A pastor and part-time college teacher who wrote a book on money management will sign copies of that book from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at I Can’t Believe It’s a Book Store in downtown Washington.

The Rev. Dr. Michael Price, author of “How to Manage Money like a Minister,” also plans to participate in the Book Fest at Crabbies on Saturday. Authors team with businesses for Book Fest, which runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

While on sabbatical, Price decided not only to run with the bulls in Spain, but to write a book. He grew up in a single-parent home, knowing the value of dollar and how to stretch that dollar.

“My mother had six kids, and was really good at pinching pennies,” he said.

In the summer of 2009, Price said he just began writing. Something, he said, he could not have done without the help or encouragement of many, but most importantly the patience of his wife, Betty.

“I don’t think I would’ve ever finished it had it not been for her,” he said with a smile. “I could write a book just on her.”

Price said his book is about the ABCs of money management. For example, the A section deals with automobiles, while the B section is about banking, C relates to coupons, D is about smart ways to use debit cards and so forth. He places money management tips into 26 different categories, one for each letter of the alphabet.

“And everybody has their ideas, and the media is filled with financial experts who lead us to believe that they have the answers,” he said. “Trouble is, they seem to be far removed from the everyday financial challenges that most Americans face on a regular basis.

“I am convinced that the majority of people in this country want to know how to reduce their telephone bill rather than how much the phone companies are making.”

Price attributes his experience with saving money and the like to education. By far, he attributes the success of his life to his mother, Mary Lou, who put his family’s needs above her wants and saved and pinched pennies over the years.

“She knew the importance of saving for those unexpected situations, the emotional lift that came when she could splurge for a special occasion like a birthday,” he said. “I’m where I am today because of her and education. I can only speak for myself, but it has done wonders.”

He applied for Pell grants to help him attend college, where he earned a degree in history. Then, he taught at a community college for a year.

“If you were to tell me when I was younger that I would’ve gone to college, I wouldn’t have believed you,” he said, noting he was a C student. “Because I never thought it was possible for me because of the cost.”

Price said watching one’s budget and spending money on needs rather than wants can can be a great boon in today’s economy.

“Setting out on a course toward better stewardship of money entails education, discipline and commitment,” he said. “This is not some book that says, ‘Here are some solutions and wait for the next book for more.’ Rather, this is a timely, comprehensive and reference work that lays out in simple terms of how to become a better manager of your money via reducing your expenses.”

“I say this from the very beginning, if you have bills, if you’re not making more money to cover the bills, you have to go to the debit side,” he said. “So you have to cut costs and make your dollar stretch.”

Price said his wife is one of the smartest people when it comes to handling money that he has ever known.

The Rev. Bruce Barkhauer said Price has written “a good tool for all who want to become more generous and experience less stress around money matters.”