These are the best senior discounts I’ve discovered in my first years of retirement!
You know what nobody told me about retirement? That suddenly, everyone wants to give you discounts! I’m not complaining, mind you, but it took me a while to figure out which senior discounts were actually worth asking about and which ones were just deceptive marketing.
When Bill and I retired and moved to Asheville, I was still in that mindset of paying full price for everything. Old habits die hard; what can I say? But then my neighbor, Susan, pulled me aside at the grocery store and whispered, “Diane, you know you get a discount here on Tuesdays, right?” I looked at her in disbelief. I mean, I have taken advantage of discounts before, but senior discounts are totally different. Some of them sound too good to be true.
What surprised me the most is that the conversation I had with Susan changed everything. I started doing my homework, and let me tell you, as a former teacher, I know how to research! What I’ve discovered was truly amazing. A brand new world of savings that I’d been missing out on.
This is my go-to list of the best senior discounts that are actually worth your time! It took me months to make this list, but here it is, with the best senior discounts I could find.
AARP membership benefits
AARP members save on health & wellness, restaurants, groceries, food delivery services, retail shopping, fraud prevention services, insurance services, and more. Even more, you can save up to 20% at popular hotels worldwide. The membership pays for itself quickly. Bill was skeptical at first, but after our first hotel booking with the AARP discount, he was charmed. For us, this was one of the greatest ones of senior discounts and helped many times.
Denny’s senior menu (55+)
Similar to other restaurants, Denny’s offers special menus for seniors with discounted items. What I love about Denny’s is that their senior menu is available all day, so whether you want breakfast at 2 PM or dinner at 5 PM, you’re good to go. The portions are reasonable, and the prices reflect what we actually want to spend on a casual meal out.
Public transportation
Most public transportation (local and regional), including bus, subway, train, and ferry services, offers senior discounts. When we visited Jake in Chicago, the senior discounts on public transit saved us a fortune. Instead of expensive taxis everywhere, we were able to take the buses and trains for less money. This is perfect for anyone who enjoys visiting different cities.
Rite Aid rewards points
Sooner or later, we all need to go to the pharmacy. Especially as we age, this need becomes more and more present, and I am here to tell you that visiting the drugstore 4 times a month is a reality.
Hopefully, I discovered that Rite Aid offers 5x rewards points to adults 65+ with their membership card on the first Wednesday of the month. If you’re going to be buying prescriptions and health items anyway, why not get five times the points? I use these points for future purchases, essentially creating my own little discount system. Taking advantage of senior discounts has never been easier for me.
IHOP senior menu (55+)
As we already discussed, select restaurant chains often feature special menus for seniors with discounted items, and IHOP is one of them and also one of our favorite options when we want to have something a little bit fancier.
Their 55+ menu isn’t just smaller portions at regular prices; it’s genuinely discounted food that’s perfect for our preferences. Bill and I discovered this on a Sunday morning when we were craving pancakes but didn’t want to go somewhere and deal with their massive regular portions. The senior menu gave us exactly what we wanted at a price that didn’t make our wallets cry. Perfect.
Walgreens Senior Discount Day
Walgreens offers 20% off eligible items for adults 55+ on the first Tuesday of each month. This one is huge for us. I plan my Walgreens shopping around this discount day, stocking up on everything from vitamins to toiletries. Twenty percent might not sound like much, but when you’re buying multiple items, it adds up quickly.
Movie theater discounts
Most movie theaters offer senior pricing, usually starting at age 60 or 62. The savings aren’t huge per ticket, but when Bill and I are seeing multiple movies a month (retirement perks!), it adds up. Some theaters also offer special senior screening times with lower prices.
Cell phone plan discounts
These senior discounts can be as much as 50% off a membership or simply 10% off a purchase. Many cell phone providers offer senior plans with reduced rates. We switched to a senior plan last year and saved $30 per month, and that’s $360 a year!
Hotel discounts (50+)
Seniors can practically always find discounts on hotels and rental cars (up to 30% off). During our RV summer, when we occasionally wanted a night in a real bed with a real shower, hotel senior discounts saved us hundreds of dollars. Guests ages 55+ can receive discounted room rates at Best Western Hotels and Resorts, and they have nearly 2000 locations across the U.S.
Now, I want to be real with you and also tell you more about the other side of senior discounts. In some cases, businesses may require you to sign up for a free loyalty account to access their discounts. The thing is that you should not feel repulsed by this approach and just sign up. The discounts will probably be worth it.
Second, some restaurants, like Burger King, have highly variable senior discounts that range from a free small drink to a discount on an entire order. The key is to ask at each location, because policies can vary even within the same chain.
Third, sometimes there are some senior discounts that are a scam. All you need to do is be careful and always do your math.
After two years of actively using senior discounts, here’s what I’ve learned: Don’t be embarrassed to ask. The worst thing that happens is they say no. Most businesses are happy to help if they have a program available.
Do your research before big purchases or trips to find available senior discounts. A five-minute phone call before booking a hotel or rental car about their senior discounts can save you significant money. Remember that these senior discounts are recognition of our years of hard work and contribution to society. We’ve earned these! There’s no shame in taking advantage of them as they are designed to help us stretch our retirement dollars.
So start asking about senior discounts, start saving with them, and start enjoying the perks that come with this stage of life. After all, if we’re going to be called seniors, we might as well get the discounts that come with the title!
Do you want to become better at saving money? This really helped me!
If you and your partner plan to retire together, you should read this article: Planning to Retire Together? Here’s What to Watch Out For