Getty Images
- Some companies offer senior discounts that stretch the definition of "senior citizen."
- Here, we tracked down five ways you can earn senior discounts in your 50s.
When you blow out your birthday candles to enter a fifth decade of life, you're also opening the door to many new discount opportunities.
Senior citizens, or in many cases, people at least 50 or older, can save a decent bundle of money annually on everything from haircuts to new tires. But it's easy to miss out on opportunities if you haven't researched them or asked about them in-store.
That's why Steve Mitchener developed Sciddy - an app that notifies users when they're near a store or restaurant that offers a senior discount.
"Sometimes people say to themselves, 'Big deal, it's a 10 percent discount,'" Mitchener told The New York Times last year. But according to Mitchener, the discounts can add up.
The father of six and grandfather of seven said he first saw the power of senior discounts while looking for restaurants that offered free kids meals, according to the Times profile. Though he wasn't considering retiring for a number of years, Mitchener realized at that time that he fell into the "over-50 and eligible for a discount" crowd.
And he's obviously not alone. That's why many grocery stores, clothing brands, and even craft stores offer discounts that can mean up to and beyond 20% off a purchase for eligible customers in their 50s.
Here are five ways you can earn a senior discount at specific stores if you're 50 or older: