Ask for the Senior Discount

Once again the baby boomers are changing the way that Americans looks at retirement. This time it is the senior discount that is available for those entering into retirement.

In times past, many seniors would forgo the discount out of embarrassment or because they didn’t want to appear to be old enough to qualify for a senior discount. Baby boomers wear retirement as a badge of honor and participate fully in life after the working years.

The old attitudes have changed and the marketplace has noticed.  Retailers, businesses and service organizations all over the country now offer senior discounts.  Retirement living may include living on a fixed income but the baby boomer’s dollar is just as powerful as it has always been.   Thousands of seniors are hitting retirement age every day with plenty of time and money to spend.   If retailers want your business, they will attract you with offers.

Senior discounts are available at a wide variety of retailers, restaurants, parks and especially entertainment packages. There are so many different types of businesses offering senior discounts that it is impossible to list them all. Signs may not be posted about available discounts so you must always ask. While some retailers may set the minimum age at 55 and others may set the limit at 62; the majority of senior discounts will require you to be 65.

There are plenty of senior organizations that cater to the 50+ crowd offering memberships for a small yearly fee.  They may be very helpful to you but you do not need to join anything to ask for a senior discount at the shops and businesses that you frequent.  

Retirement living often includes travel.  From getting there and back to providing entertainment, businesses have discounts to offer.  Major airlines, trains and cross country bus service all offer discounts to seniors.  Combination packages that include airfare, rental cars and hotel services offer some of the biggest travel discounts.  It pays to ask.  With more and more services being advertised and offered on the internet, one only has to click on the discount button on the website, to find and include the senior discounts for their purchases. 

Saving 10% here and there may not seem like a lot of money at the time but for those living on a fixed income, these little savings will certainly add up.  Throughout retirement living, money may be tighter and budgets may not be as versatile as they once were but life doesn’t stop and neither do the baby boomers.  Estimates for available travel and vacation packages aimed at seniors are at an all-time high. 

Retirement living is often on the open road.  With camping and RV lifestyles attracting seniors from all economic groups, national parks also have discounts available.  These discounts promote interstate travel with lifetime passes for a minimal fee.  For those who have health issues and are designated as disabled, the fee is waived.  State parks may also offer specials to seniors depending on the state, but like we stated above, you have to ask. 

Closer to home, many grocery stores offer discounts to seniors as well.  These offers may not be highly publicized and you may not see ads promoted these discounts, but that doesn’t mean they don’t offer them.  A local grocer may have a senior day where seniors can purchase their food at discounted price.  The most popular method of reaching seniors and offering special savings and discounts is through the use of promotional discount cards that you must swipe at the register. 

Many pharmacies have also taken advantage of discount cards for seniors. As your prescription purchases add up, each time a certain dollar amount is reached, percentage discounts are offered on your next purchase.  This promotes repeat business so it is clearly a win/win situation.

Baby boomers have been a target for merchants since they started earning their first dollar.  This is still the case.    It isn’t just travel and merchandise retailers who offer senior discounts. Car washes, movie tickets, local eateries, parking lot fees, as well as a host of other service industries offer senior discounts.   We just can’t say it enough - Ask for the senior discount.

• Senior Citizens Airfare
• Amtrak
• Greyhound
• Rail Canada
• Access Travel Center
• Senior Vacation and Home Exchange
• Senior Discount Directory
• National Park Pass
  
• Senior Discounts