They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch.
Insofar as nothing is truly free, sure, I suppose “they” are right, those smarmy know-it-alls.
But if we’re explicitly talking about the cost to your bank account, you can at least feel good knowing that there’s absolutely such a thing as discounted and outright free lunches, hotel stays, tickets to your favorite museum or event, even medical services …
… as long as you’re a senior citizen.
(Or, if you love fun loopholes, as long as you’re an adult of any age willing to pay for a low-priced membership.)
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It Pays to Be Young (Or Old)
For most of your adult life, you’re doomed to maximum pricing.
And by that, I mean, wherever you go, the price you pay for whatever you purchase is going to be the absolute highest amount they can possibly charge you.
If I sound insane … well, fair, but indulge me.
The next time you’re at a local diner, or visiting a museum, or even signing up for services, take a really close look (like what you see in the image above) and tell me whether everyone is getting the same price.
Fortunately, financial breaks aren’t limited to the young—as you start to roll into your 50s and especially your 60s and 70s, a wide world of discounts will begin to open their doors to you: senior discounts.
They’re completely arbitrary—businesses, organizations, and governmental agencies set senior discounts and other benefits to begin at virtually any age they like, though 55, 60, and 65 are three of the most popular thresholds.
And today, I’m going to point you in the direction of myriad senior discounts and freebies you can look forward to (or, if you’re already of age, look out for) in old age … including some benefits that many people associate with advanced age but are actually open to anyone 18 or older!
Senior Discounts: They’re Not Just Nice … They’re Important.
Americans retire at all sorts of ages, but retirement by and large is clustered around our 60s. And it’s typically accompanied by an abrupt transition from workplace income to a fixed income of Social Security, retirement accounts, annuities, life insurance, and other funds. (Said differently: Retirees don’t have the same financial resources they have during their working years.) Moreover, this happens during a time in which people’s expenses will radically change, too.
Senior discounts, then, aren’t just a nicety—for many people, they represent a vital reduction in costs that helps counterbalance a reduction in their financial resources.
These price cuts cover a wide array of expenses, from the necessary to the downright fun. Just check out these examples from numerous spending categories—and check out our stories, which offer fuller lists of available discounts.
1. Senior Restaurant and Grocery Discounts
Whether you want to eat in or dine out, numerous nationwide and regional chains offer discounts to their customers.
For instance, many of Chili’s Grill & Bar’s 1,600-plus locations offer a 10% senior discount to people age 55 and older. Like with many chains, you’ll want to call ahead to make sure your location participates. But it’s par for the course for Chili’s, which also lets kids eat free (with the purchase of an adult entrée) and offers free meals to veterans and active-duty members on Veteran’s Day.
On the grocery side, Fred Meyer’s is one example of a chain that offers a senior discount. On the first Tuesday of every month, adults age 55 and older receive a 10% discount on private-brand groceries and nutrition, apparel, shoes, toys, sporting goods, and most electronics, among other items.
Related: 10 Senior Discounts for Restaurants + Grocery Stores
2. Senior Hotel Discounts
Many of the world’s biggest hotel chains offer discounted prices for senior travelers, both in the U.S. and abroad.
Among the most generous we’ve seen? Wyndham Hotels & Resorts—which operates under the Wyndham, Days Inn, La Quinta, Super 8, Ramada, Travelodge, and other brands—offers discounted room rates to seniors age 60 and up. Our tests uncovered price reductions of up to 24%.
Most hotel chains aren’t quite as generous; their price cuts often vary by location and booking date, and often sit in the single digits. But one of the most reliable and meaningful breaks comes from Red Roof Inn, whose hotels offer a straight-up 10% discount across the board—starting as young as age 59.
Related: 10 Exclusive Hotel Discounts for Seniors
Do you want to get serious about saving and planning for retirement? Sign up for Retire With Riley, Young and the Invested’s free retirement planning newsletter.
3. Senior Experience Discounts
If you’re booking a hotel in another part of the country (or the world), you probably don’t want to sit around in that hotel all day—you want to get out and explore. Fortunately, many “experiences” offer discounts, too.
