The Best Wireless Father's Day Gift

Thomas needs a cell phone. He wants a smart phone with all the bells and whistles (and apps - lots of apps). I want a phone that works, a plan that won't lock us into a contract, and a price that won't scare me every month. It is important to find an unlimited plan, because I know Thomas will not take the time to track the minutes or data he is using each month, and we do not want to get hit with a huge bill.

We have been comparison shopping cell phone plans for a long time. I would get excited about an advertised price, but then find out there were extra charges to have a smart phone, or the smart phones they supported were not the ones we wanted. It was an overwhelming and frustrating search.

With Father's Day approaching, I started looking again. Thomas really does need a cell phone, and this would be a perfect time to get him something both useful and fun. I decided to try Walmart Family Mobile - an unlimited plan with no contract, and at $40 a month, a price that did not make me want to curl up in a ball and cry. It is the lowest price rate plan I have seen that meets every item on our list of needs.

$40 a month for unlimited talk, text, and web.
Thomas will be able to use apps, listen to music while he rides the bus, check the weather to decide which direction he needs to head for work in order to avoid rain (a must when you are a tree surgeon in Orlando), text, and talk on the phone. It is going to be the best Father's Day gift ever.

Plus, customers will be able to get in touch with him during the day without calling me. I will be able to call him when I need to ask him to stop by the post office or pick something up on the way home. (Does this mean his Father's Day gift is a present for me, too? Maybe. I am okay with that.) And he will be able to take picture of his tree work without having to take my camera with him to work each day.

I received a MyTouch phone in the mail (Isn't it pretty?), and took it with me to Walmart to activate the phone and service.

I expected it to be a long trip with a lot of paperwork and waiting, but it wasn't long at all. I purchased the Starter Kit, and only had to sign two pieces of paper. There was no credit check, and they did not ask for my social security number. They only wanted my name and a phone number.

With Family Mobile, you have the ability to manage your account online, including the initial phone activation. I wanted to make sure the phone was activated and the SIM card was installed correctly before I left the store, because I had never changed a SIM card. Jennifer (my new best friend) helped me get it set up. It only took a few minutes. She also showed me how to install the SD card I purchased for extra music storage on the phone.

For more pictures of my trip, check out my #FamilyMobileSaves Google+ album.

In a month, I'm going to give you an update on what Thomas thought of his gift, and how we feel about the service.

I should admit one thing:
I have already tested the phone, and I might just be in love.

Deciding it would be bad to keep Thomas' Father's Day gift for myself, I checked into the price for adding a second phone. It would be $35 a month to add an extra line if I decide to get my own smart phone in the future. After talking to a lot of friends about their cell phone bills, and looking at prices for myself, I discovered that $75 a month for two smart phones with unlimited service is a really good deal. Maybe I should start dropping hints about a Labor Day present.

Labor Day could totally be a present holiday, right? I think so.

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