Does wisdom come with age? It can if you learn about senior discounts that may surprise you. From travel discounts to insurance discounts, there are many ways to save a few dollars here and there and help out your budget.
You may already be taking advantage of a few at your favorite stores and restaurants, but there’s a wealth of additional discounts that can save you even more money, including with your car and home insurance. For one, you should check your eligibility for an auto insurance discount over 55 from your current insurance provider.
The age range for most of these discounts is 50 to 65, but it varies. We’ll discuss the top five hidden senior discounts so you can make sure you are taking advantage of these in your golden years.
#1 – Insurance Discounts
There are numerous ways to save on your car, home, and life insurance if you are an older adult. Ask your insurance agent or search for senior rates for insurance online to find the most affordable insurance rates.
Car Insurance
Some car insurance companies offer discounts of 5 to 10% for older adults, especially if you have a good driving record. Other factors like your location, driving history, and health can also affect your car insurance rates.
Life Insurance
Life insurance is essential to help protect your family’s financial future in case something unexpected happens to you. It can cover end-of-life expenses or burial costs. While getting a life insurance policy can be more costly as you get older, there are options for discounted life insurance rates.
Home Insurance
Just like with car and life insurance, some companies also offer discounted home insurance for seniors. You can contact your home insurance company to find out if any discounts are available for older adult homeowners.
#2 – AARP Membership
One of the easiest ways to take advantage of many senior discounts is to join AARP (American Association of Retired Professionals). The great news is that there is no minimum age to join AARP, but it does cater to ages 50 and up. You can also sign up a partner or spouse for free.
AARP offers numerous discounts to eligible members so the membership will usually pay for itself within a few months. Currently, the standard annual rate is a bargain at $16 a year, but they offer promotions that give you a discount if you sign up for a multi-year membership.
One of the biggest advantages of this membership is for hotels but AARP membership includes hundreds of discounts. Some of the main benefits include:
- Health services such as pharmacies, dental insurance, vision services, medical alert systems, and family caregiving.
- Travel discounts such as car rentals, cruises, travel planning,
- Technology services like cell phones and internet providers.
- Entertainment options like movie theaters, concerts, and television.
- Retailers such as restaurants, shopping, groceries, and gas.
- Financial services such as financial planning, banking, and investments.
Some of the most popular AARP membership benefits include the AARP travel site, Delta Dental, and AARP hearing center. Once you join you will get an AARP membership card to use to start getting your savings immediately.
#3 – Retail Discounts
Many retail stores and online retail services offer discounts, store rewards, or senior savings days to help you live smart and spend less. This includes grocery stores, clothing stores, movie theaters, online retailers, and other retailers. It’s also helpful to get free store loyalty cards or join rewards programs for additional discounts and savings.
These discounts vary, but some stores offer a discount of 5% to 10% off any purchases. Some stores offer senior savings days with discounts from 20% to 50% off.
The age ranges may vary as well, some only offer discounts for ages 55 and up, while others may be just ages 60 and up. If you don’t know if a store offers a senior discount, just ask. Some stores may offer savings but don’t readily announce the discount.
#4 – Restaurant Discounts
There is an abundance of restaurants with discounts. Many of the restaurant senior discounts are around 10% off your bill, which can add up if you eat out a lot. The other great thing is that some restaurants offer discounted coffee, senior menus, or early bird specials with discounted prices.
#5 – Travel Discounts
Your golden years are a great time to indulge in traveling to new destinations. Seniors can find many travel discounts, including hotels, cruises, car rentals, and airfare. Many of these discounts are available with an AARP membership.
Hotels
AARP members can take advantage of discounted rates at most major hotel chains. This includes Hilton, Best Western, Wyndham, IHG, Holiday Inn, and many others. These discounts can vary between 5% to 15% off regular rates.
Cruises
Some cruise lines also offer discounts for older adults or those with an AARP membership.
Car Rentals
Similar to hotels, AARP members can get up to 35% off car rental rates or get free upgrades for many of the major car rental companies.
Airfare
A few airlines offer senior discounts. These may not be available for online bookings and you may have to call the airline to get a discount on airfare.
#6 – Health and Fitness Discounts
Exercise and healthy eating are important as we get older and have many health benefits. Luckily, there are many health and fitness discounts available for seniors. Local fitness and recreation centers may offer discounted membership rates and affordable fitness programs just for seniors.
Silver Sneakers is one of the most well-known discount programs for active older adults and offers access to over 17,000 health and exercise classes across the US. There are certain Medicare and other health insurance plans that offer access to Silver Sneakers and you must be age 65 or up.
Popular Senior Discounts
Goodwill offers one of the most popular senior discounts on Tuesdays. You must be age 60 and up and the discount varies by location, but is usually between 15% and 25%. Check with your nearest Goodwill store to see if the Tuesday senior discount is available.
Walgreens and Rite Aid are two pharmacy retailers that have popular senior discounts. You must be age 65 and up for the Rite Aid discount of 20% and it occurs on the first Wednesday of the month on in-store items.
Walgreens offers both an online and in-store discount for AARP members ages 55 and up. The 20% discount is available one day per month in-store and one week per month online.
Valvoline gives a discount of 15% on oil changes to AARP members. Craft stores like Michael’s and JoAnn offer discounts of 10% to 20% for those ages 55 and up. This varies by location and may only occur once monthly.
Finally, retailers like TJ Maxx and Ross Dress for Less provide a 10% discount for ages 55 and up. The discount at Ross Dress for Less is available on Tuesdays.
You will always want to ask your local retailer to ensure they offer a senior discount or AARP discount because not all locations may participate or they may only offer the discount once weekly or once monthly.
There are many discounts and savings available during your golden years. An AARP membership offers hundreds of discounts to help you keep your budget on track. From insurance to retailers to travel discounts, it’s worth your time to find and use these senior discounts.
