A Billionaire Can Teach You Plenty About Penny Pinching

Going gray can certainly pay. At least that’s what New York City’s mayor Mike Bloomberg says, who at the age of 66 proudly takes advantage of his city’s half-price senior subway fare and discount movie tickets (even though he is worth some $11.5 billion). “I recently went to the movies with my girlfriend and—I don't know if it was the first time—I said, ‘One for her and one senior for me,’” related Bloomberg at a recent town hall meeting. If New York City’s billionaire mayor is really looking to profit from his senior status, he should check out these hot discounts.

Baseball Tickets: Major League Baseball just started, which means mature baseball fans can start capitalizing on the many senior days offered by MLB teams. Mayor Bloomberg can play hooky on one of the New York Yankees eight senior (age 60 and over) days, where for a mere $5 he can watch Derek Jeter play in historic Yankee Stadium before it is torn down at the end of the season. Consult your favorite team’s box office for details, and ask about freebies. For example, an upcoming Baltimore Orioles giveaway will hookup the first 3,000 fans 55 and over with 1983 World Series 25th Anniversary tote bags and seat cushions.

Cell Phone Options for Seniors: Many seniors want the security of having a cell phone for emergencies and travel, but don’t want to be bogged down with extras that can often add high costs. With AT&T’s (T) Senior Nation 200 plan and Verizon’s (VZ) Nationwide 65 plus, seniors can opt for simple plans with less allotted monthly minutes. The two plans are virtually identical, and provide 200 “Anytime Minutes,” 500 “Night and Weekend Minutes” and unlimited minutes for calling to other AT&T or Verizon users, all for $29.99 a month. “Seniors are becoming much more savvy,” says Kristin Fabos, executive director of SeniorNet, a non-profit that provides computer training to older adults. “A big factor in their adoption of cell phones has been price. Seniors are price sensitive, so the fact companies are offering lower rates makes them much more appealing.”