I just renewed our membership today. We haven't been members very long and have only taken advantage of it when we go on road trips for discounts on lodging and car rentals. The most interesting perk is the newsletter the comes in the mail. I also printed out a list of businesses in our area that honor the AARP discount. I was kind of disappointed that the places I visit most were not listed. Anyone else an AARP member?
I've been a member for years. I like the newsletter and also the magazine is great. AARP discounts are small and hard to find, but better than nothing I guess.
I was once, but since they've begun championing liberal Democrat issues rather than seniors' issues, I quit.
Yes, I am a member and I like it. YOu can get a lot of discounts by being an AARP member, also their auto club is great. It is really quite inexpensive compared to AAA and you can get something like a 100 mile tow. It worked out great for my ex since he had his truck towed down to a garage in this area, that repaired it for half the price they were going to charge in Alexandria. I think AARP, especially the auto club is a bargain. They are starting something where you can take quizzes onsite and earn giftcards too.
I was paying onstar for towing but then I realized I had towing covered with Geico, so I cancelled onstar since I didn't use them for anything. Maybe I should be but I'm not a couponer or someone that shops senior discounts. If I'm at the store and it's senior discount day I'll take it but I don't look for these things.
We have the towing with our car insurance , too. I used to carry AAA all the time when I was selling insurance and traveling all the time. I would put about 1,000 miles a week on the old Pontiac wagon, and I didn't want to be broke down in the middle of nowhere and not be able to get back home again. Later, I got the Mazda pickup, and it was a lot more dependable , but I still always had AAA. We didn't get AARP because when I was selling insurance, they told us that it was some of the worst coverage that you could get. Later, when I saw how they were pushing Obamacare, and getting so political, we were glad that we didn't join. I think that they lost a lot of members when that happened, and there are videos on Youtube of some of the meetings where members tried to speak up and were not allowed to, even though they were being polite. I have a friend who has had AARP for many years, and she thinks it is fine, so it is something that works for some and not for everyone, I guess. We belonged to American Seniors for several years, they are basically the conservative version of AARP.
I used AAA once a few years ago when my old Altima broke down when I was leaving my daughters to come home. I was closer to her house so towed me back there.
I've used AAA several times, so it has been well worth it to me. Other discounts that are available through AARP are generally given whether you are a member or not. Even while I was a member, I never had anyone ask for a card for hotel discounts, etc. I don't come across too many anymore but I have asked, when I saw an AARP sign at a hotel check-in, "Do you offer a discount for AARP?" They say yes, apply the discount, and never ask to see a card, plus I don't even have to lie about being a member. After all, I didn't say I was a member. I just asked if they gave an AARP discount. I was also a member of American Seniors for a few years but, while I liked to idea of an alternative to AARP, I didn't see any advantages to it.
For the minimal cost of the membership the discounts we received on our road trips was worth it. I'll have to check into American Seniors that @Yvonne Smith mentioned. There are probably a lot more programs available for seniors AARP was the second after Ohio Buckeye for Ohio seniors of course. The problem that I'm finding out though is that you can't use both discounts at some businesses but it's fun trying.
What kinds of discounts were you getting that was worth the membership cost, @Von Jones ? Usually the hotel discounts are not that much for either AARP or AAA. When we travel and know we have to stay at a motel, I look at the motel saver websites, like www.motel.com , or one of the other ones. You can usually save up to half if you shop around on a few of the different ones and find the best deal for the area where you are going to go to. I used to have some kind of a membership called Wyndham Rewards, and that also saved money on motels, plus you earned points and could get a free night after purchasing some paid ones. https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/travelodge/hotel-deals
Well, our membership has only been for 1 year at $16.00 with 10% discount on hotel/motel stays that covered the cost of the membership that was last year. Aside from that and car rentals I haven't considered anything else but once I get into AARP's list for this area I might find some other discounts.
I've used AAA a few times but have never had or wanted aarp. My experience in traveling is that most motels will give you a discount if you ask without the need to belong to any club. Restaurants also have senior discounts so no membership needed just have to be old. I've also got discounts using my NRA membership or showing my DD214
I am a AARP member ONLY because they co ordinate with United Health Care for my Medicare Supplement. AARP DOES NOT speak for me politically and never has.