Uncluttered and Unfiltered: The Podcast For Women Over 50
THE SILVER LINING OF BEING A WOMAN OVER 50: LEVERAGING YOUR GOLDEN YEARS FOR BARGAINS
Mar 13, 2024
Christine Stone and Eden Kendall
From AARP-ushered savings that'll make your jaw drop to that delightful moment at the car rental counter when they shave a few bucks off just because your birthday cake is a fire hazard, we're laying out all the ways you can cash in on your experience points. We secretly hope that by the end of our chat, you'll be looking forward to flashing that ID with the same enthusiasm you had when you turned 21.
So, whether you wear your age with pride or prefer to keep 'em guessing, this episode is your invitation to laugh, learn, and maybe, just maybe, save a couple of bucks along the way.
From AARP-ushered savings that'll make your jaw drop to that delightful moment at the car rental counter when they shave a few bucks off just because your birthday cake is a fire hazard, we're laying out all the ways you can cash in on your experience points. We secretly hope that by the end of our chat, you'll be looking forward to flashing that ID with the same enthusiasm you had when you turned 21.
So, whether you wear your age with pride or prefer to keep 'em guessing, this episode is your invitation to laugh, learn, and maybe, just maybe, save a couple of bucks along the way.
UNCLUTTERED AND UNFILTERED IS SUPPORTED BY PAINCAKES. VISIT WWW.PAIN-CAKES.COM
Help us with production costs!
Speaker 1:
Welcome to Uncluttered and Unfiltered, the podcast urging you to let it go and don't look back with nationally acclaimed professional organizer Christine Stone and self-proclaimed hot damn mess radio and TV personality Eden Kindle.
Speaker 2:
Welcome everybody to Uncluttered and Unfiltered. This is our. I'm old, I want to discount episode. We are going to talk a little bit about that senior discount, even though we know a lot of you guys are just like 50.
Speaker 2:
Right and you're like wait, what are you talking about? But first of all, hello, hello, how are you? I'm fabulous. I loved our episode last week about women supporting women and I love that it brought so many more people to our Uncluttered and Unfiltered ladies only group, I know. I was so excited to see that. So welcome if you are new. If you are new, we asked a few weeks ago I actually came across all of these discounts for senior citizens and let me tell you first of all something that happened.
Speaker 2:
This was two years ago. I'm 57 years old and I was about to turn 55 and I was in raw stress for less and I was checking out and it must have been the day of the week they do their senior discount and the woman said are you 55? Because there's a discount, and at the time I wasn't quick enough to say no, not yet, or to say yes. Instead, I said no, not yet, but I was offended that she would think I could be 55. I thought never ask that A woman would rather you not have her back on the discount than ask her that just assuming that she should get a senior citizen discount, don't you agree?
Speaker 2:
I 100% Just assume I'm way too young for that discount. I'll pay more, yep.
Speaker 3:
Yep, because it ruined my whole day. Well, I've had that happen too and I've said no, I'm not, I'm not eligible.
Speaker 2:
How dare you?
Speaker 3:
And they're like, oh sorry, but in my mind I'm like, oh God, Are you serious right now?
Speaker 2:
But the fact of the matter is, when you turn 50, you start getting mail from AARP and that is the first thing that lets you know you're there. You suddenly are like wait a minute, this group that you know. They serve a lot of purposes. There's some lobbying they do On behalf of seniors. They do a lot of discounts and different programs and education, and one of the things they do is give you an opportunity and I want to say and this is not a commercial for them I want to say it's like $16 a year to be a member and then you get all of these additional discounts. But here's the secret, here's what I didn't know Some of those discounts start when you're 50. Really, yes, with an AARP.
Speaker 2:
Okay, I will Thank you from seniorcarecom. And some of these discounts are only with your AARP card and they are for the age of 50 plus, for example, like car rentals. There's a bunch of car rental places on here, like Hertz is 20% off if you're over 50. Dollar. Rent a car is $10 off. Budget up to 35% for AARP members. Alamo rental car up to 25%. So air for transportation most of those are 60 and 65 and up, but for listen to this, there are some grocery stores that start at 55. Do we still? I don't think we locally have Albertsons, I know who used to, but they have on the first Wednesday of the month.
Speaker 2:
It was 10% off.
Speaker 3:
If you're a senior.
Speaker 2:
If you are 55 and up.
Speaker 3:
Oh my God, that's awesome.
Speaker 2:
I know Publix 5% off every Wednesday if you're 60 and up. Oh wait, say that again 5% off every Wednesday. Check with your local.
Speaker 3:
Wow, yeah, I was gonna say I gotta check on that.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I mean some of these are. I mean, I never thought there'd be a day I'd be going 55, well, that's so young, right, but places like Dress Barn, goodwill Ross here it is 10% off every Tuesday if you're 55 and up. This must be kind of an older list, because I see Steinmard on here, right.
