Sponsor Preview: Neale Godfrey's "Eco-Effect: The Greening of Money"

Read the first 6 pages free!

I was recently given the chance to read and review Eco Effect: The Greening of Money. Not being a finance nor an ecology geek, my first thought when I received this book was, "I hope I'll be able to understand this book!" However, it it is less about finances that the titles implies, although money (especially saving it) is a big topic of the book. Whether you are passionate about the Green movement, just interested in doing what you can, or only into saving greenbacks, this book is a helpful guide for parents and kids alike.

You may have already of heard of Neale Godfrey. She started her own company: Children's Financial Network, Inc. in 1989. She is a New York Times Best Selling author of financial guide books for the whole family. You may have heard of her book: Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees: a Parent’s Guide to Raising Financially Responsible Children. Since I am going to be homeschooling, I was excited to learn about her books which will be valuable resources one day. Growing up attending public school, there wasn't a class that taught you how to handle finances, balance a checkbook, teach you how to avoid debt, or about financial responsibility in general. There should have been a class like that, one that taught you about what you can expect when you become a renter or a homeowner, an employee, or a good and responsible citizen of your neighborhood, town, and country. I look forward to not only teaching my kids reading, writing, and arithmetic, but about these important responsibilities as well.

Regardless of whether your kids go to public school, private school, or the school of mom, every parent should teach their children practical life skills. This book will help you as a family to be a more responsible when it comes to ecology and the economy. You have more of an effect on both than you may think, but it starts in your own home and backyard!

I read this book a lot in the passenger seat of the car, because sometimes as a mom that's my only chance! It gave me a chance though to read facts aloud to my husband and get some feedback from him on things we could do to make our home more eco-friendly and save us money in the short and long terms. The book is stuffed to the gills with helpful information and guides you through each room of your home and helps you look for "EEKs" which are things that need to be improved that should make you say just that: Eek! For instance, did you know if you stopped washing your clothes in HOT water, you would save 90% of the energy used to washed your clothes? For a stay at home mom like me who coupons religiously to save our family money, this book is a wonderful resource for helping learn changes I can make for conservation efforts while saving money at the same time. How awesome is that?!

Flip it over when you are done with the adult side and there is side just for kids that helps them understand terms like global warming, fossil fuels, and organic foods. There are funny quizzes, activities, and helpful charts. It is important for our kids to learn that they my be only one person but they can make a huge difference. The book guides them through helping at home and at school as well as how to spread the word. I love the illustrations as well. Kids will love seeing themselves and their families depicted as heroes in the "Better Tomorrow" chapter.  I think you could start working selectively through the kids side with kids as young as 6 or 7 but much of the information would challenge the thinking of kids well into their pre-teen and teen years as well.