The Bluebird Financial Experiment: Manage Family Spending

For the past six weeks I’ve been testing out a new financial product by American Express and Walmart — Bluebird. I was intrigued when first approached to try the service, because it looked to offer a few extra benefits my current financial institution doesn’t provide. Before going in further in sharing my experience, I want to state that I am not giving financial advice and cannot be held accountable for any undesirable experience any consumer may have while using their own Bluebird account. Always have a backup plan when using any new product for point of sale purchases.

What is Bluebird?

Bluebird is a personalized product by American Express and Walmart. It allows users to deposit money into a specified account, pay bills online, withdraw funds via ATM, all with no hidden fees and extra member benefits. The service allows allows for sub-accounts, allowing various members of a family to each have their own card and fund account.

What are the benefits?

At first glance, the benefits seem to be similar to having a regular bank account, however there are a few benefits, such as not having to go into a financial institute to physically open the account, the option of the sub-account, or a quick online payment from your smartphone. Users can even quickly transfer money from one Bluebird account to another. For example, you might be at lunch with friends and the dining venue won’t split the check. One friend can pay the full bill, while the other easily deposits the amount of lunch with just a few touches of their smartphone screen.

In addition to those benefits, there are also extras to help a family on a road trip with Roadside Assistance (in case they encounter any mechanical issues) and because it’s American Express, it can be used wherever American Express Cards are accepted and also at any Walmart. Bluebird is a practical way to budget family spending all year round. Plus, with Purchase Protection, you’ll get an added layer of protection on purchases such as iPhones or other high dollar items.

Here are a few of the ways I’ve been using Bluebird in my everyday life.

On A Road Trip

International Purchases

Allowance for the Kids

Budgeting Holiday Spending

Everyday Use

There are many more ways to use Bluebird and I’ll admit this was a fun experiment. It’s also given me a practical tool to keep me on budget when traveling or saving for something special. I’ll continue to use Bluebird as an enhancement for my life as a Traveling Mama. If you are interested in opening your own Bluebird account to test drive it, you can go online at Bluebird.com to order a personalized card or stop in your nearest Walmart for a $5 Bluebird starter card.

My favorite aspect of Bluebird is the ability to set daily spending limits for the various accounts. For the family on a budget trying to save for that annual holiday or dream trip, this is a very good way to stay on track with daily spending, providing an easier way to keep a set amount each day to go towards your vacation account.

This was a sponsored experiment and compensation was received. It in no way affected the opinion of the author.