When First Lady Michelle Obama celebrated her 50th birthday earlier this month, she tweeted "Excited to join Barak in the 50-plus club today," and "check out my AARP card." To further emphasize the point, she also tweeted a picture of herself holding her brand new AARP card.
Now there's someone who isn't going to have a problem asking for a senior discount.
Nor should any of us who have passed the big 5-0 milestone, says Joan Heilman, author of the book "Unbelievably Good Deals and Great Adventures That You Can't Get Unless You're Over Fifty."
"If you're old enough to get age-related discounts, it's just dumb not to use them," says Heilman. "Why would you want to pay more than you need to for anything?"
Good question. Once you get past the initial shock of admitting you're old enough to qualify, you're going to like the results. And while today's newly-minted silver consumers aren't going to find much in the way of senior airfare discounts, (most of those vanished about 10 years ago), or ski savings, (ski resorts started cutting back on senior specials around eight years ago), there are still plenty of deals to be found.
Senior discounts are available on movie tickets, hotel stays, train and bus travel, state park admissions and more. Some savings start at ages 50, while others kick in at 60, 62, 65 and even 70. Each company uses different criteria, so always check to see if there's an age-related discount available before you open your wallet.
Most senior discounts require proof of age and that AARP card that Michelle Obama received, is the gold standard ID for senior savings.
At aarp.org, members can find discounts on merchandise and services, along with a changing mix of "Hot Deals."
You can also find deals at SeniorDiscounts.com, an online directory of businesses that offer discounts to people 50 years of age and older and at Firstgov.gov, which features a "senior" link with information on travel discounts.
Here are some examples of what you can save.
>>Amtrak travelers 62 years of age and over are eligible to receive a 15 percent discount on the lowest available rail fare on most Amtrak trains. On cross-border services operated jointly by Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada, a 10 percent senior discount is available to travelers 60 and over.
>>Greyhound passengers age 62 and older with ID can request a 5 percent discount on unrestricted passenger fares. Information: www.Greyhound.com. Click here to read more.
No comments:
Post a Comment