The end of August is one of my favorite times of the year. Winding down are the days of 95˚ heat with 95% humidity as we usher in cooler air, changing colors of the leaves and most importantly for me – SCHOOL IS BACK IN SESSION.
The long summer days are a lot of fun, but after a few weeks, you just run out of things to do and ways to keep your kids occupied and not bouncing off the walls of your house.
This year will be very different for us. I can’t actually believe I’m saying this, but Ava is starting kindergarten. I almost can’t wrap my head around the fact that when I first became a stay-at-home dad, she was only 10 weeks old – and the blog has been around almost as long.
It’s an exciting and nervous time, not only for her, but for mom and dad.
I remember my mom walking me to the bus stop on my first day of kindergarten, giving me a hug and a kiss and leading me to the open bus door, waving goodbye as I slowly walked up the stairs with a notecard safety-pinned to my shirt, indicating who I was and my parents home phone number.
It’s hard to comprehend that, thirty-something years later, it’s gone full-circle and now I’m the one on the other side.
While the whole thing is highly emotional, it’s exciting and with those feelings, come a new batch of logistical hurdles.
Since Ava was the first, she doesn’t have the benefit of having clothes handed down to her from siblings. I think that we all want our kids to look their best and have an air of confidence as they enter that school lobby for the first time, right?
But how do you keep up with the cost of new outfits and shoes? How do you manage to find the money to buy the entire list of brand new school supplies before September?
I talked a little bit about our finances last month and different ways to cut corners and make a dollar stretch.
As a tester for the Straight Talk Wireless brand, I came up with five ways that their equipment and program have helped me so far:
- APPS – we’ve all got our favorites, but I’ve downloaded several, to help inspire me to pack more creative lunches and keep a busy schedule straight and at my fingertips.
- CAMERA – like most of you, I stopped carrying around a camera years ago, having my camera as part of my phone will allow me to capture those first moments of my daughter waving and smiling as she goes off to learn and make new friends – creating memories that will last a lifetime.
- VIDEO – not only do you have the ability to shoot quality video, but you have the ability to watch live streaming video. Some preschools actually have a log-in so you can check in on your little ones while at work OR if you have a camera set up at home, you can make sure that latchkey kids aren’t destroying the house before you get home from work 😉
- RELIABILITY – with the $45 30-day unlimited* plan, I know exactly what my bill is going to be – no surprises – and compared to my old plan with one of the higher-profile networks, I’ve got that extra money for pencils and erasers.
- HIGH-SPEED DATA – Straight Talk is now offering 5GB of high-speed data with the aforementioned plan, which means faster download speeds and more time for you to do the things that matter.
To all those parents out there with kids returning to school or starting for the first time, consider empowering yourself with some of the great advantages that Straight Talk has to offer and hang in there, your kids are gonna do just fine!
You can either buy a device directly from StraightTalk.com OR you have the option of keeping your current phone/tablet and bringing it into the plan.
Click on the links to find out more about the Straight Talk program or their available plans. You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
*Includes unlimited talk and text with 5 GB of high speed data per 30 day cycle. After 5 GB, data speed will be reduced to as low as 2G for the remainder of the 30 day cycle. At 2G speeds, the functionality of some data applications, such as streaming video or audio may be affected. All currently active Straight Talk BYOP customers will also receive the first 5 GB Data at High Speeds at the start of their next 30 day cycle. Please refer always to the latest Terms and Conditions of Service at StraightTalk.com.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as part of a campaign for the Straight Talk Wireless Tester program. The thoughts and opinions remain my own.
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