By Megan Seckman
If you’re looking to save a little cash on your daily purchases, here are a few local businesses who offer senior discounts.
Many businesses offer senior discounts around town, but in my search for discounts for my mother-in-law, I’ve found two things to be true: Most discounts are not advertised and won’t be applied unless you ask, and more than likely, you will have to shop at a chain to reap the rewards. Since my mother-in-law, Sharon, has Celiac’s disease and a highly restricted diet, we were not able to test the discounts at many restaurants that offer senior savings (IHOP, Steak ‘n Shake, Chick-fil-A, Golden Corral, Krispy Kreme, etc.), but we did manage to have some success with a few days of shopping and entertainment.
Many businesses offer discounts one day during the week and sometimes monthly. Here is a list of what we found:
Tuesday at Walgreens:Walgreens offers 20 percent off regular priced items for seniors. Since Sharon says she practically lives at Walgreens, this was a natural first stop. We purchased a $16 ointment and (out of fear of scarcity) three gallons of Breyer’s Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream for $4.99 because Walgreen’s is usually out of Sharon’s favorite treat. Total savings: $6.27
Wednesday at Kohl’s:Shoppers 55 and older receive a 15 percent discount at Kohl’s every Wednesday. Certain exclusions apply, and you can’t combine this discount with the plethora of other discounts Kohl’s offers, but since Sharon needed a few basics (pants and some undergarments), this seemed like a good stop to make. The total purchase was $47 before the discount, so we managed to save more than seven bucks. Total savings: $7.08
Night out at Baxter Theater: Many movie theaters offer senior discounts, but our favorite is the small Baxter Avenue Theatres on Bardstown Road. During regular evening hours, tickets are $9, but seniors (65+) receive the matinee price of $6.75 (although Tuesdays offer the best deal of all day tickets for $5.75). Savings from two tickets at senior price: $4.50 plus tax
Thursday at Kroger:Many of you are surely aware of the 5 percent discount offered at Kroger for seniors every Thursday. After a basic weekly grocery run of gluten-free snacks, produce, and household goods (and some more Breyer’s Mint Chocolate Chip, of course), Sharon spent $47.95 on groceries for the week. With her 5 percent discount, she only saved $2.40. Sharon does not do much cooking, so I can imagine this discount would be helpful for those that are spending more on groceries each week, but for us, the hassle of the crowd wasn’t worth the reward.
At each place, we were never offered the discount, so speaking up is step one in reaping the rewards of a mature age. Overall, we saved a total of $20.25 — not bad.
Know of any other local saving opportunities? Let us know!
I'm pretty sure that the senior discount at Walgreen's is on the first Tuesday of the month. On the day that I finally qualified for it, I told the very young cashier that it was my first senior discount. No response from him meant no fun!! As we all know, it's a privilege that we've EARNED!