“This shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.”

It’s November, or rather, NEWvember at our house! Something new is happening here. You might recall this post about “Why My Kids Don’t Have Cell Phones” a while back on my blog. Well, it’s about that time for the oldest boy in our house to have his own phone. He is 15 and a half and is starting to drive and go places on his own. He is getting regular jobs with Nana around her house and can finally afford his own monthly plan. “What?!” You say. “How can doing a few jobs around Nana’s house possibly help him earn enough for a monthly cell phone bill? She must be really rich and generous!” Well, she’s not rich. I’ve just been doing research, and I found the best deal for our family with the lowest price unlimited plans. I’m so Thankful for how responsible my son is and he deserves this.

Things to ask when choosing a cell phone and service plan for your teen:

• How indestructible is this phone?
• If it is ruined, how much does it cost to replace it?
• Do they sell an indestructible case and screen cover for this phone?
• How much is the insurance for the phone?
• Does the insurance replace it with a new or refurbished one?
• (do you sense a theme here? Ha Ha!)
• Does the phone do everything my teen would want to use it for?
• Is the camera good enough to take attractive selfies?
• Does the plan for the phone include UNTLIMITED talk, text and data?
• Is there anything in the fine print that will catch me?
• Can my teen earn enough to pay for the monthly bill?
• Is the plan PRE-paid or POST-paid?
• Does the stated monthly plan include fees and tax?
• If I need to cancel the plan cause he’s grounded, am I charged a reconnect fee?

Come on, you know those are all very valid questions! Right?

So after all my research we headed over to Wal-Mart and purchased the ZTE Zinger phone which is only $39.88!

Yep you read that right! It’s an android phone and can browse the web and download apps and everything! It’s a postpaid smartphone so as long as he can pay his bill, he can have the phone turned on.