Can You Live in The Villages On A Tight Budget? 

I have a couple of comments: 1. I did a lifestyle visit last September (way tooo hot) but took the 4 days I had, got in my golf cart and drove around and around the villages to capture as much as I could in that short amount of time. Yes, I did get lost at times, but listening to your many videos, understood the rules of the golf cart paths, etc. and that really helped. I also purchased the $6.99 app (which was very helpful). I'm on a tight budget, but for $99/night, I got an entire house (that was immaculate), a golf cart, bikes, etc. etc. I would do a lifestyle vs. staying at any hotel; however, I will tell you, the Brownwood hotel is also several steps UP for the price and you won't find another hotel (in that price range) as nice!! On the day I moved into my lifestyle home, the Sales agent spent the first four hours with me, taking me around the villages in the golf cart, showed me a couple of houses that day and that was it. She never pressured me to see any more homes, because I indicated to her, that I was more interested in this visit, to check out the area, to see where I might want to reside, if I decided to live here one day. There was NO PRESSURE and I really appreciated that. But because she was so helpful and kind, I'm going to be more apt in seeking her out in the future, should I decide I do want to buy a home in the villages! 2. I'm returning to the Villages in October for an entire month this time! I'm a bit hesitant, as I will be doing this on my own and worry that it will be hard to meet others in a similar situation. I totally agree with your comment on having some type of mini weekly gatherings for anyone visiting the villages and/or are here for a lifestyle visit. I think if I lived there, would arrange for this to happen in a neighboring village/community I was living in or even possibly at the main Sales Centers. There are so many out there, that are somewhat shy or backwards, until they are welcomed in, etc. This is something I feel would really benefit the villages. I did take the trolley tour and that was also very helpful getting acquainted with the newer area south of the turnpike. See ya when I get there - Ruth Laibe

You will always be the Newcomers. Don’t change. You bring something “NEW” every video. Thank You. ❤

I see another milestone- 60,000 subscribers! I remember when you hit 50,000 not so long ago.

Gizmo "bowls" me over with his humor. 😂🐶

My wife and I came directly from Scotland in 2008/9. I know that you get many inquiries from abroad. I would be happy to become involved with these. We bought the lot in 2008. Had the house built and moved in April 2009. Now, we are frogs (Here till we croke). Not easy. But possible.

Appreciated your response to person asking why not change your name since you're no longer newcomers. Keep the name!! Preserve the brand! Thanks for another stellar show.

Jerry, you’re absolutely correct about lifestyle visit charges. They range from $99 to $199 per night depending upon the season. It’s not a moneymaker for The Villages. It’s a sales tool to introduce individuals to “the lifestyle” so it’s unlikely to change much if at all. This is just my personal opinion. ..

We had a great time on our lifestyle visit. We hit all the squares and many of the rec centers while zooming around on our golf cart. Lots of things to do and see. Our sales rep Chad was awesome. We spent the first day touring and finding out what The Villages had to offer. We hit every restaurant in the Brownwood Square and Sawgrass. We didn't have a bad experience anywhere. All the residents were happy to answer any question we had and shared their experience living there. We can't wait to return in October.

Hi Jerry and Linda I am so glad you mentioned pets. I have a cat who is about 15 years old. If anything happens to me, either my sister or my niece will take her. Pinky and I hope Gizmo is doing well.

We have the lightning app. We enjoy this show, and currently live happily in Sebastian. TV is just a little steep for us.

König (my Rottweiler) and I have been here for 4 days and we’ve had a blast! He’s enjoyed all the squares and has made lots of friends 😊. Only got 9 holes in Saturday too hot 🥵

My husband and I are coming in Aug. I am excited to see the Eisenhower Rec. center. We are both Veterans.

Hot off the presses, figured out the puzzle! Fun show today!

Agree with Jerry! Get the most of what u want on the brownies. It’s all about portion control! Why waste calories without the icing! U 3 are the best! 🥰

I’ve learned, thru the bloopers, that Jerry is just a little impatient. Yet we can laugh at him also.

On our first Lifestyle visit, we got to take a pickleball lesson. Everyone in the class was on a Lifestyle visit.

Mailbag Monday is always a crowd pleaser for all of us!! Inquiring minds always seek knowledgeable people like y’all two, Jerry & Linda‼️Congrats on getting more subscribers 🎉🎊Keep up your good works😍😍💯

Hello from Louisiana. We have a sound machine because a neighbor has 2 dogs that bark at night if they leave them out. We also have one that we travel with. Love my sound machine. Thanks for keeping me entertained every Monday and Thursday. Love y'all.

