Sunday, January 22, 2023

10 Great Deals for Veterans, the Elderly, Etc

I was reading Lorraine's blog where she detailed the process of getting a great deal on a new roof (info here and here) and it made me think about other great deals people can qualify for.  Often these deals are based on where you live, your income, your age, your veteran status, etc.  Here are some of my favorite deals:

  1. National Park Passes.  These can be free or highly discounted depending on which pass you qualify for.
  2. State Park passes.  This is an example for my state.  Many state park systems offer free or discounted passes that people can qualify for.
  3. Tax exemption programs.  We enjoy a huge tax exemption on both our cars and house through a county program for disabled veterans.  Many cities and counties around the country offer similar programs.
  4. Movie discounts.  Hubby and I enjoy going to the movies at a local theater for only $4 each on senior days.  This is less than half the price of a regular movie ticket!
  5. Utility rebates.  Many local utilities (water, gas, electricity) offer discounts and rebates on a range of things.  Our local water company offers landscaping rebates as well as car wash coupons, our local electric company offers a bunch of rebates and freebies, and our natural gas company also offers several rebates and freebies.  I believe all of these companies also offer payment assistance for low income folks if they need help paying their bills.  Also, energy star rebates are available all over the country.  Check the websites of your local utilities and see what you might qualify for!
  6. If you are a senior, here is a huge list of senior discounts.  And vets/active duty military can enjoy a similarly long list of discounts and freebies.  Ditto if you are a student.
  7. Depending on where you live, there may be grants/discounts/freebies based on local needs.  This is the program Lorraine used for her roof (which makes sense as the area is prone to hurricane-force winds and having a sturdy roof is important).  In California, earthquakes are the problem so they have programs to help retrofit homes to make them safer during an earthquake.  Here is another kind of grant in my state to help low income people make needed repairs to their homes.  Basically Google your local area plus the type of help you need to see what is available.
  8. Here are a bunch of states that provide free college to students (I WISH they had such programs when I was a student!).
  9. The federal government also offers a huge list of grants to individuals, non profits, government agencies, and NGOs for a wide range of programs and needs.  I used to write these grants and got everything from firefighter turn-out gear and medical supplies to shooting range mitigation products and food for distribution just by filling out a simple application (and sometimes 90-page not so simple applications).
  10. Finally, here is a list of freebies and grants that many people can qualify for.  These types of programs can change frequently so it pays to Google whatever kind of discount of help you are looking for just to see what pops up!

5 comments:

  1. Wow, that post covers a lot. I will be going through the last site with the 200 freebies. Thanks.

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    1. I too still need to read everything and sign up for things that look interesting. I love freebies!

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  2. Thank you for the mention!! I will add that the grant I applied for was online only, so you need a computer to apply. It was not so easy as I needed to upload documents and they had to be in pdf form. Although the grant is open to all ages and incomes, I definitely feel that if someone is older or not computer savvy, they would have trouble with applying. The website crashed, so it took me 6 hours to submit my application. It's on a first come first served basis, only 4 times a year. I feel very lucky to have been successful!

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    1. By my calculations, your six hours of work paid you nearly $1700 per hour! Definitely great work on your part getting the grant finished and submitted!

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    2. Cool! We just signed out contract yesterday!

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