Discounts for over 60s and money saving tips

Welcome to the over 60s club, where it’s reduced bills, travel-savings and cinema discounts galore. At Gransnet, we’re in the know about the very best money saving tips and over 60 discounts and we've made it our mission to help you enjoy them. So, to give you a head start, here's our pick of the top discounts for over 60s. 

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Please note: Some of these savings may have been affected by the Coronavirus pandemic, so do check with the companies offering the discounts before you buy. 

Over 60 travel discounts

1. Save 1/3 on train tickets with a National Rail Senior Railcard

National Rail offer a yearly senior discount card for £30 that will get you 1/3 off your train tickets plus special offers, including discounts on days out, holidays, theatre tickets and more. 

If you buy a three-year senior railcard for £70, you save an additional £20. Considering the average yearly saving is £119, that's not a bad deal.

2. Free London travel

"If you live in one of the 33 London Boroughs, the big discount is a free Oyster Card - worth its weight in gold!"

If you're over 60 and live in a London borough, you can ride the city's public transport for free. You'll get a 60+ Oyster Card when you turn 60 and a Freedom Pass once you reach pension age.

If you're not from London, but have a bus pass, you can usually use that on London buses for free as well. Use the eligibility calculator on the Freedom Pass London Council's website to see if you're eligible.

3. Free bus travel in Wales and Scotland

"My bus pass is used almost daily, a total boon. I don't know what I'd do without it!"

Over 60 discounts also include discounted travel on local buses in Wales and Scotland with Arriva Club 55 and the ScotRail Club 50card respectively. Scotland also provides free travel on national bus services, and some rail travel depending on where you are, while Northern Ireland allows free travel on bus and rail journeys. If you live in England or Wales, you may be eligible for an older person's bus pass.  

4. 1/3 off National Express coach tickets

"Buying senior coach cards saved us more than the cost of the card, and our return fares came in at about £70 less than the petrol would have done."

Buy a Senior Coach Card for £12.50 per year and all National Express coach tickets are a third off, with no peak time restrictions. Still not sure? If you don't save the cost of the card in a year, they'll refund you the full cost of the card.

5. 10% off Interrail tickets

Over 60s are entitled to 10% off adult fares with Interrail, which means you get to travel Europe in a budget-friendly way. And if you want to travel in style, the discount is available for both 1st and 2nd class. So go on, grab your backpack and see that little bit of Europe you haven't got round to yet. Who doesn't love a discounted holiday?

6. Senior discounts on air fares

"There are airlines which offer discounts to the over 65s but in most cases you have to look for them."

Airlines such as British Airways, Air France and Delta (domestic flights) offer senior discounts. If you're over 60, it's worth double-checking the website of your preferred airline before you book.

7. Cheaper holidays

One gransnetter has quite possibly one of the best money saving tips when it comes to holidays:

"If you're going abroad, it's worthwhile finding out what age-related discounts are available in your destination country. When I last went to Spain, I enjoyed a substantial discount on visiting the Alhambra, and the Alcazar in Seville was free to pensioners on Sundays."

A number of European countries either offer a reduced admission fee or don't charge at all for tourist attractions if you're a European citizen over the age of 65. Our top tip is to find tourist information points when on holiday or search online before you go to see what's available to you.

8. Save on car maintenance at ATS Euromaster

If travelling by car is your preference, then you can still save yourself money by joining Club 60 at ATS Euromaster. You'll get special seasonal discounts including reduced weather checks, cheaper MOTs and discounts on tyres. 
 

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Over 60 leisure discounts

9. Ask what concessions are available at the theatre

Local and national theatres, art centres and concert halls often have concessionary tickets for over 60s available for some or all performances as well as annual senior memberships.  

10. Restaurant discounts for over 60s 

Hungry Horse offers two courses for £4.70 Monday to Friday at all pubs country-wide for customers over the age of 60. Now how's that for a meal deal? 

11. Check for discounted senior rates at museums

Imperial War Museums, Tate Modern, National Maritime Museum, Cutty Sark, Royal Observatory and many more museums offer over 60 discounts - and that's just in London. Wherever you go, it's worth asking for a discounted ticket, or checking their website before you set off. 

12. Are you a National Trust member? 

If you've been a National Trust member for five out of the last 10 years, you could be eligible for a senior membership once you turn 60, which means receiving a heavily discounted price of 25% off annual adult rates. That means you'll only have to pay £51.48 for an individual membership and £85.20 for a joint one. The discount isn't automatic once you turn 60 though - to activate it you'll need to contact the National Trust directly.

"DH and I took out joint life membership of both National Trust and English Heritage when I retired six years ago. We visit nearby properties five or six times a year and when we go up the motorway visiting family, we tend to take a detour to a National Trust property for a stop rather than at the motorway services." 

13. English Heritage discounted membership

If you're over 65, you can opt for a senior membership with English Heritage and get a monthly pass for £4.08, an annual pass for £49, or a lifetime pass for £1,000. For further savings, you can also get discounted joint senior memberships for you and a partner or friend.

