Hello from Tuscaloosa AL

Welcome to TFP! The way to save on your pool maintenance is to do it all yourself. This starts with a proper test kit, link below. You will want to peruse the Pool School, links below. Take some time to fill in your signature with your pool and equipment details so we all know what you're working with. Also let us know of any issues currently with the pool. A couple of pics of the pool might also help.
Pool Care Basics
Test Kits Compared
FC/CYA Levels
PoolMath