Everyone likes a bargain and one of the great benefits of being over 50 is that increasingly discounts and concessions across a very wide range of goods and services become available to you.
Of course, you may have to be prepared at the end of the day to admit your age, overcome your pride, and ask for them – but how stupid would it be not to?
Benefitting fully from all the discounts for which you might be eligible does take constant vigilance as they are not always offered up-front, particularly if service staff are busy. However, a polite enquiry can often generate a very rewarding result.
Following these few simple tips also may help ensure you rarely, if ever, pay full price:
• Always carry your driving licence with you as proof of age (or some other form of identity if you don’t have one). This applies equally if you are abroad – sometimes discounts apply to all seniors, not just locals.
• If an age-related discount isn’t immediately offered when you’re buying something like tickets, always ask. They can only say no.
• Look out for special times or deals from service suppliers such as restaurants, hairdressers/barbers, chiropodists, etc. Sometimes they can offer very generous discounts if you’re prepared to visit outside peak business hours.
• See if you can negotiate a ‘repeat’ rate, or group discount for a number of you if you are in a position to buy multiple tickets or guarantee spending a certain amount of money overall.
• Review your existing memberships and subscriptions. Many offer discounts for seniors but may not apply them automatically as you cross over into the magic age range. So check and ask for them. And if that doesn’t work, you may want to consider (if you still want to deal with the organisation!) cancelling your membership and rejoining at the appropriate rate.
• When you’re buying larger items, be prepared to ask if they can offer a better price. This really has nothing to do with age and again the worst that will happen is that they will say no.
• Always compare peak and off-peak prices for holiday, travel and hotel or other accommodation bookings. You can also achieve considerable discounts if you’re prepared to book late or be flexible as to your exact destination.
A number of price comparison websites exist online to help you save money, and there are many others that offer information about specific deals and concessions, some of which provide vouchers to print off or special codes to use with on-line purchases. In many cases signing up to email alerts from the site will ensure you receive up-to-the-minute information about all current offers – useful if a particular discounted is limited.
Click here for more information about finance over 50 from in my prime.
