May
21
Technology is great isn’t it? Your PC isn’t just kind of useful when it comes to word processing, browsing the web, sending emails and shopping online – it can even cut out coupons for you!! Well, not literally of course!
If you’re an online senior shopper then you probably already have an eye for a bargain. Buying stuff over the Internet is simply cheaper than buying from stores in the real world. But, there’s a couple of ways you can save even more money – online coupons and cashback sites.
Online coupons work in the same kind of way as regular coupons – you don’t get the fun of sitting at the kitchen table cutting them out from your local newspaper though but guess you can’t have everything! You’ll find plenty of online coupon sites out there to keep you in coupon heaven and you can get discounts on anything from a coffee and a Danish to a computer. Some coupons need to be printed off to be used in the real world while others will simply give you a special code that you can use during the online shopping checkout process.
A lot of seniors are also starting to use cashback sites when they shop online as well. These sites link you up with online stores where they’ve negotiated special deals. So, you visit the cashback site, choose the store you want to buy from and click on the link to get there. The link is real important as it tells the sites where you came from so they can apply the special deal – this can be a cashback, a special offer or a discount.
May
21
Safe online shopping tips for seniors
Filed Under Internet Browsing | 1 Comment
Despite what young people sometimes think, many seniors are more than capable of embracing technology – heavens above, some seniors even use their computers to shop online! Nowadays you can buy just about anything over the Internet – and, you can buy it cheap and have it delivered right to your door or to someone else’s if you prefer.
So, the advantages of online shopping are obvious but you do need to be careful here about how secure it is to shop online. Credit card fraudsters are more than happy to clone cards and steal identities if they can get hold of them over the Internet. So, if you’re an online shopping newbie, then take a look at our tips and you shouldn’t have any problems:
1. Shop from established sites – you generally won’t have problems if you shop from big name online stores. If you want to buy from a website you haven’t heard of before then check out their security policy on the site. It’s also real important to check if you can contact the site if you have problems. Don’t buy from a site that doesn’t let you see an address and a telephone number.
2. Look for the security lock – when you get to the shopping cart area of a website you should be looking for two security signs. First, take a look in your browser window in the area where you type in a web address. A secure site will have ‘https:’ at the front of the web address. If it has just got ‘http:’ then it probably isn’t secure. Second, look at the bottom right hand side of your browser screen – if the site is secure you’ll see an icon of a closed padlock or key. If they aren’t there, or if they are open, then the site may not be secure to shop on.
3. Choose a secure password – a lot of people get hit on password fraud because they choose passwords that are easy to remember like their names and dates of birth. The best password to choose will combine letters and numbers and they won’t make any sense at all to anybody but you! Do remember though to write your passwords down somewhere where you can find them!
If you follow these tips then you should find online shopping a breeze! And, if you have any worries at all then remember that a lot of sites will also allow you to phone to give your credit card details when you want to order as an alternative. Happy shopping!
May
21
Once you achieve senior status in the world you really have earned the right to sit back, relax and tell everybody else what to do! But, at the same time, it’s important to make sure that you keep fit and active. You might feel like you’re 21 but your body may not! But, if you try to take some regular exercise then you can help avoid the rot setting in!
A lot of seniors don’t really like going to the gym. Gyms aren’t always great places for older people – they tend to be full of young fit bodies whose brains clam up when they see someone over 50. And, let’s face it, it’s not much fun trying to work-out when everyone else in the gym is talking to you like you’re 10 and trying to stop you from doing too much! Saying that, however, some gyms now do run special senior classes which could help you keep fit AND have some fun and make friends.
If the gym isn’t your kind of thing then don’t think you can’t exercise at all. It’s real easy to use your common sense at home and when you’re out and about to get some exercise. Little things can help a lot here. For example, do some leg bends when you’re watching TV, use food cans from your kitchen for some ad hoc weight training, take stairs instead of elevators if you feel up to it and go for a brisk 10 minute walk instead of catching a bus. Just remember not to overdo it – you’re supposed to be enjoying your retirement!
May
21
How to avoid ‘Senior’ Moments
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Getting older can be a bit of a hassle – your body won’t do the stuff you want it to all the time and sometimes it can feel like your mind is going to pot as well! Let’s face it, we all have ‘senior’ moments – we call the kids by the wrong names, we put things down in a safe place and then forget where they are and we put the coffee in the fridge and the milk in a cupboard….
But, there’s no reason why you can’t avoid having these senior moments and there’s no reason why you can’t keep your mind as sharp as it used to be. You might not be experiencing the mental challenges every day that you had before you retired – so find some new ones!
It doesn’t actually take much to keep yourself sharp as a senior. Simple things can help a lot – for example, meeting up with friends regularly for a chat can help rejuvenate your brain cells! A lot of seniors find that doing puzzles and crosswords keeps them sharp – the same goes for reading books and newspapers. All this stuff is fun to do, it keeps you busy and it makes your brain cells tick over! If you like watching quiz shows on TV then shout out the answers! You’ll be amazed at how good you feel when you get them right!
If you are tending towards senior forgetfulness then just bite the bullet and start making lists. Lists are a great way of knowing what you’ve got to do and when you’ve got to do it. My parents carry ‘page a day’ diaries with them – they use them to jot down shopping lists, make notes of stuff they’ll be doing and put in reminders of stuff they need to remember. Now, if my Dad could just remember where he puts his diary, he’d be just fine!!!
