Book Review: The Money Saving Mom's Budget (5 Copies to Win!)

Book Review: The Money Saving Mom’s Budget (5 Copies to Win!)

If you want to learn something, one of the best ways is to learn from someone who has actually done it.

Do you want to learn to get your budget under control, cut your expenses drastically, simplify your life, and live both frugally and generously? My dear friend, Crystal Paine, is just the person to ask. Her story speaks for itself.

She and her husband began their marriage on a penny-pinching, rice and beans budget of as little as $650-900 (total!) some months, while he went through law school, without going into debt at all. They’ve dealt with multiple moves, job loss, starting up new businesses and having 3 young children during those years, all the while keeping Crystal at home full-time. They have built up two successful businesses, saved up and bought their vehicles and then their house with CASH (yes, cash!), and are committed to continuing to live frugally so that they can give generously.

Today, her new book The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life and Save Thousands a Year hits bookstores and I am thrilled to be giving away 5 copies to my readers!

My Thoughts on The Money Saving Mom’s Budget

When my own copy of the book arrived just before Christmas, I was eager to read it and found that there were many parts of the book that I didn’t want to put down. I had initially wondered whether I would learn anything new or be personally inspired by the book, as my husband and I have similar views as the Paine’s do on money and budgeting, we aren’t in debt, and frugality is something that I love to practice and share about.

However, I found the book inspiring and helpful to read, no matter where you are at in your financial journey.

You see, Crystal doesn’t think that having your finances in order is just about having a budget, cutting up your credit cards, and finding ways to trim your spending. Her approach is very holistic and that’s what I loved about this book.

The first two chapters were an unexpected breath of fresh air, and focused on goal-setting and simple, clutter-free living. Her premise is that you need to set goals so that you know exactly where you’re going and how you’re going to get there, and that streamlining your life and eliminating the clutter (physical and mental) is key to being able to achieve those financial goals.

She’s right. It’s not enough just to say that you want to spend less or that you want to get debt-free, but not change anything about your overall lifestyle in order to accomplish those desires. If you’re still living exactly the same lifestyle that got you into that place of financial struggle, then doesn’t it make perfect sense to address the bigger picture and not just the money issues?

Although our family is debt-free, with a healthy amount of savings, and we budget our money every month, I was still reminded of things that we could improve on. Her chapter on goal-setting was the most impactful for me. If I can see one major weakness in how we run our finances, it’s that we aren’t specific or aggressive enough with setting meaningful goals for our income, our savings, or our giving. Crystal and Jesse have done some tremendous things through their careful money-management and I can see how we could steward our money more effectively by being even more intentional with it.

What You Can Expect to Learn From This Book?

  • How and why to set financial goals, and practical, down-to-earth suggestions on how to move towards achieving those goals
  • How to simplify and de-clutter your life and why it makes a difference financially
  • How to budget your time (in order to help you achieve your goals)
  • How to budget your money in a step-by-step manner, why it makes sense to use cash, and how to find money you didn’t know that you had!
  • How to get rid of your debt and go completely plastic-free
  • How to cut down on your grocery expenses drastically, both with coupons and without
  • How to reduce expenses in most other areas of your life (clothing, household needs, recreation and entertainment, etc.)
  • How to cultivate contentment, no matter what your circumstances are, and live more generously

The one area in which I would suggest that this book may not be helpful for some of my readers is when it comes to the chapters on saving on groceries and household goods through couponing.

Now, I am not against using coupons at all. I use them myself sometimes and write a weekly post with Natural and Organic Coupons and Deals for Crystal’s blog, Money Saving Mom. I even started up a deals blog a year and a half ago, with a focus on saving money on more natural, healthy living which included couponing as a way to save (although the blog is now under new ownership). Coupons can be a helpful tool when used carefully, in the context of a “real food” budget.

That said, I think that for those who really desire to focus on eating real, whole, and traditional foods and to keep their homes free of toxins by using simple and natural cleaning and beauty products, you may not gain as much from these two chapters. There is a third chapter that focuses on twenty-five ways to lower your grocery bill without using coupons, and I would agree with (and practice myself) many of these suggestions.

A Worthwhile Read

If you are in the midst of serious financial struggles, OR if you want to learn to steward your money more carefully and work towards meeting your financial goals, I think that you will be encouraged by this book and find its suggestions practical and helpful.

Some of Crystal’s suggestions may be downright hard and she doesn’t try to sugar-coat what it takes to be in control of your money (rather than letting it control you). She is straight-forward and honest and one of the hardest working women I personally know. She isn’t advocating quick and easy solutions, but rather a lifestyle of intentionality and conscientious stewardship of the resources that you’ve been given. She acknowledges that it takes discipline and often sacrifice, but that the rewards of financial peace are worth it. 

An amazing bonus is that ALL of the profits from the sale of this book will be going towards an organization that is dear to my heart, Compassion International. I travelled to the Philippines with Compassion International this past spring, and was blown away by the impact of the work that they are doing in the lives of impoverished children and families, as they meet physical needs, offer hope and transformation, and share the Gospel all over the world.

Would You Like to Win a Copy of The Money Saving Mom’s Budget? I Have 5 to Give Away!

Here’s how to get entered (remember to leave a separate comment for each entry):

1. Tell me why you would love to win The Money Saving Mom’s Budget, or share one of your financial goals for 2012.

2. Subscribe to Keeper of the Home by RSS feed or by email.

3. Share about this giveaway through your blog or favorite social media (find us on Facebook and Twitter here).

Giveaway ends Friday, January 13, 2012.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book for the purpose of review. This post contains affiliate links to Amazon, where I receive a small commission of sales, which helps to support this site. 

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1,133 Comments

  1. I really need this book. Without going into all the details, life is rapidly changing for us and we need to get a hold on our finances.

  2. My husband and I have a goal this year to pay off our student loans and credit card debt as much as we can. Once we pay it off we are saying goodbye to credit cards!

  3. I would love to have this book so I can be a better manager at home. I would like to get rid of our debt so my husband can find a less demanding job & spend more time at home with the kids & me.

  4. I would love to win this. I love MoneySavingMom. The first two chapters seem particularly appealing to me based on your review. While I think we have a pretty good handle on our finances, sometimes it can be difficult to step back and evaluate financial goals and then act in accordance with them.

  5. I would love to win a copy of this book – as Margaret said, life is rapidly changing and I would love to find out other ways of reducing our household expenditures…setting goals as you mentioned in your review – for family and what the family wants to accomplish this year is sort of a new idea, too. I already understand that in developing a business! I am looking forward to reading this!

  6. Could use the help! Now that I’ve reached middle age with 2 young children, it feels like I’m running out of time.

  7. I would benefit greatly from this book. Our family is currently struggling with some serious financial issues. I can’t go into a lot of details, but I do believe that I could learn a lot from this book that might help us.

  8. We are in deep financial debt and are trying to turn this boat around. My hope is that my husband and I will be able to read this book together and work as a team to change our future.

  9. I would love to win a copy for the simple reason of, cutting our family’s budget down even more. We are a family of 8 on a single income. Things are tight, yet I know there are ways I can still save and help my husbands paycheck go further. 🙂 Plus, I’m always up for a good read!

  10. I would LOVE to win a copy of this book! I would like to be a better steward with our family finances. Hopefully this would help. 🙂

  11. We are a family of 11 whose husband/father is being called into full-time Christian ministry after spending the last 18 years as a school teacher. During the 2-3 years it will take Rich to finish his Biblical language and theology studies, we are living on a very modest and irregular income. Though we’ve lived frugally for many years, we’re taking it to a whole new level now. I’d love to read Crystal’s book to glean any ideas she has and also to be encouraged to press on toward the goals God has for us.

  12. Already subscribed to your e-mails. Not sure if this qualifies me for an additional entry, but I thought I’d mention it. Thanks for your blog!

  13. I would love to win this book! My main goal for 2012 is to be more mindful of what/how we spend. We have 5 children and 3 that play sports, so our money is VERY tight to say the least. I want to be able to buy good healthy food with our very tight budget which has been a struggle. My husband works while I stay home with our children so I need all the help I can get!

  14. I subscribe to Keepers of the Home which is where i found out about Crystal’s book. I would love to win a copy of Crystal’s new book. We have no credit card debt but live paycheck to paycheck & to are always in a lot of medical debt. At least the last 20 years of our almost 23 yrs of marriage has been always something medically with my husband & now unfortunately i am beginning to add to these bills (we are only mid 40’s!). We are still renting & obviously need to do something different to help pay off bills ( waiting to see if our ins is going to approve the 100,000 procedure he had in Dec) It is so stressful &discouraging to live this way i often just pile the bills & ignore because i can’t do anything about them.

  15. I would love to read this book to learn strategies for staying the course. My husband is the saver, and I often have the best intentions but could use some down-to-earth suggestions for truly digging in. Thanks for the chance!

  16. I am not a mom but think this book would be helpful to us. DH just found out he may be jobless, jobfree by July. Being over 60 limits the job market and so our goal is to learn to live on our less than a thousand dollars a month SS retirement. Praise God for the creativity he has given us to manage in many ways.

  17. I would be just thrilled if I would win a free copy of this book! I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma cancer 2 years ago, and going for scans and check-ups every 3 months has caused a financial situation for my husband and I. So I am looking for any and every way that I can find and implement for financial help & success. I already subscribe to Keepers of the Home. It is one of the highlights of my day to read on this blog. I’m sharing this on facebook too!

  18. I would love to win this book, not only to help me to be more mindful of our careful use of money, but to be able to share the insights with my recently married children. (3) Thank you for the opportunity.

    I have shared on FB and do get your e-mail messages.

    Thanks again.

  19. I actually had this book on pre-order, but with a no work and a family of 10 … I decided that was not part of the budget and canceled the order. Would LOVE to win it :).

  20. I am due in March with baby #1. I’ve always been thrifty and would love to read this book. Debt makes me nervous with my husband in seminary, living in a very expensive city, and having our first baby. I basically refuse to go into debt. We still have school loans from undergrad to pay off!
    Thanks for this givaway!

  21. I need this book. That small budget is us, has been us, and will continue to be us without some help. We are a family if 3, with some debt, few foals (because sometimes it feels like why even try), and no idea where to start. God always provides for us, but I want to be a wise steward of what he provides.

  22. Our first child is due in May and I would love to read this book as another way to prepare for the extra expenses that cone with children & as a way to stay updated on the topic of finances/saving in general.

  23. I already get your email newsletter. I would like this book to help us with our adjustment to “retirement/second career” life after more than 24 years in the military, and when I’ve read it I will pass it along to our daughter who married into the military as well. I know from experience that living on enlisted pay is not the easiest with a family and hopefully this book would help both of us at our different stages in our lives.

  24. At 40 I returned to school for nursing. This is supposed to help our budget eventually (as we will soon have two in college) but student loans and convenience-living are increasing our debts along the way. I soooo need to simplify in order to take care of our family while on this journey. It’s ironic, I’m a great organizer of other peoples things, full of great ideas, but with my own family I get bogged down. Looking for counsel from a sister!

  25. I would love to win this book! I think it would really benefit me right now as I am trying so hard to get organized to reduce stress in my life so I can be present with my boys as a SAHM, and I think one of my stressors is making ends meet on one income. I would love to do better than I am in this area and this book may be just the ticket!

  26. This book would be very helpful. We have seven children and some of the choices that we have made on their behalf (only Dad working, school choice) have involved financial sacrifice and a larger debt load than is comfortable at our age.

  27. I would love to have a copy of this book to see her take on goal setting. One of my goals for 2012 is to set more financial goals – to be more intentional about where our money is going. Thanks for this give away. I thank the Lord for this ministry.

  28. One of our financial goals for this semester is to pay off my husbands student loan debt before he begins medical school in the fall. We just finished reading Dave Ramsey’s “Total Money Make-over” together and would love to benefit from reading this together as well.

  29. I have been trying very hard to learn everything I can on saving money, so that we can feel more confident having more children and having a stay at home parent

  30. I would also like to win a copy of this book. God has taught us much about honoring Him with our finances. After reading Crystal’s work for several years, I would greatly enjoy reading her new book and sharing it with several people around us.