That joke about "two left feet" had me laughing from the start! Great diet tip, Jerry! I'd also pick the 'smaller' brownie with the frosting. Very informative show today, as always, lots of topics covered! The trains...I grew up in a smallish city where we heard trains no matter where we lived in town, and for me it came to be comforting over the years. Now I live in a neighboring city with no trains and I really, really miss the sound. (Bloopers are hilarious!)

Keep newcomers!!!!

Bloopers…. Linda makes us laugh…. Shes so funny love her laugh

We were recently talking about the lifestyle visit and so this episode as well as some of the viewer comments were helpful. Jerry enjoyed your diet tip❤

Thank you for another great show!! You guys are some fun to watch each week. You are the best!!!

You remember this one? I do,it is Jerry and Linda at there best!! And now many years later, there even better!!😂

My wife Merril and I are watching this at the gate at Reagan National airport in DC, on our way to The Villages today. We are excited to spend the week there. Maybe we'll see you on the multi-modals. Thank you for another great video! 😊

Hi Jerry and Linda. I have been watching your super fun and informative videos for over a year. Last August I did a 4 day lifestyle visit, The Villages seemed like a awesome place. Unfortunately I was barely able to scratch the surface of what The Villages has to offer, so I will be returning in September and have a home rented for a the month. I'm 65 and single, hoping that after staying the month I will have a much better idea as to if the move from NJ is right for me. My 4 children are grown now and even though i don't get to spend a whole lot of time with them these days it still seems like leaving them up north might be difficult. None the less after getting divorced after a 25 year marriage, and the kids not being kids anymore leads to a lonely existence. I hope that during my extended stay I find that not only are the residents friendly, but they also are willing to add new friends to their circles. Thanks for your great work and I will be sure to say hi if I run into you.

There are pet adoption centers for each county. And other adoption/rescue groups you may contact as well. I adopted a wonderful older dog, Sophie, from one of the county shelters. The shelters work together across counties. Sophie came from an animal hoarder and all of the pets from that home overloaded the local shelter. So the pets all went to different counties that lended support. It was great to see how well the shelters worked with each other! I still wonder, though, who adopted the hoarder's flying squirrel!! She had 41 animals in one little house!!

Another fun show...the bloopers were great this week! Thank you Jerry and Linda 😊

I watch your show every week, I LOVE your guys, please never change............

Meet and greet for LS visitors would be a great idea. My sister and I walked around and talked to as many people as we could. Everyone there was SO friendly! We made sure everyone knew we were newbies and they loved telling us what they liked about TV!

Thanks again for my Monday morning chuckle!! Those bloopers are hysterical!!!! I was laughing with you! Have a great week!!!

Funny how everyone has an opinion on things in your life. Changing your name. It’s your logo. Enjoy all your videos. Looking forward to the move. Hope to see You when I get there. Gizmo looks really good. Keeping the prayers going his way. ❤

Linda and Jerry the orange Tee shirts make you look younger! Wear this color more often! Good job, to Gizmo - his segment is always so cute!

Yes, sound machines are fantastic! They will lower my blood pressure! So relaxing. The key is the find the sounds you really enjoy.

Another great episode. Thank you for doing this for us. 🥰 Love your puzzle. It’s part of my daily life.😊

Love y'all show... Very small nuances in Villages...trains noise... Thanks, 😊

Easy one Jerry! Thanks for the fun! See you when we get there in October! We can’t wait! 😊

Brownie fun!!!!! (LOL)!!!!! Weight management by Jerry!!!!!

Great puzzle. Solved it in 5 sec. Great channel, Jerry & Linda!

Hello Linda and Jerry. My significant other and I will be moving into our new home on Tina Street, Lake Denham on 8-06-2023. LOL. We are Jerry and Linda! Maybe we can be a guest on your BLOG!

I just started the paper today and it had a section that listed a lot of opportunities to eat out for less would help people save money.

You two are so stinking funny!!!

