I first got to know Crystal Paine before she was married. She was the moderator of a message board for christian young ladies. It was because of that message board where the girls discussed many different facets of biblical womanhood that I began to make my faith my own. It was no longer “I believe this because this is what my parents taught me.” I knew what I believed, why, and the Scripture it was based on.
When Crystal was married, I was excited for her. I missed her active presence in the online world as she stepped down from being a moderator. But I enjoyed her blog posts about her daily life as a newlywed. I enjoyed once again sitting under her teaching as she learned what it meant to be a godly wife.
When she started her new blog (Money Saving Mom), I was excited. Once Tim and I were married, her blog was what inspired me to learn how to be frugal and spend our money wisely. I’ve learned so much from Crystal over the years and I continue to be encouraged as I read her blog.
I was excited when I saw that Crystal was writing a book. I jumped at the opportunity to review it and was (once again!) inspired by Crystal and her wisdom.
Every chapter is filled with practical information and tips on how to implement the steps she outlines in a way that isn’t overwhelming. The book begins with helping you to figure out what financial success means to you and continues with helping you to come up with goals that are realistic and reachable.
The thing I loved the most about this book are the down to earth practical tips in the later chapters…from her personal testimony on how they survived and thrived during very tight financial times, to testimonies from the readers of Money Saving Mom, to recommendations of websites and blogs that help encourage a frugal lifestyle, to tips on how to save money on food and clothing. Crystal’s book begins with help on how to formulate a financial plan and then ends with tons of ideas on how to save and make money to help you achieve your financial goals.
After reading this book, I find myself realizing that little purchases do add up to a lot of money. I’m reinspired to use things for as long as possible and to make good use of the leftovers instead of letting them grow mold in my refrigerator. 🙂 Each of the little steps I take moves us one tiny step closer to reaching the financial goals we have for our family.
I highly recommend The Money Saving Mom’s Budget.
Wholesome Womanhood 