  31. I would love to win this book, as we are trying to get out of debt and live freely through the Lord.
    Thank you and God bless,
    Jeanna

  32. I would love to win a copy of this book because I have heard a lot about money saving mom and am curious to know more about her. What a story to think they have paid for their house in cash!!! Staying in budget and being frugal plus living more simply is a goal for me in 2012 and I could use some help. Thanks!

  33. Already a subscriber to your newsletter.

    I would love this guide to help me keep focus while getting out of debt.

    Thanks for the offer!

  34. I would love to have a copy of Crystal’s book. I have been so blessed by her perspective and wisdom in so many areas. We are trying to be better stewards of the resources God has given us & I’m sure this book would be a great help. Thanks!

  35. Financial Goal: save $1000 this year! Not as part of an emergency fund, but as our family fun money for next year.

  36. This sounds like a book I need to read. My husband and I have been sort of struggling with our budget (or lack thereof at times) for a while now and are just starting to try and get a handle on it. It sounds like this book could give us some direction.

  37. We have just started our Total Money Makeover via Dave Ramsey and I think this book would compliment it so nicely. Our goal for 2012 is to become debt free…we already paid off one college loan and if we stay on track, should be debt free by the fall.

  38. I would love to win this book because one of our family goals is to finish paying off our debt (minus the mortgage)within 2 years. We are finishing our second time through Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University and while we have learned a lot and have come a long way, I think hearing it from a woman, especially a mom, might make a difference. Let’s face it, men and women operate differently. While Dave has great ideas, he was the one out working while his wife raised the kids and kept the household going. I’d like to hear about how Crystal did it, and what worked the best for her.

  39. I too am a subscriber to Keeper of the home by e-mail and I would love to give this to my daughter (29) and struggling with her finances.

  40. I am a subscriber and would like this book for myself also, there’s always more to learn and be encouraged by.

  41. I have followed Crystal’s blog for years and have been a regular reader of yours as well. I would love to learn more about saving money. Thanks for the giveaway.

  42. id like to win a copy because i dont come from a financially wise background and thats an area i struggle with constantly in my life and i want that to change but iam kind of lost as to where to start.

  43. It would be so helpful to read this book. With everything going up in prices, with an upcoming move, trying to sell a home and being apart from my husband, trying to set and keep a budget — this book sounds very helpful. Thanks for the chance to win it.

  44. My husband and I are really trying to create and stay on a budget, we want to buy our own home soon, so this book could really help us out with this. Plus I need to learn to declutter our lives 🙂

  45. I would love to read this book. I am a stay at home mom and my husbands income changes week to week, I could really use help budgeting and with practical goal setting for this season of life. We would also like to pay off his student loans this year!

  46. Would love to have this. Our grocery budget is always changing, yet our needs are not. I just can’t seem to find a plan or strategy that works. Would love Crystal’s insight and suggestions! Great giveaway!

  47. One of our goals this year is to start sending extra money to pay our mortgage. We are putting two children through college; one for their bachelor’s degree and the other child is going through the master’s program. I would love to win this book. Thank you.

  48. I am interested in winning her book for several reasons. We are adding baby number 3 any day. I would love to have more tips on how to help my husband stretch our dollars more. I am always trying to find ways to do this and this book looks very helpful. One of our goals is to remodel a room of our house into a school room without having to borrow money.

  49. I’d like to adjust our budget so we can put more toward paying off medical school and get out of debt faster!

  50. This book sounds like it’s what I need to stay on track this year financially. One of our goals is to add to our “6 months of expenses” emergency fund. I’d love to have that funded by the end of 2012!

  51. I’d like to pay off (and close) to credit cards this year. I’ve already paid off 1 (a store card) and closed the account.

  52. I would like to win this book because we need some creative ideas on how to save for our savings and also for repairs for our rental. We are a young family of 5 and want to be smart about our money now!

  53. Our first baby is due in May & I’d love the insights from this book on how to be better stewards of what God has given us.

  54. I am looking forward to reading this book because of what you said about her big picture approach… this is what I think I need in order to make stronger choices with my finances.

  55. I just started reading Crystal’s blog yesterday, because our grocery budget is out of control. So I’d love to win this book!

  56. I would love to win this book to learn about buying items (ie. Car, house) with cash?! Also, I want to continue homeschooling, thus need to increase our income or decrease our outgoing expenses. Thanks!

  57. One of our financial goals this year its building a larger emergency fund, and saving cash to make some home repairs/updates.

  58. I have a feeling we would really benefit From a book like this.
    We too have a blog, part-time, journaling our walk through our
    Journey of Faith, called Faithsteaders. We came Back home to Texas on faith to start a Homeschooling football team, which had its first season last year. The Lord has taken us from living in a tent for a month on our friends farm during peach season, to living in a house with holes in the walls and floors, and no hot water or heat, other than a stove. To living an hour away and having to rely on Him for the funds to commute back and forth. When there is a credit card available, and a need present, it is hard to see the forest fir the trees. Some direction and encouragement is needed in the area of our stewardship. We were totally debt free, until last season, and now we feel the weight of some of our choices. Credit=faith not needed, a lot of times.

    Our family is also large. We have 6 children. As a family, we try to teach our children the importance of eating healthy. That takes money! Our food bill is consistently 200-300 per month. We eat as frugally as we know how, but it seems I can’t get it any lower, accept occasionally. I really would like to see that come down. I have begun to make our household products, oil facial clean, make our own toothpaste, lip balm, scrubs, household cleansers, ect. I am on a mission of late. The only things left to make are dishwashing liquid, body soap, booboo cream, and find vitamins or a mixture for our family (I am nursing a 6 month old too, as a side note.

    I often feel we have no funds for anything. A family vacation has been reduced to our moves often. No fun, or at least not very much fun. Personal retreats are null. Dates with my husband rare. There is just nothing extra left each month. We are surviving on the least amount of money we have ever made for the size of family we are. He makes $15 an hour. That’s not much! We made the commitment to me staying home when our first child was born and the Lord has been very faithfull, however we know we could do better in the area of our own stewardship.

    Thank you for your blog. I just love your style. I feel very a kin to you, same interests, ideas, good stuff! I would love to have a copy of this book if at all possible. Blessings. Kristi J.

    1. I think you’re doing great on your grocery budget. I’ve once heard that a good guide is $1 per person per meal. Our grocery bill is double of yours and we have 5 children. You have a wonderful testimony of God’s faithfulness in your life and I want to bless you for being a great Mom.

  59. I subscribe to Keeper of the Home via email and shared on Facebook 🙂

    I would love to win this book, simply because I need to be Refreshed and excited again about the choices for living simply, frugally and working towards a debt free life. We are currently facing a lay-off in my husbands work and unfortunately it’s taking it’s toll in our home. When thinking about the next few months, I’m overwhelmed with how we will manage. Some new insights would be sooooo appreciated right now!

  60. I would love to win this book because our first child is due soon and I’m going to quit working to be a full-time mom. This could really help us and we slash our budget 60%!

  61. I would love to win a copy of this book! Our biggest financial goal this year is paying off a student loan! Thanks for the giveaway!

  62. One of my goals for 2012 is to be more disciplined with our finances so that we can begin to pay extra on my husband’s student loans. It would be great to read this book to see how another person has lived frugally to achieve their financial goals.

  63. I would love to read this book. My husband I working hard to remove all of our consumer debt and are learning to save before purchasing rather than purchase and figure out how to pay for it after the fact. I want to teach my kids financial responsibility

  64. Yes, I would love a copy. For this year (2012) we are planning for me to go back to work full-time and tackle this debt that is hanging over my head. I am the finance person in the house so this would be great for me to have some support.

  65. I’d like to win because my family is currently drowning in debt. Our family has grown in size and we’re outgrowing the current home we’re renting. Houses for rent large enough to accommodate us are just too costly. We’d absolutely love to buy a house better suited to our needs for our kids to grow up in but before that is remotely possible we need to get a handle on our finances. I think that book would really help.

  66. After taking a little hiatus from budgeting, I’m going to start really sticking to our budget again. I love reading anything that is helpful on that subject!

  67. I want to win this book to save money for our family. My husband is a public school teacher because he feels called to be in our community. I continue to be a stay at home mother of two lovely girls. Our finances seem to shrink each year. I read blogs and am currently working on a coupon routine to save, but I would love to learn more. I find that my friends and I are in the same situation and it would be great to learn more to share too.

  68. I have been working hard towards living debt-free. My goal for 2012 is to have all of my credit card debt GONE! I would love to read this book to help me keep on track, as well as gaining helpful strategies to become, and stay, debt free!

  69. I need to win b/c we are trying to pay off credit card debt this year. We need lots of ideas on how to cut cost.

  70. I would love to win because I lost my job this past year and I’m trying to help our family stay on budget and cut corners where I can. 🙂

  71. We’re going through a Dave Ramsey study right now because we really need to get our finances in order. I stay at home to teach our kids and we need to learn to budget and control my husband’s income better. This book looks like just the sort of thing we could benefit from. Thanks for offering it!

  72. I just recently started a blog for single mom’s to give them a “hand up” with being in a single parent household and how to accomplish things that you would if two parents were present. The idea is to do reveiws of products, websites, books, etc. of things I use in my own life to keep my household running smoothly. I promote products that make my life easier that I feel they would benefit from also. I think this book would be a good reference to single moms who have no choice sometimes but to live on a budget.

  73. I love Crystal and have been reading her blog for about two years now. I would love to win a copy of her book! Our financial goals this year include fully funding our emergency fund with 6 months of living expenses as well as doing a few big renovations (i.e. gutting our kitchen) without taking out a loan to do so.

    Thanks for this opportunity!

  74. My husband and I are determined to keep me at home with the kids but have found ourselves struggling to keep our finances in line. I think this book would be very helpful to us to learn HOW to budget better and be better stewards. It is one of our goals for this year to get ON TRACK financially.

  75. I would love to win this book! I recently finished Organized Simplicity and am decluttering our home. My husband and I have been discussing ways in which to cut costs; from getting rid of our land line to re-evaluating every part of our budget, we are working towards cutting costs as our family grows. Thank you for the opportunity!

  76. I do not have twitter or facebook accounts, but I emailed a bunch of ladies about this blog and the giveaway. Does that count?

  77. I would love to have an extra copy to give to my sister who may be transitioning to a WAHM. I know the tips could help both of us!

  78. I would love to win this because we are expecting our first child soon! We are responsible with our money, but I would love to read more about what that looks like as a growing family.

  79. I would love to read this book! My husband is going through seminary right now , so our budget is pretty tight.

  80. My biggest financial goal for 2012 is to stay debt-free. It will be challenging but not nearly as stressful as juggling credit card bills!

  81. I would love a copy of this book. I’m already subscribed to your blog. We are working hard to decrease our debt. It is a crazy goal given the size of our debt but by the end of 2012 we would love to be debt free. I’ve cut, simplified all that I can but I know there has to be some other ways I haven’t thought of yet.

  82. Our financial goals for this year revolve primarily around eliminating the credit card debt we have racked up while we dealt (somewhat poorly) with the stress of a difficult living situation. I would also like to be able to put aside savings for us to go on a vacation without using our credit card at all.

  83. I’d like to read this book whether I win it or borrow from the library. I’ve been a sahm to seven for 28 years and have been able to manage our finances very well; however, there is always more to learn and new attitudes to take on in order to keep on the right track.
    Oh, and I already subscribe by RSS Feed; I wouldn’t want to miss a post! 🙂

  84. I am working on coming home to be a full-time stay-at-home mom so we are looking at transitioning to one income.

  85. I would love to win this book! As a big Crystal Paine fan already, I am particularly interested to read what she has to say about goal-setting. This is an area where I struggle, and it would be great to have her insights to help me do this for myself.

  86. I would like to win because the Lord is calling me to quit my full time job and it is a real step of faith. It will mean I need all the ideas I can get to reduce cost here at home, especially my $450.00 a month grocery budget.

  87. I need a copy of this book. I’m working on Dave Ramsey’s baby steps now and would love to read more tips on saving money.

  88. We’re on a tight budget… married a couple years ago & have a baby… I feel like I have a lot to learn about living on a low budget & would love to learn more. I think this book would be perfect! Hope I win!

  89. I plan on streamlining my budget, which is already working well, but I want to improve on it. I also want to do more for myself, instead of paying others, basically.

