Does anyone have a AARP membership and use it?

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,354
10,880
136
Do ya? Is it good for anything??


I was "gifted" an AARP membership awhile back and I like to support them for their political advocacy, but all the membership ever does is fatten me up with free donuts from Dunkin!

:p
 
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BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,397
14,793
146
I finally broke down and joined the AARP gang. I don't want the majority of bullshit they push on me, but I do use it to get a nice discount on pet insurance for my dog. Otherwise, their politics tend to be a bit too...conservative for my liking, and other than my membership fee, they don't get a dime from me.
 

Charmonium

Lifer
May 15, 2015
10,582
3,559
136
I started subscribing long ago for mom and gramms. Once they were gone, I was in my 40s and didn't pay much attention. But now, my main motivation is their advocacy and focus on all the various issues that are of special interest to us boomers. For example, the big spending bill that looks like it will pass the senate will give Medicare the ability to negotiate drug prices. That's going to be huge for me and even more important to the other folks that don't have much if any financial cushion. My primary meds for T2 diabetes are ridiculously expensive. Pretty much all of the others are just generics. Even so, I'm out of pocket by around $3-4k per year. Maybe more. Let's put it this way, I usually hit the catastrophic coverage level by May or June.
 
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Iron Woode

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 10, 1999
31,320
12,833
136
I get a senior's discount every Thursday at my local drugstore.
 

Charmonium

Lifer
May 15, 2015
10,582
3,559
136
Excuse me while I sh** on your thread.

I'm at that awkward age --> you know. When either your beard or your hair goes all white but not the other. I know it's not possible but my hair seems to have less gray. Probably those rose colored glasses. Keep forgetting I've got them on.
 

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,354
10,880
136
Excuse me while I sh** on your thread.

I'm at that awkward age --> you know. When either your beard or your hair goes all white but not the other. I know it's not possible but my hair seems to have less gray. Probably those rose colored glasses. Keep forgetting I've got them on.

Try to not ever forget that! Rose beats the heck out of grey! ;)
 

brianmanahan

Lifer
Sep 2, 2006
24,638
6,016
136
I'm at that awkward age --> you know. When either your beard or your hair goes all white but not the other. I know it's not possible but my hair seems to have less gray. Probably those rose colored glasses. Keep forgetting I've got them on.

as soon as people started noticing gray in my beard, that beard was GONE

if it ever happens to my hair then i might just shave my head too in a last-ditch effort to feel younger than i am

luckily in my family it seems that head hair doesn't start to turn gray until the 70s, and i doubt i'll even make it that long
 

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,354
10,880
136
Been shaving my head for a good 20 years now and have gotten so used to it that it would seem weird to have hair!

:p

What will grow in on my head at this point is a very dark solid grey (which I could not care less about) but my beard is still dark-red & blonde with grey/white specks.
 
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skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,796
5,967
146
I finally broke down and joined the AARP gang. I don't want the majority of bullshit they push on me, but I do use it to get a nice discount on pet insurance for my dog. Otherwise, their politics tend to be a bit too...conservative for my liking, and other than my membership fee, they don't get a dime from me.
I have resisted for the same reasons. I'll give it another look when I am done working.
 

Thump553

Lifer
Jun 2, 2000
12,839
2,625
136
Their magazine is very nice, packed with useful information and little BS, interesting celebrity interviews (Bruce Springsteen was a few months ago).. Got my cellphones and cell plan through them, was a very good deal. I'm trying to reduce my consumerism so I don't really pay much attention to their discounts and deals.

As far as their "political agenda" goes, IMO it's nice to have someone lobbying FOR YOUR INTERESTS versus lobbyists for guns and other religious viewpoints.

Hey it's $16 a year, won't break the bank.
 
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IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
73,109
34,413
136
as soon as people started noticing gray in my beard, that beard was GONE

if it ever happens to my hair then i might just shave my head too in a last-ditch effort to feel younger than i am

luckily in my family it seems that head hair doesn't start to turn gray until the 70s, and i doubt i'll even make it that long
I started going gray when I qualified to be a Boy Scout, not join AARP. :p
 
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brianmanahan

Lifer
Sep 2, 2006
24,638
6,016
136
I started going gray when I qualified to be a Boy Scout, not join AARP. :p

dang
F1PvrRb.png
it happens to people in my family in early 30s, which i thought was really early

no baldness though, which is a plus. though tbh baldness would prevent gray hair from being an issue
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
60,346
10,749
126
I have no intention of joining. I don't want discounts or benefits solely because I managed to make a sufficient number of orbits around the sun. I'll earn it, or do without.
 

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,354
10,880
136
I have no intention of joining. I don't want discounts or benefits solely because I managed to make a sufficient number of orbits around the sun. I'll earn it, or do without.


Wat? :oops:

Send 'em my way if you have no issue paying full-price... I LIKE discounts & benefits!

Really considerate of you to think of the poor corporations first though! ;)
 
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IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
73,109
34,413
136
Wat? :oops:

Send 'em my way if you have no issue paying full-price... I LIKE discounts & benefits!

Really considerate of you to think of the poor corporations first though! ;)
Senior discounts are really surcharges on everyone else.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,587
10,225
126
Senior discounts are really surcharges on everyone else.
Not really, they're a profit-maximizing scheme.

Take (for a fully hypothetical sample, I'm making these numbers up) a "senior coffee".

If a senior coffee costs a customer $0.50, but a regular coffee costs a non-senior customer $1.29 or $1.00, is it really subsidy, if it only costs the corporation $0.15-20 all in for the costs of that coffee?

It allows them to make an additional, though smaller, profit from a customer base that may not have as much disposible income, and thus might not be a regular customer, if they had to pay the full $1.00 price for coffee.

But it's still profit, not a subsidy.
 
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IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
73,109
34,413
136
Not really, they're a profit-maximizing scheme.

Take (for a fully hypothetical sample, I'm making these numbers up) a "senior coffee".

If a senior coffee costs a customer $0.50, but a regular coffee costs a non-senior customer $1.29 or $1.00, is it really subsidy, if it only costs the corporation $0.15-20 all in for the costs of that coffee?

It allows them to make an additional, though smaller, profit from a customer base that may not have as much disposible income, and thus might not be a regular customer, if they had to pay the full $1.00 price for coffee.

But it's still profit, not a subsidy.
Corporations compete on return on investment. Not only is it a subsidy, a senior discount subsidizes the wealthiest demographic in our society.
 

Oyeve

Lifer
Oct 18, 1999
22,071
885
126
You should be more concerned in getting a colonoscopy than joining AARP. Take it from me, it can save your life more that free donuts will!
 
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PowerEngineer

Diamond Member
Oct 22, 2001
3,607
787
136
I ended up with an AARP membership because their Plan F Medicare Part B Supplemental insurance was the best available in my area (and provides free gym membership). I do not pay attention to any of their political efforts and have seldom profited from AARP discounts.
 

esquared

Forum Director & Omnipotent Overlord
Forum Director
Oct 8, 2000
25,193
6,266
146
Their magazine is very nice, packed with useful information and little BS, interesting celebrity interviews (Bruce Springsteen was a few months ago).. Got my cellphones and cell plan through them, was a very good deal. I'm trying to reduce my consumerism so I don't really pay much attention to their discounts and deals.

As far as their "political agenda" goes, IMO it's nice to have someone lobbying FOR YOUR INTERESTS versus lobbyists for guns and other religious viewpoints.

Hey it's $16 a year, won't break the bank.
5 years for 63.00