Seniors Share Their 24 Favorite Retirement Hacks

It's always a disruption when appliances like ACs or washing machines break down. Worse yet, most of us can't afford to go out and replace or repair them on the spot, yet are forced to, since they are rarely covered by home insurance policies. They always seem to break down when we need them most, but next time, you don't need to pay out of pocket for anything...

Clever homeowners are using this new Home Warranty Program, and are saving thousands in the long run by protecting themselves against unexpected home repairs. All appliances you can think of are covered entirely by this program, and in many cases, they'll completely replace your appliance with a brand new one. Without paying a penny out of pocket or unexpectedly, you can save yourself the financial impact and inconvenience of future break downs.

Not every restaurant offers senior discounts. But here are some of the better ones we've found (note: some of these are subject to individual restaurant participation.)

Burger King: 10% senior discount. Plus occasional drink specials.

McDonalds: Discounts on coffee and drinks.

Wendy's: A free drink (some locations offer a 10% discount)

White Castle: 10% off for 55 and over.

Sonic: 10% discount.

Subway: 10% discount.

Applebees: 10% senior discount.

IHOP: Special senior menu, with a 10% discount.

Denny's: Special senior menu with discounted prices.

Golden Corral: ages 60 and over get a discount.

Outback Steakhouse: 10% off for AARP members (so get that AARP card!)

Walmart: does not offer ongoing senior discounts, but they frequently offer a lot of promotions on their website.

Amazon: Medicaid cardholders can get an Amazon Prime membership at a rate of $5.99 a month, as opposed to the full price of $12.99 per month.

Don't overpay on Amazon — Capital One Shopping can help save you money. Get notified instantly when another seller has a better price. And get available coupon codes instantly applied to your shopping cart.

Please do not assume your Social Security is accurate. You will get a statement every year, and we encourage you to check it.

Remember, your Social Security benefits are calculated from the average of your 35 highest-earning years. Even one or two years wrongly reported could really throw things off. Look at your old tax returns, figure out your 35 highest years, and make sure you get every penny coming to you.

Report any errors to www.ssa.gov.

If you share a home with someone who snores, or snore yourself, the ZQuiet will change your life!

Dentist-designed, doctor-approved and FDA-cleared, the ZQuiet will shock you by how well it works. Simply choose the right size mouthpiece and ZQuiet eliminates snoring from day one!

If you are looking to reduce your mortgage payment and owe less than $356,362, there’s a good chance that you qualify for a new relief program that can not only lower your mortgage payment but even eliminate years off your mortgage!

And it only takes two minutes to find out how much you can save.

Every state in the country has a property-tax benefit for seniors (bet you didn't know that!)

Some states freeze seniors property taxes, others limit how much they can go up, and so on. But if you're a senior, you can save.

In addition, the "homestead exemption" may increase for seniors, depending on your state. To give one example, Colorado seniors 65 and older can exempt up to half of their residence's first $200,000 in value.

There is no one-size-fits-all website to check this. However, we can tell you the place to start is at your local township's website. At the least, call them and speak to the Town clerk or equivalent.

It's safe to say, if you have life insurance or don't, your worried about your family's future. Either way, you should head on over to AIG. AIG offers $250,000 of Term Life Insurance Coverage for as low as $14 a month!

AIG is free to check out and it takes all of two minutes to get a free quote. So if life insurance is on your mind, check it out.

Lowes salutes you! All active military and veterans (as well as their spouses) get an instant 10% discount on all in-store purchases at Lowe's.

This should make your shopping choice easy if you are looking for tools, appliances, or anything else Lowes sells.

If you own your own home, you could be saving money by going solar!

Answer some basic questions and find out how much you can save on solar. Not only will you put money back into your pocket, but you'll be helping the environment as well. Checkout the tool below to get estimates on solar in your area!

For a neighborhood hardware store, you can't do better than Ace Hardware. Friendly service and a great selection are reasons enough to shop there. But an even better reason for seniors is most locations offer a 10% senior discount on most items. Be sure to ask for it!

If your joints hurt, run (well, click) to claim your free 2-week sample of Instaflex Advanced.

This is no joke: Instaflex Advanced has become the top selling joint pain product at both GNC and Walgreens. That's because it works – thousands of seniors are enjoying a pain-free life because of this great product.

But don't take our word for it. We've discovered the manufacturer is giving away free 2-week samples to seniors who want to try it. Take advantage of it!

Several drug chains and other companies offer senior discounts.

RiteAid: They have a Wellness 65+ program for seniors – it includes free consultations, and discounts up to 20% on Wednesdays.

Walgreens: They tie senior discounts in with their myWalgreens program. It's free to join, so it's definitely worth checking out.

RxFreeCard: This pharmacy discount card offers discounts on almost all medications (even pet medications!)

Atera Spas: Who doesn't want a relaxing spa in their home? Atera offers healthy senior discounts – check them out if you are looking for a spa.

AARP prescription savings: If you haven't already, just join AARP, ok? Even just for the prescription discounts. You can save up to 61% on FDA-approved prescriptions.