  90. I would love to win a copy of The Money Saving Mom’s Budget as I have followed and learned from her for several years!

  91. I would like to win because this year we’re finally doing a budget. I don’t have a clue where all our money is going – except where I’ve written all expenses down the past couple years. It’s time to set goals. Thank you for your encouraging blog. I am inspired and amazed how some of you younger folks show us how it’s done. No looking back and dwelling on regrets, it’s time to move forward. God is SO GOOD! He has blessed us despite our failures and we give Him praise.

  92. I would really like to learn to live much more frugally and how to set financial goals as well. I feel like, because of lack of time, we are not being good stewards of our money. Hopefully this book will help change that! Thanks for the giveaway!

  93. I would love a copy of the book because I am always trying to simplify our budget and make it work for us as easily as possible!

  94. I would love to read this book. We always seem to struggle just to have enough grocery money each month and would love to get our finances in a better spot with our limited income.

  95. I would like to win, not for me, but for my daughter. They are a young married couple with financial problems and this would help them. I counsel them all I can, but we all know how that goes! Coming from somewhere else may be just the ticket!

  96. One of my financial goals for 2012 is to oneonta consumer debt free….we are so close and when eliminate that debt it will definitely boost our momentum. With savings and giving!

  97. I would love to win this book, because I have been an avid follower of Crystal’s on her website as well as Facebook. I find her advice invaluable. As a single mother of three, I need all the financial help I can get.

  98. I would love a copy of this book because there is always something new to learn. You can not have to much information on this subject! Thank you got the opportunity to get a copy of this great book.

  99. I would like to receive this book to gain knowledge as to how to get my family out of debt…we have five children, I homeschool, my husband is a pastor.. I would love to know how to lower our grocery bill, as we are on a special diet!!!

  100. Our family has medical debt that we are trying to pay off and we would love some insight from this book- it sounds great!

  101. This couldn’t come at a better time for us!!! We have just decided that we want to move to a cash only budget….and want to try and cut back on expenses! It would be so wonderful to be able to have this resource!

  102. I have been wanting to read this book for a couple weeks now! We have made a strong commitment to get out of the last of our medical bill debt by March but it’s hard when I’m also teaching myself how to be frugal in the process. 🙂

  103. I would love to win this book because I am on the debt free journey. I’m now consumer debt free, and working to save for a big move in June. I need some help keeping it up. My goal is to continue to not use credit cards and to save as much money as possible before our move.

  104. I would like to win this book because we are currently trying to get out of debt. My husband works TWO full-time jobs so I can be home with our three children (ages 5, 3, and 1)…but it isn’t enough “extra” to really make much forward progress each month. I want to do more to help with the process–but there isn’t much I can do while home with three little ones. I bet this book would give me more ideas that I’ve not thought of before! Thanks for a great giveaway!

  105. My goal is to stretch our dollars further so I can be home with my little ones, as least for most of the year. This would be really helpful.

  106. I would like to see the book to get a new perspective on money. I am a teen looking to learn everything I can about money before I am out on my own. A book with a Christian perspective AND no debt AND a stay at home mom would be awesome. Thanks!

  107. I’m a current e-mail subscriber… but, I would really love to win a copy of this book. Even though my husband makes a decent salary, we live in a high-cost part of the country, we have basically no savings and are scrimping each month to try and pay our credit card bill (since we put everything there to easily track it all). That’s probably not the best way. We will be making some major changes (like taking our son out of Christian school and start homeschooling), but we definitely need some help to cut costs (from areas we must not even be thinking about) & start s-a-v-i-n-g! Also, I don’t usually make New Years resolutions, but I’ve made a goal for this year to really just pare down and live more simply. 🙂

  108. I would love to win this book as my husband and I are working on living simply in 2012, and are systematically going through each area of our lives that we can do that in. Finances are definitely on the list.

  109. We really need help creating a usable budget. We did ok before our DD was born, but now “budget” is sort of a joke with us. We need to make it a reality.

  110. I just got married so having Money Saving Mom’s book would help us start our life together with combined finances.

  111. I would love to receive a copy of Money Saving Mom’s Budget! I am a widow with two young children, I stay at home with them, and am always trying to find more frugal ways to do or make things.

  112. I would love to win this book. One of our financial goals for 2012 is to completely eliminate my debt. We took care of my husband’s last year. 🙂

  113. I would love to win a copy of this book because my husband and I are dedicated to frugal living in order to be good stewards of what God has given us. This book would be a great asset to our goals!

  114. This book sounds awesome! Our goal this year is to continue snowballing our debt payments. We were able to pay off both our cars in 2011 which feels so amazing!

  115. I am a current email subscriber. This book really excites me! I have set some pretty big financial goals for myself this year that will require a lot of discipline. I’d love to read Crystal’s advise. Thanks!

  116. I would love a copy of Crystal’s book! My husband lost his business in 2008 and went back to college in 2009. We had to sell our home through a short sale and are currently living with friends until he finishes school. He only has 3 semesters left!!!! We have some debt that needs to be taken care of and we are living on $880 a month as a family of 7! Any information on how to do this more effectively would be wonderful!

  117. I would love to have a copy of this book. Our big financial goal for 2012 is to get our big emergency fund full and start saving to buy our next car with cash.

  118. I would love to read Money Saving Mom’s new release! My husband and I are deeply in debt with credit cards, student loans, mortgage, personal loans, etc., and have three boys, ages 10, 9, and 7. Things are tight and I am always looking for ways to save. I love her tips and would love to save even more so that our family can get out of the debt hole we’ve dug.

  119. MY goal for 2012 is to get out of the paycheck-to-paycheck trap and stop spending every penny that comes in the door (and then some).

  120. I’ve read Crystal’s website on and off for about 5 years and have always been amazed at how wise she is for how young she is! I have a few of her early e-books and would be interested in reading this book. There is always lots more to learn on how to be wise in spending our hard-earned money.

  121. I just linked to you via facebook, and am quickly falling in love with your blog! Thanks for the giveaway of this book. We budget (or at least we have a budget on paper!). We’d like to be better stewards with our funds, not so much to make ends meet, but to be better able to help meet other ends…Again, thanks for all you’re doing!

  122. I would love to win a copy because I need to get my finanical life in order. My husband has been laid off from his job 5 times in the last 4 years. He’s working now but we are struggling to get caught up after his most recent lay-off.

  123. I wold love to win a copy of this book, I could really use a variety of tips for saving money. I try to use coupons but don’t always have success!

  124. Would love to win this book! This may be a weird financial goal, but I aim to let my hubby make decisions without objecting about what things cost. And I will pray more for him to make the right decisions! 🙂

  125. I want to read this so we can get control of our budget. We do good for awhile and then it just seems to go wild.

  126. I would love a copy – I think the goal planning would be very helpful to me. I am a regular reader of MoneySavingMom, so I know her thought process on goals would be valuable!

  127. I would love to win The Money Saving Mom’s Budget because I’m currently going through Dave Ramsey’s FPU classes, and I think this book would compliment Dave’s program very well. I’ve learned a ton about how badly I’ve mismanaged my finances, and I want to learn to be frugal (with gazelle intensity!) I’m so glad I stumbled upon your blog, and I’ll be checking out Mrs. Paige’s blog as well. I have a frugal uncle, whom my mom has laughed at all her life. If I had only appreciated early how wise he was…..

    already subscribing via e-mail

    liked you on facebook. And I hope all my friends come and check out your site!

    Patty

  128. I would love to win this book in order to learn better techniques for getting credit card debt under control.

  129. I would love to win a copy because I was off of work for two years. I have returned to work part-time. In the meanwhile, I have accumulated credit card debt and went through most of my money that was in my 401K. I am on a tight budget and am working towards building a savings account and paying off one credit card this year.

  130. One of our family’s financial goals this year is to pay off our medical bills and start rebuilding our savings. Thanks for hosting the giveaway! 🙂

  131. I would love to win a copy of the book, it would the budget sensible thing to do : ) Or I might just have to encourage our library to buy a copy.

    – Jen

  132. I love Crystal’s blog, and am eager to read her book. We will be working through a year of more expenses and less income, so I’d love to glean some wisdom! I’m glad to hear (read) you say that you still found it helpful despite already being frugal. I know it will be inspiring in any case.

  133. We are saving up money for my husband to go back to school without getting a loan and to live off our savings during that time. This book would be SO helpful! 🙂

  134. I would love a copy of this book because I am currently a stay at home mom. We adopted our son in December 2010 and felt that my staying home with him was the best decision. It has ment a lot of changes, both personal and financial. We gave up 1/2 our income, we are trying to pay off debt and save for college and maybe a future adoption. It has been a major adjustment for me to leave the workforce and to learn to adjust my spending and my thoughts on money to our new lifestyle. I would love to read her tips and suggestions and begin to incorporate them into our family. Thanks!

  135. I would like to win this book in order to gain more momentum as my husband and I pay down our debt. Learning how to set financial goals that are motivating and challenging would be very beneficial to us!

  136. I love the idea of a holistic approach. I think so much of financial change really should be based in a paradigm shift of how you look at everything, and not only following a very specific plan. More success would probably be found if people connected the two. I’m very interested in hearing her take on this from what you described!

  137. We are planning to finish our goal to being debt free this year! If we can do it (and we should be able to!), we will have paid of almost $40,000 of debt in 3 years while living off a salary of less than $2000/month! We can do anything through determination, patience, and CHRIST!

  138. I will never ever forget the prayer I prayed three years ago at the stoplight leaving the school where I taught. I was six months pregnant, and sobbing. “God, please, please show me the way that I can stay home with this baby.” It looked bleak, but God provided: a new job for my husband, part-time writing work for me, a million ways to lower our expenses. God answered that prayer! Now, in 2012, one of me financial goals is to (again) create a money spending tracker for all the categories in our budget. I have such a hard time finding/making one that is easy to do and read! Would love to know other people’s systems for tracking their spending!
    I am a current subscriber via email to Keeper of the Home. 🙂

  139. Our goal financial goal this year is to be more mindful of everything we spend. I would love a copy of this book to help us on our journey.

  140. One of our goals for 2012 is saving up to buy a second car with cash. We are working on a budget for the first time and I am super excited to read Crystal’s book for tips and inspiration!

  141. We have already made some of the changes listed in Crystal’s book…no credit cards for example…but we need to do more. Her book would give me new ideas and inspiration. I just told dh this weekend we need to set goals and make plans to better manage our money. One goal is to rebuild our savings striving for the 6-month emergency fund mentioned by Dave Ramsey. We also want to start using cash for grocery shopping so we can actually see what’s being spent.

  142. My financial goals for 2012 are to get out of debt and be a better steward of the money God had blessed us with. My husband is the sole breadwinner in our family and I would like to do a better job with our income so that he may have peace and less worry about money.

  143. My husband and I have 2 pretty huge financial goals for this year: pay off his student loan completely, begin a good chunk of savings for adoption. I’d love to read this book to learn some more strategies.

  144. We started a Budget just last year. I got married young and was never really trained to handle money so we got into some debt issues. I am slowly learning and I would like to learn more about how to save more money.

  145. one of my financial goals is to learn how to save on groceries this year we are a family of 6 and i spend a ridiculous amount and i want ot learn how to budget!

  146. One of my goals is to expand my etsy shop in order to have more purse money for fun things to do with my kids. This book looks like a great way to help me get my family’s expenses on track. Thanks for the chance to win.
    Lisaandmariahcreations(at)gmail(dot)com

  147. I can’t wait to read this book! I’m most excited to read her chapter on goal setting because I’ve been working on that area of my life for 2012.

  148. I think Money Saving Mom’s blog is great. I would love to own her book. We are working on paying off my husband’s credit card and preparing for a possible decrease in future income.

  149. I’d love to win this book to get me started on balancing a budget better. We watch our money, but we don’t break it down enough.

  150. I’d love to win!! One of our financial goals is to get some long term retirement money invested in mutual funds by March 31.

  151. We have little debt (aside of our home) and live on a budget, but we are often frustrated in that it still takes so much money for day to day living. I am looking for ways to continue to cut our finances – possibly it lies in my mindset…. I would love to see what the book says.

