NOTE: Black Friday Friday Of Color sales are starting early. Find a good one? A discount code? Flash deal? Put it in comments.
Went to the movies last night. Bought a ticket and noticed a price discrepancy from the listed price and what I was charged. I asked the high-school-age drone behind the counter what was up. His reply…”Senior discount.”
Doubleyew. Tee. Eff.?????
Look, I admit my hair has got more salt than pepper than it did a few years ago, but I am nowhere..nowhere….near ‘senior discount’ age. Part of me was offended and part of me wondered what else I could get away with.
But…I can’t deny that age comes on apace. Thirty-year freeze drieds are actually coming up on their ‘Best By’ dates, guns that were cheap and plentiful when I bough them are now collectors items, naps have a lot more appeal than they used to, and I spend a goodly amount of time waiting for the Advil to kick in. Apparently, somewhere, I got old.
I’m not stupid enough to think I’ll live forever. And, of course, I know that eventually it comes for us all. But, man, it sucks to be reminded of it.
But, reminded I was…and last month I updated my will. Because, as it turns out, part of getting old means acquiring a lot of stuff. Houses, land, gold, money, guns, vehicles, etc, etc. And I will set it all on fire before I let it fall into the hands of the state. In fact, sometimes I feel I should have some sort of fail-deadly switch to implode the place, wipe the accounts, purge the drives, and that sort of thing.
But, I did the next best thing and paid way too much to an attorney to write up some ‘final wishes’. It was all pretty straightforward. There’s only a small handful of people I want to leave stuff to and if for some reason they are unaccepting or unable to receive it, then it goes to the charity of my choice.
As I’ve mentioned before, if I go to my death without ever having had to use any of the ammo, freeze drieds, body armour, kerosene, chest seals, or parachute flares….well, I’ll consider that a victory.
But, realistically, and statistically, I’ve got about another 25 years left on the clock. Sure, I could have an aneurysm tomorrow, or get hit by a bus next week, but so far it’s been a somewhat quiet (in terms of life threatening events) existence these last few years.
But…senior discount. That still rubs me the wrong way.
I had this same realization a few years ago, it’s quite humbling.
Fortunately I have passed down the need for one to be self-sufficient to my children and older grandchildren. If things go right and we avoid the collapse we’ve all been prepping for, I’ll begin handing out my various beans, bandaids and bullets to my heirs during the next decade or so, so they can add them to their preps.
Figure if I time it right, I’ll give my first firearm, my former duty Colt Python, to my oldest granddaughter towards the end when she visits my deathbed…
Yeah, I have that T-shirt too. It’s like getting knifed out of the blue.
Now, when Social Security handed me Disability for the asking without any questions, that was just twisting the knife. They figured I wouldn’t need it long enough to matter much.
On the plus side, I’m figuring out a ‘Cranky old fart’ can get away with SO much fun…
Hey, the discounts mean you have more money for stuff.
I got used to it years ago.
It’ll be ok.
Oddly enough my dear wife and I talked about this the other day. We need to update our wills and other legal documents. Sad part about it is that a number of my family members as well as my parents have passed on since the wills were first drafted. We have all the same issues you do with stuff. and who to bequeath it too.
“and who to bequeath it to”
*ahem*. *AHEM*! *AHEM*!
Please allow myself to…..introduce myself…..
Actually, I think that should be ‘whom’.
It seems many of us have ran into that wall lately. For myself, I have sadly realized I can no longer do things I did even three years ago. Oh wait! Make that less than a year. I have dropped about 20 pounds since last December, and all of my blood draws are showing good (except for my sodium wanting to drop like a rock for no reason). My issue is memory, knees, and my lungs from burn pits. It is a tough thing for many of us to admit to this part of the journey, but I am trying to accept it so I can enjoy what I can. My stuff is easier to bequeath, so no worries there. Thank you for this blog.
There are benefits to getting older , Here in my state you hit 65 your property taxes drop by 25% , my local range on Wednesday seniors shoot for half price ,my wife asked me if they have Large Print targets for us . Had gutter guards put on the house and not only did they give us the senior discount but added military discount on it to .
What has stung me the most so far is having our office manager tell me she was nine MONTHS old when I began working for the company we both work for today. She is Mom with a nearly three year old – she is suffering enough already.
My next birthday (January) will be the first decade beginning with a “six” but I’m okay with that. So far, I can still roll out of bed looking forward to the day. This April, I will have been here 30 years – half my life.
I’m with you. Every time some sumbitch tries to give me a “senior discount”, my immediate urge is to ask him how much he’d like to be beaten on.
I’m still working for a living, and I’ll bloody well let you know when I’m officially old.
I ain’t there yet, not by a darned sight.
i still remember the first time i was surprised by a senior discount. i couldnt decide if i was happy or insulted. then i realized that the sweet young thang could call me whatever she wanted as long as it resulted in money in my pocket.
so yeah, i can be bought and yeah, i come pretty cheap.
Hell,I used the senior discount at motel 6 when I was 55. Saved. 4 or 5 bucks then.