Keep comfortable this summer with a lightweight and portable AC. The Chiller Portable AC is USB powered, noise-free, and has a 10-hour cooling battery life, so you'll have cool and purified air all day. It is so easy to use... just add water and this personal air-cooler will be your best friend all summer long!

As we age, home maintenance can become increasingly difficult and expensive. Gutter cleaning is one such task that can be dangerous and costly to hire someone else to do. Installing gutter covers can alleviate this problem, as they prevent debris from accumulating and clogging gutters, thus reducing the need for frequent cleanings. By investing in gutter covers, seniors can save money on professional cleaning services and protect their homes from potential water damage.

The most popular cell carriers offer special discounts to senior citizens. Here's what we found:

AT&T: They have a special "Senior National Plan" for those 65+. At this writing, it comes with 200 Anytime Minutes, Mobile to Mobile Minutes, and 500 Night and Weekend minutes, without roaming charges. The price? $29.99 a month! They also have a 55+ plan for those who want to use their phone more.

Sprint/T-Mobile: Offers an "Essentials Unlimited 55+" plan, as well as other senior plans.

Verizon Wireless: Verizon Wireless offers a special nationwide unlimited talk and text plan to customers 55 and older. It's $60 a month for one line, which is pretty sweet for unlimited 4G.

Consumer Cellular: Consumer Cellular offers AARP members who are 50 or older a 5% discount, and other exclusive savings. You also get discounts on accessories.

If you’re like me, you have bins full of old home videos and family photos stashed away, gathering dust. Did you know those precious memories are in danger of being lost forever?

I learned the hard way that VHS tapes lose picture and sound over time, slowly turning to static. Make sure you transfer to digital now to keep your memories alive.

iMemories transfers your old home videos, photos and slides to digital so you can re-live and share your memories online with family and friends. It’s like the “Netflix” of family memories.

To get started, you just send your home movies and photos to iMemories using one of their SafeShip Kits and they do all the work for you. Once digitized, you can download everything to your computer, watch and share online, and even make DVDs/Blu-rays. The best part? You can get started for only $15.

Surprise your family with a special screening of precious memories!

Airlines are great at offering senior discounts. Here are a few of our favorites:

Southwest Airlines: There are several discounts they offer for those 65 or over. It depends on "where and when" you are traveling. Check their website to see what's available to you.

United Airlines: Check out united.com for special senior rates on select destinations.

American Airlines: When you book on American, be sure to choose the "65+" option (assuming you're 65 or older of course!) But you'll get a discount.

There are plenty of grocery stores that offer senior discounts. Most of them tie them to a special day, so pay attention and save!

American Discount Stores: Those 62+ save 10% every Monday.

Bi Lo: 5% off on Wednesdays for those 60 and over.

ShopRite: Some stores offer a 5-10% senior discount on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Call your local store to find out if they participate.

Fred Meyer: Senior Discount: The first Tuesday of each month is senior day (55+), with 10% off (and sometimes even 15%)

New Seasons: Offers 10% off to those 65+ every Wednesday (for most items). Oh, Tuesdays are 10% off for military – sweet!

The increasing price of electricity must be worrying us as consumers. MiracleWatt provides the opportunity for you to save up to 90% on your energy bill. That's a phenomenal savings and makes it easy to understand why Big Energy wants this device hidden from consumers for good.

MiracleWatt is a great gift because it will save everybody who receives it a ton of money!

Learn More »

Here are some great health and beauty related discounts for seniors:

Great Clips: Seniors can save $2 or more on a Great Clips haircut.

Supercuts: Also offers a $2 senior haircut discount.

MasterCuts: Offers 20% of all services Mon-Thur (must join their free seniors club).

Silver Sneakers Fitness: Senior Discount: Participating locations give free memberships to seniors. If there is one in your area, check it out.

YMCA: The good old YMCA offers a discounted membership for those 65 and over

Give the gift of stress relief this year with Nuubu! Stress can take its toll on our bodies, leaving us feeling tired and spent. The Nuubu foot pads are made with a special blend of herbs that work with the acupuncture points in your feet to help purify the body.

After using Nuubu you'll feel less stressed, have better sleep, and even notice some anti-aging properties! And all you do is sleep with the foot patches on your foot overnight. The process couldn't be easier!

If you struggle with inconsistent hearing, difficulty hearing or any other hearing issues, the Atom is designed for you!

The Audien Atom is the most premium, discreet and affordable hearing aid around. The 20 hour battery life means you can go about your day and not worry about charging. All day comfort and a near invisible design means you'll forget you are even wearing hearing aids. Try them today and hear the difference!

The burden of debt can be a big one to carry, especially so for seniors. Ever increasing living costs combined with interest rates that exponentially increase your debt can be overwhelming. With all these factors, you could end up with an inability to pay your debt and an ever increasing pile of it!

Americans who have $24,000 or more in credit card debt could settle their credit card debt through this ‘Debt Relief Program’, allowing them to substantially reduce their debt in a short period of time, compared to making minimum monthly payments.

If you have $24,000 or more in credit card debt, we strongly advise you to check out this program to get rid of your debt!