  152. I subscribe via email. Love any savy financial guidance and help to be more fiscally responsible. Being a good steward of our finances is a major focus of mine right now.

  153. I would love to win this book because I need to know more about budgeting, especially now that my husband is back to school full time and we have 6 children!

  154. I liked your facebook page and shared on my page. I would love to win a copy of Money Saving Mom’s book. Thanks!

  155. I’d love to read this book because I just lost my job and I need to find ways to budget well. Between losing my job and having a miscarriage…I’m overwhelmed.

  156. I have been trying to pare down our expenses so that we are not always living paycheck to paycheck. I would really enjoy having this book to help with the budgeting and reducing clutter. My goal for this year is to not have any bills go past due once my hubby starts his new job.

    I subscribed by e-mail and shared on facebook

  157. Our main goals for 2012 include paying off both my car and my husband’s retirement loan – we’re always looking for tips to save a few more $$$!

  158. When I read that all proceeds of the book are going to Compassion International, I had to order one. I would love to win another one to give to a friend!

  159. My husband and I just purchased “You Need a Budget” software (it was a blog recommend–yours?) and are trying to get out of debt and make it possible to live on less so he can get out of the factory as well as other goals. Would like to read this book . . .

  160. I would love to win a copy of this book! My husband and I just went through Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University Program, and are working to eliminate debt. This book would be very helpful, because we’ve already streamlined and simplified and new ideas would be great!

  161. I read your blog and would love to win the book. Working toward being debt free is a good New Year’s resolution.

  162. In a few months, my husband and I are expecting our first (miracle) baby. When he is born, we’ll gain one more body to our family, lose one income, yet still need to function enough to pay our regular bills, our car payment, mortgage, and a hefty student loan. I would love to win Crystal’s book to gain some wisdom in finances!

  163. I would love to win this book because this year we are really trying to focus on tightening the spending budget so that we can put more towards some other savings goals.

  164. It would be wonderful to win this book! My husband and I are very discouraged about our finances — we are in way over our heads after years of health issues that greatly impacted my husband’s income. I’ve been home with my kids for over 10 years — homeschooling for 5 of them — and we’ve been toying with the idea of having me find a job. It would be difficult, but we’ll do it if we must. Having some ideas to give our budget a boost would be a great help.
    Also, I subscribe via email!

  165. Wow, this sounds like an awesome book. I would love to read it myself, learn a lot from it, and then give it to one of my friends who I know would benefit from it as well.

  166. I would love to win this book because we are needing a major overhaul of our finances/budget. We recently sold our home, living on less, and trusting God to meet all our ‘needs’. I think this book would be a great tool to assess our ‘needs’ and ‘wants’ and find balance with our finances. 🙂

  167. I would love to win a copy. I read money saving mom and appreciate all the tips and advice she gives.

  168. I would like to win the book, because we struggle with budgeting on a commission only income. Maybe she has some tips for that.

  169. One of our financial goals is going to be having a goal. It seems that in the past it has been difficult sticking with a budget because we really didn’t have a solid goal for doing it and it would just eventually fall by the wayside. I would love to win this book and be inspired to set solid goals!!

  170. I would love to read this book. It’s great to keep learning and thinking about these things so we can steward what the Lord has given to us more effectively.

  171. Our biggest financial goal is still the same… getting rid of our debt! I really things this book and its practical guidelines will help.

  172. I already subscribe and love all the articles. This book would be helpful for anyone trying to save during this economy.

    Warmly,
    Heidi

  173. i would love to win this book. we have been very intentional with how we manage our finances, which has become especially important in our lives now living on a missionary income in the most expensive state of our nation with 6 (soon to be 7) family members! i love the emphasis on giving and would love to glean as much as i can from her… i find every time i read about this topic i learn a new tip that is so valuable to my family.

  174. I would like to read this book because I want my husband to know that I am constantly looking for ways to improve and streamline our use of God’s resources. He does most of the financial stuff in our home, but I always want him to know I appreciate his sacrifices so I can stay home with the kids and seek to be wise and not extraneous in what I present as needs.

  175. Our biggest financial goal in 2012 is to have both of our vehicles paid in full, and pay down student loans. This book would help us create a budget to make that Goal a reality.

  176. One of my financial goals is to stop spending money on things we don’t need. I’m a big impulse buyer, especially online, so this is a big one for us.

  177. I’d love to win a copy! I just graduated from college and I’m getting married in a month… So I’m at the beginning of my financial independence, and about to join with a partner who’s in the same place. We’re trying to start out with good habits, and it sounds like this book would help!

  178. I feel like I NEED this book! My husband and I have purposed to get
    out of debt this year. I’m sure this book would be a help to us.

  179. Fiscal goals for 2012: get back out of CC debt (shouldn’t be hard), pay off car (wouldn’t have been an issue if we hadn’t gotten in CC debt in the first place), adjust our budget to accommodate small income increase while moving into a place large enough for our family of 5 to breathe … and hopefully start an emergency reserve.
    … I’d also like to learn how to have an unexpected baby without landing a bit in debt. :-p

  180. There is a difference between the way we live and our ideals. I’d love to save up and add an addition to our home so that we could entertain better.

  181. I would love to win this book as I am always wanting to improve how savvy I can be with our finances. Especially now, we are entering parenthood, and there is a chance of me being a stay at home mom if God graces us with this opportunity! So anything to help us be good stewards of his gifts, the better!

  182. I would absolutely love a copy of this book! We are leaving active duty military service this year, which we are thrilled about! My husband will be able to be home with our children, rather than spending most of his time on the other side of the world. We know that God will provide for us financially, but we also know that it is going to take some extra discipline on our part. We have been struggling with how to re-work our budget and where to make changes. This book would be a huge blessing to us as we work and pray through these changes!

  183. I would love to win a copy of this book because I think it would be helpful to our family in so many ways! We need to work on our finances in every respect and believe that this book would be a great guide to help us!

  184. I would like this book to get ideas on de-cluttering and how this helps with our finances. I’m a ‘pile’ person with many in our home. It sounds like an awesome book that could be done with our home-educated children also.

  185. My family is working on personal goal setting as part of our family goals for this coming year, how timely this book would be. Our 2 dd save their offering allowance (not the tithe) to put together at the end of the year to support World Vision; in the past they have bought rabbits and chickens, goats and seeds for families in other countries. One of their goals is to save enough to buy a cow at the end of 2012 through this ministry.

  186. I would love this book. I have been trying to figure out how to budget and save money and it seems so overwhelming. I am a stay at home mom and my husband is starting a grass fed beef and organic vegetable farm, so we HAVE to budget and just can’t get a grip on how to do it. This books seems like it could answer our questions!

  187. I would love to win this book because we are really trying to get a handle on our finances. We don’t have a lot of debt, but we have no budget and don’t even know where to begin. We would love to learn how to save more so I could stop working full time and possible move to just a part time position.

  188. This sounds like a great book to own. Most books on saving money focus on lists of things to do to cut costs. The description of this book beginning with examining your life and setting goals is intriguing to me. We are debt-free except for our mortgage, and want to pay that off, but have found it difficult to keep that as a priority.

  189. I am a SAHM on a teacher’s income, so you know I have to budget. I follow Crystal’s blog and look forward to her incite daily! I would love, love, love to win Crystal’s book to put me on the right track budgeting!

  190. With my husband finishing school and looking for a ‘real’ job, 2012 will (God-willing) be a great time to get started on the right foot financially. Thanks for the giveaway!

  191. I am setting aside money in my monthly budget each month to turn the family to “real food” and would love her guidance.

  192. I would love to win this book for a variety of reasons. Mainly because it is always great to save money and because I love to read and learn. If I win I will read it and apply all that I can. I am a homeschool mom who has started her own business doing graphic design, any ways to save money when you are just getting things off the ground is essential. Thanks!

  193. I would love to win this book because I am trying to teach myself to have a budget and stick with it and I am having a hard time.

  194. yay! what a great giveaway! i would love to keep learning about how to be wise with our family’s income!

    thanks for the chance!! 🙂

  195. I would love a copy! We are trying to go down to one income with the birth of our first child in April.

  196. I would love to win this book because my husband just started his first job in the pastorate 6-7 months ago, we just bought our first home 4 months ago, and our expecting our 2nd child in about 1.5 months. I would really love to learn some more effective ways of paying down debt (our house) and managing and using our finances in ways that are more glorifying to God!

  197. After my husband lost his job (at the company he built with his brother) and he was out of work for 17 months we were forced to short sale our house and move to another state where he finally found a job. All of the debt we had incurred over the 10 years leading up to this and the loss of our house (where my second son was born) was very humbling. It also was a HUGE wake up call to get our finances in order, prioritize our spending, and take a hard look at our financial and personal goals for the next chapter in our life. After my mourning period I am now embracing my new life of simplicity and frugality and I am eager to learn more thru the The Money Saving Mom’s Budget book. It’s time to set those tough goals and really achieve them. Thanks again for all of your posts!

    Leslie

  198. Our van just blew its engine, and it became obvious we have money troubles. I could use all the help we can get! It’s a good time to work on it…while we’re very motivated.

  199. My financial…or should I say, my family’s financial goal for this year is to focus on getting debt free. Just started our Total Money Makeover.

  200. I would like to win a copy of the book because we’re working very hard to pay off our student loans with just one income. It would be great to learn some new tricks to reducing our expenses!

  201. First off, I love this font.

    I’ve been following Crystal for a couple years and I want to read this book so I can be confident when recommending it to friends. I hope to learn something new, too.

  202. My financial goal is to continue to get out of debt from my husbands Masters Program and having to buy a new Mini van unexpectedly.

  203. We are really hoping to pay off our smallest student loan this year. Its ambitious for our income level, but we feel called to it.

  204. We would love to receive a book! We want to give and help people more but living on only my husband’s income with 2 kids at home, a mortgage, and college loans the paycheck goes quickly.

  205. We are unemployed as of two days ago. My financial goal is to make that emergency fund stretch while we search for another position!!! Thanks for the opportunity to win!

  206. I’d love to win this book! Our family is already free from all credit card, car loan, school loan, etc. type of debt. Our next step is to pay off all our mortgages (we own rental properties) with accelerated payments. A goal for 2012 is to pay off one of my houses.

  207. Money Saving Mom was one of the first blogs I started following so I would love to win a copy of her book. She feels like a close friend even though I’ve never met her!

  208. My goodness~ our goals for 2012….. Well, I feel like I’m a mountain climber looking up at Mt Everest… our biggest goal this year is to attack our MOUNTAIN of debt. We are a military family with 3 boys. We homeschool and our constant mishandling of money is a poor example to them. I love MONEY SAVING MOM’s blog! She is such an inspiration, I would love to win her book!!

  209. I would love to get a copy of this book for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, my hubby and I have been working on getting out of consumer debt for over two years. We put ourselves on the “three year” plan and this is our last year of living extra tight and to the bare bones so we can get out of debt completely (aside from our mortgage). My personal mantra for this year that I want to live by is “intentional living”–something I’ve been learning about through your blog and a few of your blogging colleague’s blogs. I’d love to learn more about being intentional with our money.

  210. I would love to win a copy of this book! One of my financial goals for 2012 is to be consistent in financial recordkeeping.

  211. I would like to win the book to help me meet my financial goal for 2012. It is to pay the last bit of credit card debt and my loan for my truck. I am already an email subscriber.
    And I’ve really enjoyed browsing your blog. So many things that I enjoy, particularly cooking ideas and saving money. I’ve already reduced our monthly budget to “bare min” for a number of years, so any tips for saving on groceries really grabs my attention.
    Thank you for your dedication and encouragement.
    Blessings to you and your family.

  212. One of our financial goals is to be completely debt free in two years. This means we need to tweak our budget quite a bit with our large family but we know it will be worth it in the end! I’m hoping this book can give me some good ideas on how to pare things down a bit. Thanks for the chance to win a copy!

  213. My husband and I read Dave Ramsey’s financial book a few years ago and made substantial progress on eliminating debt from our lives BUT we still have a ways to go. In particular, we were just discussing intentionality with our money the other night and setting goals outside of just “get out of debt”, such as being able to give more to the ministries we support. We also really need to learn more about the sacrifice side of living debt-free, as we’d really like me to be able to stay home with our kids full time. Sounds like this book would not only ENCOURAGE us but also offer practical advice on how to make it happen!

