My husband and I are in our
50s and would like to know what resources you recommend for locating senior
discounts and what age do they kick in?
Frugal Fay
Dear Fay,
One of the great perks of
growing older in America is the many discounts that are available. There are
literally thousands of senior discounts on a wide variety of products and
services including restaurants, travel and lodging, entertainment, retail, health,
grocery stores, automotive services and more. These discounts — typically
ranging between 5% and 25% off — can add up to save you hundreds of
dollars each year.
So if you don't mind admitting
your age, here are some tips and tools to help you locate the discounts you may
be eligible for.
Always ask
The first thing to know is most businesses don't advertise them but many give senior discounts, so don't
be shy about asking.
You also need to know that while
some discounts are available as soon as you turn 50, many others may not kick
in until you turn 55, 60, 62 or 65.
Search online
Because senior discounts
frequently change and can vary depending on where you live and the time of
year, the internet is the easiest way to locate them.
A good place to start is at TheSeniorList.com — click the Money tab — which
provides a large list of discounts in restaurants, grocery stores, retail
stores, and for prescription medications, travel and more.
You also can search for
discounts by provider. Go to any standard search engine like Google or Bing and
type in the business or organization you're curious about, followed by “senior
discount” or “senior discount tickets.” Or use an AI tool like ChatGPT or
Gemini to do a search.
If you use an iPhone, you can
even use the Senior Discounts & Coupons app (available in the App Store),
which categorizes discounts by age and type.
Join a club
Another good avenue to senior
discounts is through membership organizations like AARP, which offers its
members age 50 and older a wide variety of discounts through affiliate
businesses. See www.AARP.org/ViewMyBenefits.
If, however, you don't like or
agree with AARP or don't want to pay the $15 membership fee, there are other
organizations you can join that also provide discounts, like the Association of
Mature American Citizens (www.AMAC.us), the American Automobile Association
(www.AAA.com) or, for retired federal workers, the National Active and
Retired Federal Employees Association (www.NARFE.org).
Types of discounts
Here's an abbreviated rundown of
some of the different types of discounts you can expect to find:
—Restaurants: Senior discounts are common at restaurants and fast-food
establishments, like Chili's, Denny's, Golden Corral, Outback Steakhouse,
McDonald’s and Sonic, ranging from free/discounted drinks to discounts off
your total order.
—Retailers: Many thrift stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army and
certain retailers like Joann, Kohl's, Michaels, Ross, Petsmart and Walgreens
stores offer a break to seniors on certain days of the week.
—Supermarkets: Many locally owned grocery stores offer senior discount
programs, as do some chains like BI-LO, Piggly-Wiggly, Fry's, New Seasons, Fred
Meyer and Hy-Vee, which offer discounts on certain days of the week.
—Travel: American, Delta and United Airlines provide discounted
senior fares for select destinations in the U.S. to passengers age 65 and over while
British Airlines offers AARP members $65 off economy seats. Amtrak provides a
10% discount to travelers over 65. Most car rental companies give
discounts to customers age 50 or over or AARP members. Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and
Carnival cruise lines offer senior rates to cruisers age 55 and over. And most
hotels offer senior discounts, usually ranging from 10-30%.
—Entertainment: Most movie theaters, museums, golf courses, ski slopes
and other public entertainment venues provide reduced admission to seniors over
60 or 65. And the National Park Service offers a lifetime senior pass for those age 62 and older for $80.
Send your questions or comments to questions@savvysenior.org or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK
73070.
