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5 Ways Senior Adults Can Cut Costs
- March 1, 2024
- Reviewed by John Krahnert
We can all stand to save a little money here and there. Older adults can especially benefit, particularly when living off a fixed or limited income. Fortunately there are a number of ways to trim everyday spending costs.
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How can seniors cut expenses?
Below are five ways older adults can cut costs from their day-to-day living.
1. Find better health insurance
Health care is arguably the No. 1 area where older adults can cut costs. Health care is a budget burden for many people, and medical spending among those 65 and over is almost three times higher than those of working age.
Seniors may feel like they don’t have a lot of health insurance options at their disposal, but private Medicare plans provide just that. And every fall, Medicare beneficiaries have an opportunity to switch, add or drop plans during the annual Fall Medicare Open Enrollment Period.
Fall Medicare open enrollment lasts from October 15 to December 7 every year. For most Medicare beneficiaries, this is the only time of year to customize their coverage with a variety of Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plans that can save big bucks when it comes time to see the doctor.
2. Explore housing assistance options
Rent is not getting any cheaper, and the cost of living in a retirement community is even higher. Even if you own a home with no mortgage, there are still property taxes and insurance, utilities, maintenance and repairs and more to consider.
There are a number of rental assistance programs, housing vouchers and other programs available at the state and local levels designed to help seniors with housing costs.
3. Consider housing alternatives
If housing assistance isn’t enough, consider a new housing situation. You might be able to rent out a spare room or downsize from your current residence.
4. Take advantage of senior discounts
Senior discounts are common for events, transportation, restaurants, and various services and retailers. They are not always advertised, so it never hurts to ask.
If you haven’t joined AARP, consider doing so. The number of discounts available with an AARP card can more than offset the modest annual membership fee.
5. Re-route your transportation
Many retirees can get away with no longer having a car. If you don’t drive much, the cost of the occasional public transportation, taxi or ride-sharing service may be less than the insurance, registration, maintenance and gas that you spend on your vehicle.
What is the largest expense for older adults?
Housing remains the largest expense for older adults, with health care coming in close behind.
Housing is the greatest expense for seniors in terms of both dollar amounts and as a share of annual expenditures.
About the author
Christian Worstell is a senior Medicare and health insurance writer with MedicareAdvantage.com. He is also a licensed health insurance agent. Christian is well-known in the insurance industry for the thousands of educational articles he’s written, helping Americans better understand their health insurance and Medicare coverage.
Christian’s work as a Medicare expert has appeared in several top-tier and trade news outlets including Forbes, MarketWatch, WebMD and Yahoo! Finance.
Christian has written hundreds of articles for MedicareAvantage.com that teach Medicare beneficiaries the best practices for navigating Medicare. His articles are read by thousands of older Americans each month. By better understanding their health care coverage, readers may hopefully learn how to limit their out-of-pocket Medicare spending and access quality medical care.
Christian’s passion for his role stems from his desire to make a difference in the senior community. He strongly believes that the more beneficiaries know about their Medicare coverage, the better their overall health and wellness is as a result.
A current resident of Raleigh, Christian is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
If you’re a member of the media looking to connect with Christian, please don’t hesitate to email our public relations team at Mike@tzhealthmedia.com.
