It has been such an exciting week with running a half marathon, the launch of my sixth book, and a business trip to NYC to meet with some companies we’ve been working closely with! (I also found out that I have a fractured spine and borderline Grade 3 spondylolisthesis — that’s a whole unexpected journey I’m going to be on for the next little while!)
Whether you’ve bought a copy of my new book, asked your library to carry it, or shared about the book with your friends, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for your amazing support! I am truly so grateful.
I’ve been reflecting this week on the journey I’ve taken with this book and I wanted to share a story with you about why I was scared to write this book and almost didn’t…
For years, I lived under the belief that I’m not good at math. I struggled with math in school. I barely, barely passed my homeschool high school math classes. And I didn’t go to college.
I was scared to write a book about budgeting and money because I felt like I wasn’t qualified and didn’t have enough experience. Plus, what if I went on a podcast or TV show and they started asking me complicated questions about retirement or investing and I didn’t have a clue how to answer?
I was sharing how I was struggling with this limiting belief with a group of smart business women a few years ago. I was telling them how I wanted to write this book but I was scared.
And one of them immediately, said, “Budgeting isn’t about math. It’s about prioritization. And you’ve been living on a budget for over two decades, and that absolutely qualifies you to write this book!”
I’d been so focused on what I struggled with that I overlooked what I could offer! I love helping women prioritize and it’s something I’m really good at — and that’s at the very heart of budgeting!
Maybe you’ve told yourself a limiting belief, too. “I’m not good with money.” Or, “I’m not disciplined.” Or, “I could never stick with a budget.”
Are you letting those negative narratives hold you back and stifle you or keep you stuck?
I wrote The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women because I believe in this message, I have lived this message, and I have seen the life change in our family and legacy as a result of this message.
And also? While math may always be something I’m not particularly gifted in, I’m facing my fears and putting this book out to the world because I don’t want to let negative narratives hold me back anymore!
And I’m so excited because I’m already hearing from so many women who are loving and benefitting from this message.
Here’s what some of the early comments and reviews have said:
“My favorite chapter was what would your 90 year old self say…such good wisdom to think about and I loved that the habits are sooooo doable! Almost like a tiny tweak!”
“Even if you are a budgeting veteran like myself, there is so much to learn here. The best part is that it is so straightforward, I am putting this one on the reread list. As usual, [Crystal] offers friendly, practical advice without judgment.”
“This book feels like a warm hug of encouragement and care.”
“It was such an encouraging and practical read without feeling like I was being told what I should be doing. I also really enjoyed the personal stories throughout — they made everything feel relatable and easy to connect with.”
If you haven’t ordered it yet, you can grab your copy here!
The other big thing I did this past week was run a half marathon! I still can’t believe those words are true! (Read all the details in this post, if you missed it.)
At the half marathon, I blurted out five words I can’t stop thinking about…
It was around mile 4 and I’d just been telling the new friends I was running with about my kids, when all of a sudden I saw Kathrynne (my 21-year-old) on the side of the road ahead! I had no idea she was going to be there and it meant so much to me that she would get up early and put in the effort to figure out where the race was just so she could cheer me on for a few minutes!
But she did more than that… She said, “I’m going to run with you for a bit” — even though she wasn’t dressed for running! — and she jumped in and ran about a half mile with us.
When she stopped to head back to her car, these 5 words blurted out of my mouth…
“I just love my kids!”
I said it while beaming and feeling such deep gratitude. What a gift that I have kids who *want* to hang out with me and who are so supportive of me (my other two teens have really cheered me on in this running journey — and they stayed home to watch our younger three so Jesse could come to the race!)
Recently, two of my older kids were telling me how when they talk about our relationship to others, people are surprised that they want to hang out with their parents and really think their parents are cool.
The thing I was thinking about after those 5 words popped out of my mouth was this: I think one of the biggest secrets to forging a close relationship with your kids is to absolutely adore them, praise them lavishly, call out the good you see in them, and just plain really enjoy them!
People tend to want to hang out with someone who genuinely really likes them!
I hear so many parents talk about their kids in such detrimental, negative ways.
And it breaks my heart.
Sure, parenting is hard and it has shown me my need for Jesus like nothing else. But, I want to dwell on the good and the beautiful and the gifts I see in my kids and spend my time calling those out instead of constantly harping on the areas where they need to change or the things I’m frustrated with, or critiquing everything they do. Especially as they get older.
If I could only give moms one piece of advice when it comes to parenting, it would be this: Tell them how proud you are of them. Get crazy excited about what they are excited about. Learn about their world. Let them teach about things you don’t know about.
Talk highly of them to others — in front of them and behind their back.
And also? Just genuinely enjoy them! Make it very clear from your words and actions and attitude that there’s no place you’d rather be than hanging out with them.
Our words and attitudes towards and about our kids have such weight and they often live up to what we speak about them — either negative or positive.
Tuesday, the day of my book launch, I flew to NYC for a trip with some companies we’ve worked closely with for the past few years. They were hosting an event and had invited some from our team to come so we could meet them in person. It wasn’t ideal timing with it being the day of my book launch, but I really love these brands and felt like it would be worth going. I’m so glad we did!
Jinni – my executive assistant – came with me and we celebrated my book launch by going to Maybe Happy Ending on Broadway on Tuesday night. Overall, I liked the show, thought I felt like it was long and slow in parts and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed shows with much larger casts and bigger productions. (By the way, I have a whole post on how to get cheap Broadway tickets.)
She and I also ended up wearing almost identical dresses — just in two different colors. We do that a lot! She’s like my second brain so much of the time!
