Why do senior citizens get discounts?

[Kaieye]

I know that there are a lot of senior citizens on fixed or limited incomes but there are also a lot of people between the ages of 30-40 who have a lot less. If you don't believe me, ask yourself this - do your parents or grandparents have more $$ than you?

And yes, I do respect my elders...

 

[HumblePie]

Originally posted by: Kaieye
I know that there are a lot of senior citizens on fixed or limited incomes but there are also a lot of people between the ages of 30-40 who have a lot less. If you don't believe me, ask yourself this - do your parents or grandparents have more $$ than you?

And yes, I do respect my elders...

To quote George Carlin, if you take any demographic of people you are going to find a few winners and a lot of losers. For every old person you meet with cash, there are hundreds to thousands more without and without the ability anymore to work 40+ hours per week.

 

[CocoGdog]

Its sad, but one day soon - you will be a senior too. I hope and know that you give our elders a chance a every discount that they possibly can get. Heck, if they can get a break on the current gas prices, it would help.

 

[msparish]

Originally posted by: HumblePie

Originally posted by: Kaieye
I know that there are a lot of senior citizens on fixed or limited incomes but there are also a lot of people between the ages of 30-40 who have a lot less. If you don't believe me, ask yourself this - do your parents or grandparents have more $$ than you?

And yes, I do respect my elders...

To quote George Carlin, if you take any demographic of people you are going to find a few winners and a lot of losers. For every old person you meet with cash, there are hundreds to thousands more without and without the ability anymore to work 40+ hours per week.

Um, you make it sould like nearly every senior is in poverty. Fact: Seniors are, on average, the most wealthy age group in the US.

 

[gooseman]

Many of them are on fixed incomes, therefore the discounts are very helpful. Plus, if you live that long, you deserve a break.

Oh God, I'm starting to sound like a Democrat!

 

[Kaieye]

Hey, many couples the age of 25-45 are on fixed incomes, too! Why aren't they given any financial breaks?

Anyways, in less than a dozen years, I'll be collecting SSI and taking advantage of a bunch of senior discounts available to me. I'm not bitching but something is just not quite right...

 

[montanafan]

Plus, businesses know that most Senior citizens are pretty frugal (Great Depression and all) and they are more likely to part with their cash if they feel they are getting a good deal.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: Kaieye
Hey, many couples the age of 25-45 are on fixed incomes, too! Why aren't they given any financial breaks?

Anyways, in less than a dozen years, I'll be collecting SSI and taking advantage of a bunch of senior discounts available to me. I'm not bitching but something is just not quite right...

They get all kinds of breaks including subsidized education and tax breaks for kids and for low income. All kinds of handouts if they're poor including food stamps and food banks.

If the "fixed income" is for a reason besides being lazy or stupid they also get disability payments.

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: gooseman
Many of them are on fixed incomes, therefore the discounts are very helpful. Plus, if you live that long, you deserve a break.

Oh God, I'm starting to sound like a Democrat!

shudder....😉

 

[ajpa123]

They should change it to 'half off' day for college students. Hot college aged girls must take half of their clothes off to receive 10% off any purchase.

OK.. forgive the mindlessly numb post.. I just fvckin woke up 😀

Coffee is Good :beer:

 

[spidey07]

Possibly as incentive to get them into their establishment?

I mean many aren't as mobile and don't shop/eat out as often as they used to. A little incentive could get that business back.

 

[SVT Cobra]

Originally posted by: jadinolf

Originally posted by: gooseman
Many of them are on fixed incomes, therefore the discounts are very helpful. Plus, if you live that long, you deserve a break.

Oh God, I'm starting to sound like a Democrat!

shudder....😉

join the dark side...see its not that hard...just take another step forawrd thats it...nice and easy...you can do that can't you...there you go...now just one.........

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: msparish

Originally posted by: HumblePie

Originally posted by: Kaieye
I know that there are a lot of senior citizens on fixed or limited incomes but there are also a lot of people between the ages of 30-40 who have a lot less. If you don't believe me, ask yourself this - do your parents or grandparents have more $$ than you?