Happy Monday Jerry and Linda! Always look forward to watching you on your Monday show. I love it when Linda gets the giggles on the bloopers. Have a blessed week❤️🙋🏻‍♀️

PS... Gizzie, You made me laugh today, too!! ❤ The jokes were great today!! 😊

Hi Jerry and Linda. I love your videos. Very informative. You two are lovely. Last week I was taken aback by a comment from your sweet and salty segment. Someone made a personal attack against Linda. Firstly, Linda you and your hair are beautiful. His cowardly anonymous comment was wrong, uncalled for and just mean. Please don’t give those folks any mind, or air time. Please keep on keeping on. Warmly ! Ed

Yay! Thank you for answering my question! 🎉 I’ve been doing a chronological marathon of watching your videos and I’m now all caught up to date! Love you guys! See you in September ❤

14,000! Wow, way to go, Jerry and Linda! Congratulations!

I use sound machines but they are hard to find in stores now! Like your haircut, Jerry!

Thanks for a great show Jerry and Linda. You two are a hoot! Always keep your name as you do share something new each show. Have a cool week. Looking forward to the ac bill update.

Lola's a doll!❤🐕

Good morning and happy Monday Jerry , Linda and Gizmo. Life’s been busy. Friday was my birthday. And still unpacking. Hope to be box 📦 free by next week cuz crusing again for my godson’s graduation so listening and unpacking. Hoping all is well with you guys, Gizmo , Grandbaby and family and have a great week. Congrats on 14k Facebook followers. See you Thursday. 🤗

😮"AND READ ALL OVER"...must be a typo mistake for "RED" all over. Had a good laugh 😊knowing that both of were teachers.

Congratulations on 60k views!

Hi Jerry and Linda funny brownie story, so now can you make that frosting on a video looks so good :)

It's July. So yeah it's HOT. It gets hot every July and August. But what it doesn't get is below zero and snowy in November. I don't miss any of that!

Thanks! SO MUCH for answering my questions!!!

Great show!

Congratulations on 14,000 on Facebook Great Show ! Say Hello to Gizmo from me

Hi Jerry and Linda, good to see you guys are doing well. Gizmo is star material without a doubt!

The brownies! Oh no. They looked delicious. Coopons, for me. The dog bowl joke had me laughing . Gizmo’s jokes are the best.

Do not worry Jerry and Linda, I love following you from my perch in Ohio! I have 4 seasons, I have fall leaves, I have some winter snow, and have some spring blooms! However, we still have our three Boys and 4 grand children within 15 miles of us! So you two, we will see you when we get there, but it will be a long time!

Thanks guys, great show!

Up north our pools are open till 11 pm and there are lights and parties.

Another great show. I love mailbag Monday. The joke about 2 left feet really had me laughing. Keep up the good work and we'll see you when we get there! ❤

As well as ear plugs, I use a fan. It blocks out all noise.

I thought this visit was "short" and "sweet ". Great brownie tip😅 and like always great seeing all you happy faces! See ya on Thursday 😊

A friend of mine lives in Miami and last week he was sitting in his yard having a coffee and evening brownie. He had to go into the house for a quick Number 1 and when he returned Floridaman had absconded with his brownie and ran back into the swamp! Be aware out there folks!

On your recommendation, we drove six hours to see Herman’s Hermits and Peter Noone what a great time. Thank you very much. We would’ve never thought to go see him if it wasn’t for your video.

Hi Jerry & Linda, I had my first visit to the Villages last week (returned Friday) and loved it. I'll be down again in August for a couple of days and than a Life Style visit in October. My plan is to buy and be down there full time by April. Hope to meet you guys during my upcoming visits. Thanks for all your info you provide.

Just watched Monday’s show. Chuck thinks he and Jerry would be great dining buddies because he makes me eat at our Texas Roadhouse almost weekly and loves all he other places Jerry mentions. Missed Sweet and Spicy this week. Also, love to “scramble” out to our driveway in the am when we are in TV to see what’s going on each day.

I love a small air purifier for bedroom at night - doubles as a sound machine. I want a brownie!

I Love the diet tip😂😂😂😂

Thank you again! Linda your hair looks so pretty! Gizmo you are a crackup! Jerry, you cracked me up on your solution to having your cake and eating it too! Loved the bloopers! Sunny palmy 🌴 thoughts from around the knobs 😅

Great seeing you guys👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Great job you two.

Those sounds machines to block out noise works great !!

Omg! 😂 You guys brought me a wonderful laugh this morning!! I will sometimes ⏪ the Bloopers to get a 2nd laugh!!! 😂❤ Thank you SO much!! It was a wonderful video, as usual!! ❤

60k! When did that happen? Congratulations🎉. Cute show today, made me laugh more than once. Thank you!

