Enjoy life with senior discounts! Creative Commons License photo credit: Woody H1

Senior Discounts have proven to be one of the most popular subjects on this blog. Today I have a guest post, written by Ella Davidson of the charitable couponing site, Coupons.com. Coupons strives to provide consumers with money-saving options while helping to better the world.

Senior discounts usually start for those between the ages of 50 and 65 but the rules and age requirements are always changing. Some chain businesses offer discounts in one area but not others. If you’re not sure, ask because not all businesses will volunteer the information. Don’t be shy.

Saving money just makes cents! There are plenty of web sites that offer information about discounts for senior citizens but many of them charge a small fee so be sure to check for that. Some are associated with large organizations, are well known, and have many other perks for their members. Others offer access to information about discounts, but you won’t discover what they are until you pay for the privilege. Remember to do your homework.

The yearly expense is usually not that much, but it’s still a good idea to research before handing over your money. If you are at least 62, the federal government has a fantastic deal for you. For $10.00, you can get a lifetime pass to federal recreation sites. There is an additional $10.00 required for postage if the request is made by mail.

The entry fee is covered for vehicle charges or for up to four people when the charge is for each individual. This is a great way to show the grandchildren how beautiful America is. Grocery stores offer discounts that are age dependent as well as day dependent. Some offer a discount only the first specific day of the week during each month. Others offer an on-going discount on store brands only. The rules vary between states and areas within states.

Some of the stores that turn up on search engines consistently are: Albertsons, Bi-Lo, Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Hy-Vee, Kroger, Meijer, Piggly Wiggly, and Publix. Check with a manager before taking “No” for an answer because some desk clerks and cashiers are not always aware of these discounts. If you’re looking for discounts at major retailers, you’ll have to look harder. There are a few

bright spots. Bealls, Belk’s, Bon-Ton Department Stores, Kohl’s, and Rite Aid have some limited programs. Some of the smaller stores with senior discounts include the Banana Republic, Dress Barn, and Stein Mart. The Salvation Army Thrift Stores and Goodwill offer discounts, which is nice considering they are supposed to be in the business of helping people.

For the hungry senior citizen, there are plenty of places to choose from. From fast-food restaurants like Arby’s, Boston Market, Burger King, Captain D’s, Chick-Fil-A, CiCi’s Pizza, Hardee’s, Jack in the Box, KFC, Long John Silver’s, McDonald’s, Sonic, Subway, Taco Bell, Wendy’s and White Castle to dessert places like Ben & Jerry’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, Krispy Kreme, Mrs. Fields, and TCBY, there are lots of delicious reasons to grab a bite. If you prefer a sit-down restaurant, try Applebee’s, Bennigan’s, Chili’s, Denny’s, Einstein’s Bagels, Fuddrucker’s, Golden Corral, IHOP, Shoney’s, Steak ‘n Shake, Sweet Tomatoes, Tea Room Café, Village Inn, or the Waffle House.

For the adventuresome, many airlines, hotels, car and motor home rentals, bus and train companies, cruise lines, and airlines offer some pretty generous discounts. They know you don’t “need” to take that vacation, so they’re willing to go the extra mile to get your business. Just remember that the discounts are often off the full listed price. There may be package deals that often even greater discounts. In fact, considering the price of assisted living, you might discover that living on a cruise ship offers the same support, at a similar cost, with much better food and scenery.

Some insurance companies offer senior discounts. Insurance companies believe older people drive more safely. Banks offer some reduced fees and things like free checks for their older customers. And don’t forget about the inexpensive, generic prescriptions offered by many pharmacies although those are not usually restricted to seniors.

Cell phone companies have special programs for seniors. The presumption is that you don’t mind limiting your talk time to 300 minutes a month and using a very limited phone. Such plans don’t realize that seniors are getting more technology savvy all the time. Hopefully, the future will allow senior discounts for the more comprehensive plans.

Local companies offer senior citizen discounts. Companies that specialize in home improvements are very common. You might try checking with your local Chamber of Commerce. In the end, it comes down to being willing to ask if a discount is available. Check with the manager, so you’re sure you get the right answer. You’ll never know until you ask. And if you’re afraid you’ll forget, paper clip a note reminding you to your money or credit card. That way, you can’t forget.

