# What real benefits to AARP membership? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 31, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-benefits-to-aarp-membership/504916 "2009-07-31T21:14:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-benefits-to-aarp-membership/504916/1 "2009-07-31T21:14:14Z")
Now that I’m ancient (51? How the hell did that happen?) I am getting lots of solicitations from AARP. It’s cheap…but is it even worth the $16? It seems like the benefits it offers are really designed for people who have more of a life than I do, travel and so forth. So are there any significant benefits to AARP? Can I get my contact lenses cheap? That’s about the only thing I can see offhand. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-benefits-to-aarp-membership/504916/2 "2009-07-31T21:49:50Z")
AARP promises lots of benefits and you’d just have to see whether they’re good for you or not. A relative joined AARP hoping to get some of the benefits, but discovered: 1. her insurance (medical, life, auto) rates were already lower than the “special” AARP rates. 2. many of the travel discounts were not as good as what she already had through AAA. 3. a lot AARP money goes to lobbying and political candidates she didn’t agree with. 4. the monthly AARP magazine just made her feel even older than she was. Thus, she did not renew her membership after one year. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-benefits-to-aarp-membership/504916/3 "2009-08-01T00:01:45Z")
Travel discounts have been the biggest plus for me. Of course, I didn’t belong to AAA. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-benefits-to-aarp-membership/504916/4 "2009-08-01T00:08:41Z")
Pfffft. I get $16.00 worth of entertainment out of their monthly magazine. It’s a bargain IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-benefits-to-aarp-membership/504916/5 "2009-08-01T00:37:39Z")
Stay away from their insurance products. The rates are artificially inflated to adjust against…odd marketing decisions. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-benefits-to-aarp-membership/504916/6 "2009-08-01T01:34:22Z")
I just got a mailing from them. How did they know my age??? I felt intruded upon, and threw out their offer. ---
**Author:** ![TNWPsycho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/47e85d/32.png) [@TNWPsycho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TNWPsycho)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-benefits-to-aarp-membership/504916/7 "2009-08-01T03:51:09Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I just got a mailing from them. How did they know my age??? I felt intruded upon, and threw out their offer. They aren’t really as on top of things as you would think. I too got a mailing asking to be a member of the AARP…i’m 19 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-benefits-to-aarp-membership/504916/8 "2009-08-01T03:51:28Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > How did they know my age??? I felt intruded upon Gee, maybe your birth was recorded somewhere on a public government document? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-benefits-to-aarp-membership/504916/9 "2009-08-01T04:38:20Z")
I was reading an AARP magazine once (in a public utility office where there was nothing else to read). They had an article on George Will and they mentioned he was celebrating his 50th birthday and was therefore entering middle age. This was back when I was thirty. It was debatable even then as to whether I was still young. But I’m now 47 and I’m pretty confident that I’m middle aged. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-benefits-to-aarp-membership/504916/10 "2009-08-01T05:47:48Z")
They send you a really handy AARP newsletter that is really handy for laying around, unread, until it is time to throw it out. On the other hand, they do fight very hard for Senior Citizens rights and they do keep a sharp eye out for legislation that would be harmful to Senior Citizens. It doesn’t cost much to belong and I think, overall, that it is worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-benefits-to-aarp-membership/504916/11 "2009-08-01T06:06:09Z")
There are ways to work it. Most people don’t realize you can join AARP at any age. You get a “associate membership” which gets you a bunch of things. I joined once because I had to wait six months to get dental at a job. I paid like $12.00 (I was 35 at the time) and bascially I save about $250.00 then I quit. The dental plan I quit made me wait a year to rejoin, but I didn’t need to. The travel benefits are much better if you stay at smaller inns like Red Roof Inns and Days Inns moreso than the big city chains like Westin, where the AAA and AARP rates are off rack rates already. I know of one couple who saved almost $1,000 at Sandals resorts. When I had my membership I got tons of offers for free early bird dinners at some nice resturants in Chicago. But 25% off of an early dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel is still outrageous anyway. The thing to remember is all you do is have to find ONE benefit that covers the cost of the membership Here’s a good site with some [AARP Benefits](http://products.aarp.org/discounts/retail/everday_savings/) called the “everyday savings.” ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-benefits-to-aarp-membership/504916/12 "2009-08-01T16:33:31Z")
For years my spouse has been getting a ‘temporary’ AARP card to use until they get their money. She uses the card for discounts at Motels; she travels a lot. Soon they send her another ‘temporary’ card which she uses in turn. Some Motels actually ask to see the card. Bottom line if one uses their temporary card one can continue to get “benefits”, as it were, for at least ten years without paying anything. ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-benefits-to-aarp-membership/504916/13 "2009-08-01T21:32:32Z")
I belonged for years back when there were not so many other motel discounts, and that did help. Also, the AARP online pharmacy had really good prices. They then let Walgreens take over, and prices were much better elsewhere. The magazine was only mildly interesting to me. Therefore last year I quit, as I couuld not see any benefits. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2009, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-benefits-to-aarp-membership/504916/14 "2009-08-03T13:27:38Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Gee, maybe your birth was recorded somewhere on a public government document? Yea, that is what my assumption was. I will join AARP if they lobby to keep information (such as my DOB) out of the public’s (and AARP’s) access. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2009, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-benefits-to-aarp-membership/504916/15 "2009-08-03T13:45:50Z")
> [@janeslogin](#): > > For years my spouse has been getting a ‘temporary’ AARP card to use until they get their money. She uses the card for discounts at Motels; she travels a lot. Soon they send her another ‘temporary’ card which she uses in turn. Some Motels actually ask to see the card. > > Bottom line if one uses their temporary card one can continue to get “benefits”, as it were, for at least ten years without paying anything. Not to sound snarky, but wouldn’t it be nice to pay for the service that you use? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-benefits-to-aarp-membership/504916/16 "2009-08-03T20:16:02Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Yea, that is what my assumption was. I will join AARP if they lobby to keep information (such as my DOB) out of the public’s (and AARP’s) access. Wow! I would quit AARP if they were wasting membership dues on lobbying for such silly, quixotic thing. But I guess further discussion on keeping information secret belongs in Great Debates, not here. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-benefits-to-aarp-membership/504916/17 "2009-08-07T15:38:22Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > Not to sound snarky, but wouldn’t it be nice to pay for the service that you use? No! There is no reason to pay for unsolicited materials. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-benefits-to-aarp-membership/504916/18 "2009-08-07T18:33:11Z")
> [@TNWPsycho](#): > > They aren’t really as on top of things as you would think. I too got a mailing asking to be a member of the AARP…i’m 19 🙂 You better check it out. My son got the same thing and discovered that the Soc. Sec. Admin. had his age wrong. It was a pain to get straightened out.