  214. Though we are careful with our money, there are always other ways in which to save. Being able to learn and hopefully apply some new ideas would be helpful. Due to my DH’s work situation, we moved out of state for job. Because of the economic conditions, we are now in a situation where half our income is housing (can’t sell house in old state, but need a place to live in new!). Any help would be appreciated as we had already cut out extras, live frugally, and try to the best of our ability to live naturally and healthy. As a homeschooling SAHM I am blessed.

  215. I would love to win a copy of this book. My husband and I have 8 wonderful children, all in different stages of being. We are on a tight budget, but are committed to helping each of our kids develop their gifts and follow their dreams.

  216. I would love to win this book so I can learn some tips to help me reach my 2012 financial goals (one of them being saving money!) ~Thank you for the opportunity!

  217. I would love to win this book! We’re expecting our first baby in May and I plan on quitting my job to be a stay at home mom but am stressing about what our finances will look like when I do.

  218. I would love to win this book for my mom. She wants to cut back and only work 1 job (she has 2 right now) but she does not know how to budget with less money. This would be a blessing for her.

  219. I am working this year to balance the deals & not spending money on items just because they are on sale… Tough to do!

  220. I would love this book! We are trying to get an emergency fund started right now and have many things to fix in our house.

  221. I would love to win this book because I am looking for ways to lower our grocery budget while still feeding my family healthy, whole and organic foods.

  222. My financial goals this year, and every year, are (1) to cut down on household spending so that we may increase our giving at church as our congregation is trusting God for money to pay for a building project, and (2) also to practice good stewardship daily that allows for my husband to focus on our marriage, family and ministry without added stress over our home finances.

    I subscribe to this blog through blogger and I tweeted this giveaway.

  223. We are a 1 income household. I would love to see how we can change are spending habits to get back in the habit of saving money and setting goals.

  224. I would love to win a copy of this book. Our financial situation just changed substantially and I think we could really benefit from her wisdom.

  225. I’d love to win a free copy, I am a faithful follower of Money Saving Mom and know that there is so much more that we could be doing to manage our money well.

  226. I would love a copy of the book. We’ve fallen off our budget bandwagon for a bit (circumstances beyond control), and need to get back on. I’ll take any fresh ideas and encouragement and such that I can get. 🙂

  227. I would love to win because I love Crystal’s blog. I have been reading all the way back to Biblical Womanhood!

  228. Oh, I am so excited! This book was already on my book list for 2012. One of our goals this year is to put x amount of money in savings and pay cash for a small boat

  229. In our house we’re always trying to come up with ways to save more/spend less. We have 6 children ages 8 and under, so there’s lots of expenses there. We’re also going to be relocating halfway across the US for my husbands job within 6 months so we need to be as frugal as possible right now. I’d love to get Crystal’s perspective on savings!! Thanks!

  230. We are doing away with our credit cards and using a cash only system. This book comes at a timely manner. Would love to have a free copy as we are working to be debt free this year.

  231. Our big goal in 2012 is to get 3 months of bills in savings. We got part way there in 2011 – 1.5 months of mortgages payments, but we have a ways to go. Would love this to get some more tips. Also, other personal goals are to meal plan and grocery shop from a list, and buy more in bulk in the more abundant months so we have a bigger storehouse for the lean months. Thanks for a chance to win!

  232. I would like to win this book because I need to get it together. We are very low income family of 5 and we live pay cheque to pay cheque, robbing peter to pay paul daily. We’re in debt up to our forheads and are considering bankruptcy. I need to learn some strategies related to our family finances. I would love to win!

  233. I’ve loved reading Crystal’s blog for years now. While we also live frugally and debt-free I am always wanting to learn more!

  234. For the first time in 10 years of marriage, my husband and I created a budget and we pray 2012 is the year we become great stewards of our finances and give generously instead of wasting our money on things we don’t need and that won’t satisfy. I’d love to read the book for motivation, ideas and encouragement.

  235. I would like to win this book. Seems like I am forever trying to find ways to trim our budget. We would like to buy land and build a home(in a “green” way).

  236. I would love to win this book. We are working hard to get completely out of debt and I always love new ideas or reminders and encouragement.

  237. My husband and I run an organic farm and this is the first year that we are going to try to live on a single income and I’m looking for all the help I can get in achieving this goal. With three kids under 4 I cannot imagine there being a job I’d rather be at than staying home with them, so this book sounds like exactly what I need!

  238. I would like to learn how to save for ‘big’ items like paying cash for a car (or house?! Wow!), plus, as a homeschool Mom I need all the financial tips I can get to get to keep staying with my little ones. Thanks!

  239. Thanks! I really, really hope to win! We are currently working on Dave Ramsey’s Baby Step 2, so the money just isn’t in the budget to buy this right now, but I love Crystal’s blog, and really want this! Our goal is to be completely debt free except for the house by the end of the year!

  240. I am always am looking for new ways to save money and be more frugal. I’m hoping that this book will give me some new insight on how to live more simply by helping me sort through all my “stuff” and put me on the right direction for 2012!

  241. Entry #1: As a missionary family, we are always looking for ways to trim our budget since our income is fairly small and based on the giving of others. We have tightened our budget down to about half of what we used to spend when my husband and I worked in corporate America, but we still feel like we struggle with having a plan and long-range goals with our budget. We operate month-to-month and breathe a sigh of relief when our expenses are less than our income at the end of the month. I know this book would be helpful for us to define our budget and long range budget goals much more concisely!

  242. Would love to figure out how to cut my grocery bill without coupons – we eat real food as much as possible and I rarely find coupons for the things we buy. But the grocery bill keeps mounting….

  243. Still have so much to learn about life…and living debt free would be amazing. I need help in this area!! how to save, budget and be content. I would love to read this book!! 🙂

  244. In the last few months we made the decision to house share with another family to help save our money and get out of debt. I would love to find some practical ways of getting our lives together to find a balance between living together and saving money. This book sounds fantastic and right up my alley. ~Jessica

  245. The moneysavingmom blog has been such an encouragement to me; I can’t imagine how inspiring her book will be! One of my 2012 goals is to use cash for most of our purchases.

  246. I would LOVE to win this! I am always looking for ways to save. My kids are almost grown and i have grandkids but I look for ways to help them and their spouses.

  247. One of my goals is to cut my grocery budget. I seem to go over budget monthly while trying to live on a real food habit.

  248. This book would be great for us because we are going through a time of huge transition- I just stopped working because we’re having a baby in March. We have a lot of student loans left to pay off and I am often overwhelmed at the idea of living on one income. Send that book our way! 🙂

  249. I would love to win because I like MSM and really want to read(and own) her book! I’d also like to win because I have a hangup with spending money on a book about SAVING money! 🙂

  250. I have recently given my life back over to the Lord and I was blessed to find your site! You are such an inspiration! This book sounds like something that would really benefit our family. I am trying live as frugally as possible, while getting ourselves out of debt and having to manage feeding two growing boys with food sensitivities on a very tight budget. On top of that, my husband just started a new job! I would love to have that book! Thank you for sharing & all that you do!!!

  251. I would really love to win this book because we are in need of help setting up a budget. I have recently become a stay at home mom and we need to get our finances under control. Thank you for the chance to win!

  252. I am in desperate need to learn how to better manage my family’s finances. My husband and I are tired of floating downstream, and we really want to make headway in paying off debt and becoming more generous while at the same time raising our family of 3 small children!

  253. I would love to win this book … my husband and I have just made a commitment to work hard to pay off our student loans as quickly as possible … what a great help this would be!

  254. I would love to win a copy. I read both Crystal’s and this blog almost daily, and have been encouraged in my budget planning, spending, and eating real food.

  255. My husband and I had a tough year in 2011, with each of us needing medical care. We have insurance, but the co-pays etc. are still very expensive and we are left with a pile of medical bills to pay off. It’s crucial that we get started on that,
    and I hope that The Money Saving Mom’s Budget will give me some good ideas
    and motivation on how to save money to pay these bills off. Thank you for this great giveaway.

  256. Just this morning I drove to my grandparents in tears because my budget is nonexistent. I would love the chance to read a book that would help my husband and I get out of debt and prepare for the future. I’m sick of living paycheck to paycheck. Thank you for this opportunity!

  257. My goal for 2012 is to live more intentionally by spending money wisely and hopefully being able to pay an additional mortgage payment.

  258. I’ve been eyeing up this book for a while and would love to win it.
    One of our financial goals in 2012 is to pay off our last credit card and start rebuilding our credit history so we can purchase a house soon.

  259. One of my financial goals for this year is ti build up a good savings account. We are debt free, so saving is our focus!
    smoo06 at yahoo dot com

  260. One of my financial goals for 2012 is to cut back on our grocery budget, while at the same time incorporating more healthful foods in to our diet.

  261. One last credit card to pay off, braces for my oldest, and car is on the fritz. Need to take care of these this year. Thanks for the giveaway!

  262. I would love a copy of this book to help my husband and I rework our budget. We filed bankruptcy in 2010 and God has been restoring all areas of our lives. One of my financial goals for 2012 is to have $5000 saved in our contingency fund. I believe that this book will help us with cutting expenses so we can save more money.

    I am already a subscriber to the email and I shared this giveaway information on Facebook and Twitter.

  263. My word this year is SIMPLIFY, and part of what we are working toward as a family is how to clear out extras—from all areas–so that our time can be more focused on what is important. Clearing our budget of extras is a big part of that.

  264. I would love to win this book, to help us get out of debt (esp. the rest of our student loans…I am an at-home-mom/homeschool them, while my husband is a teacher)! I am ALWAYS trying to look for new ways to cut our spending!

  265. I want to win Crystals book because I love her blog. I look forword to it everyday. And her goal settings is such an inspiration.

  266. I would love to win a copy of the book! My husband and I are expecting our second child and we have a lot of debt from when he got his advanced degree. It seems like it will be an eternity before we can get it paid off!

  267. Although my hubby and I are pretty frugal, we’re still looking for ways to stay debt-free and be able to help out others. This sounds like a good book to use for this.

  268. I would love to read this book, because my husband and I are working towards paying off his student loans so we can buy a house!

  269. Our financial goal for 2012 is to replenish our savings after using it for a down payment on a house in 2011.

  270. I have four kids, am going to have a baby, homeschool, and am a stay at home mom. We are trying to add on to our house as we can afford it. My financial goal for this year is to save a $1000. emergency fund. I would love to have Crystal’s book for encouragement and ideas on how to be more frugal.

  271. As I wake up here in New Zealand I’m surprised by the email in my inbox with an opportunity to win this book! Just yesterday we met with an elder from our church to begin a season of accountability and budgeting as our debts spiral out of control and our money management reached a real low point. It’s actually a time for rejoicing as the Lord has surely brought my husband and I to this place of repentance and now we face 2012 with the hope that these small steps will bring us out of our self-created problems and to begin living with contentment within our little means. As a full time mother at home I feel my absolute duty is to be a frugal and privilege to be creative and industrious with my little ministry in the home ( from past experience I know that this makes a big difference to us!) I really need all the help I can get especially from those who’ve travelled this path before me and whom God has blessed in their endeavours to be debt free and to live contentedly with all the good things He freely gives so I hope you would consider us at this time to receive a free copy of your book.

  272. I would love to win a copy of this book because we are new to the whole homesteading lifestyle and my goal is to become completely self-sufficient over the next 5 or so years. I would love to learn how to do with less “stuff” in order to have more enjoyment.

  273. I desperately need this book! My financial goals for this year are to HAVE financial goals (we are so behind we don’t know what to do), create and stick to a budget, and buy a house (a big one especially if you haven’t been tracking your finances).

  274. I would like to win this book because I really want to read it and it does not fit in my super tight monthly budget!! This year we are trying to pay down debt and stay within a monthly budget

  275. I need this book! We have tons of debt from my school loans sbd I feel like we will never get ahead. My 2012 goal is to create a budget and improve my credit

  276. We didn’t get through law school debt free and are now allocating huge amounts of money each month towards loan payments. I would love to read this book to learn how to be more comfortable living frugally and sacrificing to pay off what we owe. Thanks!

  277. I haven’t made developing a working budget for us a goal for this year but should. I’m sure this would be a great motivation to do so.

