How to Fit More Frugal Fun Into Your Summertime Budget

Each summer my family and I hit the road for an official summertime vacation. Our goal, to pack in as much fun and frugal quality time, history, and education as we can each trip. This past weekend we hit the road to check out several spots along the Mississippi Blues Trail, a trail created by the Mississippi Blues Commission in 2006 to commemorate notable historical sites related to the birth, growth, and influence of the blues music throughout the great state of Mississippi.

While we’ve had several quick weekend getaways in 2017, last weekend was our first actual family vacation this year. As you can imagine, with my husband, myself, and our little one in tow, the bills related to vacation expenses can quickly add up. Which is why I am always on the lookout for savvy saving ways to cut expenses throughout our household each year. Savings which directly fund our summertime trips!

One of my favorite new ways to save for our summertime trips is by cutting our cellular phone overhead costs which allow families to fit more adventure in your summer budget. At Walmart, I found the LG L59 Grace and the Walmart Family Mobile $49.88 PLUS Plan, with nationwide coverage on T-Mobile’s 4G LTE† network, to make my budget stretch further. So with our awesome new phone in-hand we set off on four days of vacation with an anticipated 24 full hours in the car – using our phone to look to create a daily family itinerary, to research the history of each stop on our tour and to listen to blues music, of course!

Would you believe the $49.88 PLUS Plan includes 15GB of 4G LTE† data? Those figures made the savvy saver in me do a double take as I previously paid nearly four times that amount for my previous phone line. That 15GB of data was a lifesaver while on the road every step of the way.

As I mentioned above, the extra room in our budget from our new phone line gave us the funds we needed to have our summertime adventure! As a family, we were able to show our little one the birth place of the Blues throughout our state, and as my husband was on the drum line throughout high school and college and the family aficionado on all things blues, this trip was definitely a source of pride and family bonding.

I was also able to use my new LG L59 Grace to look up affordable mom and pops food stops along the trail, including the Poor Monkey Lounge and coffee shops for my husband and I to get our caffeine on! I was even able to use Google to find three bed and breakfast locations, in adorable antebellum-style homes for our accommodations needs.  My new LG Grace phone allowed me to quickly plug-in to all the data I needed,  stream media for the kiddo, and just as quickly unplug and get right back to our frugal family fun!

Some of the highlights of last week’s trip included visiting the home of Jimmie Rogers in Meridian, MS, the museum dedicated to B.B. King and birthplace of blues legend Robert Johnson, both from Greenwood, MS, touring the Howling Wolf birthplace monument in Aberdeen, MS, checking out the monument dedicated to Delta blues pioneer Charley Patton in Holly Ridge, MS, and trip culminating our trip with a tour of the birthplace of Rock and Roll legend Elvis Presley in Tupelo, MS. In all, this was a trip to remember!

Now if you’d like to fit more adventure in your summer budget, too, Walmart Family Mobile is a great way to do it. It super simple to start or switch to the $49.88 PLUS Plan, which features an unlimited talk, text, and data plan which includes up to 15 GB of 4G LTE† data, then 2G* after that. PLUS Plan customers will also receive a free VUDU◊ movie rental credit valued at $7.00 each time they renew their service! Plus, there are no activation fees, no contracts, no late fees, and it features Walmart’s best pricing in no-contract wireless plans.

We loved that one of the bed and breakfasts we stayed at offed smart tv’s in each room, so just like when we are at home, we could easily use our plan’s VUDU◊ movie rental credit for our weekly family movie night even on the road!

Friends, I encourage you to check out this plan from Walmart Family Mobile this summer to help you make the most of your summertime vacation season too! Now I have to ask, where will you head for your next summertime trip? I’d love to hear about it below! adventure?

Disclaimer: All prices for phones and plans included in this post are accurate as of the date of posting; however, these prices are subject to change. Please refer to this page or your local Walmart for current pricing.
*Please always refer to the latest terms and conditions at myfamilymobile.com
†To get 4G LTE speed, you must have a 4G LTE capable device and 4G LTE SIM Card. Actual availability, coverage, and speed may vary. LTE is a trademark of ETSI.
◊Limited time offer. Available for lines active with the PLUS $49.88 plan only. VUDU enabled device and account required for digital viewing. Customers must be 18 years or older to open a VUDU account. Movie rental only available in the USA. Free movie rental provided in the form of a movie rental code to the value of a $7.00 VUDU credit. Movie rental code allows for selection from available movies for rent. May not be readily redeemable on all new releases. The code will be delivered within up to 24 hours of the effective account renewal date. Must be used within 30 days of receiving the code. Offer is non-transferable. Limit 1 per customer. Additional terms and conditions on VUDU’s website: http://www.vudu.com/termsofservice.html