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When is the time right for your kids to get their first cell phone? Getting a cell phone means teaching the kids about responsibility as well as giving them more independence and chances to grow in the world. We know the time was coming that we needed to bring the kids up to speed with phones of their own. If you have multiple kids, then you know how costly the process of getting cell phones for everyone in the family can be. We recently started researching phones and prepaid plans for our kids since they are always on the go and we need mobile phones to help us stay connected. Katie has had a smart phone for a few years but I had pangs of fear in my chest every time we went to open our monthly mobile phone bill. I was thinking prepaid might be a good way to go so I was really excited to learn about the Samsung Galaxy Avant smartphone and the T-Mobile Simply Prepaid plan at Walmart

Look for the signature hot pink T-Mobile logos and signs in your local Walmart store electronics department to find the T-Mobile Simply Prepaid plan phones and refill cards.
Look for the signature hot pink T-Mobile logos and signs in your local Walmart store electronics department to find the T-Mobile Simply Prepaid plan phones and refill cards.

For just $40 dollars a month get 4G LTE data with unlimited talk and text. Introducing T-Mobile Simply Prepaid:

We were really leery of getting Matthew a smartphone because he is turning 8 years old and, let's just say, he's a VERY talkative little kid. He's always trying to call everyone in our address book when he gets his hands on our phones and I was very concerned that he would run up the bill on a traditional phone service plan because he has no concept of limits on minutes. And for Katie, well, we all know how much teens used to gab on the phone. These days, they text like crazy!  We've been really cautious about allowing her to have a phone because of the fear of a huge bill for 45,698 texts messages we might get at the end of the month! That's what I love about the T-Mobile Simply Prepaid plan; the plans are only $40 a month via prepaid cards and they include 4G LTE service with unlimited talk and text. The phones are easy on the budget because we pre-pay for each month of service by purchasing the prepaid cards from our local Walmart. There's no worry about overages or getting some huge surprise bill at the end of the month … we simply walk into Walmart with our $40 per phone, buy the T-Mobile Simply Prepaid cards, and BAM: phone service for a month!

TMobile Simply Prepaid plan refill cards and phones can be found in the electronics department of Walmart Stores
T-Mobile Simply Prepaid plan refill cards and phones can be found in the electronics department of Walmart Stores

T-Mobile has changed the way we think about prepaid:

T-Mobile is changing everything we know about wireless. Now it's time to change prepaid. Prepaid often has slow data, a spotty network, and second rate phones or less of a selection of phones. However with Simply Prepaid you get 4G LTE data on T-Mobile. It was really important to us that the prepaid plan we chose for the kids was reliable and T-Mobile is a brand that we trust in our family. We didn't want to settle for second-rate prepaid wireless so that is why we chose T-Mobile's Simply Prepaid™ plan.

Matthew was beyond ecstatic at getting his first phone. He was literally jumping up and down in the aisle of the store when we went to select the phone. We chose the Samsung Galaxy Avant, which is part of the Samsung Galaxy family of phones on the  T-Mobile Simply Prepaid™ plan. We also purchased two of the T-Mobile $40 Refill cards; one to activate the phone and one to “refill” the plan at the end of the month. Activation was easy – we brought the phone home and followed the directions on the box. It was ready to go in minutes! 

T-Mobile's Simply Prepaid  phones help us stay connected as a busy family:

Since getting the phone, things have been alot simpler in our lives. I can't always sit and wait at practices or rehearsals so I drop the kids off and run errands. I have peace of mind knowing that I can reach the kids and they can reach me via our T-Mobile Simply Prepaid plan phones no matter where we are. Sometimes Matthew's soccer practice ends early and I need to be reached to pick him up. Since many of the kids don't have cell phones, the coach has to call each parent individually and that can take almost 30 minutes! Our soccer coach loves that Matthew now has his own phone to call home from practice and has recommended the T-Mobile Simply Prepaid plan to other parents on the team since we shared the information with him a few weeks ago. The T-Mobile Simply Prepaid plan makes getting mobile phones for everyone in the family affordable and fast.

