Control Your Retirement: Three Hacks for Smart Savings

(BPT) – Approaching retirement is an exciting prospect for many adults 50+ who can look forward to spending more time with family and friends and enjoying the benefits of their hard-earned savings. In many cases, this important stage of life can include large expenses, such as supporting college-aged children, paying for weddings, or home renovations.According to recent research, Americans are continuing to add to their retirement fund, however only about half of workers with 401(k) plans said they feel confident they’ll reach their retirement savings goals. During this eagerly anticipated but sometimes costly season of life, it’s important to uncover money saving hacks for everyday expenses that can go a long way in easing our pockets, including our health and wellness needs, gas, technology and more. If you’re an AARP member, there’s a range of discounts and savings that can help you save money and stay on track with your retirement fund goals.Here are three pre-retirement smart saving hacks to consider:Prioritize Your Health and Wellness Without Breaking the Bank As we focus on reaching our retirement fund goals, one area of life we should never neglect is health and wellness. Staying up to date on your regular medical appointments, including hearing, dental and vision, is always a recommendation for living your best life. These essential wellness visits don’t have to break the bank, as there are ways to incorporate savings that you might not expect.Scheduling annual eye exams allows your provider to check for vision loss or early signs of disease. If correction is needed, AARP® Vision Discounts Provided by EyeMed provide members and their families exclusive discounts at participating retailers and independent provider locations nationwide, as well as online. You save 50% on prescription lenses with the purchase of a frame at LensCrafters, 30% on a complete pair of glasses (frames and lenses) at Glasses.com, and you save an additional $10 on a complete pair at Target Optical.Regardless of how the economy might be impacting you, prescription adherence keeps you healthy and is important. You can stay on top of your prescriptions while saving with AARP® Prescription Discounts Provided by Optum Rx® — a free prescription discount card that can be used at over 66,000 pharmacies nationwide for savings on all FDA-approved medications. The program is open to anyone, but AARP members have access to additional benefits, including deeper discounts on medications, home delivery, coverage for dependents and more.Another surprising way to cut costs is taking a closer look at where you’re physically shopping. For everyday health, wellness and beauty essentials like vitamins, skin care and hair products, cosmetics and more, you can shop at Walgreens while earning rewards through your AARP membership. When members link their AARP membership and myWalgreens® account, they can earn 10% Walgreens Cash rewards on Walgreens-branded health and wellness products. AARP members also receive 7% Walgreens Cash rewards on Walgreens-branded beauty and personal care products and 3% Walgreens Cash rewards on all other qualifying beauty and personal care products.Keep Yourself on the Road at a Low Cost By Saving on GasLet’s face it: driving is something most of us must do regularly, whether it’s filling your vehicle a few times a month commuting to and from work, traveling for your child’s sports tournament, or taking weekend trips to visit family and friends. Amid financial pressures, there are real ways to save on gas that you might not expect.When you link your AARP membership with your Exxon Mobil Rewards+TM account, you earn extra points every day on the things you already buy, like fuel, car washes and convenience store items, and you’ll receive 2x the points on fuel on member days. Every 100 points you earn is the equivalent of $1 in savings on eligible purchases. And when you become an Exxon Mobil Rewards+ member, you receive a 500-point welcome bonus — that’s a five-dollar value — after your first fill-up.Keep Your Connections Strong by Making Smart Cell Phone Plan ChoicesIt’s important to stay connected with friends and family — especially if you have a child (or two) away at college. Schedule a time each week to catch up with those who matter. AARP members can save 5% on monthly service and usage charges and 30% on accessories with Consumer Cellular. Talk, text and data plans start at $20 per month per line, require no contract, and include free activation and an extended risk-free guarantee. In addition, AARP members can get unlimited talk, text and data for two lines for just $55/month. Make sure you enter or mention your AARP membership number or card at Target stores to access these savings and enjoy your conversations stress free.For those starting to think about what their retirement will look like, taking steps to save on everyday expenses allows you to prioritize retiring how you want, when you want. The discounts and savings available via AARP member benefits can help make every dollar count and put you on a path towards a stable, happy, and fulfilling retirement. Check out aarp.org/save to view more benefits and savings available to AARP members.Neither AARP nor its affiliates is the insurer. AARP and its affiliates are not insurance producers, agents or brokers, and do not sell or service insurance products. AARP member benefits are provided by third parties, not by AARP or its affiliates. Providers pay a royalty fee to AARP for the use of its intellectual property. These fees are used for the general purposes of AARP. Some provider offers are subject to change and may have restrictions. Please contact the provider directly for details.