Tips for Your Boomer Years

Where to Find Great Senior Travel Discounts
Among baby boomers and seniors, travel is often a number one priority in retirement. Finding travel senior discounts can a great way to save money and, lets face it, saving money is fun too! Here are some great senior travel discounts to help you save money:

Senior Travel Tips and Discounts

Senior Discounts on Transportation

When you begin planning your trip, how to get there is the first thing on the list. These places offer senior discounts:

Greyhound Senior Discounts - Traveling by Greyhound bus allows you to really see the countryside and leave the driving to someone else - Plus it saves money over flying. Greyhound offers discounts for seniors of 5% on fares for those age 62 and older.

Amtrak offers a 15% discount for those age 62 and older. For those age 60 and older, Amtrak offers a 10% discount.

Hotels offering Senior Travel Discounts

Best Western offers a 10% discount for those over age 55, plus extras like early or late check-in, free room upgrades or complimentary continental breakfast.

Choice Hotels offers a 10% discount to seniors over age 50 and a 20-30% discount for those over age 60 with advance reservations.

Hyatt Hotels offer up to a 50% discount for seniors over age 62.

Marriot Hotels offer a 15% discount for over age 62, available for hotels worldwide.

Other Travel deals for Seniors

National Parks Senior Pass This pass is for seniors over age 62 and costs $10, which gives free or reduced rates at National Parks. The pass is valid for the lifetime of the cardholder so it’s well worth the $10!

Check out special seniors only tours like this Younger Next Year Boomer Ski Retreat or these Spring Training Travel Packages for Seniors. Besides the advantage of traveling with other seniors, great travel rates are built into these all-inclusive packages.

Travel specialists like VacationsToGo offer senior travel discounts on cruises and tours.

Check out Exploritas, formerly Elderhostel, which offers not-for-profit travel for learning and adventure for those over age 50. Over 8,000 different tours available in all 50 states and 90 different countries.

As always, if you are retired military, a member of AAA or other groups, be sure to check those discounts too when you travel. Sometimes the way to get a great deal is to ASK for it! One way to keep up with new discounts is to sign up for newsletters offered by sites like these:

AAA offers a newletter on discounts available

AARP members get discounts on travel items like airport parking, rental cars, at hotels and more.

Orbitz and others. Besides a newsletter, Orbitz offers many travel discount coupons to use when planning a trip through their website.

Be aware that sometimes the best senior travel discounts are available only on the website and sometimes, it’s best to call the hotel or place you’d like the discount to see what’s available. If you don’t see the discount on their site, call and ask.

If you’re traveling outside the continental US, make sure the senior discounts still apply. Also ask about possible restrictions. Sometimes better deals are available if staying during the weekdays as opposed to weekends, for instance.

This is just the tip of the iceburg in senior travel discounts. As I find more great discount sites, I will post them so keep checking back.

Over Age 55 Discounts for Valentine’s Day or any Special Day

Those over 55 can get great Valentine’s Discounts on flowers, candy, Valentine cards and more.Check out some of these great age 55 discounts, not just for Valentine’s Day, but every day of the year.

Factory Card & Party Outlets Those over 55 enjoy discounts of 10% off most party items purchased in the store. Planning a retirement party or anniversary party for someone over age 55? Check with individual stores to find those who participate in the senior discount program.

Many Hallmark Hallmark stores offer senior discounts and you can buy all your cards here at a 10% discount. Plus Hallmark also offers lots of gift items. Check with each individual Hallmark store near you to see what sort of senior discount, if any, that they offer.

Rite Aid is a large drugstore chain with stores in almost every state. Ask about their free Living More program. As a senior, you can enroll for senior discounts such as 20% off your entire purchase on the first Tuesday of each month and 10% off Rite Aid brand products any other day.

Need a Discount on Flowers this Valentines Day? Check with local flower stores and florists and ask about senior discounts.

1800FLOWERS offers a 15% senior discount to those over age 50 by putting in the word SENIOR into the promo code spot when ordering, either online or by phone. When ordering by telephone, mention the word SENIOR to the operator.

Check with your favorite florist to see if they offer a senior discount.

Many stores offering gift baskets also offer over 55 discounts. Most Mrs. Fields Cookies stores offer 10% senior discounts to those over age . You can get gift baskets here, as well as other sweets and gifts.Check your local Mrs. Fields for age requirements.

Would you like to take your sweetie out to dinner for Valentines? Here’s a listing of restaurants offering senior discounts on About.com. One other money saving tip for eating out - sign up for the membership offer on your favorite restaurant’s website. You usually get discount email coupons for $5 off an entree, a free appetizer or a free dinner on your birthday.

You can also go to a website like RetailMeNot.com and do a search for your favorite restaurant coupons. That way, if they don’t have a senior discount, per se, you can still get a deal on dinner.

