymore than once a week!
I have learned about stacking and waiting for deals before using a coupon. Would really love to win this book!
Buy used and save the difference!
Shop at dented food stores! They have great prices!!
We have the option of 3 trash can sizes with our service. We always got the biggest one but after 7 years we realized we’re throwing money away each month paying for that….we now have the smallest & recylce everything we can!
Make your own Household Cleaners!
Great idea. And you’ll get even more money saving tips, Christine–you’re one of our winners!
I’ve learned to use coupons at the proper stores – knowing which ones double and triple. I’ve also learned to never stop learning! I can’t wait to read Crystal’s book!
I have learned to make big batches of meals and save money by not eating out because when my husband and I get home late from work and need a quick dinner I’ve got plenty in my fridge!
Stay away from the “dollar spots” and dollar stores. You think it’s only one dollar, but 8 little items, just added 9+ dollars to you bill. ( You can’t forget about adding in the tax)
I borrow movies from the library instead of renting them. I use coupons.
Using cloth diapers instead of disposables for 3 kids has probably saved us thousands of dollars!
reuse everything possible. Ziploc baggies, tin foil can be washed and re-used several times. Also the was paper bags cereal comes in is easily ripped by the seams and is a great wax paper.
Using a cash envelope system is something new to us after starting Financial Peace. What a difference it makes at the end of the day!
Meal planning saves so much money on eating out!
Be content. Use the library for movies as well as books.
Spot cleaning on the children’s clothes so they can wear them again without washing. . . saves on laundry bills!
I’ve learned to stay out of the mall so I won’t spend money!
Money saving tip: make your own laundry detergent. It’s greener, too!
Money saving tip: drop cable, get hulu or netflix!
I’ve learned that saving money starts with being less wasteful. I used to throw out the heels of bread loaves because no one in the family liked them. But then I learned I could use them to make my own bread crumbs! I’m no longer wasting them, and I no longer have to spend money to buy bread crumbs! 馃檪 It’s the little things.
One tip I’ve learned is that you and your spouse needs to be on the same page regarding budgeting. There’s going to be some give and take and getting used to it. But budgeting will work and save $ if you know whats coming and where its going. That and giving up small luxuries(daily coffee, magazine subscriptions or every now and then purchase…) does add up and makes a small but big difference 馃榾
Staying home saves me money! The less “window shopping” you do, the less you covet. Learn to be content with what you already have and stay home more!
Wash laundry in cold water using vinegar as a disinfectant. No more sorting colors because nothing bleeds!
I buy almost all of my clothes at a local thrift store! I often end up with designer clothes that I only paid $4 for!
Always go to any store with a list and coupons. It is dangerous to go to Walmart and Target without a list. The Dollar Stop in Target can add $10 to any shopping trip, not to mention their red tag items.
Don’t go to the store with kids or when you’re hungry.
Making things homemade . . . I recently learned to make eggnog because my husband enjoys it.
I’ve started exploring “The Drugstore Game” (using the drugstore reward dollars to fund the next week’s purchases) and spending little to no money out of pocket on our toiletry items each month.
Menu planning is our biggest money saver but most importantly is having a budget and tracking our spending….you can’t save money if you don’t know where it’s going!
We make our own granola snack for after game snacks….it saves money and is SO much healthier.
Drink water! You will save a ton!
My favorite tip is to download e-books for FREE thru my local library. Sometimes I have to wait a bit for the most popular or newest books (like The Help) but it’s worth the wait!
do not buy what your family doesn’t use, (even if it’s FREE or almost FREE) unless you KNOW someone that will use it! Oh, and I stay out of the stores..Most days!
I’d love to be entered to win! One thing we’ve found that saves money is making homemade bread. I make 50/50 whole/white bread and it comes out to less than $0.50 per loaf…you can’t beat that price!! Thanks!
Make up a monthly menu and definately a grocery list before entering the store. And then stick to it!
In my personal opinion, you could try out all kinds of different budgets, and still not save money. I’ve discovered that, in order to save money and stick to a budget means being dedicated and committed to practicing self-control on a daily basis. 馃檪
I use a drying rack instead of the dryer.. shop the sales at store and am learning to price match at walmart! it’s amazing how the little things add up! I would love to read Crystal’s book!
Just wanted to say, I love your site! I’m a mother of four girls and try to save as much as possible. I make my own laundry soap, shop at garage sales and had our first one last year, and consign clothes at a Here We Grow Again sale that is twice a year! We eat left overs and reuse them by turning most of what’s left into soup – great way to save. I did try to plant a garden last year but am realizing it does take a lot of time and knowledge to get it right – as with most things in life – you just have to keep searching for ways to do it better and more effectively! Time is always the issue with having four girls and no close family around to help. I’ve spent many hours up all night to get organized and read some helpful tips on how to save, organize, clean,etc. but I still keep trying to keep my life as simple as possible and to save as much money as I can so I can be the BEST stay at home mom and wife possible!!!! Keep up the good work!!
Set your home’s thermostat lower at night when everyone is sleeping.
Me and one of my sisters are both in college and my mom and dad have a small part time home business, so we print a lot of papers/fliers/etc. in my house. Ink cartridges are expensive, but setting your default printer setting to “Grayscale Printing” saves you from draining the more expensive color ink cartridge for normal black and white printing.