14. Cinema tickets - over 60 discounts

With tickets starting at just £3, you can make huge savings on cinema trips across the country.

• Senior Cinema screenings at Vue cinemas are heavily discounted for over 60s and include a cup of tea and a biscuit too.
• Silver Cinema screenings at Odeon cinemas start at £3 and include tea, coffee and biscuits.
• Empire cinemas Seniors screenings are every Wednesday morning and include tea and biscuits. Again, tickets are just £3.
• Showcase cinemas have screenings every Monday, where the senior admission to any film starting before 12pm noon will be just £5.
• Picturehouse cinemas have a weekly Silver Screen Club. Membership is free and it includes discounted tickets and a free cup of tea or coffee with biscuits.   

15. Grab a free coffee after your weekly shop

Sign up for a free myWaitrose card, which entitles you to a free coffee as long as you make a purchase.

When you buy a paper, they'll also deduct the cost of it from your shopping, provided you meet the minimum £10 spend.

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Health and fitness discounts for over 60s

16. Tai chi classes

Do you fancy learning the art of tai chi? The Taoist Tai Chi Society of Great Britain offers a special rate on annual membership for over 60s, which includes unlimited classes.

17. Free eye tests, NHS prescriptions and dental treatment when you turn 60

Book your eye test as usual, then tell staff that you're entitled to a free test once you arrive. You may also be entitled to free NHS dental care in England, depending on your circumstances and what benefits you receive. If in doubt, ask the receptionist what you are eligible for.

In Wales, over 60s are entitled to free dental examinations. Don't forget to ask for your NHS discount or free prescription though, because there's no guarantee that the person you're talking to will recognise your bright-eyed and bushy-tailed self as old enough to be entitled.

18. Save on new glasses

Specsavers give over 60s 25% off all glasses and lenses if you buy any single pair of glasses from its £69 range or above. So if you buy a pair of glasses at that base price, you will make a savings of over £17, making it worth enquiring about. You'll usually be able to get a discount voucher towards the cost of glasses or contact lenses at other opticians too.

19. Over 60 discounts at Boots

If you have an Advantage Card, you can get extra savings at Boots once you turn 60, including eight points for every pound you spend on Boots' own brand products, although make sure to do this in store as it does not work online. Every point you have is equivalent to a penny to spend in store, so if you have 1000 points, that equates to £10 

As well as 25% off your first pair of glasses or prescription sunglasses, you can get every additional pair of glasses or prescription sunglasses half price at Boots. If you're a hearing aid-wearer, there's also a 15% saving on their hearing aids. 

20. Cheap gym memberships and perks

"As an over 60, I get discounts on exercise classes locally. Pilates is only £4 a class. My local authority has free exercise activities for the over 60s. Do check out your local council website."

Home and garden discounts

21. Winter and fuel allowance

"I've just had my winter fuel allowance for the first time and it's taken so much pressure off me worrying about heating the house this winter."

Every household with someone aged 65 or over is entitled help towards their winter energy costs. Most payments are made between November and December. Under the UK Government's winter fuel payments scheme, over 65s can claim a lump sum of up to £250 tax-free. If you’re over 80 you can claim £300. 
 

22. Discounts on vet bills

Vet bills can be really expensive if something goes wrong, but even routine check-ups and injections add up. Ask your local veterinary practice if there are discounts for over 60s.

Dogs Trust offers a 50% discount - just £12.50 a year. Benefits include unlimited access to the 24 hour emergency advice service from veterinary professionals, 3rd party public liability insurance for your dog, free Canine Care Card to guarantee that Dogs Trust will take care of your dog should you pass away and Wag! Magazine three times a year.

23. Handyperson services from your local council

Many councils offer a handyperson service for those who are over the age of 60 or have a disability. Services offered vary from council to council, but the implementation of safety and security measures and small repairs can usually be offered via the service.

Age UK also offer a similar scheme - check their website to see if your area is covered.

24. Double points at all Wyevale garden centres

If you love to potter around the garden and have a Wyevale Garden Club membership, you have access to reward vouchers and exclusive deals, including double points on Tuesdays if you're over 60.

25. Investing with Netwealth

Netwealth offer the opportunity to invest with family or close friends, which can drive down costs while still allowing you to pursue your own investment agenda. This should come as a unique and welcome change that saves you money.

26. Grandparenting can pay

If you're one of the 63% of grandparents that help care for grandchildren then you could be entitled to extra tax credits to the tune of £250 a year. And, what's more it can be backdated as far as 2011. To be eligible, you'll need to spend some time each week caring for a grandchild under the age of 12. Find out here if you're eligible. 

And finally, our top tip:  Always ask - you'll lose nothing!

"My husband found out this week that if he shows his bus pass in one of the local pubs near to us he would get 40p off a pint of beer. He is now calculating how much he may have lost out on! Local restaurants also have 15 to 20% discounts for over 60s depending on the day or night. It's well worth hitting the big 60 when it comes to matters of the purse strings." 

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