I loved getting spend time with a few companies that we have worked closely with over the past few years at the event. There were so many amazing people there and I got to hear a few of the people’s stories and learn from them and that was so special! We also brainstormed some things for ways that I can help come alongside the companies as a consultant in helping them be more successful.
There was also live music!
And a ballerina! So that was fun and special!
I flew home on Thursday and wore this sweater that I love so much! It’s so cozy and comfy and cute — and it’s on sale right now!
Jesse picked me up at the airport and we went straight to early vote so that we got it done (our polls have sometimes had crazy long lines on election days!)
We were shocked and so happy to discover that it was pretty packed at the early voting place. They said they had surpassed last election’s early voting numbers the day before!! YAY for people getting out and voting!
Just a reminder to vote on Tuesday if you are in the US, are eligible to vote, and haven’t voted yet!
This was one of our number one sellers this week!! And it’s still available! Get a 50-count box of Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Packets for just $5.68 shipped!
Kierstyn and Micah had Church History Day at school on Friday. They picked out their Bible characters themselves and were SOO excited about being Esther and David!
Friday morning, I headed to the specialist’s office to get more details on what was going on with my back. You can read more about all the symptoms I was having and how I first discovered my spine was fractured here.
They discovered that I have a pars defect — which is a tiny fracture of the spine that I was likely born with. It can cause some back pain (which I’ve had for years but never thought anything of) and then can lead to spondylolisthesis — which is when the vertabrae slip as you can see mine have done in the x-ray above.
Mine is borderline grade 3 spondylolisthesis which the doctor said is very severe. However, since I’m not experiencing extreme numbness where I can’t move a body part or have lost bowel or bladder function and don’t have any weakness from it, they are going to try to treat it conservatively with PT and medication. They are hoping it will improve some in the next two weeks with that. So that was very unexpected for this week, but I am grateful we caught it and that I am not experiencing extreme symptoms!
Did you see November’s book club pick?? Check out why I picked it here.
This Week on The Crystal Paine Show: A BIG Day!!!
We are doing something a little bit different for this episode of The Crystal Paine Show because Jesse is actually interviewing me! It is, after all, launch week for my sixth book, The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women, and we are spending this episode talking about the book itself, why I wrote it, and what I hope that it will do for women who want to feel more confident about their finances!
I’ll be perfectly honest in that this was probably the book I struggled with the most. Even though I have spent more than two decades practicing financial discipline in our marriage, I had to work through a lot of insecurity about whether I was qualified to write about money. I have also always believed that I wasn’t good at math and worried about being asked questions about things like investing and retirement portfolios, but a conversation with a group of women business owners helped me realize that financial health isn’t just about numbers but is also about mindset, discipline, and habits – and those are things I know a thing or two about!
Jesse and I talk about how this book differs from my first money book, why I wanted it to be practical and timeless, and how you can create a money plan that works for your personality and circumstances. There’s no single right way to manage your money – whether you love tracking every dollar in an app or would happily stick with cash envelopes. Regardless, the goal is to find what works for you and helps reduce stress rather than add to it.
I also get into why I believe that we need to start by looking at where we are right now instead of telling ourselves all the reasons that we can’t make changes. I share how childhood experiences and negative beliefs about money can follow us into adulthood, influence our spending, and keep us feeling stuck, and I explain why asking ourselves why we’re making a purchase can reveal what’s really going on beneath the surface, and don’t worry – we get to the fun stuff, too! I share why a financial plan can actually make life more enjoyable, along with the creative ways to save money without always paying full price.
My sincerest hope is that this book helps women let go of shame, build confidence, align their spending with their priorities, and become more intentional with their money – because when we stop believing we’re stuck and start taking small steps forward, we can create meaningful change for ourselves and the generations after us! Enjoy this interview… with me!
Listen to the episode here.
What I’m Reading…
This week, I finished two books: Beneath a Scarlet Sky (read my full and very honest review here) and The Bright Side of the Other Side (I really enjoyed this book and think it would be a great encouragement to anyone walking through a dark time. You can watch my live interview with the author here.)
Currently reading: House Hushing, God of Comfort, Rooted Not Rushed, Life Can Be Good Again, Helping Kids Through Grief, After We Fall, Into a Golden Era, and The Belle of Chatham.
What I’m Listening to…
I decided to not finish the audiobook I was listening to last week because I just didn’t like the direction it was going. I’m planning to start another this week. I’ll let you know which one next week!
What I’m Watching…
This past week, the girls and I watched week 7 of Dancing with the Stars together. (It’s fun to have a show that Kierstyn, Kaitlynn, and I all enjoy together!)
More Links You’ll Love from This Week:
- I Ran a Half Marathon Last Weekend — Read all the details about how I overcome my limiting beliefs and did something I *never* thought I’d do, and LOVED it!
- The Day I Was Super Desperate — We were in a really tough place financially and I didn’t know what to do. Read about how God met me in that place and what I learned from that difficult season, including that: God is rarely early but always on time. And He can be trusted!
- My radio interview with Focus on the Family aired this week! If you’re feeling stressed about money while facing the rising cost of living, I hope this interview offers you practical advice for getting a handle on your finances, covering topics like deciding on financial priorities, predetermining spending, creating accountability, avoiding paying full price for things, and more.
- When Your 4-year-old Discovers You Are an Author — This video will melt your heart! Micah brought me my new book and asked why my photo was on the back… because he did not know I was an author! You guys 😭😭 Now he keeps going around saying, “I cannot believe you writed all the words for your book!” ❤️
Source: moneysavingmom.com…