When eating out as a family, we all order waters. (unless the kids meal comes with a drink) Also, I ask for a to go box and take half my meal for lunch the next day or my husband and I split an order. Side perk: It helps with weight control.
I always check out the discount sections, and come up with things that are close to expiring, but have enough time left to consume them. Eggs will last a long time after the best by date, and milk will usually have a week left. You can always sprinkle a little salt in your milk right after you purchase it, to extend the shelf life.
I’ve learned to group errands. It saves on gas money and time as well. Making a list helps me remember everything I need to take care of.
Homemade yogurt is a favorite – it only takes a crockpot, thermometer, couple of towels, and reused containers to store it in. Besides one initial yogurt purchase it makes yogurt the same price as milk – suddenly a regular option in our budget! Plus the benefits of having no additives, and being able to use whole milk for the baby’s yogurt (since it’s a “healthy food”, stores only seem to have plain yogurt in low-fat versions).
I’ve tried to make things from scratch as much as possible because it’s usually much cheaper, but I’m also discovering some things that don’t save money homemade or just take too much time. Then my husband reminds me that my time is very valuable too!
Have you ever tried making dairy-free homemade yogurt, Evelyn? Our family loves yogurt, but so far my 9-month-old son is sensitive to the dairy I consume. I dreadfully miss yogurt, among other things! And though I’ve never tried making homemade yogurt, I’ve been tempted to try, if I could find a way to do it with almond milk.
Hm, I’ve never tried dairy-free yogurt (or used milk alternatives for anything, actually). Yogurt happens when good bacteria multiply in the milk, eating the sugar that’s in the milk, so I assume it would work with almond milk too – the bacteria would eat whatever kind of sugar is in the almond milk. You have to mix in a little bit of yogurt to get the bacteria cultures in it though, so you’d have to find dairy-free yogurt for a starter unless the baby would be okay with a small amount of dairy (like 1/4 cup yogurt mixed into 1/2 gallon). Once you’ve made a batch you just save a bit of it to use for the starter next time, so you only have to find a starter once, or if you use dairy at first there’s hardly any in the next batch.
Also, if lactose is the reason he doesn’t tolerate dairy, you can try homemade dairy yogurt incubated for 24 hours. If you make sure it stays warm enough to incubate that whole time, the bacteria is supposed to have digested all the lactose after 24 hours so it’s basically lactose-free.
I always head for the clearance racks first. And, I think very hard about buying anything that’s not on sale at the grocery store.
Checking the discount sections in the local stores have saved so much money, especially buying produce and bakery items 馃檪
I shop clearance racks and reduced shelves.
I’d love to read this book!
My favorite and easiest way to save money is to make our own laundry soap using the recipe at Raising Olives (http://raisingolives.com/2009/03/homemade-laundry-soap/). It’s easy, fast, and easily saves me over $100 a year.
For me, keeping track of expenses and knowing exactly how much is left in the grocery budget BEFORE going out shopping keeps me from overspending…I also find I spend less when I use a calculator in the store and add up my purchases as I go. I’d love to win this!!
My husband and I are able to eat (and eat well!) on $30/week or less by planning our menus around what’s on sale and what we have on hand. We use coupons and stack them with sales whenever possible, and have been able to score some amazing deals. It’s a fun challenge! 馃榾
One area we save is on haircuts. I have learned to cut my husband’s hair (he is very patient!), and for myself I try to stretch it out between haircuts as much as possible depending on how healthy the hair still looks on the ends.
While we’ve been couponing for a while, which has helped a lot, another way we’ve started saving money is by preparing double portions for dinner and freezing half. This cuts back on wasted leftovers and produce and saves me time later on when I have a hectic day and can’t get a meal ready. Once a month cooking is our next goal…
Keeping my purse with wallet, checkbook and cash organized saves me money. Before I go grocery shopping, I always set my purse in order with the cash for the purchases in an envelope (I’m reminded exactly how much money I have to spend) and my shopping list in hand. If you use cash, you have to be organized so you can keep track of it! 馃檪
I gotta say as a girl who shopped for my mom, homeschooled…etc on a budget before I got married as I was the oldest daughter. It is still VERY different as a wife especially when you don’t have money, work and jobs are scares add in freelancing husband and it’s just a world of different the pressure on you is different way different than being a daughter vs a wife and a parent.
So yes it will help a single gal, but don’t be like me and think you know everything when you are single just because you budget, do the grocery shopping, homeschool your siblings and do all the cooking. It’s still very different from the responsibility and craziness of it being your bills to pay and no money, and your family (husband and kids) to feed, and your kid who needs to go to the Doctor.
I agree yes there are benefits to both ways of saving money though the money saving mom way and the stock piling way – have done and continue to do both. 馃檪
Combine coupons with discounts at stores to save money. 馃檪
I’ve always learned…pay yourself first.
Buy a drying rack or two to hang your wet clothes on inside in the winter. It will not only save you money running the dryer, but it will add moisture to the air. That saves on how much you have to run your humidifier!
I love going to garage sales and have saved so much money through them. 馃檪 My favorite buy this year was a like-new glass blender for $2– and I met a new, Christian neighbor through it! 馃檪
Make a shopping list before you leave for the store, writing down only things that you need. And make yourself (and your husband) stick to the list. Because once you are in the store, you are going to see an awful lot of things you ‘need’.