Practical and encouraging! Erin Odom writes in such a way that you feel like you're having a conversation with a friend and a sister. An excellent book for anyone looking for ways to stretch the family budget.

As someone who's been living and thriving on a tiny budget for years this book probably wasn't for me. My husband has made as little as 24,000 a year for our then family of 4 (now 6). Living with a small income seems normal to me and even though our income is a little more then double that now we still live as though it isn't.
However, it really felt great reading this and feeling a little less alone. I feel like everyone around me has tons of money to spend willy nilly on coffees and meals out.
I think this would be a great book for someone who is suddenly new to having to thrive on less. There is a lot of information packed in here. Some really good tips for figuring it all out. My only complaint with the book was it was a bit heavy with talk about government assistance. I am thankful that is a available and fully support it being used. I just started feeling like it had been talked about over and over in the book.

I have been following Erin Odom's blog the Humbled Homemaker on for a couple of years. She really is humble. I would love to know her in real life. I was thrilled to be able to read the ARC copy of her new book, More Thank Making It. She shares the struggles financially she and her husband had as a young couple. By writing this book she outlines what they did wrong. Buying a house at the wrong time was one thing but she shared other things too. She shares so other people won't make the same mistakes she and her husband made. She always shares some money saving tips that I already knew but I think it would be beneficial for younger people who don't know this stuff yet. She admits to being on financial assistance and was embarrassed by it. She felt she was judged by people. This got me to thinking about my attitude when I see someone pull out food stamps. I'll try not to be so judgemental of people in the future.

I loved reading how she and her husband were able to finally get off the government assistance by hard work. I'm happy for her that her blog has been successful and has been instrumental in them getting off government assistance.

"More Than Just Making It" by Erin Odom is a very good memoir and about your finances when you are at the end of your rope. This book was so powerful and good especially being honest and up front on how the church treats the poor. The author does a really good job on explaining on how if we really need the help from the government we shouldn't be embarrassed or treat others bad for it. I really also enjoyed how the author explains that churches in America today are not very good at helping or treating the poor with respect. One of her examples was a great one which was instead of having a bible study to help our poor members at a coffee shop (most never go because they can't afford it) have one at a Laundromat. I really understood what the author was trying to explain on how can treat the poor better in our churches. I also completely understood her feelings of inadequacy at church as my family has been at the extreme poverty levels before and we noticed people did not know how treat us when they found out our income levels. This was a very powerful book and I highly recommend it.

I was given this book from Net Galley for free and was not required to give a positive review.

A real heart wrenching, honest and raw book with lots of tips based on the authors own experience. Thought provoking and educational!

When I found out that I had been approved to review this book, I burst into tears.

Financially, things have been so very difficult for our little family. It's a constant struggle that we face on a daily basis, and it's also something that my husband and I carry around, like a secret shame. People don't talk about finances. And when they do? It's to lecture you about how you landed yourself into these hardships.

Erin was willing to open up about her own struggles in this book, being honest and raw and real about what she has struggled with. This was immensely healing for me. We are still living through what she has overcome, but her book gives me hope that we will not always live this way. I learned more from her book than any other financial book I have ever studied from. How thankful I am for the author taking the time to write her story, and to give hope and healing to those of us still struggling.

It was one of the most humiliating times of my life. Jaxon was two years old, and I was expecting Jason. Billy got laid off from work, and we were living only on unemployment and what he could make doing odd jobs. I was forced to apply for WIC benefits. Pulling out that card for my groceries was so embarrassing. I wanted to shout, "My husband works! He isn't lazy! He's laid off!" But, unfortunately, that isn't an option. Many grocery store trips ended in tears. Why? The WIC program is meant to be used by people like me. But it has been misused by so many people that it has created a stigma for those who do need government aid.

Because of my experiences with WIC, I felt like I could relate to Erin Odom. In her new book, More Than Just Making It, Erin talks about being poor, applying for government aid, declaring bankruptcy and living on charity. She gives solid advice for those who are struggling financially, but also discusses the ways that God provided for her family while they lived in poverty. This book is part memoir and part how-to manual for anyone--even those who aren't struggling financially.

The book begins with Erin describing how she and her husband got into financial trouble, as well as marriage trouble, with an underwater mortgage and low-paying jobs. She goes into great detail about the hopelessness they felt, and how it seemed like they would never be able to lift themselves out of poverty. She talks about the embarrassment of applying for WIC and food stamps and Medicaid. She is very open about how humiliated she was to attend church retreats on scholarships and how she couldn't afford to have playdates for her kids. But her story is also full of the many ways that God blessed her family through those times. Whether it was by sending people to help them with their finances, or by giving them free persimmons, He was always there taking care of them.

More Than Just Making It also has chapters dedicated to helping those who are struggling financially. Whether you need help making a budget, spending less on groceries, or finding a side job, Erin has you covered. I especially enjoyed the chapters about buying second-hand, saving money on healthy groceries and earning extra money on the side. She has so many ideas that I had never read anywhere before. I love Erin's down-to-earth, practical way of writing, and her story is so inspiring. For me it's also very relatable. While my family has never been below poverty level, when we struggled through our hardest, most desperate times, God always provided for our needs.

