Being a senior might have some downsides. But it’s better to focus on the good things, right? Senior life is getting easier every day thanks to cutting edge technology. Senior apartments are more luxurious than ever before. Not only that, but in-home senior care is highly accessible and affordable. Modern innovations like stairlifts and walk-in tubs are making it easier and safer to get around the house. Services like grocery delivery, meal delivery and water delivery are making everyday shopping and dining much easier. And cutting-edge advancements in dental implants and hair loss treatments are keeping seniors looking good.
It’s incredible how technological progression helps to make everyone’s lives easier. At least something positive comes with the passing of time! But this article isn’t here to focus on technological progression, nor the passage of time. In fact, let’s focus on the best-known strategy seniors have been using to benefit for decades. Taking advantage of senior discounts.
Senior Discounts
There are a lot of ways to make sure you’re always getting the best discounts you can as a senior. The easiest way to do so is to ask. Whenever you go to a shop, restaurant, or entertainment venue, simply ask the staff if they offer any discounts for seniors. It might be uncomfortable at first, but you’ll get used to it, and your bank account will thank you.
Another trick to maximize your discounts as a senior is to sign up for the AARP. It’s only $16 a year to join and offers hundreds of discounts that will more than pay for the cost of membership. Most of the discounts are available to seniors aged 55 and over.
There are also a number of deal sites on the internet worth following. Our recommended top choice is slickdeals.net. They offer a ton of fresh deals every day. Note that their deals are mostly applicable to online stores, however there are occasional retail deals posted as well.
Senior Saving Strategies
It can be very stressful as a senior to not have a regular income from a job. While programs like social security help to bring in some regular money, it’s not the same as having a normal income. However, many seniors have investments that grow and provide some income in the form of dividends or rent.
For many seniors, it’s very wise and attractive to have low-risk investments. If there happened to be an economic downturn or a market crash, losing everything could be devastating. Secure assets such as government backed treasury bonds or high-demand real estate properties can help to weather against an economic downturn. What’s even better is that these asset classes can produce a small income to supplement social security and other retirement payments.
Yes, the annual returns on bonds and safe real estate will often be lower than the stock market. But the risk profile is much more attractive for seniors who cannot afford to take the same risks as a 20 or 30 something.
To conclude, there are many new innovations improving the lives of today’s seniors. But seniors should be careful to invest in only safe asset classes to ensure they can continue to afford the technology that will support them as they age. It’s also important for seniors to take advantage of all of the available discounts they can. A little extra savings here and there can go a long way.