Try this great book, available on Amazon.com for more senior discount info and ideas:

Unbelievably Good Deals and Great Adventures that You Absolutely Can’t Get Unless You’re Over 50, 2009-2010

Many department stores, like Kohls, offers senior discounts, so check with them for age requirements and the specific days for shopping. The Kohl’s in my area offers a senior discount to over age 60.

Some jewelry stores, like Zales, offer online coupons if you’re in the mood to get your Valentine some jewelry for the holiday. Check with other coupon sites as well. These aren’t strictly for over age 55 but you can still get a good deal.

Raising Chickens in the City - Have Your Own Backyard Flock

For those of us who were raised on farm fresh eggs, the newest health trend of raising chickens in the city

Learn to raise chickens in the city.

may seem funny at first, but then it makes sense. Why not raise chickens in your backyard and have all the farm fresh eggs you can eat?

My grandfather was a chicken farmer during the depression and I grew up on my dad’s stories of living on an Iowa farm in the 1930’s. One time a flash flood came through and killed nearly every chicken. My dad said, “At the time, I never realized how devastating that must have been.” Chicken farming had it’s ups and downs, that’s for sure.

I guess raising chickens is in my blood because I’ve always loved them. When we lived on three acres in Oregon, one of my first farming efforts was to built a small coop with a sturdy fence and get a dozen chicks to raise. By the time we left there 6 years later, I had two dozen hens.

Raising chickens in your own backyard makes sense, even if you live in the city. Eggs from free ranging chickens provide higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids than conventional eggs raised on commercial chicken farms. You can also feed your backyard flock flax seed meal to increase the omega 3’s even more.

Chickens in the city need very little to be happy. Each chicken lays about one egg per day in the spring and summer. My chickens were very consistent layers, even in winter. We always had enough eggs to supply our family, plus my extended family. I also supplied other people in the community. When I got my hair cut, I “tipped” my hair stylist with two dozen eggs and she loved it!

To raise chickens you need a small coop to shut them up at night and provide them a clean, dry place to lay their eggs. Chickens are smart. Every evening at dusk, they “go to bed” and you just need to shut the door to lock out predators. Even the city has raccoons or other animals that might love to have a chicken dinner.

In your litle back yard coop, you need a couple straw filled boxes for the chickens to lay eggs and a small roost of some kind for them to sleep on. I made my own with wood and dowels going across for them to get their claws around.

You’ll probably also need a fenced area for your backyard chickens. It’s nice to think of them running free, but chickens are very hard on landscaping! They dig and scratch for bugs until your entire yard is torn up.

You can also feed your chickens veggie scraps instead of throwing them in the trash. On cold days, I even made hot oatmeal for my chickens (yes, they were spoiled). On hot days, I ran the hose for them too so they could play in the water and cool off.

You probably won’t save money raising chickens in the city. Your first expenses will be building a coop of some sort, buying a feeder and waterer and some straw for the laying boxes. You need to buy chicken feed and continue to get straw to refresh the laying area and keep it clean.

Still, aside from the money you spend raising chickens, you have the wonderful knowledge of knowing you’re raising your own food and, if you have kids or grandkids, they can see first hand where food comes from. Chickens are friendly creatures too and they will come running when they see you.

If you’d like to raise chickens in the city, I suggest finding out first is your city allows backyard flocks and if so, how many chickens you could have. Then read up on the subject of chicken raising. Here are a few books to get you started:

Raising Chickens for Dummies

Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens: Care / Feeding / Facilities

City Chicks

If you’d like to raise chickens and other animals in the city, try this book:

Barnyard in Your Backyard: A Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Rabbits, Goats, Sheep, and Cows

All of these books on raising chickens in the city are available on Amazon.com and got 5 star ratings from readers.

Further reading:

Mad City Chickens - a great website with lots of chicken info.

If you’ve checked into the cost of stylish eyeglasses lately, you might think finding quality frames and lenses for a

These quality frames only $8 at Zenni Optical

great price is difficult to do. If so, check out the eyeglasses at Zenni Optical, your online optical store where you can get fashionable frames with quality workmanship, plus your prescription lenses, for under $25 in most cases.

You want your eyeglasses to be stylish and the choice of the perfect frames is a very personal fashion statement. Zenni Optical offers all styles from rimless, half rimmed and full rimmed frames, to stainless steel, titanium and aluminum.

Do you need bi-focals or progressive lenses at a discount price? Zenni Optical offers bifocals starting at $25 and progressive lenses starting at $37. Where else could you find fashionable, quality frames and lenses for that price?

Need sunglasses? Zenni Optical offers 7 different tints, starting at just $4.95, offered as an upgrade to the already low prices.

Finding well made, stylish glasses at a discount price does not have to be difficult. Check out the terrific frames at Zenni Optical and you’ll soon be ordering all your eyeglasses from them.

