AARP Card

I'm not a joiner, I don't even have a card to save money at the grocery story.

AARP keeps sending me a card and bill to join. I've been tossing them for ten years now.  I remember that first one kind of pissed me off.


Big mistake? Who has one? Tell me why it is great.

I pitch them as well

Always pitched them but i got one last week for 15 bucks and just saved 90 bucks on my new glasses yesterday . Not bad ROI

My husband does all sorts of stuff to get discounts.  I got an AARP card when he became old enough to join.  Have only used it at Motel 6 to get a low rate and free WiFi.  Works well enough when I'm driving a long distance and just need a bed (arriving late, leaving early).  Meaning I don't care that the WiFi is really slow.  Gets the same discount as AAA at other hotel chains but Motel 6 doesn't deal with AAA.

I think my brother-in-law got a really cheap phone (texting but not a smartphone) thru AARP.

It does allow savings for hotels 10-15% even booking ahead of time.  Have used it multiple times when the Senior discount is 60 or 62, but with AARP card, they allow booking at the Sr rate.   They have never verified, but using it once a year usually is net neutral of the annual fee.  Think I paid $16 this year.

It’s not bad, they provide a lot of good information but as with most things, study it. I use them on travel sometimes but be careful. I have had time where I did not get reward points when booking through them - you get the discount OR the reward points.

I think overall it’s a good group to join as they do provide some value.

First time AARP solicited me I was 42 years old, for goodness' sake.

A few years later, I broke down and joined because one of the other fathers in our adoption travel group got a $3000 discount off a Mercedes Benz. (No, I'm driving a 14 year old Subie with 203k miles on it.)  I let membership lapse this spring because I never had reason to leverage whatever discounts they offer.

Just an FYI that a lifetime AARP membership runs $200, which isn't a bad deal if you use the benefits.