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.
If you have seen my finish list here…
http://shimergap.blogspot.com/2013/01/my-2013-finish-list.html
…you will know my “Financial Goal” could really use some help. I believe this book would be a great resource to help with that.
My favorite tip is…my wife makes a menu each week for our meals for that week. She then makes a list of all the ingredients we need. Makes a grocery list. I go to grocery store and only get what is on the list. This has help save money because we do not buy anything extra….unless the m&m’s are on sale 😛
Wonderful way to start the year!!
Being a wheeler & dealer, cost saver … always open to the great ideas of others!!
I need this book. Last year we really got serious about living more simply. But we need to be even more intentional as I would like to be able to stay home with our son. Glad to know about her website. Thanks for sharing, Margaret.
2012 was a disastrous year financially. Need all the help I can get to save money to get back on my feet and give the way I desire too. Would love to read.
I have spent months trying to pare back since my husband was laid off and we are now having to purchase our own health insurance. Always looking for more ideas of ways to save and this book looks like it would be helpful. Thanks for steering us to Kelly’s website! I’ve signed up already to receive more information.
I’m intrigued with this book. With my husband of 40 years recently retired, we could use some new ideas to save money. The Lord has blessed us in so many ways. but now our income is limited. Probably the best thing we’ve done up to now is track all of our financial details by using the Quicken program. My husband keeps tabs on all of our cash flow by updating our records at least once a week. I also tend to watch and shop the grocery adds every week.
Sounds like a good book! We started buying less and living more simply about 1 1/2 years ago. . .best thing we ever did. But things do keep going up in price and we need to cut more as we sell our house and move so more ideas would be good.
Could use a chance to learn more about how to safe money. I have clipped coupons on and off but need guidance on how to organize and stay with it!
This book sounds really interesting. I’d love to read it to find some new ideas.
Whenever possible we buy in bulk to save money. We have an extra freezer and stock up when prices are low.
How I save is looking for buy 1 get 1 free, use coupons with it! I also wait for the best sale on items needed daily, like paper goods, shampoo’s use coupons for those.
It takes time, but when you see the savings….it is worth it!!
=)
Blessings,
Tina
I am a single, empty-Nester. Sometimes my adult children come over to share a meal with me. I have struggled in the past when reading about saving strategies based on using grocery store coupons because I know that a lot of things you get coupons for are not healthy choices. I hadn’t thought of it from a perspective of making wise choices and then giving the excess away..buy one dozen eggs and get one dozen free for example. I have always wanted to be a Joseph…being a storehouse builder and providing for others from the storehouse. This may be the beginning of an answer to that prayer…thank you for sharing.
Blessings,
Linda
My favorite tip is to have a backup checking account with a weekly budget! You weekly deposit your budget amount into it so when you need the money, you got it available!
Lots of research and patience to wait for reasonable prices
As a single mom to two teenage girls, learning how to budget on my own has been quite a challenge. As I’ve leaned into the Lord, trusted Him to make it work, He has been so faithful to provide in crazy ways! I need these very practical tips and find all these comments so helpful too. I’m not alone on this journey! Thank you!
Wow what a wonderful gift this book will be to many of us !! I cannot wait to read it. I absolutely love to give and the more we save the more we can do that ! I am blessed that my husband is of the same mindset.
For the past year, we have had our daughter and grandsons, 4 & 6 living with us. The grocery bill is contines to grow. Cutting costs and saving money is essential!
Living on a teacher’s salary at a Christian school is challenging! Would love some tips!
Would love to have this. Lost my job one year ago, but God has been faithful to us. Always looking for money saving tips for my family. Blessings to you!
My best money-saving tip is to keep a price book. We have two grocery stores in our town and I keep track of the “regular” price for each item I buy. I alternate between the two stores and buy each one’s cheapest items. Then when things go on sale or I go to the discount store, I can check to see if a sale price really is a good deal. Just because it’s printed in the sale ad doesn’t mean it’s a great deal. I also keep tack of sale prices in the same book. Then I know if a sale is an OK sale or one to really take advantage of.
I’d love to win a copy of this book. My tips would be planning ahead for weekly meals and coupons, coupons coupons!
I buy hamburger in bulk when it’s on sale, immediately brown it all (and drain the fat) with just, salt, pepper and some onion. After it is browned, drained and cooled, I put it into ziptop freezer bags in appx. 1lb amounts. It thaws SUPER fast while cooking and I am already 1/2 way to tacos, sloppy joe’s or whatever other recipe I might choose with pre-cooked ground beef as the base! SUPER great way to make my dollar stretch! THANKS, Margaret for your awesome giveaways!
My favorite tips come from Dave Ramsey.
We recently completed the Debt Snowball. At first it made no sense to us, but as the smallest debts went away, it started to make sense quickly.
I loved Kelly’s last comment, because everything we have is God’s, her faith has a lot to do with how she manages her spending. I believe when I am talking about investments with my money, how I spend it in spreading the gospel is very important and the more I save in spending on the household the more I can give to ministries.
What a wonderful opportunity! I was laid off last May from my teaching job and we have really been struggling to find ways to save. This would be heaven sent!
As a single person, I am always looking for ways to live simply and spend less money.
My best tip is meal planning and sticking to the list once I’m at the store. It has cut my grocery bill in half. I would love to read this book.
I’m single as well, and with the reality of our take-home pay being reduced, this book is a great resource. I’d love to have one if the Lord so leads as I could also share with the ladies in our Sunday School class as well. Many blessings, Debbie
Giver! Give! Give! Somehow in God’s economy, when we are generous, we are well taken care of. God seems to bless those that are generous and help others. We always seem to have enough, despite continually trying to give more away. I am blessed by giving.
Wow this is exactly what I was looking for! I have been reading books to learn how savvy spenders save so mich for their daily needs but none incorporate faith based spending and saving! This would definitely be a great financial tool for me to use in learning to be a stay at home mommy as well as a family currently on unemployment. Trying to budget, pay off debt and save as Dave Ramsey teaches is my goal but to fit groceries and other things into our budget I need more ideas! This book looks amazing!!
this sounds like it could be vey practical and helpful book! it sounds like it would be nice to win too…
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