  278. This book would be so helpful for our family! We have really felt the need to have a budget lately, as our family is growing. Thank you for this awesome giveaway!

  279. I would love to win a copy of this book! My hubby and I already live by a budget but neither of us has officially taken a course or read a book on it. We have a limited amount of income (hubby is a pastor and I work 8 hrs a week for our church) and I would love help in setting goals and being more intentional.

  280. I would like to read this book. My husband and I are currently trying to figure out how to teach our girls to save money so that they can be generous to others. They see us do it but need to do it on their own. I can always use help finding ways to be organized without becoming obsessed about it.

  281. As a family, we are looking for ways to cut costs and get out of debt. This book sounds like it might have some helpful tips.

  282. I am so excited to find a christian based website like this. Am really down today with financial stress and need something to help. Am praying this book would help me with it. In need of much help
    God’s blessings

  283. I love the Money Saving Mom website, and our budget was forever changed just by taking her advice of meal planning. I would definitely love this book so that I can have a reference to comb through on my night stand.
    Also, My goal this year is to get out of debt (again!) and to stay out of debt this time

  284. I am so impressed that Crystal paid cash for her home. I would love to learn some financial tips to help me pay off my mortgage.

  285. I would love to win a copy. My husband and I recently closed our small business and had to file bankruptcy. We are trying to keep this fresh, new start and make our lives better. We moved to an old farmhouse and are trying to live within our means and raise our three children with lots of outdoor time, possibly raise some chickens and go to a more natural lifestyle. He is better with money than I am and this will be harder on me; I would love more ideas and suggestions.

  286. This book looks fabulous! We were just talking last night about how the prices of so many goods and services keep going up but how our income has been pretty much flat-lined for the last 5 or 6 years. We are working hard a trying to find ways of reducing our monthly expenses but it is getting hard as we have eliminated all luxuries and entertainment from our budget and have reduced most things to just the bare essentials. We are definitely looking for new ideas.

  287. I just posted something on my blog about this great book. I actually had it pinned in my Pinterest “Books to Read” board, so this is great timing.

  288. My husband is in seminary and our family of five is living pretty frugally as it is, but I know I could do better and feel the need for some inspiration, ideas and encouragement. I’ll buy this book right away if I don’t win a copy!! Thanks for the giveaway.

  289. I would love to win this book. For several years now, I have felt sloppy at the best and sinful at the worst as I just did not get on board with my hubby to really slash our expenses. I have joined his efforts this year, figured out mint.com, and set a goal of reading at least two books on financial stewardship and implementing principles from the books. This one looks like it will make my list even if I don’t win it (oops…assuming hubby and I put the expense in the budget, of course!).

  290. I love reading books on saving money. Any new ideas I can get to help my family are great. I am tired of being sick and tired of debt. This year I am commited to dumping as much as we can!

  291. I would love to win since I am always looking for new ideas so cut our budget, and we’ve had a lot of emergency type expenses this year.

  292. And, I’ve subscribed to your blog. I’m particularly interested in your organic couponing ideas, which I know I will have to take a look at on your guest posts elsewhere.

  293. We have been trying to get out of debt for 18 months. We have a little more than $18,000 left. It’s been really hard, especially to cut our food budget while still honoring our dietary needs. I’m all about simplicity and organization, and would love a little extra kick in the pants!

  294. I would love to win because I have read Crystal’s blog for 3 years and I like her writing style and advice. By the way, I really like how your blog is organized. Very cute!

  295. I would love to win a copy of this book because although I’m not in debt, I love to shop and want to stop spending too much where I don’t have to. I would love a new perspective, and find peace and contentment in simple things. I have never learned the value of saving money, nor how to do it properly. Not even manage a checking account or handle a credit card appropriately! I want to be a blessing to my family in this area. With 4young children, I feel overwhelmed and too busy at times to think and plan things out smartly enough, to not overspend!!!! Thank you!!!!!

  296. I would love to win the book to work on getting out of (school) debt and feed my hungry family of boys on a tight budget!

  297. I would love to win it b/c I need to get back on track w/the budgeting and I’m sure this would inspire me!

  298. I’d love to win the book. I love Crystal’s blog! Our one financial goal this year is to bump up our saving…we just finished 6 months emergency fund and now onto “save for a house.” we are currently renting a home.

  299. I’ve been following Crystal’s blog for a few years and didn’t think I would learn anything new from her book, but after reading a few reviews I think I could learn a lot from this book.

  300. I would LOVE to win a copy of this book! I became a stay at home mom 2 years ago when I had my daughter. Things were tight financially then, but with the recent addition of a blue-eyed, blonde-haired little boy (more diapers, more wipes, hospital bills, doctors appointments,… ahhhhhh!!), I need help STAT! I want to know how I can continue to stay home and be there for my two precious babies, yet save money for our family with a successful budgeting plan. I don’t know where to even begin.

  301. Our biggest goal for this year is to pay off our last debt, my student loan. It’ll take most of the year but I can’t wait to be out of debt by Christmas!

  302. One of our financial goals is finding and buying a house in a new state! My husband started a new job the end of 2011 and we are thankful to have a contract on our house. I’m excited about finding a new home and then scoping out the best stores and deals in a new area!

  303. I would love to win a copy of this book simply because I think we’ve stagnated our goals for a good year or two. There were a number of years where we were ON THE BALL as far as slashing our debt/cutting our lifestyle, whatever. We haven’t had a credit card in years (will never go back, either), and the only debt we own is our house (which has a closing date of Jan 24 to be SOLD!) and 2 small (but still THERE) student loans, that actually give us a 50% return come tax time. I do think, though, that I want to get back on track with getting hard-core cutting our debt because it’s just so freeing!
    Sarah M

  304. I would love to win this book to help me learn even more new ways to save money and become completely debt-free.

  305. i would love to hear more tips from a mom on cutting back. we don’t do a lot of extras (movies, manicures, etc.) so sometimes it’s hard to figure out how to trim the budget. looking forward to the advice in this book.

  306. I would love to win this book. My husband and I have 6 children and try very hard to stay on a budget. My husband works a full time job and I work 2 part time jobs. I would love to get on and stay in budget so I can quite one of my jobs. That would be such a blessing to my family.

    I follow you on facebook and your web site.

    Thank-you and God Bless

  307. I would love to have this book! I need to learn more about getting our finances under control. Goal for this year is pay off one debt.

  308. I love, love, love Crystal’s blog and am so ready to read her book!! My husband and I really need a complete turn-around financially!

  309. I would love to win this book because I am trying to spend less money, establish an emergency fund and be in better overall financial health.

  310. I would really like to win this book. We are working to get completely out of debt. We still have our mortgage and are working to pay it off or try to sell it. I am ready for a book to help me focus on some of our bigger goals in this new year.

  311. I would love to read this book! I love that one of the main reasons the author wants to save money is so she can be generous…that is so inspiring!

  312. One of my Financial Goals for 2012 is to not pay any bank overdraft fees. I would love to be able to read Crystal’s book and see how it can improve my families situation

  313. We already live debt-free, but it sounds like this book would offer some helpful information…and I would love to have a copy!

  314. This is right up my alley according to what we are trying to do as a family financially! Working our way out of debt and learning to live great financial principles on a consistent basis. I would love to sit down with a cup of tea and study her wisdom 🙂

  315. I just started school again, so I’d love to learn how to live simple and keep our budget from expanding with this change!

  316. I would love to read this book because I am a stay-at-home mother of two, my husband is a youth/music minister, and we live on a small budget. We are trying to pay off some debt right now to become completely debt free! In order to do that, we are having to tighten up all of our spending. We get almost all of our clothes and toys second hand, and I make all of our cleaning supplies and some other toiletries. I would love to glean from the wisdom in this book!

  317. I would love to win this book because we are in great need of getting a decent budget established and evaluating every area of our lives. We are on one income, but my hubby goes to seminary full-time as well. Within this next year, we not only need to pay for his school/books, but save for a home to purchase and a vehicle. *help!*

  318. One of our goals for 2012 is to become more intentional with our money. I would LOVE her book for the tips and motivation it would provide for us. Thanks for the opportunity!

  319. One of my financial goals for 2012 is to start better tracking where money is going…I believe it’s called, actually, budgeting!!;)

  320. We know lots of people this book could help and it would not hurt us to review the principles contained in this book.

  321. I follow you on RSS feed and love your site. One of my goals this year is to double up on our mortgage payment. I always say we will put more money towards it but never do. Now our bank is set up to automatically withdraw. I am done talking about doing it and thinking about doing it. It is done!

  322. I subscribe and I love your site!!! I need this book. I want to adopt a child and am planning for my home study. This would be a great asset:)

  323. I would love to win a copy of this book. Getting on the same page with my husband and doing a written budget every month is one of my goals for the year. Thanks~

  324. I would like to win this because we’d like to save enough money so that four years from now our child(ren) can attend the very faithful Catholic school of our dreams.

  325. I’d love to get a copy of this book! I have a couple of financial goals for this year. Firstly, to be more faithful and generous with our giving to the Lord. We live on a very limited budget and it’s so easy to feel like we need to pay our bills first. However, I was convicted recently on the importance of that tangible demonstration that all of our resources belong to the Lord, and we trust Him for provision! Also, on developing contentment. We had some very tight spots last year, and my husband’s wages will actually be lower this coming year. It’s a great opportunity for me to practice contentment with whatever God gives us.

  326. I would love to get this book because even though we started our marriage with a debt free mentality, we totally got in debt about four years ago. Now we have to work our way out. The book looks great.

  327. This looks so timely for me, since I was laid off last year. I need to learn to make a budget I can stick to, and we need to get out of debt. I would also love to lower my grocery bills and declutter! Right now, all these goals seem really overwhelming, and it’s difficult to know where to start.

  328. I budget, but often feel like our spending is out of control! I would like to prioritize and set goals. My main goal is to get out of CC debt in 2012!

  329. Our #1 goal this year is to create & STICK with a written budget. I’d love to read what Crystal has to say about this – she obviously knows what she’s doing!!

  330. we need to stay out of debt and start saving to buy a new car. with two kids and and one salary we are going to need to get back to the basics. over time we have allowed ourselves to become less intentional about our spending/saving. i need some fresh motivation:)

  331. One of our goals is to save money for husband to go back to college. With 4 small children that seems to be just a dream. Would love to read this book!

  332. A financial goal of 2012 is to be paying down our business loan. I want to be intentional on how we can do this on our already-tight income. I am sure this book would give us some more tools to do this well.

  333. I would love her book to help us focus on goal setting. We opened a small business 2 years ago and have been living off our savings, which is depleted and we need help budgeting and planning. I also want to focus on serious decluttering and meal planning for real, whole foods cooking. Thanks for the opportunity!

  334. I would love this book! I follow Crystal’s website and have been anticipating her book! My husband and I have been working our way out of debt . . . and we’re getting close. The tips and inspiration would definitely help us.

  335. I quit a full time job to be home more with my kids. We just found out that my husband’s hours are being cut starting next month. We have a pretty tight budget as it stands already, but I’d like to learn more ways to save, and manage our money, so that hopefully I don’t have to go back to work full-time. We eat more real, less refined, too.

  336. Would love a copy. We are trying to trim our budget to keep me at home full- time & avoid my husband finding a part-time job.

  337. I would love this book because I would love any and all tips I can use to get our budget and debt under control!

  338. We are very happy with the budget we created during a Dave Ramsey class, but I’d love some new ideas about goal-setting and decluttering. I’d love to be able to work part-time so that I could see my kids more.

  339. I think that this book will offer additional encouragement and ideas to keep us on track with budgeting and saving money!

  340. I would love this book because my husband is looking at a complete career change. It will make him happy (and that’s all I care about), but will shake us up as far as stability goes. Sounds like this book is just what I need!

  341. I would love to win The Money Saving Mom’s Budget because I feel like the more tools you have available to pull from, the better your chances for success. When it comes to budgetary issues, we ALL want to be successful. Best of luck on your book and thank you for all your words of wisdom that you distribute through your blog.

  342. I would love to read this book b/c one of our financial goals is to save up to buy a new (used) car in the near future. We have no car debt and want to keep it that way but have a tight budget — we’d love to find room to save some more.

