Episode•April 9, 2026•11 min

From Scarcity to Stewardship: How I Cut 96% of My Expenses in Jamaica

I moved to Jamaica thinking I'd escaped the high cost of living. Then I looked at my phone bill: $200+/month for AT&T roaming. That wasn't serving me. That wasn't serving my family. That was noise. So I cut it. 96% reduction. $200 down to $20. Same service, different provider. That's when I realized: I don't have a money problem. I have a stewardship problem. Most people think they need $1,000 more to be "fine." But if you can't manage $100, you won't manage $10,000. Scarcity focuses on what's missing. Stewardship asks: "How well am I managing what's in my hands?" In this episode, I break down the three-step shift: 1. The Audit — Stop looking at what's missing. What do you have right now? A skill? An hour? $20? 2. Assign a Job — Every dollar needs a mission. Every hour needs a purpose. 3. The Release Rule — Cut what isn't serving the mission. (My 96% cut wasn't just the phone bill.) I also share the Parable of the Talents—why the person who buried their money lost it, and why the people who made it work got more. This isn't about restriction. It's about wisdom. 🎯 Ready to shift? Start here: moneytalkwitht.com/start 📚 The Stewardship Series continues April 16 and 23 #stewardship #scarcitymindset #jamaica #expat #personalfinance #moneymindset #financialfreedom #cutexpenses #tello #budgeting

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Key Takeaways

Shift from scarcity to stewardship mindset

Scarcity focuses on what's missing; stewardship asks how well you're managing what you currently have

If you can't manage $100 well, you won't manage $10,000 well

Being a good steward of time, talent, and treasure leads to being entrusted with more

Three-step framework for the shift

The Audit: Stop looking at what's missing and inventory what you have right now (skills, $20, an hour)

Assign a Job: Every dollar needs a mission and every hour needs a purpose

The Release Rule: Cut what isn't serving the mission

96% phone bill reduction example

Switched from AT&T roaming ($200+/month) to Tello (~$20/month) while living in Jamaica

The expense was "noise" that wasn't serving family or mission

Research revealed other expats weren't paying those rates

Parable of the Talents application

The servant who buried his money lost it; those who invested and multiplied were rewarded with more

Demonstrates that faithful stewardship leads to greater responsibility and blessing

Intro

Tiffany challenges listeners to move from a scarcity mindset to a stewardship mindset, using her personal experience of cutting 96% of phone expenses while living in Jamaica as a case study.

Tiffany (Money Talk with Tiff) is a financial coach and host of the Money Talk with Tiff podcast who emphasizes biblical principles of stewardship.

From Scarcity to Stewardship: How I Cut 96% of My Expenses in Jamaica

Key Takeaways

Intro

– Scarcity vs. Stewardship Mindset

– Parable of the Talents

– Step 1: The Audit

– Step 2: Assign a Job

– Step 3: The Release Rule

– From Scarcity to Stewardship Toolkit

Resources

Topics