Join Early Retirement Today
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Favorite Senior Discounts?
Old 07-16-2014, 03:14 PM   #1
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Senator's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Williston, FL
Posts: 3,925
Favorite Senior Discounts?

I realize not many here are seniors (in your own mind), but there might be some establishments that think so. As I am nearing 55 (November 2014), I always look for ways to save money, especially ones over and above any sales and rebates.

Some places openly advertise senior rebates. Some start at 55, some at 60. I know there are a lot of unadvertised senior discounts out there.

All these discounts add up and make life easier. Here are a few of my favorite ones, just for being me. They are not all senior discounts, but I am looking to add more to my list.

I am a disabled veteran, so I get 10% off at Home Depot and Lowes.

Free dinner at Applebee’s on Veteran’s Day.

Lots of AARP discounts, especially on travel related items. I just booked a hotel on Marco Island and saved a bunch with that discount.

I even get a 15% discount off the total bill at Outback Steak House for AARP, no matter what day it is.

What are some of your most used senior discounts (or other discounts) when going about your day to day routine?
__________________
FIRE no later than 7/5/2016 at 56 (done), securing '16 401K match (done), getting '15 401K match (done), LTI Bonus (done), Perf bonus (done), maxing out 401K (done), picking up 1,000 hours to get another year of pension (done), July 1st benefits (vacation day, healthcare) (done), July 4th holiday. 0 days left. (done) OFFICIALLY RETIRED 7/5/2016!!
Senator is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 07-16-2014, 03:30 PM   #2
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
REWahoo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,003
The USAA Subscriber Savings Account "Senior Bonus." I've averaged $850/yr for the past three years.
__________________
Numbers is hard
REWahoo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2014, 03:37 PM   #3
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,401
Shopper's Drug Mart (up here in the frozen North where it is currently plus 36 degrees Centigrade, or 97 degrees Fahrenheit) has a Seniors Day' once a month, when everything (except prescription drugs) is 20% off. You only have to be 55 to qualify. I usually shop that day to stock up on household items, e.g. toilet paper.
Meadbh is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2014, 03:46 PM   #4
Moderator Emeritus
M Paquette's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Portland
Posts: 4,946
Half off on the ferry to and from the ballpark on game days.
M Paquette is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2014, 04:56 PM   #5
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Amethyst's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 12,596
Ours is not an old-friendly area. Most of the senior discounts round here are for chain restaurant food we don't eat, or services which send out mailers offering the exact same "discount" to everybody (usually 10%).

The best one is the public library - half the fine for people over 62. We've been using Mr. A.'s library card for everything, since I don't yet qualify. With the regular fine for late DVDs at $1.00 a day, the "discount" can really add up.

Amethyst
__________________
If you understood everything I say, you'd be me ~ Miles Davis
'There is only one success – to be able to spend your life in your own way.’ Christopher Morley.
Even a blind clock finds an acorn twice a day.
Amethyst is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2014, 05:03 PM   #6
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,796
Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo View Post
The USAA Subscriber Savings Account "Senior Bonus." I've averaged $850/yr for the past three years.
Ain't that for many years of USAA membership rather than "senior" age level?

Back on OT-
I've discovered some sweet senior rates at certain local golf courses.
ERhoosier is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2014, 05:06 PM   #7
Full time employment: Posting here.
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Castro Valley
Posts: 788
Weekday golf!
jkern is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2014, 05:11 PM   #8
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
REWahoo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,003
Quote:
Originally Posted by ERhoosier View Post
Ain't that for many years of USAA membership rather than "senior" age level?
Yep. But good luck in making the numbers work to get it before you hit 60. You have to be a USAA member for 40 years to be eligible for it beginning the end of the following year.
__________________
Numbers is hard
REWahoo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2014, 05:14 PM   #9
Moderator
rodi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: San Diego
Posts: 14,169
My favorite is national park entry. We're planning a trip to Sequoia/Kings canyon next month and DH's "maturity" will get our entire care in for less $. Woo hoo.
rodi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2014, 05:16 PM   #10
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
athena53's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,322
I'm only 61, so don't qualify for a lot of them, and have found that AAA membership gets you the same discounts at most hotels. I still have a hangup with senior discounts- partly because I hate acknowledging that I'm that old and partly because I don't feel that I should be rewarded just for longevity.

I do, however, plan to make full use of the significant discount on credit courses at the local community college. Too bad the discount doesn't apply to books!
athena53 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2014, 05:34 PM   #11
gone traveling
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 3,375
I fail to understand why wealthy 60+ folks should get a discount on anything that a 30-35 yrs old headed family of 4 scraping by doesn't. Wrong to me.
gerntz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2014, 05:51 PM   #12
Moderator
Walt34's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern WV Panhandle
Posts: 25,299
Quote:
Originally Posted by athena53 View Post
... and partly because I don't feel that I should be rewarded just for longevity.
I don't either, but that doesn't stop me from taking it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by athena53 View Post
I do, however, plan to make full use of the significant discount on credit courses at the local community college. Too bad the discount doesn't apply to books!
Amazon.com got their start selling books. What got me started buying from Amazon was college textbooks. At the time about 1/2 the price of the college bookstore.