  343. Subscribed thru feedburner ….

    rorysgift@gmail.com, Welcome to “Keeper of the Home”

    Your subscription is now active! You will now start to receive email updates from the publisher.

    YEAH !! Can’t wait to receive updates !

  344. Would love to win this and gain a refreshed vision for why I do what I do with regards to budgeting, eliminating clutter, and living a frugal life to be in a position to help the less fortunate.

  345. I would love to win this book! I am a stay at home mom of 6 and I home school three of them. My husband is disabled from a nerve disease, so our only income is his social security. We’re also trying to pay everything off because we need a bigger house.

  346. Hi!

    I am not sure if I am supposed to comment on the e-mail post itself, but I would really LOVE to win a copy of The Money Saving Mom’s Budget as I am always looking for ways to be a better steward of the resources the Lord has blessed us with. We are not debt-free right now and we are working toward that goal. My husband is also a business owner of a small company and I am thinking that the principles that are laid down in this book would be helpful in making sure that we are being good stewards in the business. As a mother and wife, I want to do whatever I can to help us fulfill our goal of being debt-free. I was really impressed by the list of things that you wrote I can expect to learn from this book, especially the part on how to be generous even when going about decreasing one’s expenses.

    Thank you again for your e-mails- I learn alot from them and keep them in my inbox to review often.

    Blessings,
    Camilla

  347. Last year I read Randy Alcorn’s “The Treasure Principle”; this year one of our big family resolutions is to not just have better control of our finances, but to see them in a different spiritual light. We’re looking for a big paradigm shift here and trust God will take us there!

  348. My husband and I would love to learn how to stretch our budget by rethinking “needs” and other creative ideas to free up money to eliminate remaining debt and being able to give more.

  349. I would love to win this book. My family is trying to gear more towards living frugally and budgeting, but is having a hard time getting there.

  350. I am so excited to see she has a book! I’ve used many resources on her blog, but this book is news to me. I am feeling very motivated to live even more simply and frugally this year. We are praying about building a house and hopefully someday adopting! Big things to save for!

  351. I would love to win a copy because I love to learn more about saving & giving. I am a stay at home mom to 2 boys, one of which has special needs & have various therapies which can get very expensive; and we are currently applying to adopt. So we need to learn all we can about being more intentional with our spending!

  352. I would love to get this book for encouragement and tips on how to make a realistic budget and then actually stick to it.

  353. I would like a copy of this book because I agree that it is important to learn not only good stewardship of our resources, but also contentment. Sounds great!

  354. Our major financial goal is to save up for a down payment on our first house. We have been married for 12 years and are ready for a place of our own!

  355. I would love to get this book because I have been working on getting out of debt and I can now say that the only debt we have is our mortgage. We are saving like crazy because we want to move out of our condo and buy a house.

    I like you on facebook.

  356. I would love to win a copy of this book since my husband recently lost his job after being out of work most of 2011 on short term disability. We are entering into 2012 with our income up in the air and totally placing our faith in God that he will continue to provide for all of our needs. This book, I’m sure, would be a tremendous tool and blessing as we navigate this journey of instability in our lives. Thank you so much for the opportunity!

  357. I have subscribed to your email list as well as already having liked your FB page! Thank you so much for the encouragement as I am keeper of our home 🙂

  358. I shared about your giveaway with my friends and family on Facebook and just know that whomever the five winners are, they will be truly blessed!!! Thank you again for the opportunity 🙂

  359. We are buying land and building a house this year. We are living on half of our income in order to build the house ourselves debt free. I would like to be able to cut back our budget by at least 1/4 of what we are living on right now.

    Raye Ann

  360. I am SO excited about this book. It has been getting such great reviews and it’s coming out at a perfect time for my family – I had my first child in November and just gave notice at work that I will not be returning from my leave. Starting January 17, I’ll officially be a stay at home mom! So, we have been thinking hard about our finances and how they will change with just one income.

    My first-order-of-business financial goal is to start a college savings account for my new daughter!

  361. I would love to receive a copy of this book as I have heard great things about it. It would be so useful in trying to curb spending and pay down debt. Thanks so much for the offer!

  362. I’d can’t wait to read this book. My husband and I have done a complete 180 when it comes to finances, but I am always looking for ways to be better stewards with what God has given us.

  363. We seriously need this book. I often feel overwhelmed by the physical and mental clutter in my family’s life. Our financial life needs an overhaul too.

  364. I would love to win this book, we got debt free but our house in 2011 and my goal for 2012 is a replacement car AND paying down our mortgage (and we downsized!)

  365. my 2012 financial goal is to slash my grocery budget by at least 25%. sounds like a lot until you realize what a completely obscene amount of money we spend.

  366. I would love to win this book for a varity of reasons. Thank you for this give away. I am also subsribed to your email, I always find something useful in your emails.

  367. I would love to win this because even though I feel we manage our finances pretty good there is always room for improvement. I think our grocery bill needs the most attention and would like to improve on that.

  368. It looks like a good read. I’m already pretty frugal and we survive (and thrive) on pretty little by western standards, but there’s always more to learn.

  369. I would love to receive this book and begin applying it immediately. I have recently become a single mom and anything to help with finances, de-cluttering, and goals would be very beneficial. I already am signed up to receive emails. Thank you for what you do.

  370. I would love this book as my husband and I focus on living a debt free life. There is always more to learn and further to grow.

  371. i really want to read this book .. we are struggling financially so i am trying everything i can to help us out .. one of our financial goals this year is to save some money!

  372. I would love to win a copy of this book! It sounds like it would give a lot of the direction that I have been asking the Lord to give me. My husband is self-employed (actually, we are small scale produce farmers, growing our food using all-natural, sustainable practices) and money is tight, tight, tight. We had a rough year last year and I really don’t know how this year will turn out – this book looks like an excellent tool to aid me in my role as my husband’s helper/home-manager!

  373. I struggle as the budget manager and bill payer in my marriage. I would love to live on a stricter budget and feel like we have money to give to people around us. This book looks awesome!

  374. I would love to read this book. My husband and I plan on trying to have another child this year and I would like to pay off a good chunk of our debt before having another child, so that is my goal for this year!

  375. I NEED THIS BOOK!!!!!!! Last fall I found your blog. Since then I’ve been making my own cleaning products,deoderant & detergents, but I need more… I’m in the sponge soaking phase were I”m reading anything that will help me be wiser in spending, saving & healthy for me and for my family. Thank you.

  376. I am interested in winning because it sounds like this book is a little different than the other financial books out there. Our two goals for this year are to pay off our smallest student loan and pay down our jeep.

  377. I would love to win because as of late I’ve been putting together a budget and setting some major financial goals. We are going through some big changes in the next few years (baby #2 is due today! And med school for DH should be within the next year or two), and at the rate we’re going we will not be prepared. Thanks!

  378. I would love to have this book as an everyday inspiration for making financial changes in 2012. I am paying off my credit card and putting it in the freezer! No more charging!

  379. I would absolutely love to win a copy of this book. My husband and I have been working on being cash free for a couple of years, but have found the motivation waning lately. Also, I was excited to see that she also talks about a time budget. I had just thought about how I needed a time budge to get done all we need to get done! How exciting to find everything in one place!

  380. I would love to win this book to help as we are trying to figure out if we can afford for me to stay home with our children next year.

  381. LOL I live in a 2 bedroom apartment with a messy hubby and two kids. I am CONSTANTLY culling the place just to make it liveable 🙂 Any help would be wonderful. More than that though, my husband never saved a dime in his life, nor did his parents before him, so if we are ever going to get ahead in life, it has to be through ME! Hope I win! Hope the book is successful even if I don’t 🙂

  382. This book would be perfect for my family right now. One of our goals for 2012 is to get a handle on our finances and pay for food with a set amount of cash. Thanks for the giveaway:)

  383. I would love to win a copy! One of our financial goals for the year is to save more for our retirement & begin paying down our mortgage so this would be a great resource!

  384. I am going to purchase a book and then If I win a book I am going to share it with my friends so we walk the money saving path together.

  385. I would love to be lucky enough to win this book. To help me with my financial goals.. One of which is to be debt free and to stay such for a full year. and maybe even start a college fund for my son

  386. I’d love to win this book. I am always on the lookout for money saving tips, ideas and living simply.
    A great giveaway!

  387. I would be delighted to win a copy of this book. My husband and I are still working hard to get out of the debt we accumulated before “waking up” and need all the inspiration and help we can get.

  388. My husband are trying to stick to a strict budget this year in order to save to buy a home. I’d love to win the book!

  389. Since the birth of my daughter, I feel like I have been in a downward spiral of being “overwhelmed” – unable to manage my time, money, life in general . . . now 3 years later with the addition of another baby, a recent move into a new home, trying to find the source of multiple health issues in our immediate family, and an insanely busy holiday season, I feel the very desperate need to do something to get everything manageable – I just don’t know where to begin. I am grateful we haven’t been in a tight financial situation in years, have no debt except our mortgage and have plenty in savings – enough to also help others – but I know we can do better. It has always been our goal (my husband’s & mine) to pay off our mortgage, but we lack motivation and direction. This book targets so many of my trouble spots and couldn’t be offered at a more perfect time. I know it would be a huge blessing & help to me and my family!

  390. I have read several books on finances, but never one from a woman’s perspective. I’d love to win and learn from Crystal!

  391. I would love to win this book because although our only debt is our house, I want to switch to using cash and could use some extra help.

  392. I try to stick to a budget and seem to fail every month. This would really help me. We are always cutting it so close every month.

  393. I’d love to win and learn how to budget better, set financial goals, and get to a place where I can start saving.

  394. I would love to win this book as I feel it would be helpful in so many ways! We have had endless financial struggles, and I am determined to try to improve our situation and get out of the same cycle of mistakes we have been making.

  395. I’d love to win the book because as my husband is starting his own business our income has been cut drastically and our already tight budget isn’t cutting it right now.

  396. I’d love to win a copy of The Money Saving Mom’s Budget. It’s received some eally good reviews.

  397. This book would be a big help to our family. The latest recession hit us hard. We took a 50% pay cut. I would love to get more ideas on how to save money!!

  398. I would like to win a copy of the book because I really want to change our destructive financial habits to get rid of credit card debt and be a good steward of our finances.

  399. I would win this book for my daughter (29) and I would like to read it myself, we can always learn more and receive encouragement. I subscribe by e-mail and I posted about this on facebook. Blessings ~

  400. I would love to win the book because on of my financial goals for 2012 is cutting cell phone costs and utilizing voIP more.

  401. My husband and I are always interested in different ideas and ways of living debt free. We have been debt free for a couple years now but still have never really written a budget and used one successfully for more than a month. One of our goals this year is to come up with a budget that works, that we will use in order to better control our spending and saving.

  402. I’m always looking for ways to trim my budget – I consider myself pretty frugal, but I know I still have a lot of learn (including more discipline!) so I would love to win this book. Thanks!

  403. Our goal is to pay off our credit card this year! I would love to win this book! Thanks for the review and the giveaway!

  404. Our goal is to sell our house (which has a 30 yr mortgage) and buy another that we can payoff in 10 years or less.

  405. Our biggest financial goal for 2012 is to set up a money market to house our 6month emergency fund (which is still in the process of being built).

  406. Would love to win a copy of the book because we need to learn more on handling our finances. We also have a goal of getting rid of all credit cards this year and living more within our budget.

  407. One goal for the new year is to save something each week – no matter how small the amount ($5-$10) to get us in the HABIT of saving 🙂

  408. I would love to read this book, since we are trying hard (on one modest income) to save up a down payment for our first house this year.

  409. I’d love to win. We’re working on cutting back our budget even further and I think this would be an encouraging read on our journey.

  410. I would love a copy as I am a missionary trying to be fully funded! I am working on raising up a team of friends and being a good steward of what I already do have!

  411. I want to win a copy of this book because I’m a follower of Crystal’s blog and I really want to read this book but I can’t justify buying it when I have access to her online. So, winning it would be good!

  412. I’d love to win this. I’m wanting to get more intentional of where our money goes. We’re completely debt free and have been doing/replacing things that have been put off, which makes me feel as if we’re going nowhere.
    t

  413. I would love to win! I’ve been an avid follower of Crystal’s blog for a few years now and would be interested in reading her book!

