Hi Kristy,
I have two suggestions.
To skip the manual "update & save to force the recalc", you can instead use this technique I figured out to force a particular parameter to recalc every time (although I'd suggest, on the datacenter's behalf, that you use it sparingly): IF(DATEDIFF("d",$$NOW,$$NOW)=0,[original formula],[original formula). The presence of $$NOW in the formula ensures that the formula is recalculated, and by repeating the formula in both the true and false branch -- although redundant -- kept fresh.
To skip the manual "system wide recalc from time to time", I invite you to consider our Recalc Helper and/or Recalc Parameters solutions allowing you to easily filter and recalculate the custom parameters on either an ad-hoc or scheduled basis (respectively), thereby increasing your confidence and their value.
Regards,
Doug