Saving myself a whole lot of money: Unlimited Talk, Text and Data (plus a pretty awesome phone)

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are my own. #MobileMemories #CollectiveBias

Good morning everyone! Let me introduce you to the new member of my life-

I am one happy camper-

As a business professional living in New York City (a place I love), life can get pretty expensive. I consider myself a frugal person and so I am constantly looking for creative ways to stay within a healthy budget while still allowing myself certain luxuries. While we may be able to rearrange our budgets and save money by cutting off certain items, I am sure we can all agree that some of our monthly expenses, such as having a cell phone, are non-negotiable.

Another thing that is non-negotiable is setting aside some quality time to keep in touch with the people I love- this includes my mother, my sister, and a couple of very close cousins that live very far from me—one in Canada and the other one in Tampa, Florida.

For several years I have been paying some hefty prices not only for my actual cell phone but also on a monthly basis as I have been signing 2-3 year contracts since I got my first cell phone in 2003. I've been thinking lately how much money I could save by finding myself a more affordable solution. There is so much to choose from now a days.

And so, you can imagine my excitement when I was given the opportunity to try out a brand new phone- the Samsung Galaxy Avant with the Walmart Family Mobile month-to-month phone plan (with no contract whatsoever) at the very reasonable cost of $29.88 per month.

My plans for this summer include taking a few road trips and doing some traveling. Obviously I am going to need my phone to stay in touch with my loved ones and for my day to day activities. Hence, this turned out to be the absolute perfect time for me to switch to a more affordable plan—I’d like to enjoy myself and not think about my unpredictable phone bill each month. Hence, I am very excited to try out the Walmart Family Mobile Plan and saving myself a nice chunk of change.

First of all, the phone itself is super affordable, coming out at $161.48 including all taxes and fees. I live in New York City where taxes are quite high so the phone may be even cheaper in your area. Disclaimer: All prices for phone and plans included in this post are accurate as of the date of this posting; however, these prices are subject to change. Please refer to http://cbi.as/8e03 or your local Walmart for current pricing. 

The family mobile plan works in 30-day increments and is a “post-pay” phone plan rather than pre-paid. So basically, the bill for $29.88 will come at the end of each month. In addition to unlimited talk and text it also includes 1G of data with incredible 4G LT service- which, in a nutshell, means very high speed Internet. This is quite the deal. 

Going in to Walmart is always a fun adventure. I have to drive about 25-30 minutes to my nearest location but is all well worth it. I ordered the phone online so first thing I did was ask one of the customer service reps to guide me towards the "servicing" department which takes care of all online transactions. I was guided to the 1st floor (which feels like the basement) and was easily able to find the area I was looking for by following the signs.

Yes, right by the restrooms, first floor.

The rep at the servicing station guided me towards the electronics department (in the same floor) where I would be able to purchase the starter kit and set up the phone all in one step. I made my way towards the electronics aisle and came across this almost immediately:

The Samsung Galaxy Avant was not in stock (apparently is quite popular) but right on the kiosk advertising the Walmart Mobile Service, you can pick up the starter kit (for $25) which is a one time cost needed to link your phone to Walmart’s Family Mobile plan. Customer service in electronics was awesome (hi Rohan!) and immediately helped me set up the phone and I was good to go. He advised I should get my bill in the mail before the 30 days are up for the month. He also confirmed I can cancel anytime. If the phone is purchased online, you get 15 days to return it. 

I took full advantage of my trip to Walmart to also purchase some home staples I needed. Who doesn't love taking advantage of super low prices? I'm pretty sure is not just me. :)

I am loving the phone so far. Service is great, I can download countless apps, listen to my favorite podcast and music. Plus, I have been able to text and call my loved ones with no problems. I cant believe I waited this long to switch to a more affordable phone plan and service. I know that my wallet is thanking me as well. Cant wait to see how much I've saved by the end of the year. 

Tell me, how do you plan to save money this summer (or in general). Would a cheaper phone plan with an awesome phone to match be a good move for you?