Read a review of Zenni Optical’s eyeglasses for more information.

I love finding online coupons and getting free samples of products. I’ve been a member of Start Sampling.com for quite some time and have found lots of great money saving coupons there. Sign up is totally free and here’s just some of the money saving coupons and tips they offer:

Just some of the current free samples available at Start Sampling are for Prilosec, Head and Shoulders, Loreal products, Remedy Life, which is an email ezine on health and healthy aging which also offers free samples and coupons, Dove Products and many, many more.

Do you use discount coupons when you shop? What a great way to save money! Start Sampling also offers dozens of coupons such as a $2 coupon for Nivia body wash, Pup-Peroni and Milk Bone dog treats, $1 coupons for Kellogg cereal, Keebler crackers, Buddig lunch meats, Aunt Jemima syrup and lots more. Just clip and print these coupons every time you go to the grocery store. You can even get these coupons sent to your cell phone!

Other Start Sampling goodies include forums, games, helpful hints and recipes. free newsletters and ebooks.

Features now available at Start Sampling are forums to give reviews of products or read what others are saying. Whenever I buy something new, I usually check customer ratings and reviews and Start Sampling has a new section called Vocal Pont.com where you can sign up and read and write these reviews. Free product samples and coupons are available here as well and sign up is free.

Check out our other articles on saving money, senior discounts and money saving coupons.

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Canter has partnered with universities which are recognized as leading institutions in their regions.

I’m always looking for more money saving coupons, especially at Christmas time when everybody is more budget conscious. Here are some of the latest coupons to save you money this holiday season.

Coupon for $5 off Enfagrow Premium Vanilla - use at your favorite supermarket

Save at least 75 cents on any Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal at your favorite grocery store

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Get a coupon for $10 off your next purchase at your local Comp USA or Tiger Direct store

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Save $1.50 on any package of Hormel Refrigerated Entree at your Favorite Supermarket

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check out more great money saving coupons at Coupon Surfer.com

My mother has had a beautiful grandfather clock in her entry way ever since I was a child. There’s

Mantle Clock by Howard Miller

something nostalgic about the chimes of a grandfather clock marking the hour. I’ve always been interested in the history of clocks. One famous clock maker, Dent and Company, has been producing beautiful clocks for three centuries in Great Britain. Started in 1814 by the first Edward J Dent, Dent and Company made the famous Tower Clock in London’s House of Parliament, known as Big Ben.

You can find more great information about clocks on clocks blog which carries not only Quality grandfather clocks, but grandmother clocks.

The perfect wall clock can be a basic ingredient of the interior decor in any room in your home. Start with an elegant clock and then create your room around it. ClocksBlog can help you out by offering dozens of clock styles like Howard Miller wall and mantle clocks, Ridgeway Clocks, Hermle grandfather clocks and even atomic clocks.

Are you looking for quality clocks at discount prices? ClocksBlog can help with that too. Check out the Grandfather Clock Discounts for the holiday season and the zero financing on any clock priced over $1,000.

You probably have a special someone on your gift list this year who would cherish one of these amazing clocks.

The elegant clocks offered on ClocksBlog also come with free shipping on orders over $100.

Teddy Bears aren’t just for children anymore. Christmas is coming and if you need a gift idea for someone on your list, think about Personalized gifts. Each miniature bear from Teddy Delivery carries your personalized message in a cute red gift box.

My sister would love Ms Rhonda, which was designed especially for Teddy Delivery.

There are many teddy bear styles to choose from.

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Check out the cute personalized gift teddy bears from Teddy Delivery. Someone on your gift list is sure to love one for a special occasion.

This post was sponsored by Teddy Direct.

The holidays are quickly approaching - do you need gift ideas for those on your list? Do you need something

Casio watch makes a great holiday gift.

special for your husband or wife, son or daughter? Elegant, brand name watches make a terrific gift for anyone on your list, and you can give a watch for any occasion, not just Christmas.

These days, when everybody has a budget for holiday shopping, BlueDial.com offers watches from the beautiful to the practical at bargain prices. Look for brand name watches such as the Casio casio g shock, or Bulova, Citizen, Cartier and many, many more famous brand watches - at up to 70% discount off store prices.

Besides holiday shopping, a time piece is a wonderful gift for a graduation from high school or college, a birthday, retirement or other special occasion. Every time that special person looks at the time, they will think of you.

Another budget-friendly feature of BlueDial.com is that they offer free, 2 day shipping in the continental US and orders placed before 2pm PST are shipped the same day. Bluedial.com has over 300,000 satisfied customers and accepts major credit cards, as well as pay pal.

If you’re looking for a special gift idea for a special occasion, a lovely and practical time piece will be treasured for many years to come.

Although I was compensated for this review, the next time I purchase a men’s watch for my husband, I will think BlueDial first.