"Ditch The Joneses" Book Review

I know one thing that I am thankful for every day is the ability to be a stay at home mom. Granted, I have my own business, teach fitness classes, and am a personal trainer. But, I still get to spend lots of precious hours with my family! Every moment with my son is something I treasure, even if I feel like ripping my hair out sometimes.

That is why I want to share this book with you today - "Ditch The Joneses, Discover Your Family - How to Thrive on Less Than Two Incomes." I know most moms or dads don't want to miss moments with their families, but they feel they have no other choice than to work. In a poll by Survey USA, 73 percent of moms surveyed said being a two-income family doesn't allow enough time with the kids, and 87 percent said they would prefer to be home if they could afford to. If you are in that situation, I think you will find this book invaluable! Cathi Brese Doebler, the author of "Ditch the Joneses", says the purpose of the book is "to help parents make decisions about their finances that will allow them to actively seek more time together with their children and spouse." To read more about Cathi, check out her short bio.

This book challenges the assumption that you have to have two incomes to survive in today's economy. It will take you on a journey to decide what is best for your family, give you tips on saving money, and help you appreciate the joy of what family means.

I love how she has devotional thoughts to start the book, and she also incudes Bible passages and prayers with each chapter to encourage and guide you. I also really appreciated the practical tips that are applicable for every family, no matter what you are going through financially.

She gives you a whole chapter dedicated to answering the question: Can You Afford to Work? This chapter lets you plug in your own personal facts into the worksheet so you can see how much it really costs to work and how much you are actually taking in as income. It is really eye-opening.

There is also a whole section for figuring out a budget, which is helpful to see on paper. My favorite chapter was Chapter 7, Ways to Save Money. She has great money-saving tips for everything from food to home and transportation to clothing and toys. I think of myself as a great money-saver, but even I found some of her tips to be very useful.

Another chapter I really enjoyed was Chapter 11, Keeping Your Sanity. Being a stay at home parent is no cake walk. You have to have serious patience, and you have to still do things that keep you energized and keep you feeling like the man or woman you are. The rewards of spending more time with your family are absolutely fabulous for you and for your children!

I highly recommend this book to all parents, whether you are just planning to start a family or already have five children. I know you will find something that speaks to you! You can order this book right from the website. You can also purchase a workbook on CD.