Resources for more Senior Discount Information:

http://www.aarp.org/

http://www.nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm

http://www.bradsdeals.com/blog/2011/06/28/stores-with-senior-discounts/

http://www.seniordiscounts.com/business-faq.aspx

Save Money - Dine Out with Restaurant Coupons

If you don’t use restaurant coupons when you’re dining out, you’re wasting money. My family is big on eating out at least once per weekend and we never go without some sort of discount coupon. If fact, before we go, my daughters and I compare notes on which coupons we have and which is the best deal.

Continuing our series on Medicare, guest author and Medicare expert Ross Blair, President and CEO of Plan Prescriber, Inc.,discusses how you can save money and maximize benefits when choosing among the many prescription drug plans available.

Mining for Cost Savings in a Maze of Medicare Plans

In 2011, approximately one-third (33%) of the Federal government’s annual budget is committed to spending on Medicare and Social Security.

Recent debate over the nation’s debt limit and the upcoming deliberations of the Congressionally-appointed twelve person deficit reduction committee should have the close attention of all Medicare recipients and Baby Boomers who plans to enroll in Medicare as they turn 65.

Although the tenets of various plans and proposals are hotly debated, the likely outcomes are not. The fact is the growth rate at which America spends money on Medicare will likely be reduced. And, if the government reduces expenses, you’ll probably have to do more to maximize your own Medicare coverage.

The good news is that the average Medicare beneficiary can do a lot to maximize their benefits including:

1. Enrolling in a Medicare prescription drug plan.

2. Taking your prescribed medication, which can improve health and reduce health care costs.

3. Optimizing your prescription drug coverage each year.

Below we’ve mapped out some very important steps seniors should take this year as they consider their Medicare options and look for ways to save.

Enrolling in a Medicare prescription drug plan

Medicare recipients can enroll in a stand-alone drug plan or a Medicare Advantage plan that has the drug benefit bundled into it. In most parts of the country there are Medicare Advantage plans with a prescription drug benefit that cost nothing each month for the enrollee, beyond what they already pay for Medicare Part B. And, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced that the average premium for a 2012 drug plan will be around $30 per month – slightly cheaper than in 2011. This is good news for people managing their budgets.

Taking the drugs as prescribed by your physician

Two different studies confirm that patients who take their medication are healthier and save the health care system money. The first study, published in 2009 by the New England Healthcare Institute (NEHI), found that patients who don’t take their prescribed medications cost the U.S.A. $290 billion a year. And the second, published in the July 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that non-drug-related health care costs have been reduced for older patients who gained better prescription drug coverage under the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit.

Optimizing your prescription drug coverage each year

Costs are critical for many people receiving Medicare. Half of all single people on Medicare had incomes below $21,660 in 2010. They would welcome any and all ideas for how to save on health care costs without harming the quality of their care.

One proven strategy is to optimize your prescription drug coverage each year during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. But, according to a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study last year, only about 10 percent of people on Medicare changed their plan despite the potential for savings.

In August, my company published a report that looked at 25,000 user sessions from PlanPrescriber.com during the 2011 Medicare Annual Enrollment period (between November 15, 2010 and December 31, 2010), where customers entered their zip code, the name of their existing Medicare prescription drug plan or Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan, and the names, dosages and frequency of any prescription drugs they were taking, if any. The prescription drug plan comparison tool compares a user’s existing plan to other plans available in their area and found that, on average, a user could save over $500 per year – over $40 per month – by reviewing their options and changing their prescription drug plan.

It may seem counter-intuitive to change a plan each year, but there are a lot of Medicare drug plans and they may change their prescription drug benefits, costs and listing of covered drugs each year. For example, they may move more expensive drugs off of their plans or charge more for them from one year to the next. This is why some participants may see their drug costs rise dramatically each January.