I was chatting with my friend Jared and he has a similar problem with his kids – if they need to be picked up from soccer or dance practice early or they need to tell their parents to bring them something, the kids need to borrow a phone from someone else to make the call. And that is assuming that they have memorized the parent's phone number. We pre-programmed all of our phone numbers into Matthew's Samsung Galaxy Avant so he can reach us easily and to help him to learn not only our phone numbers but the phone numbers of grandparents, extended family, and family friends who he might also need to reach.

Use TMobile Simply Prepaid plan phones like the Samsung Galaxy Avant to Stay Connected with the Kids at Soccer Practice
Use T-Mobile Simply Prepaid plan phones like the Samsung Galaxy Avant to Stay Connected with the Kids at Soccer Practice

Katie is really loving the Samsung Galaxy Avant available through the T-Mobile Simply Prepaid plan at Walmart. She has started riding the city bus from our house across town to her charter school and T-Mobile's award-winning service, strong network, and 4G LTE service keep her connected all throughout her trip across the High Desert to and from school. Not only does Katie play soccer but she is also active in her school's drama department and has an essential role on the production crew. Sometimes rehearsals end early or run late and having her own phone allows her to stay in touch with me and keep me up to date about her whereabouts. When she starts driving, I will have peace of mind knowing that I can reach her via her Samsung Galaxy Avant and T-Mobile's dependable network anywhere in our area. I really appreciate the freedom Katie now has through having this mobile phone. She can navigate her day, learning independence, while I am still able to reach her and we can communicate with the Simply Prepaid phone. It's a great way to help her transition into adulthood. 

Shortly after getting the phone, Katie called me to let me know that her rehearsal had ended early and few of her classmates were going to the movies. With her Samsung Galaxy Avant through the T-Mobile Simply Prepaid plan at Walmart she was able to quickly call me and ask permission to go to the movies. The phone also has wi-fi calling and wi-fi internet capabilities, allowing her to use it anywhere there is wi-fi. Her school campus and the neighboring college campus both have wi-fi so she can go online to check her email, post to Instagram, and to check her bank balance. When she wanted to go to the movies, she didn't have enough money on her card to go but she was able to make a transfer to her account from her savings using the phone and her school's wi-fi service.

Matthew loves playing with the kids down the street after school but many times I need to leave the house to go to the store or pick up Katie from school and I have to walk down to the friend's house, find Matthew, and bring him home before I can leave. With the Samsung Galaxy Avant through the T-Mobile Simply Prepaid plan I can call Matthew, let him know to stay at the friends' house or ask him to come home, saving me lots of time by helping us stay connected. If his friend's family needs to leave their house, Matthew can call me with his Samsung Galaxy Avant to let me know he is headed home.

Everything you need to get started with the TMobile Simply Prepaid plan: a plan phone + $40 refill card per month
Everything you need to get started with the T-Mobile Simply Prepaid plan: a plan phone + $40 refill card per month

Last fall, Xaver and I took a hard look at our wireless bill, which was averaging several hundred dollars a month for 3 phones.  Just switching Katie to a Simply Prepaid™ plan and starting Matthew on the Simply Prepaid™ plan, we are saving a large chunk of money every month. It's enough that we are thinking about upgrading our annual passes to Disneyland or even taking a vacation 6 months sooner than we had originally planned! Budgeting is easy with Simply Prepaid™ – for each phone, we know we need to budget $40 a month. We pre-pay so there are no surprise bills at the end of the month, no surprise fees, and no surprise taxes tacked onto the mobile phone bill.  I also love  that there is no bill coming in the mail that I have to manage. Additionally, the T-Mobile Simply Prepaid™ plan helps us teach our kids responsiblity while allowing them the freedom and independence associated with having their own mobile phones. It's one less thing we have to worry about in our busy lives and we can all use that, right?! 

 

 

 

Author: Jennifer Priest

It started with jewelry, beading, sewing, home decor, painting, basket weaving, pottery, and cross-stitch. Marry that to an entrepreneurial spirit & at 9 years old a girl is selling her wares at craft fairs as far as her parents and grandparents would drive her. These days, Jennifer enjoys crafts of all genres from sewing to scrapbooking to jewelry with a little dabbling in the mixed media world. Her style is approachable and she wants everyone who sees her work to feel that they too can embrace creativity and make their home and life beautiful.

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