One of the best discounts comes from the America the Beautiful—the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass (or, mercifully, just the America the Beautiful Pass). These passes cover the entrance fees and standard amenity (day-use) fees at lands managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and more.
Standard annual passes cost $80, but seniors age 62 and up can get a lifetime pass for the same price, or buy annual passes at a significantly discounted rate of $20.
Related: 10 Experiences Seniors Can Enjoy for Less
4. Free Senior Experiences
Of course, free is a heckuva lot cheaper than discounted.
Love hiking or just walking? National parks are open for free a few days a year, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth, and Veterans Day holidays, as well as several parks-specific holidays.
Want to continue expanding your mind in old age? You can find free podcasts in a variety of places, including SoundCloud, YouTube, and the Podcasts app. Most states have at least one tuition-free state university program for seniors, and many other universities may let you audit classes (that is, attend classes without being required to take tests or do homework) for free.
Related: 12 Free Things for Seniors to Do
5. Senior Membership Discounts
Seniors can also access discounted memberships to a number of businesses and organizations, unlocking a variety of subsequently discounted goods, services, and experiences.
The YMCA is known for its sports programs and athletics facilities, but it also provides development programs, camps, even child care services. “The Y” frequently offers senior discounts, though pricing and even age vary by location.
Young and the Invested Tip: One membership that doesn’t require you to be in your 50s or 60s to unlock savings is AAA. While it’s known for its auto-service coverage, AAA provides discounts on hotels, theme park tickets, fuel, and more.
Want to call or browse the web for less? T-Mobile offers $5 per month off several of their plans (all of which include at least 50GB of data) to seniors age 55 and up.
Even Sam’s Club offers significantly discounted Club and Plus memberships to people age 50 and older. Both offer benefits like in-store savings and lower fuel prices, and the Plus membership includes bonuses such as $0 prescriptions on certain generic medicines, 50% off tire and battery installations, even free shipping on eligible orders
Related: Seniors Can Save More With These 10 Discounted Memberships + Subscriptions
6. AARP Discounts
Love the sound of these senior discounts, but you’re a lot younger than most of the thresholds mentioned above?
Yes, AARP is shorthand for the American Association of Retired Persons. And yes, it still largely serves as an advocate on issues important to Americans ages 50 and older, such as fixing Social Security. But you can become an AARP member as early as age 18.
Membership absolutely has its benefits; belonging to AARP will net you lower prices on everything from Bloomin’ Onions at Outback Steakhouse to Avis car rentals to rooms at a Hilton.
Related: 12 AARP Discounts + Benefits You Don’t Want to Miss
Do you want to get serious about saving and planning for retirement? Sign up for Retire With Riley, Young and the Invested’s free retirement planning newsletter.
7. Free Things for Seniors
Lastly, a number of vital services are often or always free to people above certain age thresholds.
For instance, most seniors will also enjoy free Medicare Part A when they turn 65. (Sadly, this is pretty firmly rooted at age 65, so early retirees must look elsewhere for health care.)
At age 60, you can begin to receive free tax help from the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) grant program. And if you’re age 65 or older, you receive an additional standard deduction—for the 2025 tax year, it’s an additional $1,600 per qualifying individual for married couples filing jointly, married taxpayers filing separately, and surviving spouses, or $2,000 for single and head-of-household filers.
Related: 12 Free Things for Seniors
Related: 13 Best Long-Term Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever
As even novice investors probably know, funds—whether they’re mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs)—are the simplest and easiest ways to invest in the stock market. But the best long-term stocks also offer many investors a way to stay “invested” intellectually—by following companies they believe in. They also provide investors with the potential for outperformance.
So if you’re looking for a starting point for your own portfolio, look no further. Check out our list of the best long-term stocks for buy-and-hold investors.
Related: 10 Best Monthly Dividend Stocks for Frequent, Regular Income
The vast majority of American dividend stocks pay regular, reliable payouts—and they do so at a more frequent clip (quarterly) than dividend stocks in most other countries (typically every six months or year).
Still, if you’ve ever thought to yourself, “it’d sure be nice to collect these dividends more often,” you don’t have to look far. While they’re not terribly common, American exchanges boast dozens of monthly dividend stocks.
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