The Money Saving Mom's Budget: Review and GIVEAWAY

Today I'm excited to share with you a one of my must-read book picks for 2012 that is available for purchase as of today!!  Y'all need to add this book to your reading list this January, especially if you are interested in taking control of your money and getting your budget on track for the year.  Crystal Paine, aka The Money Saving Mom, spent the beginning of 2011 writing her very own book about what she knows best...Saving Money!  I love Crystal and her blog, MoneySavingMom.com, if you haven't visited her blog you must!  She posts daily about how to find deals, save money, and get out of debt.  She even has a series on her blog about how she paid 100% cash down for their home!  

Crystal sent me an early copy of her book, The Money Saving Mom's Budget, at the end of last year and the day I received I was so excited I could hardly put it down to make dinner and get my kids to bed.  I started reading it that night and was literally done by the next evening.  It is such a great read.  She has broken down saving money into easy to digest chapters that walk you through the what it takes to get your family out of debt or, if you have no debt, to streamline your finances so you can save up a nice chunk of money for college educations, a new house, whatever your dreams may be.  

Crystal writes,

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

There are chapters on:  Decluttering your life, Learning how to set up a budget, Going credit card-free, Beginning to use coupons, Lowering your grocery bill, and even a chapter on ways to enjoy life with out spending lots of money...hello?  date night for many of us these days includes:  paying for a babysitter, paying for a dinner out, paying for a movie or some type of activity = spending lots of money!!!  If you are interested in reading a chapter and getting a feel for this great book visit Amazon.com to see more.  

I truly loved reading this book.  Not only was it an easy read but it was jam-packed with lots of tips and information.  I had a pen and paper next to me while I read so I could jot down all my notes, all the great tips, and all the web site address she offers to help you save money.  I especially loved reading the last page of the book, behind all the free worksheets she offers and the acknowledgements.  It's the page where Crystal shares that all the proceeds of this book, every.single.penny., are being donated to Compassion International.  How awesome is that?  I have to be honest that reading that last paragraph pretty much blew me away.  I'm telling you, Crystal is really one amazing woman, how many people would actually do that?  (PS. You can actually read more about that here where she wrote more details about it yesterday.)  

Thanks to Crystal, I have FIVE brand spankin' new copies of this book to giveaway to FIVE of my lucky readers!!  If you'd like a chance to win your very own copy and start saving money and slashing your budget in 2012...

1.  Leave a comment telling me what one of your goals in 2012 is this year!  

2.  Be/Become a fan of Smashed Peas and Carrots and leave me a separate comment saying you did/are!

3.  Like Smashed Peas and Carrots on Facebook HERE and leave me a separate comment saying so!

**Must be 18 years or older to enter and a US resident to qualify!!

This giveaway will end Saturday, January 14 2010 at 8 am!!!

Good luck friends!!

XOXO,