Getting ahead

These changes in plans and benefits are precisely why Medicare offers an Annual Enrollment Period – the time of year when anyone on Medicare has the option to review and switch their prescription drug or Medicare Advantage plan. In 2011, the Annual Enrollment Period starts on October 15 and ends on December 7 – new dates you should write down if you’re on Medicare. This time should be used to review new plans, understand what may be changing in an existing plan and maybe save a little money by making a change.

Most of us never buy our own health insurance until we turn 65. Then, at 65 we’ve suddenly got the option to buy supplemental Medicare health insurance on our own and face a multitude of options where plans can change every year, potentially affecting what we pay out-of-pocket. There is free, no obligation help available to you at places like PlanPrescriber.com, Medicare.gov and elsewhere.

It’s advisable to talk to a licensed agent who can help you pick a plan. But, these free, no obligation internet tools can help you see all the options you have available so you’ve got some information before you get on the phone with an agent. The internet gives you more insight into your health care choices, which means we all win.

Guest author Ross Blair is President and CEO of Plan Prescriber, Inc., a leading provider of comparison tools and educational materials for Medicare-related insurance products.

Now that my taxes are done and I’ve decided to turn of the TV because I can’t listen to anymore terrible news about Japan, I’ve decided to revisit Senior Discounts and see what new offers there are out there.

Chick-fil-A, offers fast food chicken and many offer a senior discount as well. My granddaughter loves this place and always asks to eat there if given a choice. I don’t care for fast food but I have to admire Chick-fil-A, which closes on Sundays because the owners are Christian and because I really love their commercials with the cows saying “Eat Mor Chiken.” This ad campaign has won many awards and I figure, if you have to look at advertising, it should be cute and entertaining.

One of the Chick-fil-A restaurants in Fort Worth, Texas will be the first

restaurant in the area to get its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification and it’s only the second restaurant in Texas to seek this energy efficient designation.

Many locations also give a 10% senior discount or a free small drink to customers so, combined with everything else, there are many reasons to visit if my granddaughter asks to go.

Another fast food type place offering a senior discount at many locations is Schlotzky’s deli sandwiches. This is one of the only fast food type eating places where I actually like to eat. Many offer a 10% discount to those over age 60. At our area Schlotzky’s, we get a 20% discount using a special card we get from the local newspaper. The Star Telegram offers a “press pass” to subscribers if they subscribe for 6 months or a year at a time, which offers discounts on dozens of area restaurants and attractions.

The only recent news I have on Schozkey’s is that they now offer Cinnabon’s in many locations. I don’t eat these but I love to smell them!

While you’re eating, leave your car at a Jiffy Lube Service Center where many locations offer a 10% discount on parts and services to those over age 55. Discounts may vary by location so check in your local area.

You can also get a hair cut at SuperCuts while you wait for your car. With 20,000 locations in the US, you’re sure to find one near you. Many offer a $2 senior discount on hair cuts for those over age 60.

Have you finished your taxes? Find out how to get senior discounts and help preparing your taxes this year at Senior Discounts.com

Speaking of taxes, many states offer property tax exemptions for seniors, veterans or for homesteading. Here in Texas, we get a discount on our primary residence and also, when we reach 65, our tax level is locked in from future raises. Click here for more tips on property tax discounts from Senior Discounts.com

If any of your favorite haunts offer a senior discount, I’d love for you to post it in the comment section.

Free Senior Discount Newsletters

More Senior Discounts

We never eat out anymore without some sort of restaurant deal or freebie in hand. One way to get free appetizers, discounts on meals or even a free birthday dinner is to go to each restaurant’s website and sign up for their online “club” or email listing.

It’s easier to find a big listing of freebies if you live in a larger area but almost everyone has access to a Red Lobster or TGIFridays. Even if you live in a smaller area, though, and have a local favorite, check to see if they have a website and an e-club. Many restaurants are catching on to using the Internet to build a loyal following and offer special discounts to customers.

Most of these restaurants send you a discount coupon or free appetizer just for signing up. Then you get a birthday freebie of some sort and, of course, they send emails to let you know about specials - some of which also offer some sort of deal or discount.

Red Lobster - Nearly everyone has a Red Lobster in the area and, while their food is very good, dinner can be pricey. Get a free appetizer for signing up and a birthday freebie as well. Plus Red Lobster will email you about dinner specials as well.

