Here's a crazy stat: the oldest millennials are closer to receiving AARP than they are from when they graduated college.
AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to help live their lives in the best way possible with access to tools, advocates, and financial resources that help with items ranging from tax preparation to access to community assistance funds for members.
But ignoring that fact, did you know that AARP is now open to anyone ages 18 and up? They offer a variety of resources and benefits to help its members save money. Here are a few ways that AARP can help you lower your spending.
Household Discounts
AARP can save you money when it comes to your everyday expenses. Wireless providers such as ATT and Consumer Cellular offer discounts for regular cell phone plans. Along with your cell phone, you can also save on money sending packages and other services provided by UPS. Other discounts include ones on groceries, gas, and items for your furry companions such as pet insurance.
Speaking of insurance, AARP offers exclusive benefits to members. While you have to qualify for Medicare for some exclusive rates such as ones from United Healthcare and Delta Dental Insurance Company, you can be any age to take advantage of discounts for eyewear at stores like Target and gym memberships. You can also secure discounts on prescription medicine at retailers such as CVS, Walmart, and Walgreens.
Save Money On Travel
Millennials take advantage of their vacation days. It’s estimated that millennials take the largest number of international and domestic vacations when compared to their peers from the Baby Boomer and GenX demographic. Millennials also shared their travel budgets which stated they planned to spend anywhere between $3,650 to $4,560 on travel for the upcoming year. With vacation costs rising, you can save money by using your AARP membership.
Budget, AVIS, and Expedia are all AARP partners that offer discounts on upcoming car rentals. Best Western, Hilton, Embassy Suites Wyndham offer discounts for hotel rooms off of the best available rate for the length of your stay. You can also save big on theme parks like Disneyland, Disney World and Universal Studios. Members can also score exclusive deals for cruises and flight travel packages.
Discounts on Financial Products
AARP partners with financial companies to bring you discounts on common financial tools. For example, Marcus: By Goldman Sachs offers a rate bonus on its high-yield savings account and Barclays has exclusive offers on its credit cards. You can also open a Health Savings Account (HSA) through Optum Financial with reduced fees.
There are also financial tools to help with your taxes, plan for retirement and services if you find yourself the victim of fraud.
AARP also offers services to help ensure you and your family are looked after should something happen to you. Trust & Will offer discounts off of estate planning and New York Life offers long term care insurance as well as multiple life insurance policies to fit you and your budget. Long term planning is something that you can (and should do) at any age.
This membership definitely has you covered when it comes to insurance. For even more insurance needs, The Hartford and Allstate offer special rates for AARP members on auto insurance, renters insurance, and roadside assistance. There’s also insurance mobile homes, motorcycles, recreation vehicles, boats and watercrafts plus collectible vehicles. Basically, if you need insurance, AARP likely has a discount for it.
Save On Entertainment
Fun can be had at any age and that’s what makes AARP great with discounts you can use when you’re out and about. If you feel like skipping out on cooking dinner tonight, you can grab deals at places such as Carrabas Italian Grill, Papa John’s, Cinnabon, Jamba, Outback Steakhouse, and more.
You can also grab discounts on theme park tickets or streaming services like Paramount Plus at a lower rate than a non-member.
AARP Theater also offers multiple movie and theater showings on demand. You can also see concerts, musicals and dance performances all from the comfort of your own home. It’s a great way for those of us who also prefer to stay home or have limited mobility.
Free Financial Education
Besides discounts, AARP also provides a wealth of knowledge and free resources at no additional cost to their members. Financial topics include information about budgeting, retirement planning, debt, taxes, and social security. They also offer free tax assistance and additional support to help advocate for those who need additional help such as home care service or long term insurance.
Get AARP Rewards
Last but not least, AARP offers rewards to members when they complete certain tasks, such as completing surveys and games. You can also earn rewards for activities such as syncing your fitness tracker and logging doctor visits. Rewards can later be turned in for gift cards to retailers such as Amazon and Kroger. Every little bit adds up when it comes to saving and these gift cards can be used for groceries, gifts and other household items one may need.
How To Sign Up
To sign up, visit the AARP website to register. An AARP membership for 2024 is priced at $16 for the entire year. You can get a discount if you pay for a membership if you pay in advance for years to come. At this low rate, you pretty much only need to use your membership once to cover the annual fee.
Editor: Ashley Barnett Reviewed by: Robert Farrington
Athena Valentine Lent is a finance columnist for Slate and the author of Budgeting for Dummies. Her writing has appeared in BuzzzFeed, Tripadvisor, and Slate, among other places. Her personal finance blog, Money Smart Latina, won the Plutus Award for “Best Personal Finance Content for Underserved Communities” in 2020 and was nominated for “Blog of the Year” in 2022. When not working she can be found reading Stephen King with her main man, a polydactal cat named Harrison George.
At The College Investor, Athena covers budgeting, debt management, and the financial challenges facing everyday Americans — particularly those whose stories are rarely centered in traditional money conversations. Whether she is writing a column, leading a workshop, or advocating for the Latina wage gap to be taken seriously, Athena approaches every topic with the same conviction: financial knowledge is a form of power, and everyone deserves access to it.