Seniors Share Their 19 Favorite Retirement Hacks

Nobody can live on Social Security alone. The average check is just a hair over $1400 a month…

So here's the deal – if you want to have a stress-free retirement, you need to have additional income, and/or find ways to save money.

Fortunately, the internet is making it easy. There are all kinds of FREE websites with opportunities to save money, and money-saving tips are plentiful.

Whether it's a service that lets you compare insurance rates to telling you which restaurants have the best senior discounts, the internet has been a real boon to seniors everywhere.

We've gathered the 19 best money saving tips and websites for seniors. These are all free to use, and will help seniors save big. Enjoy!

1. Get Your Senior Discount When Eating Out

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.

2. Check Your Social Security for Errors

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.

3. Seniors Save on Property Taxes

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.

4. Veterans and Their Spouses Get a Nice Discount at Lowes.

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.

5. Senior Discounts at Ace Hardware!

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!

There is an awesome Home Warranty Program called Choice Home Warranty. It augments your homeowner's insurance by covering things like refrigerators, the furnace, ceiling fans, and more. Everything a senior doesn't want to fix anymore.

The best part is, you can buy this no matter how old your home is.

Better still, you can get your first month free. So check it out, seniors.

7. Seniors Can Slash Their Cellphone Bills

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.

8. Seniors Save Big on Travel

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.

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!

10. Health and Wellness Senior Discounts

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.

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There are over 1 million home burglaries every year in America. Unfortunately, many people don't have security systems and the burglar just gets away. With a home security system you can avoid being one of those homes and, unlike other home security systems which can be very expensive, with ADT you can set up a system for just $28.99 a month1.

1"Requires 36-month monitoring contract. Early term. and installation fees apply. Taxes addt'l. New customers only.For full terms and pricing visit www.adt.com/legal."

ADT has your home covered with everything from video surveillance to home automation, door sensors to carbon monoxide detectors, available with upgraded services levels. Call to get a free quote today and receive a $100 ADT Visa Reward Card on sign up2.

2"Requires 36-month monitoring contract. Early term. and installation fees apply. Taxes addt'l. New customers only. For full terms and pricing visit www.adt.com/legal."

People waste money every year on overpriced homeowner’s insurance. But no more.

We've heard this free tool being called "The Amazon of Homeowner's Insurance". We agree – it's pretty neat. Essentially, it allows you to compare homeowner's insurance rates side by side. And whenever that happens, people save big. Some people are even saving more than $500 a year. That's sweet.

This free tool is currently online as of December 2020, but it could be taken down at any time. However, once you lock in, that's it – you get the better rate. So check it out – you have nothing to lose.

Step 1: Click how long you've lived in your home to instantly check your eligibility for free.

Step 2: View your new lower rate and save money!

How many years have you lived in your home?

13. Save On Your Groceries

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!

Have you had no tickets in a year? How about no DUI's? Then you should get some big insurance discounts.

The trouble is, your current insurance company won't tell you this. But if you compare insurance companies side by side, you can save big.

Comparisons.org is a free service that lets you compare car insurance rates in your state and zip code. And switching is as easy as clicking a mouse. So if you find a lower rate, you can switch, and your old company will refund you the unused premium.

Most people who use comparisons.org can save up to $500+ a year. Not bad for a free service that takes two minutes. Check it out.

15. Senior Health and Beauty Discounts

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

And who couldn’t use free money when they retire?

The Aspiration debit card gives you up to 10% cashback. So that next time you need to buy groceries? Free money. Drugstore purchases? Free money. The Aspiration card is a great way to get free money for buying the things you needed to buy anyways!

If you're a senior with a mortgage, you should seriously look Congress' Mortgage Relief Program It could save you as much as $3,264 a year. Your bank or mortgage holder won't tell you about this, but they must abide, because hey, it's the law. Congress has made a big push to help American homeowners, and seniors are at the top of the list of people to help.

Use this free tool to calculate your new house payment under this program, and get saving today.

Step 1: Click your state on the map.

Step 2: Calculate your NEW estimated payment!

Select Your State



Biden’s stimulus spending is adding trillions to the economy, which will devalue the dollar and your IRA/401k. But you can protect your retirement from Biden’s plans with gold, known as the best hedge against inflation. Protect and grow your IRA/401k with gold. Get your free gold investment guide today.

It's safe to say, if you have life insurance or don't, you are worried about your family's future. Either way, you should head on over to AIG Direct. AIG Direct offers $250,000 of Term Life Insurance Coverage for as low as $29 a month!

AIG Direct 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.



And there you go – 19 awesome tips and websites specifically with seniors in mind. If you found this list helpful, be sure to share it with family and friends.

Thanks for reading!

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