Mimi’s Cafe - Mimi’s is located in all the lower US states, from California to Florida, all the way up to Virginia and Maryland. Mimi’s offers you a birthday freebie but they also send out emails each week with specials. Just yesterday, I got a buy one get one free breakfast coupon at Mimi’s. They have free muffins sometimes too and these are delicious!

Genghis Grill - Serves Mongolian Grill style offers discount coupons and a free dinner on your birthday for signing up with their reward’s club.

TGIFridays - Their “Give me more Stripes” club offers a free dessert or appetizer on your birthday, plus you earn reward points every time you eat there.

Panera Bread - Lots of healthy eating options here. You get a card and a key chain fob at Panera Bread which you register easily online. The automatically loads a free pastry or other goodies for your next visit.

O’Charley’s which is located in the Eastern half of the US, gives you a free dessert or appetizer for signing up, plus a birthday freebie and specials throughout the rest of the year as well.

Texas Roadhouse is a great steak house and contrary to its name, is located in pretty much every state of the US. Texas Roadhouse also offers a freebie for signing up with their Texas Roadie VIP club and special deals throughout the year.

Buca di Beppo serves Italian food family style. Their food is delicious! Get a freebie dessert for signing up for their e-club, a free appetizer for your birthday, plus something for your anniversary too! Get their restaurant deals totaling $150 a year by joining their club, according to their website.

P.F. Chang’s mails you a rewards card which, when presented at the restaurant, will give you a 10% discount on your bill. I just signed up for this one while writing this articles so not sure what other sort of freebies they might offer.

Red Robin a premier burger restaurant offers a free burger on your birthday for joining their eclub. I just signed up for this one as well so not sure what else you get. I’m not a burger person but my son-in-law just loves Red Robin.

Outback Steakhouse - Their rewards club offers points which can be redeemed for restaurant freebies, such as $10 off two entrees. You get 250 points just for signing up.

Besides signing up for restaurant deals via their eclubs, check your credit card freebies as well. One of our credit cards offers points which can be redeemed for gift cards to restaurants or retailers such as Sears or Home Depot.

To look for other restaurant deals and freebies, just think of places you like to dine, or restaurants you’d love to try and look up their website. You’re sure to find birthday freebies, free desserts, discount coupons and more.

If you’re interested in reducing those lines and wrinkles, maybe it’s time to start making your own natural skin care recipes. You can choose the very best anti-aging skin care ingredients and easily combine them into a totally natural, even organic, lotion, cream or under eye treatment. It’s easier than you think.

With the aging of the Baby Boomer generation, the anti-aging skincare industry has been booming too! I recently did some research on the best anti-aging skincare products and was astounded to see products like Lifecell, rated the best in antiaging skincare by some, costs a whopping $189 for a two month supply. All of these expensive products contain chemicals and preservatives, which can be toxic to our bodies over the long term.

I’m certainly interested in the promises of more youthful skin that these companies advertise but somehow I choke at paying $80 to $100 a month to look younger. I discovered I could make my own natural, anti-aging skin care lotions, creams and toners for just pennies a day - many with ingredients from my own kitchen.

One investment I did make was to buy Sue Dolan’s ebook, Naturally Sensational - Rejuvenating Skin Care Recipes. Fifty-four year old Sue, featured in Real Simple Magazine, is an expert and researcher in antiaging skincare. Here ebook is chock full of recipes for facial scrubs, masks, toners, moisturizers, under eye treatments, facial mists and more - all made quickly and easily with natural ingredients found in your own kitchen.

Besides the recipes, Sue added lots of tips for sensational skin and how each skin care recipe works to create more youthful skin. There is also a great resource section which lists natural ingredients and what each one does for your skin when added to a recipe.

Here’s one recipe for a natural skin enriching mask, made with common ingredients you probably have on hand:

Skin Enriching Mask

• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon yogurt

Whisk the honey, egg yolk and yogurt together thoroughly. Slowly
drizzle in the olive oil while whisking briskly.

Apply to skin for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse well with warm water.