I too divide brownies and cakes up. The frosting is the best part. Al doesn’t like frosting much so he gets most of the cake part. It’s a win win😂

Thanks, Jerry, & Linda. I enjoyed this episode. I didn't see a sweet & salty. I always get a kick out of that.

When I moved, I gave away all my belongings, furniture and appliances. Just packed my suit case and a tooth brush.

Really good show. I live in the village of Poinciana and hear the train whistle just about every day. It never wakes me up, but when I am up at 2 AM I do hear it. Those people will get use to it. There is a dog park on Rolling Acres near the golf range and you do need info on vaccinations and also cost 50 dollars per year. There are applications hanging on the gates.

Another great show. I got the scramble

Two comments: First, my wife and I use a device our son gave us when we have our grandchildren. We used it when they needed an afternoon nap and landscapers, trash trucks, and other noise disturbed a good sleep. Now the grandkids are beyond naps so we commandeered it for our bedroom at night. The device is called a Hatch. You control it thru their App on your smart phone. The Hatch has improved our sleep quality immeasurably. Second, your video today had several questions about a Lifestyle Visit or a stay at Brownwood Hotel/Lakefront Inn. We have done all three and believe me that when visiting the Villages to consider living there you must try the Lifestyle Visit. And for those viewers concerned about high pressure sales, we never even heard from our assigned agent unless we made the contact. During our Lifestyle Visit we were on our own to do whatever we wanted. And the best part was that the Villages put us in a spectacular home, supplied a golf cart, supplied bikes, gave us a round of golf as well as so many other "gifts" I can't even remember them all. From a couple who did it both ways, the Villages Lifestyle Visit is hands down the best way to see, feel, and experience the Villages. And yes, we met numerous other potential buyers at the local pool so that we could compare thoughts and ideas. To prove we are unbiased, we decided in the end to not purchase in the Villages but to build a home near our sons in the Orlando area but thanks to the Villages we had a wonderful stay just looking.

Funny. Jerry took the best part

Love your response to a lifetime visit They should have a gathering for the visitors.

Brownies loked delicious, no matter the size. Good questions in the mailbag today.

Thank you for the limited budget response! Totally appreciate it. Someday, someway, somehow!

Trains ~ if you live on the east coast of FL the freight train tracks run parallel to the ocean. The highest prices homes all have locations between the tracks and the ocean. We have installed hurricane 🌀 proof windows and l rarely hear them and when l use ear plugs for the same reason as Linda 😫l don’t hear the train at all.

You both really have the showtime gene in you. For amateurs you really do a great job. Get this from a professional.

Hi Jerry, Linda, and Gizmo, the three of you always put a smile on my face. We enjoy your Mail Bag Mondays because they are the best way to start off the week lots of great information, awesome jokes and the most adorable personalities on RU-vid!

Jerry and Linda, Really enjoy the valuable info that you contribute to your channel and potential TV residents. I'm so glad to hear how important the upkeep and cleanliness of properties is to the communities. After all we all know that it reflects on the value of neighbors' properties. Many HOAs in our area require that vehicles are not left in the driveways, yet I'm surprised at how many homes in TV have vehicles parked in drives and along the street. Is there some sort of time limitation on parking, or might individual areas have different standards? With homes being so close together, I notice that all the vehicles sitting out in a specific neighborhood can make it a bit less attractive or desireable. Also, are there areas in TV that are more desireable based upon amenities, ease of access, tax rates etc? Thanks

FYI: The word "coupon" comes from the old French verb colper or (modern verb) couper which means to cut. A French colper was a piece which could be cut and presented for payment, or certificate of interest due on a bond.

On a two week vacation. Keep hoping to see you at the squares or riding around. Heading to Sumter Landing tonight if you are around we owe you an ice cream at least for BBC all your help and info. 💕

Our Recreation Centers have pet adoption events. I adopted my dog from one. Our Humane Society is Lake Panasoffkee. Just outside The Villages.

Thanks! Your show is so uplifting!

A little hidden secret and bonus for living in the "historical section". The pools close at 11:00 p.m. there. Someone had told us it has something to do with the lights. Florida passed a law about having to have a very special and very expensive night lights installed ... however, Lake County is exempt from that. At least it was in April when we were visiting our home. My apologiies to the night pool people who may enjoy some quiet pool time under the stars. What a great idea about the life-style get together! I hope the family is listening!

If you plan on living here full time be sure to come in the summer. It gets HOT here, you may not like it. Also come in winter to see how busy it is during busy season.

Thanks for answering my questions!!!

Like the talking dog❤