With age comes wisdom -- and discounts. Lots and lots of discounts.
You don't even need to wait until you retire to start paying less. Some discounts kick in as soon as you get your first AARP card at age 50. Others kick in at 55 or 60 -- 62 at the latest....
But senior discounts, like your age, aren't static. Many of the deals I've seen prominently touted on other sites no longer exist or have changed considerably. Some are offered only in limited areas. One example: Applebee's Golden Apple Card. Many sites purporting to list senior discounts say the restaurant chain offers 15% off with this card. In fact, it's available only at some Applebee's locations in Florida, restaurant spokeswoman Nancy Mays says. Applebee's doesn't offer a chainwide discount, although individual franchises may give senior customers various breaks.
Given how much bad information is out there, I tried to round up only the good stuff: real deals that you can find wherever you are. Read on to find out how getting older can mean saving more.
Many thrift stores and other retailers offer a break to seniors on a certain day each week. At thrift stores, the days and the discounts vary, so call and ask. Otherwise, you can find retail discounts at the following stores:
Bealls. Save 15% in stores on Tuesdays if you're "50 or better."
Dunham's Sports. The sports chain offers 10% off all purchases with an AARP card.
Senior discounts have gone the way of bereavement fares for most airlines, but you can still get breaks on various modes of transportation. Here are some examples:
Amtrak. Passengers 62 and up can get 15% off adult fares, with some exceptions.
Greyhound. Get a 5% discount on unrestricted passenger fares, for ages 62 and up.
Michaels. The crafts supply store offers 10% off on Tuesdays with an AARP card.
Ross Dress for Less. The clothing store has an Every Tuesday Club that offers 10% off to members once a week. Customers must be 55 or older.
Tanger Outlets. Get a discount book filled with offers for up to 20% by presenting your AARP membership card at the shopper-services center or management office.
Many hotels offer AARP discounts of 10% to 20%, and some offer bigger breaks or discounts to all older travelers. Don't assume the senior rate is always the best deal, though. Look for special offers, and compare before you commit. Some examples:
Best Western. People 55 and older receive at least 10% off room rates, and many hotels offer extras such as early check-ins, late check-outs and room upgrades.
Choice Hotels. Travelers 60 and over get 10% off room reservations by requesting a senior rate.
DoubleTree. Those 62 and up are eligible for senior rates.
Hilton. There are discounts for those 62 and up at participating hotels.
Hyatt. Seniors age 62 and over save up to 50% on prevailing rates at participating hotels.
Marriott. Discounts of 15% or more are available for travelers 62 and over.
Starwood Hotels. AARP members and individuals 60 years or older get varying breaks on rooms.
Car rentals. Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National and Hertz all offer discounts to AARP members.
You don't have to rush for the early-bird specials. Many restaurants offer to knock a portion off your bill or give you free or discounted drinks. The deals often vary by location, even at national chains, since franchisees may have different policies. Some McDonald's franchises offer free or discounted coffee, for example, while others don't.
Get in the habit of asking before you order, and you may be rewarded. Here are some deals you can find nationwide:
Denny's. AARP members save 20% from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Also, coffee is just $1 for AARP members and their guests 24/7.
Claim Jumper Restaurants. AARP members get 10% off food and nonalcoholic beverages.
Rainforest Cafe. AARP members get 10% off food, merchandise and nonalcoholic beverages.
Dunkin' Donuts: Buy a large or extra large coffee, show your AARP card, and get a free doughnut.
Grocery chains' policies on senior discounts can be as changeable as their policies on coupons. Your best bet is to ask your favorite grocery store what it offers. Here are some examples:
Fry's Foods. Those 55 and older can save an additional 10% on food bills the first Wednesday of every month with a Fry's V.I.P. card and proof of age.
Kroger. People 59 and over receive a 10% discount off Kroger brand items after enrollment at the customer-service desk.
Many of the wireless deals for seniors assume you'll use the phone mostly for talking. If you text a lot or need data, you may need to search for a more comprehensive plan. Some examples:
AT&T. AT&T's Senior Nation plan, for those 65 and up, costs $29.99 for 200 anytime minutes and 500 night and weekend minutes.
Puretalk USA. The no-contract provider's senior flex plan comes with Snapfon ez-ONE mobile phone and 101 minutes for $10 a month, or unlimited talk and text for $37.95.
Tracphone. Tracphone touts its Senior Value Cellphone as the cheapest phone for seniors, combining an inexpensive Samsung phone with pay-as-you go service that begins at $7 a month.
Verizon Wireless. Verizon Nationwide's 65 Plus Plan offers 200 anytime minutes and 500 night and weekend minutes for $29.99 a month.
Many museums, sporting events, theaters and theme parks offer discounted tickets for older Americans. You'll also find deals at the following venues:
AMC theaters. Some theaters offer discounts to people 60 and older on Tuesdays.
Cinemark/Century theaters. Participating theaters offer discounted tickets to people 60 and older on Mondays.
Regal Entertainment. Get up to 49% off a bundled purchase of popcorn and soda with your AARP card.
National parks. For a onetime $10 fee, people 62 and older get a lifetime America the Beautiful pass to the U.S. national park system. The same pass costs younger people $80 annually.
From Money.MSN/ Baby-boomers Posted by Mags
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