Natural moisturizing treatments, especially for aging skin, commonly include natural oils, honey or aloe vera. Natural oils could include olive oil, walnut oil or almond oil. Don’t forget too, if you want organic skin care products, nearly any ingredient is available as organic.

Where to get natural skin care recipe ingredients:

• Your local grocery store or supermarket
• Health Food stores which carry many essential oils and herbs which you’d want to include in your recipes
• Order online from places like Amazon.com. Many of their products offer free shipping too. Here are just a few of Amazon’s natural skin care ingredients;

100% Unrefined Certified Grade A Shea Butter which is offers UV protection, softens skin and has antioxidant properties.

Organic Argan Oil which reduces wrinkles, improves skin’s elasticity and reduces scarring and stretch marks - plus you can use it on your hair to restore shine and promote hair growth.

Lavender Oil Properties include being antiseptic, antibacterial, stimulant, healing, promotes cell activity and regeneration.

Another informative book to get you started on creating your own natural skin care recipes-The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy: Over 600 Natural, Non-Toxic and Fragrant Recipes to Create Health - Beauty - a Safe Home Environment

Don’t worry about needing special tools to make your skin care recipes either. Mostly all you need is a pan for heating, a blender of some sort and clean, air tight containers, plus whatever ingredients you want to use. Make a little at a time and store the rest of your ingredients for months.

Try a few natural skin care recipes and test for yourself if they perform as well as the expensive varieties. You may just discover younger looking skin at a fraction of the price.

Check out my new AntiAging SkinCare tips blog. I’d love your comments.

Group buying websites have exploded this past year, with sites like Groupon, Eversave and Living Social gaining in popularity. The idea behind group buying sites is that different businesses offer daily deals in your city, such as $50 worth of food at a restaurant for $25 or unlimited yoga classes for one month for $20. When and if enough people buy the deal, it “goes through” and everybody gets a coupon to print out.

The daily deals are all different so you never know what will pop up. You sign up for free with the various websites and they email you the deal of the day. If you want it, all you do is click and buy. Some of the daily deals are also Online stores, for instance I got $30 worth of tea for $10 from a site where I just ordered the tea and used my coupon code.

More and more people are using clipping coupons these days and group buying websites are just an updated extension of old fashioned coupons.

I’ve gotten the aforementioned yoga classes, several restaurant deals, $25 worth of popcorn for $15 at the Popcorn Factory and various other things. I’m lucky that I live near 2 large cities so there are plenty of deals for our area. If you live in a smaller area, group buying may not be available yet. But they are constantly adding new cities and areas to Groupon and Eversave.

I’ve signed up for several of the group buying sites, although Groupon is the one I buy the most from. Here’s a run down on them:

Eversave - Get $5 credit just for signing up. Gave a $10 credit for the holidays too. Also offers a related coupon website for checking out coupons and printing them. Eversave offers more than one deal a day and you also have more than one day to get the “daily deal.”

Eversave tends to have more Online deals than Groupon. Today I got $30 worth of

Groupon - Groupon was the first and is currently the largest group buying website and is in 91 cities and 23 different countries. Recent deals include massages, tickets to college football games, lots of restaurant deals. Besides the daily deal for your city, there are also deals for nearby cities and, while most expire in 24 hours, they are beginning to add new ones with a few days to purchase.

Seize the Deal - Some of their recent daily group buys include massages, tickets to the Nutcracker ballet, restaurant deals and tickets to the Texas Motor Speedway. Some of their deals are up for several days before closing. I haven’t purchased anything from this one yet but I like seeing what they offer every day.

Urban Dealight - is newer on the group buying scene. I haven’t bought anything from them yet either. Their deals seem to be fewer and farther between at this point but they will probably grow over time.

Living Social is in 89 cities. This one is new to me and I haven’t purchased anything here yet.

Dealster is in 50 cities in the US. I just recently signed up for this group buying site but some recent deals are as much as 95% off what you’re purchasing.

With each of these sites, when you click on the daily deal, it gives you a link to the website and describes in detail just what the deal covers. You also have an account so all of the daily deals are stored there and you can either print them out and mark them as used or keep them until you’d like to use them. You can also purchase them as a gift for a friend.

