AARP

A friend and I met recently for lunch. After ordering at the counter, I whipped out my phone and paid my bill by holding my phone above the card reader.

“How did you do that?” my friend asked. I uploaded my credit card into the wallet app of my phone, and it transmits the information without contact.

“Yeah, but how did you know how to do that?” she asked again.

“Oh!” I said. “I learned how from an article in the AARP Bulletin a couple of months ago. It explained the steps involved in turning my smartphone into a virtual credit card. It was easy, and I don’t have to pull out my credit card to pay in some places now.”

I felt like I was advertising for AARP, and I guess I was, sort of. Formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons, I’ve been a proud member of AARP since I turned 50, and I’m always surprised that more of my family and friends have chosen not to be members. I get it. Talking about AARP may make some folks feel “old,” but here’s the thing: We are all getting older. None

of us can stop that train from coming down the tracks. So why not join a club that focuses on living our best lives after 50?

First of all, I love the AARP Magazine. If you’ve never flipped through it, you’re missing out on the joy of realizing that getting older doesn’t mean slowing down. The magazine is packed full of life hacks, health tips, and interviews with people you actually recognize. Every issue reassures me that aging gracefully is not only possible, it’s very doable.

I routinely tear pages from the issues to keep for future reference. For example, there was a great page featuring homemade salad dressings a few months ago, as well as an article about the gut biome, living with tinnitus (ringing in the ears), the U.S. Postal Service’s free Informed Delivery service, and eye drops (called Vuity) that can replace wearing reading glasses. The topics are geared to those of us of a certain mature age, and the articles are easy to read and understand.

In alternate months, I receive the AARP Bulletin. Ever wonder how to travel the world on a retirement budget? They covered this topic. Curious about how to make your joints feel better? They presented tips for that, too. It’s packed with information on everything from tech tricks to keep you hip with the younger generations to recipes that will actually make you excited about eating kale or drinking kombucha.

Remember those old TV commercials for Holiday Inn Express — the ones where the guest who stayed at the hotel chain was well-rested and smarter than other travelers? And also, remember those old E.F. Hutton commercials from the 70s, where everyone stopped to listen to hear what E.F. Hutton said? Well, that’s how reading the AARP publications make me feel — informed, smart, and upto- date on the latest trends and technology. In my opinion, both of these publications are worth so much more than the annual AARP fee of about $15.

I’ve even used my AARP discounts a few times to save money when we are traveling or out and about. AARP members get discounts on everything from certain hotel rooms to car rentals, restaurants to prescription glasses. It’s like suddenly becoming a VIP at certain stores, but instead of flashing a black card, you just whip out that little red AARP card. And the savings? They add up faster than you can say, “Wheel of Fortune is on.”

I get 10-20% discounts at restaurants like Bonefish Grill, Denny’s, Papa John’s, Moe’s, Outback Steakhouse, and Carrabba’s Italian Restaurant. Many others offer AARP