Just remember – Growing older beats the alternative. And there is only one alternative. I don’t feel as bad as I thought I should at this age, But I live in Florida, lots and lots of people older than me. Enjoy the discounts,
At least you have the wisdom which only comes with aging.
Youth is wasted on the young and wisdom is wasted on the old is an “old” saying.
Heh.
My next birthday will begin and end in ‘6’.
However, my hair is both more abundant than that of my three younger brothers and (mostly) isn’t gray.
I haven’t been spontaneously offered the senior discount, but I’m beginning to wonder if the local grocery stores have one, and might adjust my shopping schedule to take advantage of it.
Kurt
I take any discount I can get, hell, I ask for senior, military and any discount for paying with cash.
It’s my money, I’ll keep all I can.
Care to share which movie did you see, dear Commander?
Thanks from Italy!
Black Adam (or, I suppose, Adam Of Color). An unremarkable comic book movie, but still entertaining. Most notably Pierce Brosnan seems to have aged well.
Have “embraced the suck” associated in growing old. Don’t mind the senior, military discounts and have adjusted some of our shopping days to take advantage of them. Still pretty fit for being in the mid-60s riding about 150 to 200 miles a week along with minor weightlifting.
May not be able to move as fast as I used to, but it sure beats the alternative. Tell all my friends that getting up every day is my way of getting even for the 45 years of pain and suffering service to the USAF gave me (25 yrs active duty and 20 yrs simple service). I’ve got to keep those retirement/disability checks coming as long as the system or I can last.
I’ve been getting senior discounts for a while now, and I’ll take whatever discount anyone wants to offer. Like tango says (above), more money for other stuff.
RE: wills. Why a will and not a trust? Wills have to go through probate and the 9-month IRS and ftax filing death tax clock starts ticking when you stop (even if no tax is owed the estate must still file with IRS). Trusts avoid probate and can continue forever if need be, just be really, really judicious in whom you select as trustees because within the limits set by the language in the trust they can do exactly the same things with your money and stuff you could do while alive.
Trusts will require – technically, they don’t but it’s very smart to do so – an attorney to “ride herd” on the trustees. For which he/she will charge a fee, but that can be worked out in advance and it’s money well spent.
Trusts are more complicated to put togethr and consequently more expensive than a will, but remember you won’t be here to correct any errors. It’s also EXTREMELY useful, whether you have a will or a trust, to put together a “Read Me First” binder for whomever will sweep up behind you. You know where the can opener is, which plumber to call, what automatic charges hit which credit card and need to be killed off, where the key to this ammo locker (or combination to what safe) is, what the SooperSeekret “don’t call the cops code” is for the alarm system is, but the odds are whomever shows up to take care of things will not. If you want it done right, and to make their job easier, it’s beneficial to put together all that data in one place and review it at least annually and update as necessary.
My trustees all have a key to the house, they share a “trustee” alarm system code, and all have the combination to the safe with the ‘Read Me First” binder in it.
FYI, make sure – will or trust, and whomever – knows to get lots of extra certified copies of the death certificate, they will be required for account access, etc. With trusts. the *original* trust document – signed by you in blue ink with attorney and witness signatures also in blue ink (just like an FFL) – is the “platinum standard” for trustees managing, and disposing of, your assets and will have to be presented to allow trustees the full fudiciary management of your financial and real estate assets. After the intial showing, a certified photocopy of the trust document (talk to your attorney) will work fine.
My wife and I were driving across the continent around 2010. We had stopped in Albuquerque for lunch, and she wanted to try a Golden Coral (she was Canadian and found it … interesting).
So we go in and eat. As we were finishing up she noticed that they had given me the senior discount, and thought it quite funny…..
Then I looked at the receipt and told her “Sweetheart, they gave it to you, too”.
Suddenly, not so funny….
From my perspective senior discounts rock! We all get older, might as well embrace the few benefits that come with it. Especially in this economy.
I’m offended. 66 yo redhead with minor blonding…I never get asked for any senior deals and would enjoy them 🙈
So when are the great deals coming on air power. Choppers. Fighters. Reaper and Predator drones. We need some serious firepower. About ten C130 Specture gun ships would really nice.
We will need an Air Force. Might as well be now.
Between Military and Civil service, I am in my 50yr. I’m closer to 70 than 65 and I will take any discount offered. A penny saved…… Also I remember the first time I was given a seniors discount I was about 55 or so and the young lady at the register was at best 19yrs old. I wasn’t so much offended as surprised. Now of course with bad knees and ankles I walk like an old man and sadly I look the part as well. But in my heart of hearts, I’m still full of piss and vinegar and ready to take on the world, Zombies and all, after a nap of course. TTFN
I’m 74 and at first felt a bit awkward at senior discounts. What really set me back on my heels was a cute young lady holding the door for me!
Ya got me with the Link. A bunch of degenerate academics talking to a man who thinks he’s Jesus. 1.5 hours of my life that I won’t be getting back. Lesson learned.