This week, I am giving away THREE copies of Saving Savvy: Smart and Easy Ways to Cut Your Spending in Half and Raise Your Standard of Living and Giving by Kelly Hancock. Just a few years ago, Kelly Hancock was a top-performing sales rep for a Fortune 500 company. But after her first daughter was born, she decided to take a leap of faith, and devote her full time and energy to her newborn. Kelly became a much savvier shopper, but it wasn’t until her husband was laid-off in 2009 that the cost-cutting adventure truly began. Her website, FaithfulProvisions.com, has blossomed into one of the most popular money-savings blogs on the Internet.
Everybody wants to learn how to save money at home. But between coupon-cutting, following sales and specials, and keeping up with promotions – sometimes, it’s a little overwhelming. I recently got to chat with Kelly and ask her a few questions about her new book:
Margaret: How is the focus of Faithful Provisions different from other Christian money-saving sites? How do you see that God has uniquely gifted for this?
Kelly: Faithful Provisions was born out of a desire to share. Because someone shared with me the secrets of saving through shopping sales, stocking ahead, meal planning, and using coupons, I was able to become a stay-at-home mom. And that’s just the beginning! Learning how to snag the deals and plan ahead was the jumping off point for becoming a giver. It’s really amazing, but when we started spending less, cutting back, and learning to live on my husband’s income, that’s when we were able to give like never before.
M: With all the money-saving books on the market today, what motivated you to write Saving Savvy?
K: I’m a Type A personality, so anything that I do, I am going to go at it full force. Every day, I wake up excited about what the Lord is going to do. I believe He has uniquely gifted me to be able to motivate people to make the changes that they need to make in their spending, and He’s given me firsthand knowledge so I can share my experience with authenticity.
M: To give readers a flavor of what’s in the book, give us three tips or ideas that are unique to other books about saving money.
K: I wrote Saving Savvy because I wanted to share my journey with people—the details of my spiritual adventure in learning how to trust God on a much deeper level. I found that the Lord is really practical. There is no great mystery to learning how to save money—you just spend less! But I think where I learned to trust Him most was in believing that He had a plan for me that was so much more than I could have ever imagined. I want people to understand that everything we have belongs to the Lord—we are managers of property and resources that belong ultimately to Him. There is a best way to manage it, and that’s His way.
Saving Savvy is loaded with great tips and savings strategies that most people have never heard of. That’s why it’s so fun to watch people begin their own savings journey—it immediately makes a big difference in their budget! So, let’s see—three tips for your readers:
- Did you know that your biggest money saver in your kitchen is your freezer? Learning how to use your freezer to store produce when it is in season and on sale will slash your grocery bill. Plus, you’ll be eating food at its peak of freshness and highest level of nutrients.
- Everything you need to know about saving money each week is laid out plainly in your grocer’s weekly sales ad. Most stores offer their sales ads online, so you can see what is being offered for sale. If chicken is on sale, that’s what my family will be eating that week. Don’t just buy what you want at the store—buy what’s on sale.
- Saving Savvy is different in that it encourages people to save more, so they can give more. Stocking your church’s food pantry with items you have found on sale is the smart thing to do! Your money goes further, and you are able to provide more that way. And when it comes to coupons, if you have a coupon for a free item and it’s not something you use, get it anyway! You can give it away to someone who does need it.
M: What has been the best compliment to the book so far from a reader and what has been the worst criticism?
K: Margaret, quite honestly, the worst criticism of the book was the best comment. Someone wrote me to say that they were disappointed that I took a faith-based approach to money. They couldn’t understand how I could offer practical tips while pairing them seamlessly with my faith in Christ, because “one has nothing to do with the other.” Well, obviously, I disagree. I believe that “my” money is first and foremost His, and I honestly believe He is very practical in how He guides me to save, spend, and give it.