Quote:
Originally Posted by gerntz View Post
I fail to understand why wealthy 60+ folks should get a discount on anything that a 30-35 yrs old headed family of 4 scraping by doesn't. Wrong to me.
Illogical to me too. But not so much that it stops me from accepting the discount that the seller decides to offer.
__________________
When I was a kid I wanted to be older. This is not what I expected.
Walt34 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2014, 05:54 PM   #13
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Midwest
Posts: 2,962
Quote:
Originally Posted by gerntz View Post
I fail to understand why wealthy 60+ folks should get a discount on anything that a 30-35 yrs old headed family of 4 scraping by doesn't. Wrong to me.
Thanks for saying that. I've been holding my tongue. I am only 57 so I am eligible for some senior discounts but probably not for most. I never look for them or ask about them. And it never occurs to me. Also, I am retired from 20 yrs in the Air Force and have never taken advantage of a veteran's or military related discount and it never occurs to me. I do however, lose respect for those geezers I see wearing their USS Chugalugg or similar baseball caps crowding into a restaurant or other establishment for free or cheap chow or whatever it is.

I think it's disgraceful behavior. That mentality and self aggrandizing identity has kept me out of NCO clubs and away from base establishments for 18 yrs. (Actually it kept me away from NCO clubs for 20 yrs before that except when it was mandatory.)
razztazz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2014, 06:56 PM   #14
Dryer sheet wannabe
kypix's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 23
Early 50's here so not qualified for too many.

But - I am prematurely distinguished. Hair turned white when I was in my 40's. First time a cashier gave me a senior discount at a restaurant I didn't whether to be happy or ticked off. The very next day I went to an RV show. Attendant gave me 2 tickets and told me seniors get in both days for price of one. That was a rough week.

I don't ask, but I don't refuse the discount either.

kypix
kypix is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2014, 07:11 PM   #15
Recycles dryer sheets
Derslickmeister's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 249
Quote:
Originally Posted by gerntz View Post
I fail to understand why wealthy 60+ folks should get a discount on anything that a 30-35 yrs old headed family of 4 scraping by doesn't. Wrong to me.
+1 used to wonder that myself when I was 30-35. Also used to say SS could keep every penny I paid in if they would just let me keep my money from that point on. Amazing how your outlook changes when you start getting "up there" though.
Derslickmeister is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2014, 07:17 PM   #16
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Chuckanut's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: West of the Mississippi
Posts: 17,169
Quote:
Originally Posted by gerntz View Post
I fail to understand why wealthy 60+ folks should get a discount on anything that a 30-35 yrs old headed family of 4 scraping by doesn't. Wrong to me.

+1

I have to agree. Why should a 67 year old couple that owns a 26 foot motor home pay cheaper national park fees than a 40 year old couple tent camping with kids?

Of course, having watched others get these discounts for nearly 40 years makes me think that giving them up immediately would be poor timing on my part.

Back to the topic, I have enjoyed getting senior discounts at theater, museums and some restaurants. I have even been discounted when traveling abroad.
__________________
Comparison is the thief of joy

The worst decisions are usually made in times of anger and impatience.
Chuckanut is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2014, 07:18 PM   #17
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,401
In Ireland, permanent residents 66 and older have free travel.

Free Travel in Ireland
Meadbh is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2014, 08:13 PM   #18
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
REWahoo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,003
Quote:
Originally Posted by razztazz View Post
I do however, lose respect for those geezers I see wearing their USS Chugalugg or similar baseball caps crowding into a restaurant or other establishment for free or cheap chow or whatever it is.

I think it's disgraceful behavior.
You're blaming the victim here.

Instead of looking down on the unsuspecting vets who are duped into taking advantage of these offers, direct your ire towards the establishments that lure our nation's veterans into behaving so disgracefully. I'm sure you'd get a great deal of public support if you started a "Save Our Veterans from Behaving Badly" campaign. Direct attention to what these restaurants and other businesses are doing to the dignity of our veterans by offering these shameful discounts and insist they stop immediately!
__________________
Numbers is hard
REWahoo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2014, 08:32 PM   #19
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Midwest
Posts: 2,962
Quote:
You're blaming the victim here.
Actually, I'm not

Quote:
Instead of looking down on the unsuspecting vets who are duped into taking advantage of these offers, direct your ire towards the establishments that lure our nation's veterans into behaving so disgracefully.
I don't think they're being "lured" into behaving disgracefully. I mean I'm not doing it. I feel no allure. Maybe I'm stretching things when I say these people aren't stupid...?

As far as the "Selling" of veterans and the whole "HEE-roh" thing that started shortly after Sept 11, that's a whole 'nother rant that I have done before in other places and will not glom ( 1 or 2 "m's" in glom?) up this thread with. My observation of that is the purveyor's of that stuff generally don't give a fiddler's f' and are just engaged in PR for the bizz. Yeah, they already have my ire
razztazz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2014, 08:51 PM   #20
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Birmingham, AL
Posts: 195
Not a senior discount, but the 10% military discount (Currently serving and veterans) at Lowe's and Home Depot is probably the one I use most.

The most common senior discount that comes my way is 5% off on Wed at a couple of local supermarkets.

Neither is huge bucks, but every little bit helps.

As far as whether we "deserve" discounts? It isn't about deserving them. Merchants offer them for their own business reasons, whether you're a Veteran, Senior, Credit Union member, AAA Member, have some sort of Corporate Group code, etc. Why would the consumer be wrong in accepting a deal on a good or service openly offered by a business, whether or not it comes through a better retail price, a sale, or a discount?

Just another view to add to the mix...
Greg V is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Senior Discounts start at 50 imoldernu FIRE and Money 18 07-30-2012 08:35 PM
Senior Discounts Packman FIRE and Money 41 04-16-2011 07:46 PM
Senior Discount Central~Post all discounts here mickeyd FIRE and Money 87 08-27-2009 10:32 PM
The End of Senior Citizen Discounts? SteveL FIRE and Money 7 08-31-2005 10:05 AM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:27 AM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.