AARP

[SheitlQueen]

I'm a member only because I get my Medicare supplement through them. I do take a quick scan through their magazine. I don't think I've ever used any of their discounts. Oh, they do offer free screenings of new movies on occasion but so far I haven't gone to them.

 

[pacergal]

member since age 50. I use their discounts for hotel and restaurants and read the magazine.

 

[Major Tom]

I think I've said this before, but when I see their magazines, I feel as if I'm in a dentist's waiting room! All those ads for medications, with pictures of sexually active seniors playing tennis..........

Like a few others, I don't think that the discounts would benefit me particularly. However, that might change and, if it does, I'll be open to joining. All I know about their politics is that they lobby to preserve programs that benefit seniors (SS and Medicare, for example). That's fine with me.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Political stuff I ignore as I do when watching the nightly news.

So you watch about 45 seconds of the nightly news?

 

[Audie Murphy]

When the time come for us to join it will be AMAC and not AARP.

https://amac.us/

 

[njhowie]

When the time come for us to join it will be AMAC and not AARP.

https://amac.us/

Why? What's the difference?

 

[CRLLS]

According to Wikipedia, AMAC is a membership organization for people age 50 and over. The group calls itself "the conservative alternative to the AARP."

 

[Dawg52]

So you watch about 45 seconds of the nightly news?

I might average that.

 

[imoldernu]

Was very surprised to see so many using the discount. We've never used that.

But... equally surprised to see so few comments on the contents of the Magazine, and particularly the Bulletin. Maybe not so deep into investing, but very good in advice for health, lifestyle, money saving tips, and more recently, detailed information on healthcare... from pharma, to medical, to retirement options.

I suppose there is a political agenda, but for us, nothing like the media onslaught. We take turns reading the many articles... pointing out the ones that have meaning to us.

We could save the $16/yr, but think it's well worth it.

 

[vagabonding]

I was ordering a pair of glasses yesterday and asked about discounts. They recommended AARP, I joined while in the store, and got a $150 discount for $12 membership. I have no idea about their political platform, but the $$ works......

 

[mamadogmamacat]

I've been a member of AMAC for 6 yrs now.
AMAC discounts, such as for eye care, are a bit better, by $5, than AARP, and I like AMAC magazine much better.
They also have local group mtgs, which I enjoy.

 

[CaptTom]

I'm highly suspicious of the political motivations of that wanna-be AARP alternative.

Nowadays, if you're not solidly behind one party 100% of the time, even when they do things which hurt your own interests, you're considered a traitor. I'm not taking that bait. I don't want to be part of yet another organization which is simply a cheerleader for either party line.

At least AARP claims to be working for seniors, not for either political party. Do they support things which go against "The Party Line"? Yes. Should they? Yes!

My beef is actually that AARP seems afraid to really speak out when one party proposes or votes for something detrimental to seniors. I feel like they've been silenced by the extreme political polarization that's all around us now.

They will say things like "contact your representatives to tell them how you feel about this issue." But they won't say "Rep. So-and-So voted against your interests" or "Party X is proposing a program which hurts seniors."

The truth is usually somewhere in the middle. Any effective organization should be pissing off an equal number of people on each side. If that has you jumping ship, you really need to reassess whether you're putting party loyalty over your own best interests.

 

[eytonxav]

Been a member for 20 years. Enjoy the articles so that makes it worthwhile for DW and I, but that is about it.

 

[Willers]

Signed up last year for a specific discount and then found other discounts were better on that so I never used it. I don't find the literature very interesting so I didn't renew. I didn't find the politics a negative, but not a positive either. Since I don't use the discounts continuing on would just be a PAC donation. No thanks.

 

[RetiredAt55.5]

I'm highly suspicious of the political motivations of that wanna-be AARP alternative.

Nowadays, if you're not solidly behind one party 100% of the time, even when they do things which hurt your own interests, you're considered a traitor. I'm not taking that bait. I don't want to be part of yet another organization which is simply a cheerleader for either party line.

At least AARP claims to be working for seniors, not for either political party. Do they support things which go against "The Party Line"? Yes. Should they? Yes!

My beef is actually that AARP seems afraid to really speak out when one party proposes or votes for something detrimental to seniors. I feel like they've been silenced by the extreme political polarization that's all around us now.

They will say things like "contact your representatives to tell them how you feel about this issue." But they won't say "Rep. So-and-So voted against your interests" or "Party X is proposing a program which hurts seniors."

The truth is usually somewhere in the middle. Any effective organization should be pissing off an equal number of people on each side. If that has you jumping ship, you really need to reassess whether you're putting party loyalty over your own best interests.

+1

Well said.

 

[gayl]

I view AARP as an antiquated version of robocall except they are using your membership money to send me something I immediately round file. Doesn't even get in the house.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I view AARP as an antiquated version of robocall except they are using your membership money to send me something I immediately round file. Doesn't even get in the house.

We only get the Bulletin or the Magazine. All good for us. No junk mail other than renewal notices.

 

[W2R]

My late mother (died in 2007) gave me a one year gift membership to AARP when I turned 50, as a joke.

The magazine was pretty cool but I don't like their political stance on certain issues that I think are important to seniors, so I will never renew that membership. Despite that, now, 21 years later, I am STILL getting junk mail from them frequently.

 

[COcheesehead]

I view AARP as an antiquated version of robocall except they are using your membership money to send me something I immediately round file. Doesn't even get in the house.

You can update your preferences online. I only get the magazine.

 

[gayl]

I don't belong to AARP, I just get the ads to join. Constantly. And they won't stop.

 

[Mdlerth]

Simplify

Not a member. Won't be any time soon.

I make no comment on the organization's politics or the quality of their offerings. It's just that I already don't read half the stuff that lands in our mailbox. AARP journals would just be more clutter. And ditto other comments on the discounts being duplicates of ones I get from other sources.

 

[easysurfer]

The two best phrases :

1) no comment

2) I'm just browsing

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I'm highly suspicious of the political motivations of that wanna-be AARP alternative.

Not speaking to the politics here, but "wanna-be" alternative? Can there only be ONE advocacy group for seniors? There are LOTS of groups out there for military veterans, do you consider those that aren't The American Legion (just as an example) to be "wanna be" organizations?

 

[CaptTom]

Not speaking to the politics here, but "wanna-be" alternative? Can there only be ONE advocacy group for seniors? There are LOTS of groups out there for military veterans, do you consider those that aren't The American Legion (just as an example) to be "wanna be" organizations?

Good point. I was trying to say that any group which claims to support issues important to seniors, AND support one end of the political spectrum, is lying about one or the other.

Senior issues are NOT Conservative or Liberal issues. They are not Democratic or Republican issues. Senior advocates should be taking BOTH parties to task when those parties do things which hurt our interests, and supporting BOTH parties, when they support us.

An organization simply can't do that as a sycophant for either side. And trying to appease either or both parties makes it totally ineffective.

I'll also add that voters need to challenge "their" party's line sometimes, too.

 

[LimaPop]

No, I do not support special interest groups or PACS