I've been an AARP member for uh, ... several.... years and every once in a while membership does pay off.

While I'm not old enough to qualify for senior citizen discounts (several years before that would apply) I did get a 10% discount coupon in the mail from Home Depot last week that entitled AARP members to 10% off at the cash register. I've been putting off a rather large purchase of something that only Home Depot carries locally. With coupon in hand, went to HD and made that purchase, of something that never goes on sale. Courtesy of AARP and Home Depot, I saved a bundle.

Schweet....

Hubby just got his application for membership this past May.They must have spies at the Social Security.
I don't know why he hasn't joined.And 10-15% off is still saving money.
Hows being a member? Any minus points for the group?I mean,shoot if we can save some money on campsites and resturants,thats a bonus.
Guess I'll have to bug him about it.

There are no downsides to being a member. Every now and then I get their magazine, and a newsletter. But not a lot of junk mail. Oh, some insurance stuff, and probably credit card offers, but no deluge of junk in my Postal mail box.

With my AAA card and my AARP card, there's a bunch of stuff that offers discounts.

What's it cost, Yoss?

Are you sure you'd wanna be a member of any outfit that'll accept you? j/k

funny snoop!

It's something like $10 or $12/ year. Really cheap. I renew for 3 years at a time (whoops, guess I just gave the age away) and it's like $28 for the 3 years, I think.

Okay, just checked: $12.50/year, and that includes your spouse.

http://www.aarp.org/membership/aarp/

How ancient...uh...old you gotta be to join? 55? I got lotsa time! (I hope)

AND, if you join, your spouse gets a free membership! I'm not 50 yet, but I use the membership anyhow!

Don't forget, those of you who qualify for "senior discounts" can also get bargains at tons of places around town... just for being "aged." LOL

Check out www.seniordiscounts.com, where you can search for local establishments that offer discounts to the older generation.

Some listed include:

Weis Markets
Burger King
Pizza Hut
Humane Society of Morgan County
Brown Funeral Home
CVS
Jo-Ann Fabrics
GoodWill
Khols
Sally Beauty Supply
Pikeside Bowl
Gold's Gym

I can't wait till I'm elgible for senior discounts and AARP!! LOL
But I still have quite a while to go.

Now THERE's a business I want to take advantage of my senior discount at - Brown Funeral Home!

Another interesting discount is the National Park Services "Golden Age Passport", which is a lifetime admission permit to National Parks and a discount on some service fees. You have to be 62 years of age for this one. It cost $10, and also allows free admission for your spouse and children (and anyone else if entry is in a vehicle).

We always ask for senior or AAA discounts when we travel.

You'd be surprised at the cost.
My son's cost $10k and it really wasn't that big.It was on the low end.
And my daughters was $4k because she was cremated(sp?)
What really gets you are the cemetery plots! for that small a piece of dirt,it sure is expensive.





OT/maybe not
Has anyone done the pre-planning thing?Also,how hard is it to get a will done at a good lawyers office?And is that (lawyers) really necessary?I'm trying to get hubby to do these things so neither one of us are left stuck,but I think he's in denial,or maybe he thinks that if we do these things it'll "put the whammy" on one of us and we'll die.Some people are like that.

My parents had started the pre-planning just prior to mom passing. They had their plots in the cemetary for years and they paid for the vaults and to dig the grave (over 5 years ago this cost just under $1000.00).

Mom's funeral cost around $5,600 and Dad's, five years later, was around $6,100. That didn't include the money for the minister or the color guard for Dad.

Getting a will made is easy. I would recommend a lawyer as they can guide you in the best possible way to leave your assets. For example, anything that is held is joint ownership, doesn't pass through probate and transfers to the other at death.

WVDL
Has anyone done the pre-planning thing?

When my husband's father went into the nursing home, he had about $20K to his name. No home, nothing of value except the money in his checking/savings account. The state of Maryland allowed us to keep $6 or $7K to pay for his funeral, and they took the rest. That happened in about 1996 or so. We buried him a year and a half ago, and we haven't gotten any bills for costs that weren't covered. So I guess, in that case, it was a good bet.

I'm going to donate whatever organs can be used by humans (I don't wish to be research material), then burn the rest. They can put me in either the daylily beds or in with the 'maters.

Also, the last paragraph of mstubble's post is exactly what I've experienced, albeit in 1974. My father died in 1974 at the age of 48 with no will, and the division of the property was a very rude experience for my mom. The state of Maryland locked all of the accounts so that she couldn't get access to any money (I was 17 and my brother was 13, so you can imagine we needed some groceries), and she had to buy the car from his estate. It was a '66 Catalina, so it wasn't real expensive, but.... Also, my father had inherited my grandfather's house, and when he died, the state split the ownership into 3 - my mom, me, and my brother.

But while we're at it, let me remind everybody of the importance of having a living will also - remember Terri Schiavo?

I forgot the cost of the death certificates. PA is the cheapest at $5 each, but MD is $20 each. I ordered them when I planned mom and dad's funerals and got them the day of (funeral). If you wait, it takes a lot longer. And of course, with out the death certificates, you can't do anything.

Oh yea! They make the world go round after someone's died. They were only $5 here in WV,but that was 5yrs. ago.Don't know if they went up or not.Also,you better know how many you need too if you have more that one insurance policy.Each company will want one.Some also want a copy of the obit too.Thank goodness you don't have to mess with Soc.Sec. at that time.The funeral home informs them.