These days, I like to save money any way I can and I always love a good deal. Group buying sites are here to stay and offering more and more great deals all the time.

There’s something fascinating about the RV lifestyle, especially after 40 years of punching a time clock. My

Hit the road and enjoy views like this from your RV

husband was in the Navy for 30 years and I was a Navy Corpsman for 10 years, plus I moved around with my husband after our marriage. After years of living this way, every 3-4 years we tend to look around and say, “Where are we going next?”

Retirement should be a time of adventure and RV living means freedom and the open road. What could be better a better fit for a creative retirement?

I loved the movie Under the Tuscan Sun where the heroine takes a trip to Tuscany, buys an old villa and makes a totally new life for herself. To me, RV life is like that. My husband wants to work for two more years but we decided, if we go RVing for one year of that time, we can live on a fraction of what we are living on now, still putting away savings even without his current income. My own income comes from writing projects on the Internet so I can take my job along with me.

I’ve talked before in this blog about setting goals and writing them down. Our RV retirement goal is that within the next 18 months, we will sell our house and downsize our possessions and travel for one year, with stops of a few weeks here and there to visit family. When we return, we will take the RV to our lake property and live in it until we get our retirement home built there. We had to search for over 3 years to find a piece of property with no restrictions on living temporarily in an RV but we finally found it this past summer.

Is the RV retirement lifestyle for you? Here are some of the resources we’ve used in planning. Many of these offer free newsletters from people already living in an RV, either full time or part time.

RVLifestyleExperts.com I’ve gotten to know Jaimie Hall Bruzenak through the terrific ezine she puts out and I’ve read several of her RV lifestyle books, including Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider’s Guide to Working on the Road. This book, by the way, offers great ideas for earning extra income you could also use working from home. Jaimie and Alice Zyetz have put together a website packed with information and resources on living and retiring in an RV.

Read Alice’s article “Why Retire to an RV?”

There are also great articles on their website on RV budgeting and ways to save money living in an RV.

RVDreams.com - Howard and Linda Payne have put together a website offering information on all aspects of RVing, including links to Workamper sites. Workamping involves lining up jobs you can do on the road to help pay your expenses, such as signing up to be a park host to get free space rent. RV-Dreams has sells a great RV cookbook, plus there are many recipes on the site. Linda also helps support their RV lifestyle through her beadwork projects.

RVers are a friendly bunch and RVDreams also has a helpful forum where you can get all your questions answered by those who are already living the RV life.

RVNet offers an ezine and dozens of articles by different authors on all aspects of RVing. Most author also has a blog or website on the subject of the RV lifestyle worth checking out as well. There are articles on fitness in an RV, RV cooking, trip planning, Green Rving, Workamping, RV maintenance and much much more.

RV Escape Club - This club also offers one of the best mail services for RVers. If you’re on the road for a year or more, you will probably need a mail service to hold and forward your mail to you - wherever you are. Here is a link to some of their free ebooks. If you decide to become a member, you also get a bi-monthly magazine.

RVLife.com - RV Life offers a magazine, articles and blogs on Rving, fishing, golfing and travel. This digital magazine is free and has lots of terrific travel articles.

If you’re on Facebook, you can also connect with, and ask questions of, many others interested in RV living.

RV Club Forums

RV discussion groups are a useful place to find out more information from those with experience and knowledge. These RV Club sites have forums and and you don’t have to be a member to see them.

Good Sam Club- If you join the Good Sam Club, you can get disounts on many park fees, as well as other benefits.

Escapees RV Club- Great magazine with memberhips and lots of info on their website and forum.

How to Create an RV Budget

Here are some resources to help you set up an RV budget and see just how much money it would take to retire to an RV. Even though you may sell your permanent home, extra vehicles and other things that cost you money, there are certain expenses associated with RVing, such as insurance, park fees, and perhaps your vehicle payment to think about.

RV Lifestyle Experts - Preparing your RV budget - includes a worksheet.

RV Dreams - Sample Budgets and Expenses

Changing Gears offers a Budget for the RV Lifestyle

If you have an RV blog or resource you’d like to share, please feel free to post it in the comment section.

