Is AARP membership worth having?

#MiddleburyCT #Seniors #AARP

I remember feeling uneasy when the first AARP envelope showed up in my mailbox. It was one thing to quietly hit the Big Five-O, and it was another thing to realize that I was then eligible for membership in a group for seniors.

It took a little while, but I did sign up. Over the years I’ve stayed. The benefits are worth it. Here are a few:

I get a discount on my cellphone plan for having an AARP membership.

The list of benefits and discounts keeps growing, many of them local. Rental cars and travel, insurance of all kinds, flowers and groceries, transmissions and tires, paint … and pizza.

There’s the Smart Driver online safety course that, once you pass it, could save you money on your auto insurance.

The monthly newspaper, the AARP Bulletin, is worth reading for the information it contains: money, investing, senior news and events in my state, government affairs, Social Security and health. Then there’s the bi-monthly AARP magazine, with a wide variety of articles, from dieting and money management to tests that predict cancer, places to retire and much more. The two publications are worth the $16 price of membership by themselves because of the information they present.

AARP has an app now with good instructions on how to install it.

If you sign up for AARP membership (the first year is reduced to $12), it will likely take a few months for your publications to start up. If you change your address, the same thing might happen, depending on where in the publishing cycle your change occurs. If you suspect something has gone astray, call them at 888-687-2277. Meanwhile, you can read both of them online at the AARP website: aarp.org.

What interests me the most today is the 25% off discount on a first order from Silver Cuisine by bistroMD, especially the low sodium meals.

© 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.