If you are between the ages of 55 and 65 and older, you might not realize all the goodies available to you, simply because you are aged to perfection!
As always, my goal is to provide as many FREE or discounted resources as possible for everyone. If you are like most seniors, you don’t realize how many everyday senior discounts you qualify for, and don’t take advantage of—simply because you don’t ask for them. Being a senior is a pretty special and elite group nowadays, so don’t miss even the smallest opportunity to enjoy some of the privileges and discounts.
Discounts for seniors are available on just about everything—including travel, restaurants, fast food establishments, movie theaters, grocery stores, theme parks, museums, clothing, and more. Many of these establishments give discounts on a regular basis (daily to once a month)—and the amount of the discounts will generally vary from FREE to 50% (on average), depending on the establishment, source, and type of merchandise or service being offered.
These discounts will most likely NOT be offered to you, and you will have to ask for them—especially if you are physically present in the establishment. This is not because they want to withhold the information from you—but because age is a tender issue and many establishments may not want to offend anyone who may not quality for them.
I have found that if you don’t ask, you don’t get! It’s just that simple.
Let’s start with the most basic of needs—FOOD!
GROCERY STORES:
Grocery stores are a good place to start, because everyone has to eat.
Generally, a 10-15% savings on the grocery bill is very common for the grocery stores that do offer discounts to seniors.
Depending on where you shop, and/or where you live, senior discounts are generally offered on a weekly or monthly basis, and on a specific day of the week.
I live in Arizona, and many of the grocery stores offer a 10-15% senior discount on the first Wednesday of the month. In other states or locations, the percent of the discount may vary, and may be offered weekly (versus monthly), on a specific designated day of the week.
Also, depending on the grocery store, watch for other additional unadvertised specials to take advantage of.
These specials may include, but not limited to:
- Reduction on the price of rotisserie chicken or bakery products after a certain hour of the afternoon or evening, helps make it easier to sell very perishable items before the store closes
- “Manager’s Specials:”
- These specials are unique to each individual store, and are generally earmarked to go on sale by the store manager
- The package is clearly marked “Manager’s Special,” so be on the lookout for these sale items
- The items go on sale for a variety of reasons, including overstock (perhaps after a holiday), close expiration dates, or reasons only the store manager knows or decides—and you can obtain some pretty awesome deals and discounts that way.
I remember being at the right place at the right time at my local grocery store. I passed the floral department, and they had an overstock of fresh cut flowers. Rather than send the flowers back… they offered a “Manager’s Special” on all the bouquets. These bouquets were priced from fifty cents to $1.50 per bunch. It was so easy to treat myself to several dozen roses and various other beautiful and colorful arrangements for about $5!
You never know what you will find when you keep an eye open for a “Manager’s Special.” You will also be amazed how easy these specials are to spot—when you start to look for them.
RESTAURANTS:
Make sure you always ask if restaurants or fast food establishments give any discounts to seniors. They generally will not make the suggestion voluntarily, for reasons previously mentioned. The discounts usually range between 10-15%; may have designated days of the week allocated for the discount; or any or all options in between.
At this point I would suggest becoming a member of AARP, as you will find that being a member, will open doors to a multitude of other discounts, besides those mentioned here.
There are generally three ways restaurants may offer discounts to seniors.
- By simply asking the establishment if they give a discount—with no special membership involved
- By asking for the discount—then being presented with a special membership card identifying you as a senior
- By being an AARP member—as certain establishments offer discounts to those that are members, and may offer a different discount to those individuals with an AARP membership
As you begin asking on a regular basis… I think you will see how very quickly these savings can add up. Just for fun, you might begin keeping a little diary or note pad to keep track of your savings. I think you will be surprised at the amount of money you will save in a year.
As another suggestion… you may want to put the money you save into a special jar or container. By the end of the year, you will have saved enough money to take a little vacation or do something very special to pamper yourself—like spending a day at the spa, or having a series of massages. Enjoy your savings!
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