If you have dreams of retiring to an RV to live full time or want to take to the road on shorter trips after retirement, check out these resources and subscribe to a few blogs from those who are living the RV lifestyle. It won’t be long before you’re convinced this is the only way to retire!

Stay tuned in. I’ll be adding more resources as I discover them.

Lots of women have wanted to buy Avon or sell Avon at one time or another. My first experience with Avon was as a kid growing up in the 50’s and 60’s. My aunt could always be relied on to give me Avon jewelry or perfume for Christmas. Those fragrances, Imari, Sweet Honesty and Timeless are still around after all these years and they’ve been joined by dozens of new fragrances as well.

I’ve been an Avon Representative off and on three times over the past 20 years and usually only quit when we relocated. I always seem to gravitate back to Avon as a home based business. Nowadays, with Avon websites available, it’s possible to reach even more customers than it was back then.

In the current economy, everybody is looking for a good home based business to make some extra income and Avon offers the added bonus of having products you and your family can use too - products you can purchase at at great discount, depending on the size of your order.

These days, everybody can use more income and an Avon home-based business can provide full or part time income for retirees, working or stay at home moms, or just about anyone.

As a home based business idea, selling Avon has lots of advantages:

1.  Low sign up fee - It only costs $20 to become an Avon Representative, which includes your first 2 campaigns brochures.

2. Low Cost or Free Website - These days a home based business needs a website and Avon offers each representative a personalized website at very low cost - the website is even free if your customers place at least a $25 order through your site.

3.  Products have name recognition. Avon is known for its Skin So Soft line, quality make-up, jewelry, wellness products and more. Their Anew line of anti-aging products has expanded in recent years to provide a great selling opportunity for Representative.

4.  Avon brochures offer something for everyone. Some people like Anew products, some like Avon make up or Skin So Soft. Holidays are a great time to sell Avon. There are dozens of quality, budget conscious gift ideas for all those people on your list. Need little gifts for teachers, grandchildren or Great Aunt Sarah? Avon has it all.

5.  As a Representative, since you sell Avon, you can also buy Avon at great discount prices. The amount of your discount depends on the size of your order so even if you only sell enough to pay for your own purchases, you can save your family quite a bit of money by shopping Avon.

6.  Sales! Buy Avon by shopping the sales and save money. Every Avon brochure has great sales and you can usually get whatever you want at a discount on an already low price. You and your customers can order from the current brochure or the past one so you can compare prices too.

7.  For a Representative, Avon offers lots of local or online training and support.

8.  There is only a small minimum order required each 2 week cycle to stay qualified as an Avon Representative. Orders can be placed online to save time and effort too.

9. When you sell Avon, you have an enjoyable business. You get to know and like your customers and since Avon has a total money back guarantee, you can always keep your customers happy.

Click here to Buy or Sell Avon

As a retirement income, Avon is a natural because many retirees have grown up using or knowing about Avon products and they like them. Buy or sell Avon to make money and save money too!

I recently discovered Groupon and it’s a great way to save money on restaurants, entertainment, spa treatments and more. How does Groupon work? You sign up for free for the city or cities of your choice and then each day one business offers a special deal which saves you anywhere from 50% to 90% for dinners, yoga classes, massages, bowling, or just about any service or business you can imagine. The deal is emailed directly to you each day.

If you want the Groupon deal, you can purchase a printable coupon and off you go.

The idea behind Groupon is that if lots of people group together and take a deal, it makes it worthwhile for the business to offer it.

Groupon.com is not specifically a senior discount site but it sure helps seniors stretch their dollars. Yesterday I bought a Groupon certificate for a local restaurant. The deal was $25 worth for $12. So the next time we visit Habenaro’s Mexican Restaurant, our first $25 is already paid for with more than a 50% discount.

The only drawback to Groupon is that you have to live near a major city but more cities are being offered all the time. Plus, think of Groupon next time you travel. You always have several months to use the deal after you buy it. You can also buy Groupon coupons to give as gift certificates so if you have a friend or relative in a major city, sign up for their city and view the deals!

Visit Groupon today and save.