Saving Savvy

• Personal notes based on the book Saving Savvy By Kelly Hancock of Faithful Provisions.com

And [God] Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your [resources for] sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness [which manifests itself in active goodness, kindness, and charity].   Thus you will be enriched in all things  and in every way, so that you can be generous, and [your generosity as it is] administered by us will bring forth thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9:10-11, AMP)

“A goal not written down is just a dream”(p. 5).

“The ultimate goal is to never pay full price again” (p. 6).

Saving strategies (pp. 11-12):
Use play money in a jar to keep track of savings, and determine a specific amount to reach a goal for your family like a trip, or paying off a bill. (For us this looks like a savings account. Set aside ideas for Sophie and tithing.)Allow kids to be a part of the process by seeking out certain items and matching coupons. (For us this would be implementing the boys help and keeping the steps organized in a way to avoid stress and really notice the difference.)Stocking up (p. 25):

Shop early for holidays, such as Thanksgiving in October. The baking ingredients are great to have on hand for birthdays.Shop sales in he summer for items like marinades, salad dressings, and grilling meats.

Freezing (pp. 36-39):
Double bag for protection and longer shelf life. Leave 1/4 to 1/2 inch. head space in freezer bags and storage containers for expansion.

Do not reheat in the plastic containers; use glass or microwave-safe containers.

Freeze in foil pans. (I love this tip.) Use two 8×8 pans for 9×13 recipes making two separate meals. Cover with wax paper and two layers of foil or reusable freezer bags.

Glass or casserole dishes are not ideal for the freezer. If used, line with foil, and do not place the frozen dish directly into the oven.

* If your freezer door is left open and defrosts (or it goes out), immediately pack your items in coolers with dry ice covered with dry towels to avoid direct contact with food and prevent freezer burn until it is chilled again.

Meal planning (p. 59):
• From most to least expensive
1.) meat or proteins
2.) vegetables or fresh produce
3.) starches

Loading coupons (p. 87):
• Cellfire.com
• Shortcuts.com
• Upromise.com

Recycle paper and ink cartridges (p. 92).

* Beware of PDF coupons, and verify the validity of coupons via: couponinformationcenter.com or
HotCouponWorld.com (pp. 117-118).

See budgeting (pp. 125-126) and set your personal goal.

Adds (p. 130-132):
Sale adds generally run a week ahead Sunday – Saturday or Wednesday – the following Tuesday.

Watch add placements for those adds that are not actually sales, but are regularly priced items.

Stock your shopping tote with everything from your coupon file (or binder) to a calculator, pen, paper, and scissors (for in-store booklets).

Even if you are using a smart phone, you may want to keep track of spending or something to look up later. * You may lose signal and need an alternative to your shopping list.

Note store policy (p. 151):
• Clearance section
• Dates and times of manager markdowns for expiring meat, dairy, and produce or breads in bakery
• Does butcher slice meats into steaks, or does deli counter slice meats or cheeses as a courtesy?
• Do you offer credit for reusing cloth shopping bags?

Rain checks (pp. 153-154):
• Rain checks are used to pick up sale items that are out of stock on your next visit.
• See if your store has rain checks, and don’t forget to use them, check quantity limits, and hand the checks over to cashier before he rings up the item.
• You can even ask about using a coupon that will expire with the rain check.

Cash-Back sites (p. 160):
• Ebates.com
• ShopatHome.com

Smartphone apps (p. 165-166):
• Grocery IQ
• Our Groceries
• Shop Simple
• Ziplist
• The Better Buy
• Cellfire
• Coupon Sherpa
• Kroger
• Price Grabber
• Sale Saver
• Yowza

Living generously is . . . (pp. 168-168):
• Using your God-given ability to help those in need
• Where your time, money, and talents come together to meet the needs of others
• Something you can practice all your long, not just at Christmastime

“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11, NIV).

Do not lower your budget right away, and prepare for a possible increase in the beginning (p. 177).

Stock up on budget busters (pp. 178-179).

Start with 80% needs/20% stock up, then reverse that within 3-6 months pp. 178-180).

Prioritize your stockpile (p. 101-102):
• high volume staples
• expensive staples
• completely out
• not a frequent sale item
• not a frequent coupon item

* Note: FAQ and recipes are located in the back of the book.