Are There Any Perks In Retirement?
BOSTON (CBS) - Not too many! Take advantage of whatever you can get. Embrace becoming old. It beats the alternative.
Start by getting a membership in AARP, it costs $16 annually and offers some of the best discounts around. Discounts on insurance, prescription drugs, entertainment, hotels and car rentals are just a few.
Membership is open to anyone 50 or over and they often find you on your 50th birthday! I am not sure how they manage it but they do.
How old is old depends on who is giving the discount. Could be age 50 as with AARP, could be 55, 60, 62 or 65.
Use your computer to find the deals. Type in senior discount and lots of links pop up. Frugal Living has a great list.
One discount I found was for Mrs. Fields Cookies, 10% discount for seniors, age 60 or older. So when I turn 60 I am heading there for a giant birthday cookie.
There are discounts for haircuts, groceries, fast food, cookies, dog grooming and hotels. And once you reach 65 your MBTA fare is discounted as well. Some amusement parks offer discounts as well as small theaters throughout New England.
The travel industry still offers a few perks for seniors. AARP and Expedia have teamed up to you find those discounts.
Check the cruise lines, Amtrak and the bus lines. At 62, you are eligible for a lifetime Senior Pass that allows free admission to National Parks and other recreational areas. And there are lots of great national parks in Massachusetts.
The key to getting these discounts is you have to ask. If you don't look like a senior, and most seniors work hard at not looking like a senior, the kid selling movie tickets is not going to ask you if you want a senior discount. Harrison Ford has no qualms about asking for his senior discount at the movies.
