Monday, November 14, 2011

Special Focus: Discounts for those 50 and older

If you're 50 - or older than 50 - be sure to take advantage of these awesome discounts! If you're NOT 50 yet, you might want to start taking an older friend or family member with you whenever you visit these businesses!

The lists below are organized by the minimum age you must be to qualify for the discount or deal. Some businesses only offer discounts to AARP members - AARP-only discounts are listed at the bottom of this post. There are also many other age-specific discounts out there that aren't listed here - be sure to ask around! ** Also, please note: Not all of these discounts apply to all locations. Please be sure to ask at an individual store or franchise before assuming that you will receive the discount. **


50 and older: 
Banana Republic - 10% off at many locations
Choice Hotels (Comfort Inn, Econolodge, Sleep Inn, etc) - 10% discount; additional discounts for those 60 and older
Kmart Pharmacy - Up to 20% off on prescriptions.
Krispy Kreme - 10% off

55 and older: 
Arby's - 10% off
Best Western - at least 10% off
Chili's - 10% off
Dairy Queen - Depending on location, either a free small drink or 10% off
IHOP - 10% off
Jack in the Box - up to 20% off, depending on the order
Popeye's Chicken - free drink or 10% off, depending on location
Ross - 10% off on Tuesdays
Salvation Army Thrift Stores - 15% to 50% off, depending on where you live
TCBY - 10% off

60 and older: 
AMC Movie Theaters - 30% off at most locations
CiCi's Pizza - 10% off a pizza or buffet ticket
Culver's - 10% off
Einstein's Bagels - 10% off on a baker's dozen of bagels
Golden Corral - 10% off
Great Clips - $3 off haircuts
Motel 6 - 10% off at 900 locations
Mrs. Fields Cookies - 10% discount
Radisson Hotels - 10% off
Supercuts - $2 off haircuts

62 and older:
Amtrak - 15% off of adult fare (some exclusions apply)
Burger King - 10% off
Greyhound - 5% off adult fare
Kohl's - 15% off total purchases on Wednesdays
Marriott Hotels - at least 15% off
National Park Service - Pay $10 for a senior pass and use it to get into all parks for free (pass never expires)
White Castle - 10% off (may need to sign up for a discount card)

65 and older: 
Boston Market - 10% discount
Carmike Movie Theaters - 35% off
Hardee's - Get a small drink for $0.33 when you purchase a meal
Taco Bell - 5% off

AARP Members: 
Avis - up to 25% off.
Budget Rent-A-Car and Truck Rental - Up to 20% off.
Denny's - $1 coffee; 20% off total bill between 4 and 10 p.m.
Dunham's Sports - 10% off
Enterprise Rent-A-Car - 5% off car rental.
Hampton Inn - up to 10% off
Hertz Rental Car - up to 25% off
Howard Johnson - up to 20% off
Ramada Inn - up to 20% off
Super8 Motels - up to 20% off
Teleflora - 20% off on flower orders

All of these came from:
AARP's Benefits Pages, like this one
Frugalliving.com
and Gift Card Granny.

Here's to yet another money-saving week for those young and young-at-heart alike, readers!

Monday, November 7, 2011

Couponing: Quick Tricks and Shortcuts

Last February, readers, we looked at how to get started with coupons. Now, let's look at some quick tricks and shortcuts from coupon experts that will take your couponing skills to the next level! 

1. Wait to save. Trent at the Simple Dollar says that the best thing to do with newspaper coupons is to not use them right away. Instead, he recommends saving coupons for four weeks,  and THEN going and buying the products. This is because typically, coupons are released by manufacturers for products, and one month later, those same products go on sale at grocery stores as the second step of their marketing strategies. By saving your coupons for a month, you can cash in on both the coupons and the sale prices, multiplying your savings. 

2. Think twice about subscribing to newspapers to save money. Tamra over at Discount Queens recommends NOT subscribing to a daily paper for coupons. Instead, she suggests shopping for manufacturer's coupons online on sites like ebay instead. It sounds wacky, but it's actually very easy (on ebay, anyway)! From ebay.com's main web page, just type in "____________ coupons" (filling in the blank with whatever you want to find coupons in.) When your results page shows up, look at the expiration dates on the listings, and choose the coupons with a "Buy Now" option in order to guarantee that they get to you in time for you to use them. This saves money and time, because instead of spending money on a paper that may not have any coupons that you will use - or time looking for them -you know that every cent you spend will go towards saving. 

3. Start a conversation. Stephanie Nelson (aka "The Coupon Mom") says that talking to someone at the customer service desk or a manager at the stores where you regularly shop is a key component to scoring on savings. The best part - She gives you a list of questions to ask here. 

4. Don't fall for the myths. Jill Cataldo,one of the great coupon masters of our time, has a great article here about how the "reality" show "Extreme Couponing" is not an accurate or honest portrayal of real life couponers or deals actually achievable by regular couponing. 



And with that, friends, here's to another money-saving week!