May
16
Think you’re too old to use a cell phone? You’re wrong! Cell phones are a great way of keeping in touch and can even help keep you safe. They may be small, they may be technologically advanced and they may look like something from a 1950s Sci-fi movie, but there’s no denying that a cell phone can be real useful for seniors in retirement as well as seniors in high school!
If you’re not sure about the benefits of using a cell phone think about how your life could be made easier. For a start, you’ll never have to find a payphone when you are out and about again. And, let’s face it, payphones are pretty thin on the ground nowadays! These gadgets are also real popular with seniors who are using their retirement to travel now – it’s very easy to keep in touch with your family no matter where you are in the world. So, they won’t have to worry about what you’re getting up to too much!
Cell phones can also help seniors out if something unexpected happens. So, if you are delayed or have to change plans then a simple call can sort out any problems. And, if you happen to have an accident then your cell phone can get you help in an instant. Most seniors I know really like their cell phones because it helps them keep in touch with their grandkids. There’s hardly a kid out there that doesn’t have a cell phone so you can pin them down and keep in touch whenever you like. You might even qualify as a cool grandparent!
May
16
No, but seriously it’s fantastic! My Grandma’s been living on her own for a few years now – since she discovered online dating she’s never been happier. I guess actually retiring was hard on her even though she’d really been looking forward to it. She has a lot of friends but said that the days were a bit empty without work to think about.
Anyway, one of her friends convinced her to give online dating a try. Don’t know if she meant to find a partner (she has, but more of that later!) or whether she was just looking to chat to new people but she really got into it. She says she really enjoys chatting to her ‘gentlemen friends’ online and she feels a lot better in herself. Think she was a bit worried about going on an actual date from the senior online dating site she joined up to but that didn’t stop her!
I was quite surprised at how many sites she’d bookmarked on her PC as being possible options. I know a couple of my friends have tried online dating and I kind of thought she’d not have much choice as so much of this stuff is targeted at young people. She got ticked off with me when I told her that – apparently senior online dating sites are booming and I’m ageist!
And, she’s now happily seeing a lovely ‘gentleman friend’ called Ray – he lives just round the corner from her house but she had to go online to meet him. How about that for the power of technology?!!
May
15
Using the Internet to make money….
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The Internet isn’t just a great way to keep in touch and to surf the net – you can even use your Internet connection to make some money! There are various ways that seniors can supplement their income in this way – the two main methods we’re looking at here are online surveys and online juries.
Online surveys work in much the same way as surveys you may be asked to complete in the real world. The difference here is that you fill in the surveys online via your computer and you’ll be paid for each survey you complete. You can sign up for online surveys via specialist online survey companies – you will have to fill in some basic details about yourself and your likes/dislikes and then the website will contact you when they have a suitable survey from one of their clients.
Online juries are set up by lawyers who want to test out a case for a client before they take it to trial. So here, as with online surveys, seniors can make some money by registering as a potential juror. When a suitable trial comes up you’ll be asked to take part online and then paid for your time.
As a senior you won’t make a fortune with online surveys and juries but you can make a bit of spare cash for just a few minutes here and there spent on your computer which is always useful!
May
15
The benefits of silver surfing
Filed Under Internet Browsing | Leave a Comment
A lot of seniors are bamboozled by the Internet – they’d be the first to admit that technology sneaked into the world when they weren’t looking and then slipped them by! But, technology such as the Internet isn’t something just for young people. There is a new senior generation of Internet users out there – the Silver Surfers – and they enjoy the web and all its benefits just as much as their kids and grandkids.
If you’ve recently retired then you probably have a lot of time on your hands. So, now is an ideal time to get online! All you need is a computer and a connection to the Internet and you can open up a whole new world. Let’s take a look at a couple of the main benefits for you by getting online.
A lot of seniors are starting to use the Internet to help them keep in touch with friends and family. Nowadays, family units are much more divided than they used to be – your kids may live on the other side of the country or the world and you may barely even see your grandkids. But, with an Internet connection you can chat with them online, exchange photos in minutes and even see them in person if you use a web camera (know as a webcam by techies!).
Another big benefit here is using the Internet to save money. There are all kinds of discounts available to Internet users and web sites will generally sell just about anything cheaper online than in a regular store. And, if you can’t get around and about as much as you used to you can have the stuff you buy delivered straight to your door. So, join the Silver Surfers and see how much fun you can have!
May
15
It’s a sad fact of life today that seniors are often asked to pay higher premiums for insurance than younger people. It doesn’t matter how fit and healthy you may be – if you’re a senior looking for insurance then the chances are you’ll be charged much more than you used to pay.
This is especially true of travel insurance which is a real shame as this is the time of life when a lot of seniors want to travel and make the most of their retirement. So, why do insurance companies charge you more? Well, the simple fact is that you are statistically more likely to become ill as a senior which makes you more of a risk for them. So, they increase their premium rates to cover their backs.
But, the good news is that it is possible to take out insurance – even in advanced years! – that won’t cost you the earth. To a certain extent you have the Internet to thank for this. Insurance is a very competitive sector and a lot of online insurers are trying to compete by tapping into the senior market. They know that the easiest way to get business is to offer competitive rates – so, even a quick web search will lead you to senior insurance deals that will work out as a good deal.
Remember, it’s also possible to arrange insurance even if you have a pre-existing medical condition or problem. You may need to go to a specialist senior insurance provider to work out the best plan for you but, again, an Internet search here will help you find the most competitive rates. So, remember to shop around!