This book also talks about the stigma of poverty and government aid. I don't agree with everything Erin says on this subject, but I understand her point. It is so easy to judge those who receive government aid. It's easy to see someone using their food stamps or WIC card or checks and immediately assume they are lazy and abusing the system. It's easy not to see beyond the low-income housing address to people who are hurting. While there are so many people in our country who never plan to get off government aid, there are also those who are trying, but they just can't get out of the hole they're in. God has called us to love these people, to do what we can to help them and never to look down on them because of their situation. I have been guilty of judging the poor and those on government aid, and Erin's words convicted me of this wrong attitude.

Erin points out that instead of needing more money, we may just need a new mindset. We have so many things that we thing are needs, but they are really just wants. If we can learn to be grateful for what we have, instead of always wanting more, we can find satisfaction and contentment much more easily. When we can focus on the many gifts God gives us every day, how He provides for our needs all the time, in the good or bad. Erin says, "Practicing gratitude in each small gesture will help you go from a mental and emotional state of "just barely making it" to more than just making it.

I'm so thankful I found this book. I am so guilty of wanting more money and more things. My family has struggled financially. We no longer need government aid, but we would still like to see some improvement in our financial situation. The message of More Than Just Making It is one of hope! No matter where you are on your financial journey this book can help you. Maybe you need to make more money. Maybe you need to spend less money. Maybe you want to understand about poverty so you can know how to help others. Whatever your financial situation is right now, you can find hope and encouragement in the pages of this book.

Erin filed for bankruptcy in 2012 because of a house in another state they weren't able to sell. But, after following the principles and plan laid out in More Than Just Making It, working hard and never giving up, Erin and Will Odom were able to buy a home (putting down a 30% down payment!), pay cash for minivan and send their daughters to Christian school. They also recently took an extended vacation/mission trip, had another baby and Will was able to leave his job and join Erin working full-time from home. I don't know about you, but that kind of financial freedom appeals to me! If you're tired of just barely making it, or if you just need an eye-opener to the struggles of others, you need to read More Than Just Making It. This one is a life-changer.



I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this review, but I also purchased my own copy so I could easily reference the parts I love the most! All opinions are my own.

This post contains affiliate links.

More Than Just Making it is a very honestly written personal finance book from an author who has really been there. I would recommend this book to all families who want to improve their financial bottom line.

A book about so much more than just the practical. Erin Odom opens her heart and her past to walk through the rough times her family went through. Having been one to worry about juggling a few bills as we figured it all out, I felt it all.
I loved the balance within the book between her story and general advice on certain situations.
I know I have picked up quite a few tips as well as feel better about where I am today and how to keep moving forward.
For anyone that is, was or knows someone working through tough financial situations this is a must read. There will be tears but smiles too!

Regardless Of Your Financial Situation, There Is Hope

In MORE THAN JUST MAKING IT, author Erin Odom provides some useful tips on avoiding financial calamity. Unfortunately for her, she had to learn these tips the hard way: “Our financial hardships were a perfect storm: the effects of poor decisions from our newlywed days, marriage trials that had led to job loss, and a nationwide recession.”

For starters, Erin provides useful information on setting up a budget, as well as some big mistakes to avoid. She calls these, “Three Spending Mistakes We Wish We Hadn’t Made”

We didn’t live on a strict budget;
We didn’t save my salary;
We didn’t wait to buy a home.

I think the real strength of this book is not budgeting or financial planning, but something a lot bigger. Erin learned a lot about what it’s like actually being on the receiving end of welfare. Prior to being on government assistance, the author tended to scorn people who were on aid. Now the tables were turned: “I was ashamed, thinking anyone who discovered our secret would think poorly of us, that we were scamming the system. . . Hiding the fact that we were on welfare made me feel like we were living a lie.”

The author learned a lot about families trying to make a living: “Our experience taught me that many Americans— regardless of the current economy— are often just one paycheck away from financial ruin.” Being on government aid, Erin was forced to modify her view of welfare recipients. Of course, now she knew how important the aid could be. She also realized that her prior opinion of welfare was not very accurate. “Our time on government aid helped me see others for who they are— people just like me.”

Besides being on government aid, the Odom family was in for another big lesson. The last part of the book covers their bankruptcy filing. She and her husband had reached the bottom, and they simply had no more options. “We lived below our means and saved our money. We never dreamed we would face bankruptcy.” They were humiliated. On the way to see the bankruptcy judge, they hoped no one would see them.

So all in all, I found MORE THAN JUST MAKING IT to be a valuable tool for financial planning—but that’s not all. Beyond the money tips, this book provides some important lessons for Christians who do NOT have financial problems. It seems to me her message is also one of compassion for those in desperate straits.

I thought this nicely summed up the author’s experience:

“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Scripture is unmistakably clear: We are to give to those in need.”

Well stated. I appreciate the author reminding us.


Note: For readers interested in fun ideas on saving money, my favorite money-saving book of all time is The Tightwad Gazette. It’s full of imaginative money-saving tactics. I bet you would find it a fun and practical read.