Speaker 2:
And that's no longer a business that's, but Dunkin Donuts, all of these various Taco Bell get out of here 65 and up. So anyway, the reason I wanted to go over some of those lists are and we've got a link on our Ladies Only Uncluttered and Unfiltered Facebook group. For that is like at what point do you start to feel like you fall into this category of senior? And Shannon commented on our Uncluttered and Unfiltered Ladies Only group when she said I don't take any discount because I despise being lumped into a group called senior. It's troublesome to her and she just doesn't want any part of it, even if it means a discount, which is kind of what I said about the Ross thing. But I didn't mind getting the discount, I just didn't want somebody to know I should get the discount.
Speaker 3:
If I have to fill something out, though, I probably am in her camp. It's like if I have to stop what I'm doing and say I'm in a hurry and I have a goal, okay I gotta be out of here. If they're like, okay, just fill this out, and it's like, oh gosh, forget it. You know I'll just skip it. But I think if you get that card though, the AARP card, that's all you have to show. I think I mean I haven't filled mine out yet.
Speaker 3:
I keep throwing it in the garbage can because, I'm insulted, but I think the next one I get after this episode I'm actually going to embrace it and fill it out and pay the $19 or whatever it is to join. I mean, I'm 61, so I'm officially, officially, aarp material.
Speaker 2:
I mean let's just say that.
Speaker 2:
Well, they're clearly going for the 50 plus now because when I see the pictures on their website, I see some pretty young looking, thriving ladies and guys on there having a good time playing the pickleball and doing all the things, the golfing and all the things we're supposed to be doing as seniors going to the Golden Corral and getting a 10% off or whatever it is. But I just think it's so funny to me that the 50 plus is where I was first of all. That's when the male started and they're these big, thick emblems oh, thick, very thick, and you get those immediately. And I'm four months older than my husband, so mine came four months earlier than his and he was laughing at me. He thought that was the funniest thing in the world until his started having two Yep same with my husband.
Speaker 3:
The same thing he's like why are they sending me this? I go? Welcome to the club.
Speaker 2:
But let's think for a minute why the senior citizen discount exists. It exists because the thought process is that once you're retired and you're on a fixed income, you could use the discounts. It also exists because there is definitely something generational about wanting to save money. There's certainly something I know that I don't know if you have relatives that were incredibly cheap Growing up, but my grandmother was so thrifty that I mean that could be a whole episode. How you know right, tell me how, how you were thrifty. But she would. If you opened her pantry when she saw something on sale, she would just buy it, buy it, buy it, buy it, buy it. But she had. She was an organizer's worst nightmare yeah.
Speaker 2:
I mean jars of the filter fish yeah and things like you don't maybe want to have for years, yeah, yeah, just milk in the freezer.
Speaker 3:
Yes just yeah, you know that kind of vibe, so I feel like that's something that it kind of, when you think senior citizen, you think of that well, I think of when I think of senior citizen an old lady with a walker gray hair and Needs that discount because, like you said, she's on a fixed income. But reality is Senior isn't what senior used to be, you know.
Speaker 2:
I feel like what I'd love this episode to do is normalize asking for the senior discount. Absolutely, let's normalize that.
Speaker 2:
I agree because I think if I want to go out with my, my girlfriends, and we're dressed in what we consider like hot girl clothes, for our 57 year old selves are up, you know whether that you know we're looking all, whatever. But if we go to a restaurant and they have a senior discount, I want to ask for it. I mean, even if it means you know the shots we're gonna do are right, are on special.
Speaker 3:
I agree, take care of you, nana. I mean pretty COVID. You had the movie theaters always offered the senior discount. Right bowling alleys offered the senior discount. Now, post COVID, you don't hear about it as much unless you ask for it.
Speaker 2:
Yes, so that's what I'm trying to do to normalize that. Let's make it to where you can absolutely do that. Do you remember from a year or two ago, a story that broke that that young people who were trying to avoid being carted were going to Goodwill or Salvation Army and buying walkers and gray wigs and glasses and trying to dress themselves up as senior citizens, because they figured, okay, who's gonna question me now If I walk in looking like I'm really old? I can buy cigarettes or booze, but what do they do?
Speaker 3:
about their face. I suck glass Cause your face isn't gonna be as old as your wig and your walker.
Speaker 2:
Pick glasses, sunglasses, I don't know. Maybe someone just assumes they'll find someone too shy to even ask.
Speaker 3:
Yeah.
Speaker 2:
You know what are you gonna do.
Speaker 3:
You know how they say they'll call, that's desperate times, call for desperate measures, in my opinion.
Speaker 2:
And how many times have you been carted, when you know, darn well the person knows.
Speaker 3:
Oh well, whenever they card me in the grocery store when you buy your wine, and I'm like, you guys are so cute, you're just trying to make my day, and they're. And they giggle and laugh cause they know they're only asking because they have to now scan it into a computer.
Speaker 2:
Right, the cash register requires it it requires it in order to move on.
Speaker 3:
So it's not like they're saying you're so young, I need to card you. Okay, I mean really. So that's where I kind of, as the years have gone on and you figure out, it's not about they're really carting you, it's about even in a bar. I mean, I haven't been carted at a bar and I can't even tell you how long. I don't think that's a thing anymore, unless you're at a bar for younger people, Right absolutely.
Speaker 2:
If that's the case, then you know, and it's almost like a tip kind of thing. Are you trying to get like a big tip?
