For The Older Folks Here...A Question About AARP

I joined when I turned 50 as I paid the $12 and got it back on a GPT site I was on. I thought there'd be benefits to recoop but there wasn't. I was looking for BOGO'sand coupons and discounts etc, but they are so far and so seldom and even for things I don't use/need.. the whole thing was a waste of $12. I didn't renuew but on one of my grocery trips, the back of the receipt and a thing where I could join for free for a year... I did, still looking for a benefit, but there was none. The little magazine htey send out monthly is unique as the person on the front cover is all those that I grew up with!!! Last month is was Bruce Springstein turns 60! And Kevin Costner and the list goes on. Just makes me feel old to know all those I grew up with waching and such are now so old!!!But still, I don't see any benefits to using the membership. I hear to.. that many seniors are canceling their memberships as AARP is heavily supporting Obamas Government Health program and the seniors don't like it so they have canceled their AARP memberships - 60,000 so far this year. Don't know the details, didn't bother to find out as I am not a member anymore but apparently others feel the same way I do, so I guess I have the right feeling. I joined AAA and for $57 a year, and in addition to the road side assistance and all... I get 10% off at lots of places. I go to Payless Shoe Source often and get 10% off there...theme parks give % off... and a few other places.

Hey pye! Thanks for starting this discussion! As another one of us "old farts" I have always wondered if it was worth it to join too! And I can see that I think we pretty much have gotten our answers! I will now continue to file it in my nice square pail file in my kitchen! It will do us no good since we don't travel, stay at motels, I don't want life insurance so I guess that about does it for me! I don't want their stupid magazine either!

since you are on assistance, I doubt they could help you much - except to lighten your wallet - they do help people that don't get medicaid to help with medicare with insurance to pay for what medicare doesn't pay

I have been a member of AARP, pyewacket, for several years -until recently. I think the benefits are there for people who have something!For someone like myself I did not find it very useful; only the reduced-rate life insurance program. The way I see it the "benefits" are geared towards people who have money to manage, frequent travelers, and those who have money to spend. I didn't meet any of those qualifications, so I ended my association with them, other than my life insurance. I also found that for such a huge organization the AARP dropped the ball by offering members reduced-rate Internet service with only one company, PeoplePC -which is dial-up and very slow. I reasoned that it just was not worth the $12.99 dues each year for the benefits I did not even use.

I joined AARP last year, mainly because of the home and auto insurance. I saved over $400 a year by using their approved services. I am 57, good credit rating, no accidents on my driving record but do travel a lot in my job. Most auto insurance companies wanted to add a surcharge because of the number of miles I drive a year. I own a manufactured home and once again most home insurance companies want higher rates because of this. In my case I find the yearly premium a very cheat cost to gain the savings I am getting. If you want to check and see if you save on these products, you can call the AARP approved agents first, and if they can save you money then decide if you want to join. They also have roadside assistance the is cheaper than AAA, and has helped me out more than once while traveling.

We joined at fifty for the life insurance. There are other discounts, but some we get the same through another organization, and somme, like discouts when you show your card, are not honored until you are 55. Then I found the life insurance was offered at a better rate through my bank. There are health options; the insurance can be found elsewhere at as good or better rates. The madicare suppliment seems to be good, though, I hear many people are very satisfied with that coverage. I haven't looked into it yet. AARP is very political, and I have a problem with lobbyists in general. I am dropping our coverage. We may pick it up again later when we are on Medicare; after we research.

I am getting new invitation at least once a month. I am not sure if this is worth anything, so far I keep it on site thinking about........

Since the knuckleheads don't do a good job of screening or just don't care and only want your money, I joined when I was 48. That was 3 years ago. During that time, I've saved on airline tickets (2 roundtrip tickets from Florida to Virginia for $423), hotels (30% discounts at me and my daughter's favorite hotel) and auto rentals (basically a free upgrade). I'm retired from the military so I don't need their health benefits, but I have be seeing their auto insurance commercial over the past couple weeks and will check it out to see if they can beat my current rate. My insurance doesn't expire until Jan 2010 so it'll be awhile before I let you know on that. Cheers, Stan

I don't know but I think it offers discounts on stuff us poor folks can't afford even with the discount.

I was a member of AARP for 10 years. This year I didn't renew my membership because I haven't benefited from it. All I got was a magazine. Joining for one year isn't expensive -- just $12.50. However, why spend $12.50 for a magazine I just glance at.

I joined several years ago, but have since let my membership expire. The annual fee is low and you can save some money if you travel a lot. Other than that I have experienced no "bargains" at all with AARP. They send me a ton of offers to buy insurance of all types with them but they are all very expensive. I'm sure they do a great job of lobbying for seniors in Washington, but I can't afford anything that they offer in the way of insurance products at all and don't travel enough to benefit from their discounts. Good luck.

You don't just benefit in the insurance and so forth. AARP has alot of travel benefits and such that benefit the entire family. It really pays alot to be a member. Their support begins for 50+ members because these age groups do alot of volunteer group and support the places they volunteer for.

My parents seem to enjoy having it alot and it has saved them money from time to time. I am 48 but my husband is 52 so I decided to sigh him up for it. It does feel strange for me because I don't feel I am at the point in life for AARP plus haviog a 7 year old makes it even worse but it does seem to have it's benefits.

There is a discount on life insurance, but like I said you can do as well or better elsewhere. Try your bank where you have your checking/savings. They often give a certain amount free for the account. I have 100,000 through my bank for 20 bucks a month. I don't think AARP is worth the money. And, as someone else said, I don't care for their politics and they are a huge lobbying group.

I have been a member of AARP for 15 years. I joined because I get discounts at many places when I show my card. I really joined to get the discount on vision care frames I saved more than enough to cover my membership. Plus when I became 65 their recommended supplementary insurance covered all my medical care which Medicare does not cover. I have never paid one cent for co-payment, hospital or my long stay in a rehab nursing home. I figured I saved close to $100,000.00.

I started getting that information at age 25. I kept wondering if there was something that I didn't know. I will say that I did benefit from the pharmacy while I was fighting my workman's comp suit. I was getting my medication way cheaper than I could get it from the local pharmacies. There are some good discounts, such as percentages off motels, restaurants etc. But I am not too sure that it would pay for itself in the long run. Isn't it great to know that AARP thinks that you're a really old fart? Oops, come to think of it I fit that description as I have some pretty old smelly farts lately...and they've been pretty loud too! I passed one the other night that scared the holy crap outa Khuay! He was walking up my leg and got to my thigh when I let er rip...he shot two feet up in the air and three feet sideways!!! He now has great admiration for my fanny now!!!!

hi pyewacket I get those in the mail all the time and have yet to figure if it would be worth my while at my advanced age. It would cost another 25 dollars a year and everything I like to do costs 25 dollars a year,and after the rent and boArd here come out of mysocial securityu And ssi I hAve the grand total of one hundred twenty five' dollars. well I just had a phone installed and got bAck on'the internet and I will hAve those two bills.do I need AARP so I decide to file 13 it, hatleyese for the wastebasket. I still dont know if I had taken it out at fifty or sixty if it would hAve been of any help.sorry I Am not helping Am' I?

I've never heard of AARP - we obviously don't have it here in Aus - but I'm guessing it's some kind of Senior Citizen's organisation. I'm over 50, but I still feel the same as I did 30 years ago, so it gives me quite a shock when I see I'm now referred to as 'senior'. There are even courses for 'Over 50s', as if we are a different breed. Pah to that!