7 Reasons We Love Money Saving Mom — and Why You Should, Too
The internet is a big place for a couponer.
With so many coupon sources (look, here are a hundred right now!) and couponing blogs, it can be hard to even know where to start.
But Money Saving Mom has been one of our favorite go-to blogs for couponing and frugal living for years. And its proprietor, Crystal Paine, is one of our favorite people in the personal finance blogosphere.
Not only does Paine stay on top of the best deals everywhere you like to shop, she also offers great, family-oriented personal finance advice for everything from cooking to travel.
Her blog is fun and easy to follow, and sure to help you save next time you hit the supermarket.
But in case you’re still not convinced, here are seven more reasons we love Money Saving Mom.
1. She Started From Scratch
Paine’s couponing destination site started with a simple gift.
According to her “About Me” page, Paine’s couponing skills got their start when her mother gave her a copy of “Miserly Moms.”
She also outfitted her with a coupon organization box and gave her the responsibility of grocery shopping, meal planning and cooking for the family of nine (!).
That’s a lot of responsibility for a young woman still living at home — but it gave her a ton of practice and the skills she needed to become Money Saving Mom.
Paine started learning the art of frugality early, while she was still living at home. And since the skill clearly runs in the family, you could even say couponing is in Paine’s blood.
2. She’s Been There
Raising a family can be tough financially, especially for young couples still figuring out student loans — or even still in school.
But if you feel like your budget is completely impossible, never fear; Money Saving Mom knows your pain — and can help you relieve it.
Paine used the skills her mother helped her build to cut corners while her husband made his way through law school.
She made it work for their family on a “beans-and-rice budget” of $35 per week, and sharpened her creativity in order to get the most bang for every buck she spent.
Although she admits it wasn’t always fun to live so lean, she describes herself as “blessed,” and says she found ways to make couponing exciting by playing games and feeling awesome about finding the best deals possible.
We love Paine’s passion, perseverance and how she doesn’t take anything she has for granted. It’s her strength of spirit that made her the top coupon blogger she is today!
3. She Believes Everyone Should Use Coupons…
“I’m going to make a bold statement: I believe everyone should use coupons,” Paine says.
We couldn’t agree more.
As TPH founder Kyle Taylor has said before, coupons are just like finding free money!
But Paine doesn’t just philosophize about how we all should take advantage of great deals. She makes it easy to take her advice.
4. …And She Makes it Easy to Take Advantage of Great Deals
No matter how or where you shop, you can use Money Saving Mom to help you make the most of every dollar you spend.
Loyal to the neighborhood supermarket? You can look for coupons and deals by store.
Want to keep up with the latest and greatest? Easily filter her blog to see the latest coupon news — just hover over the “find coupons” tab and select “all coupon posts.”
You can even brush up on your couponing vocabulary. You’ll know what “NED Q, $0 OOP” means in no time!
If you’re still feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of awesome content on Paine’s page, start with her aptly named Start Here post. It’ll tell you how to overhaul your budget in a month, find the best deals on the blog and find Money Saving Mom on social media.
5. You Can Benefit From Her Creativity
If you need some inspiration for what to do with all those great coupons, check out her weekly menu plans.
Paine painstakingly (no pun intended — even when she does buy steak) lists the products she purchases and the stores they came from, including which deals and coupons she took advantage of that week.
She arranges and photographs her haul… and then organizes creative, healthy menu suggestions so you can see how all those groceries will be arranged into wholesome meals.
So. Awesome.
We love her creative suggestions — it’s too easy to throw pasta together every night when you’re on a budget!
By following her meal plans, you’ll avoid unhealthy and tedious repetitive patterns… and you might even get inspired to make something new yourself!
6. She’s Got Great Advice — and It’s Easy to Get To It
Money Saving Mom offers way more than just coupons.
Her blog is a one-stop shop: She’s got advice about travel, food, business, family life and money management. Basically, she’s an expert at being a person.
With so many awesome deals, Money Saving Mom’s main feed can become kind of hectic. And she writes tons of great posts on frugality you do not want to miss.
The solution?
Easy! Just click the “skip the deals” tab in the upper right-hand corner. All those deals will disappear (but don’t worry, they’re still there for next time!), and you’ll find tons of great personal posts instead.
For instance, check out this post on how Paine packed for a long trip with just a carry-on — no easy feat, but a definite necessity for frugal travel!
7. She’s Business-Savvy, Too
Our very favorite thing about Money Saving Mom?
She’s got two full-time jobs. One of them is “mom.”
The other? She’s a capable, full-time businesswoman — and she can teach you a ton about creating your own work-at-home business or blog.
Have a peek at the “blogging and business” tab to find words of wisdom on blogging, monetizing a YouTube channel or turning your cooking passion into profit.
And once you start rolling in those fat stacks? Be sure to stay up on her money management category, so you’ll know what to do with all of it.
There are definitely at least 85 more reasons to love Money Saving Mom… but instead of watching us list them all, why don’t you just give her a visit?
Your Turn: What do you love about Money Saving Mom?
Disclosure: You wouldn’t believe how much coffee The Penny Hoarder team goes through. This post contains affiliate links so we can keep the grinds stocked!