  414. We are working at cutting our budget since I decided to cut back my hours at work to spend more time at home with our kiddos!

  415. My husband recently quit his job and we moved from PA to MS inorder for him to start seminary. The journey has been good for me but i still have a lot to learn about budgeting for our family of 5 and soon to be 6. I would appreciate a copy of the book to help me in along this road and as something I can share with the other seminary wives. Thank you for considering my request.

  416. I would love to win, not only for the budgeting portions, but for the inspirational side as well. As a family of six with no current income or help, sometimes I don’t know how we are going to move forward.

  417. I would love to win. My husband will be going on parental leave and we are going to be experimenting with him not returning to his full time job, but rather pursue self employment. It would be wonderful to learn some tips about how to manage our budget.

  418. Thanks for the opportunity to win this book. A few years back, I took a different position within my company when a family member was diagnosed with cancer, so that I could be home and not travel. It was a 50% paycut but it was the right thing for my family. Six months later my husband left and I had to do some very fast adjusting, especially financially. I’m still learning and pulling myself out of this pit. I welcome all the advice and tips I can find. I just paid off my car and hope to pay off my credit card in 2012 along with refiance my house.

  419. I would love to learn any new tips that I haven’t picked up yet. I also think that this book will help to motivate to keep at it when you feel like throwing in the towel!

  420. Would love to win – my husband is having to cut back on work for health reasons, so the budget has to be cut!

  421. We always make grand get-out-of-debt plans that fall through after a couple of months. I’d love a fresh approach….I hope I win!

  422. My husband and I are expecting our first child in May and I badly want to be able to give all of my time to my family, instead of splitting it with work. He makes very little in a new job he started last year but we are confident in the Lord’s provision and also that he has given us these desires for me to stay home for a reason.
    That said, I would love to know how to better manage our spending.

  423. I would like to win this book so that I can learn more about being a good steward & caretaker of money, things, time, people, & the earth.

  424. I would like to win the book because I simply adore Crystal and her methods and because it would save me even more money to put towards this years financial goal – paying off my student loan of over 20 years . . . ugh. Thank you for the opportunity.

  425. I would love to win a copy. We are trying to dig out of debt since our daughter has been diagnosed with a chronic lifethreatening genetic disorder and the medical bills are killing us! We need some help!

  426. I would love to read Crystal’s book and find some previously undiscovered ways to save some money. I am a huge fan of your book as well!

  427. Winning this book would be great as I have three newly married daughters who would also benefit from reading it, after myself of course. Thanks for posting this offer, so very generous to be able to bless others this way.

  428. I would love to read this book . . . we are trying to save to put a new roof on the house this spring and want to start saving for Christian education, too.

  429. I would really like to win, because my ‘good intentions’ never seem to work and we are still over-budget every single month. I need some good tools!!!

  430. We have to do something different with our budget, we have too much month at the end of our money. And we make enough, we have done the math! How frustrating!! Would love to read this book and see what it has to offer us.

  431. would love to win, work at paying off all credit cards
    this book would help me with tips on saving with other parts of my life

  432. I love Crystal’s blog and would really like to read the book. We’re looking to be debt free this year and hopefully pay cash for our future home!

  433. We have a large family and with my husband’s switching of jobs to spend more time with the family, there was an unexpected pay cut. We expected it to be small but it turned out to be more. We know that God has him placed in this job but we are trying to make plans to help pay off a little debt and sell our home for a lower mortgage. But all of our efforts seem to not have any solutions. With the housing market we took a 12,000 cut on the appraisal. As of right now we wouldn’t be able to sell it with an agent and get what is left on the loan. We would like some practical solutions. If you think this book would help, I’d be willing to buy it in the future. But getting the book for free would be even better. 🙂 I am subscribed to you through RSS feed.

  434. I would be so thankful for a copy of this book. DH and I are really trying to revamp our budgeting for 2012 in order to get out of debt.

  435. I would love to win a copy of crystal’s book because I’ve been following her blog for 3yrs now. It definitelt helped my husband and I get through our first year of marriage financially. Now we are having some hard times due to medical expenses and job loss and would love to read this book for an uplift.

  436. winning this book would be great for my little family. We just finished putting my husband through graduate school and are looking for a job. We are looking for ways to save and get out of debt fast. I feel this book may help!

  437. I would love to read this book! My husband and I are saving up to buy our home and I would love to read tips on how we can avoid debt if possible. I also love the fact that she gives us a Christian perspective on staying debt free/saving so we can be generous and would like to read more.

  438. This book would really come in handy. My husband lost his position in his company after 38 years – downsizing – and was unemployed for a little over a year. He now has a job but after paying for insurance and uniforms (we just found out about this one), we are making little more than we previously made on unemployment. He is still looking for work but to no avail. I am working full time. We are both in our mid 50’s with little savings left after all of this and with little things cropping up, illnesses, car problems, etc. this book would really come in handy.

  439. I would love to have a chance to win a copy of this book because I am always looking for new ways to save money more effectively. One of my financial goals for this year is to continue to work towards paying off debt. I hope to pay off the car and 2 of my credit cards this year.

  440. My goal for 2012 is to find ways to increase our income, allowing us to take a larger chunk out of our student loan debt.

  441. I would love to have this book to help me get on track to sticking to a budget. I am trying to move to a real food and simple living! Our goal is to get our Jeep and a loan paid off and put more money to our savings account and IRA & to spend less on stuff we want but don’t really need! I don’t tweet and I am already subscribed!

  442. Wow, this book sounds wonderful. We used to do really well with our budgeting but have gotten off track! I definitely need to get remotivated.

  443. My husband and i are currently building a business in raw food/sustainable living as well as my business with music and handcrafted art. We have a goal of starting to build our house on our own land next year. All while we’re trying to pay off college debt. This would be a blessing to read and apply!

  444. I would love to win a copy because living on less and giving more has been put on my husbands heart but nothings really changing for us because we don’t know how to start. This book sounds like it has practical ways for us to change our lifestyle.

  445. I would love to win this book. I just decided today that I want to be debt free so that I can do more of what God has called me to do. After all, it is His money anyway, right? I’m a single mom and a teacher who needs this book!

  446. Our financial goal for 2012 is to pay off credit card debt and sell our home. I think this book would definitely help us do that & to be more content with what we have.

  447. My goal is to get on the same page as my husband this year and actually discuss & plan our finances. Afetr 10 years of not doing this, I need all the help I can get!

  448. Would love to win the book. One of my goals is to spend less money on groceries this year, even though I have more mouths to feed.

  449. Now that we are debt free from consumer debt (i.e. credit cards) our new financial goal for 2012 is to pay off one of our student loans and double our savings.

  450. i’m psyched to real crystal’s book! i love her blog!!! our goal this year is to save in full for our may 2013 wedding

  451. My family and I would benefit greatly from this book. My husband will be starting law school next year, he’s finishing his last year in undergrad, working part time and in the Reserves part time. We have a soon to be 2 yr old and expecting another. How did they do it SUCCESSFULLY? I work full time but I would like to be home full time for my family. I need to know how she did it b/c I’m living it and could really use some tips.
    Thanks for posting.

  452. My 2012 financial goal is a bit broad: get out of as much debt as possible ASAP! 😉 We just relocated with a new full time job for my husband but borrowed money (from family) to get by until we moved. That, of course, set us back on our student loan snowball, but I have hope that we will make progress. I would love to win a copy of this book because I am encouraged by Crystal’s story and hope the book would give me a kick in the pants with inspiration.

  453. I am an email subscriber! I would really like to win a copy of this book because with a toddler, new home, and committing to a healthy/whole foods lifestyle (not to mention medical issues that involve naturopathic care bills), we’re going backwards at an alarming and dis-heartning rate. We are doing all that we know to do at this moment but need resources like this book to help us get on track to getting our finances under control.

  454. I need to be a better steward of money management this year, lots of conviction and desires to change a few things in how we are handling our money. I subscribe to keeper ofthe home.

  455. Our goal for 2012 is to get out of debt so we can give more. We are now in the snowballing stage so I’m very encouraged and praying this will happen this year. It sounds like this book has the philosophy we’re working under.

  456. One of my financial goals for 2012 is to work at lowering our debt. I don’t see anyway to be debt free this year but the goal is to keep working towards that.

  457. I’ve been subscribed to Keeper of the Home for a long time now. I LOVE your blog! everytime I streamline my yahoo reader I always keep your blog at the top of my list 🙂

  458. I would LOVE to win this book. One of my biggest goals this year is to plan an effective budget and actually stick with it. I think this book would help me do that and more!

  459. This book would be a helpful read to keep us on track for getting rid of all our CC Debt THIS YEAR!! And eating better as a family.

  460. I’d love this to share with friends, because I have alot of friends who have big families and I know they’d love to save some money 🙂

  461. Would love to read about goal setting. That’s one part of our frugal living that we don’t have down pat.

  462. Subscribe to Keeper of the Home – by google reader – does that count? It’s my preferred method of keeping up on blogs.

  463. I would LOVE to win one of these books! My husband and I are considering and praying about starting a business in 2013. We try very hard to stick to a good budget as well as cut costs, and I ALWAYS love to learn more ways to continue to do so!

  464. I would love a copy just for the first two chapters. I’ve been sensing for a while that a more comprehensive shift is required to really change our habits, but I haven’t known how or where to start.

  465. I would love to win, because my husband and I just started out journey to becoming debt free and I need all the help i can get 🙂

  466. I’d like to win the ebook because this year my husband is more involved in the budgeting and maybe we can actually get something accomplished! Among our goals is to put some real effort into our craft business so maybe I can run it and the family from home instead of being a frazzled working mom! I subscribed from Pulse on my Kindle Fire (a gift from my parents, not a frivolous purchase!) I’ll be happy to mention you on my Facebook pages!
    thank you!!!

  467. I would love to get a copy of this book because we are trying to get rid of consumer debt thss year. We did really well for a while, but in the last year, our debt has been creeping up each month. It seems like things are out of control and I think this book will help me to get some of the clarity that I need.

  468. I could really use this book right now. My husband and I are committed to remaining debt free, but he’s just started a new job as a truck driver after being without work for a year and a half. We’re still debt free, thankfully, but would love to purchase a home with cash, which I can’t imagine doing on his income without some sound counsel and guidance on how to better manage the resources we do have. I stay home with our 3 young children and am praying about some type of income producing home-business that I can do without neglecting my kids, all while my husband is away from home 6 out of 7 days each week. Any ideas and suggestions would be so helpful!

  469. I would love to win this because I’m a single mom of 4 kids. Very little, if any, child support. House being foreclosed on. Looking for something else affordable. 3 of my kids are adopted, 2 of them are high/special needs. I need this. So. Very. Much.

  470. I am a stay at home mom commited to feeding my family clean, happy, whole foods. It is hard to pinch pennies sometimes, but thanks to my feed to this lovely blog I have learned some really great ways to be a better, more conservative, keeper of my home. I would love to win a copy of this book and learn how to save, and give, more and spend less! thank you!

  471. I am now an only momma of five children and one grandchild. I need help! Budget and saving ideas from her book would be a lifesaver!

  472. Crystal’s journey and story has been inspirational to me since early in my marriage. I would love a copy of this book as we are currently trying to get my husband through seminary without taking out loans (and with two small kids and me only working one day out of the home a week…and only during the school year) any advice we can get is super helpful!

  473. I would love to win this because I will be leaving my full-time job to stay home with my new little baby girl in a few months, and could use all the help I can get to be a good home economist and help my Handsome out. Thanks for the chance! 🙂

  474. My goal is to save more each month which is probably going to mean cutting the food budget because pretty much every other elastic cost has already been cut.

  475. I would love to win a copy of this book because after becoming disabled, I need to learn to live on a seriously reduced fixed income. Furthermore, I believe now in living a cleaner, healthier lifestyle. So, my financial goals are to save money everywhere I can in order to be able to afford healthier CLEAN food for me and my family. I firmly believe that it is the food that we eat is what made me sick to begin with! See my blog lazymomma.com to see my journey in trying to live cleaner, eat healther, and cleaner.

  476. Why would I love to win this book? I am getting married soon, and hope to be a mom within a year. It would be a pleasure to have so many mommy saving tips before I even start!

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