Speaker 3:
Are you being condescending?
Speaker 2:
Or what about when somebody calls you young lady that's younger than you?
Speaker 3:
Oh no, oh yeah, like a 30 year old man man.
Speaker 2:
Or young lady. When they say, okay, young lady, I'm like wait a minute. Isn't that something you would say? Like if we were in the movie Cocoon, you'd be like all right young lady get them back to the bingo.
Speaker 3:
I'm telling you this is I mean, it's a mentality way of thinking in your mind. You look in the mirror and you say I'm not old. Look at me, I don't look old, I don't feel old. But the numbers are showing your age, Like whether you're 58, 55, 61, it is what it is, because they go by your birth date. So you can't really lie. And I think that's the problem people have when they look in the mirror. They don't see an old lady, so they think AARPs for old people. I'm not old. But you know what? I take the discount.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, so is it a double standard? Is it a double standard that I don't want to be considered a senior citizen, that I don't want to be thought of as somebody old and at the same time, yes, thank you, I will have my 10% off and then some. So, yeah, it's kind of a double standard, but I'm here for it. I really am. I don't have any problem accepting a senior discount. I just always forget to ask because I don't think of myself that way. So when I walk into a place, I don't think to ask.
Speaker 3:
Right, right, and the AARP magazine has the most beautiful over 50 celebrities you've ever seen. I mean, they look amazing. So they're trying to change the mentality because it's not a bunch of gray haired old people with walkers on the cover, it's beautiful celebrities who are over 50. So I think they're trying to ingrain that in people's brains. Like you know, you don't have to be with a walker and gray hair and orthopedic shoes in order to be AARP members.
Speaker 2:
Exactly. That's entirely the point. So I guess if there was a takeaway from this particular episode, it would be, like I mentioned, to make it okay, make everybody feel a little bit better about. Look, there are gonna be some upsides. I was hosting trivia last night, which I love this still. What that you host?
Speaker 3:
trivia at the next night. Oh yeah, so this was a group.
Speaker 2:
We had about. It was a smaller group, we had about five teams. It was at a country club and one of the questions was about the lady who does the voice of a bird and but that somebody else did the voice of the bird's laugh, and who was it? And there was one team that was a younger couple, and then everybody else was what we would call seniors Right, and everybody got it right except for this one team and the answer was Woody Woodpecker. Oh right, so I said to the group there are very few moments in this life where you can say it's so awesome that I'm old, Right exactly, and this is one of those moments because you have some knowledge that they don't have because they weren't around for Woody Woodpecker.
Speaker 2:
That's not even something that.
Speaker 3:
What a shame, yep, they missed out on that one, but I mean to a person.
Speaker 2:
All the old people were yelling ha ha, ha, ha ha. They all knew they'd laugh. They all knew. I say old people, not many of them are older than me, but I call them all the old people. But that's my point. There are only a few times in your life where you're like, yay, I'm a certain age, and if somebody wants to give me a coupon or a discount, then that's one of those moments and I would like to graciously accept that.
Speaker 3:
I totally agree and I think now I'm going to go sign up. Like I said, get my discounts.
Speaker 2:
And it's like 16 bucks, I think, except for the year, why not? So I mean, if you rent one car and get that savings, yes, or a hotel room.
Speaker 3:
They always offer it when you go to a hotel.
Speaker 2:
Now, in some cases, your hotel points or if you are military you might get a better discount. So there's always that, but I think it's worth checking in with the places that you shop regularly and double check us on everything we said earlier in the show too, because that list was clearly a little bit outdated.
Speaker 2:
One of the businesses is no longer there, but there were some that were 50 plus. They just weren't local to us, so I don't know those businesses. But of course this is a global podcast, so you might have something in your own area that does that. Well, this is like a really quickie episode, but we just kind of wanted to make sure that we had one for you for this week, because we had a heavier one last week and we've got some really great things coming up, as always. We want to encourage you to let us know in our ladies-only Facebook group what topics you want to hear about.
Speaker 3:
I agree, there are so many good ones coming up, but we're always open to hearing any topics you want to talk about.
Speaker 2:
And if it's something that we've already covered that you think could use a refresh, we'll do it again. And if it's an organizing question, Christine is always happy to answer those for you as well. Of course. This podcast, we have said from the beginning, is not about organizing stuff. It's about kind of organizing your life in a way where you're not holding onto a lot of baggage that's going to weigh you down, but one thing we do want you to hold on to is your money whenever possible.
Speaker 2:
That's why we did the one about the discounts. So thank you everybody for being a part of it, for being a part of our community. Please like our Instagram or TikTok. We have all the socials, but mainly we want to focus on that Uncluttered and unfiltered ladies-only group. It's private, you have to ask to join it, but we will let you in happily and then, once you're there, then that kind of gives you that opportunity to have the conversations. Yep.
Speaker 3:
And, like I said, we read everything, so leave comments, leave topic ideas and share with at least one friend.
Speaker 2:
Please do, and until the next time, with all things, whether it's paying the full amount or getting a discount, whatever you're comfortable doing, you can let it go.