And yes, I do respect my elders...

To quote George Carlin, if you take any demographic of people you are going to find a few winners and a lot of losers. For every old person you meet with cash, there are hundreds to thousands more without and without the ability anymore to work 40+ hours per week.

Um, you make it sould like nearly every senior is in poverty. Fact: Seniors are, on average, the most wealthy age group in the US.

Okay, so you just proved to me that you suck at understanding statistics.
Using your logic, the goat herders in the middle eastern countries are the richest people in the world. (well, on the average anyway... once you average in the 10 or 15 people with all the money and all the power...)

I think that you're forgetting about people like Warren Buffett.
Look at lists of the wealthiest people in the world; you'll notice something: most of them are older. The exceptions are those who inherited a lot of money, and those who became rich from innovations in technology (i.e. Bill Gates)
Here, check these out: http://www.forbes.com/static/bill2005/r...=category&passKeyword=&resultsStart=26
richest in the world ranked 26-50. Look at the ages. Most people aren't rich by the time they're 25 years old. AND, most of the older people who are poor pretty much stay at home and you don't run across them often in your day to day life.

 

[msparish]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: msparish

Originally posted by: HumblePie

Originally posted by: Kaieye
I know that there are a lot of senior citizens on fixed or limited incomes but there are also a lot of people between the ages of 30-40 who have a lot less. If you don't believe me, ask yourself this - do your parents or grandparents have more $$ than you?

And yes, I do respect my elders...

To quote George Carlin, if you take any demographic of people you are going to find a few winners and a lot of losers. For every old person you meet with cash, there are hundreds to thousands more without and without the ability anymore to work 40+ hours per week.

Um, you make it sould like nearly every senior is in poverty. Fact: Seniors are, on average, the most wealthy age group in the US.

Okay, so you just proved to me that you suck at understanding statistics.
Using your logic, the goat herders in the middle eastern countries are the richest people in the world. (well, on the average anyway... once you average in the 10 or 15 people with all the money and all the power...)

I think that you're forgetting about people like Warren Buffett.
Look at lists of the wealthiest people in the world; you'll notice something: most of them are older. The exceptions are those who inherited a lot of money, and those who became rich from innovations in technology (i.e. Bill Gates)
Here, check these out: http://www.forbes.com/static/bill2005/r...=category&passKeyword=&resultsStart=26
richest in the world ranked 26-50. Look at the ages. Most people aren't rich by the time they're 25 years old. AND, most of the older people who are poor pretty much stay at home and you don't run across them often in your day to day life.

Oh, wow. First of all, the median net worth of seniors is higher than other age groups, so that takes care of your concern of a couple super rich people pulling the average up.

Second, that point is exactly what I'm trying to make (for what it's worth, about half of the 400 richest Americans are 65 or older). The seniors have had more time to accumulate wealth. This isn't just a phenomenon with the super rich, it's true for an average citizen (not true with the poor unfortunatley).

Are there many poor seniors? You bet. And they are incapable of pulling themselves out of it through work, unlike a younger poor person. However, the fact remains that the median net worth of seniors is higher than other age groups.

I'm not saying they shouldn't get a discount, I think it's important that we treat our elders with respect. But lets not take the view that 98% of them are homeless and starving.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: msparish
Oh, wow. First of all, the median net worth of seniors is higher than other age groups, so that takes care of your concern of a couple super rich people pulling the average up.

MsParish is actually correct on this one (even though no data was shown to prove it). The majority of seniors are not in a bad situation financially. Yes some of them are, but most aren't. Incomes may be fixed, but expenses are generally negligible compared to the incomes. Mortgages are usually paid off, etc.

I think the discount is due to the frugalness of most seniors. Most seniors tend to be far more frugal than they need to be. They tend to be overly cautious since they have been through hard times in the past. They remember times when there wasn't money to put bread on the table. Thus most seniors don't splurge that often. They aren't like the 20-somethings who buy buy buy even though they have low income and tons of debt. Discounts often are the only way to get their business.