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

1
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
2
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
3
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
4
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.

Website

– Scarcity vs. Stewardship Mindset

Most people think they have a money problem and need $1,000 more to be fine. Tiffany reframes this as a stewardship issue: managing what's currently in your hands rather than focusing on what's missing.

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

– Parable of the Talents

Tiffany references the biblical story where servants are given talents (money) to manage. Those who invested and multiplied were rewarded; the one who buried his talent lost it.

You have to be able to manage what you have well and show that you are a good steward of your money.

– Step 1: The Audit

Stop looking at what's missing. Inventory what you currently have: a skill people ask you about, an extra $20, or an hour of quiet time.

Don't look at what's missing. Look at what you currently have.

– Step 2: Assign a Job

Every dollar needs a mission and every hour needs a purpose. For business owners, every team member must have a clear assignment and managers should be trusted to do their jobs without micromanagement.

– Step 3: The Release Rule

Cut expenses that aren't serving your mission. Tiffany shares cutting her phone bill from $200+ to ~$20/month by switching from AT&T to Tello while living in Jamaica.

Those expenses weren't helping me serve you. They weren't helping me serve my household, serve myself. They were just noise.

– From Scarcity to Stewardship Toolkit

Tiffany offers a $27 toolkit with her best tools for building a solid foundation at moneytalkwitht.com/start.

Resources

Topics

stewardshipscarcity mindsetpersonal financebudgetingexpense cuttingJamaica expatmoney mindsetfinancial freedombiblical financecell phone savings