Frugal Family: Show Your Card and Save

Capital One asks this question in its radio and television advertising: “What’s in your  wallet?”  Although I don’t have a Capital One card in mine at the moment, I  do carry plenty of plastic. A few are loyalty cards which ensure that I get the sale  prices at the grocery stores whose names appear on them. Several guarantee me a  discount at specific retailers’ online or brick-and-mortar stores. A few, though,  whose benefits appear obvious, offer me a surprising array of invisible discounts. 

Here are my top picks for cards with hidden perks that save real money:

The Gold Medal goes to AAA. Not only does membership afford one traditional benefits such as free towing, tour books and maps, but hundreds of other discounts as well.  AAA has retail, travel, dining and entertainment partners which offer  savings to its members. Nearby affiliates include Regal Cinemas/Solomon Pond  Mall  ($39 for a 5-pack of tickets, regularly $52.50), Gold’s Gym ($39 enrollment, 20% off standard dues), and Concord Museums ($1 off adult admission.)

Spring day-trippers holding AAA cards will receive discounts at Davis Farmland,  Coco Key, Six Flags, Canobie Lake Park, the EcoTarium, and the Pawtucket Red Sox.

Heading into Boston for a show? Blue Man Group, the Lyric Stage, and the Colonial Theatre offer AAA discounts.

See site for details and information on restrictions that may apply. Or stop in at 411 Mass Ave., Acton.

The Silver Medal goes to AARP  You have to be age 50 or over to join, but membership for one person and a spouse costs only $16 per year.  If you carry this card, be sure to check out the travel, retail, home and technology and insurance discounts offered.  Retailers include:  Enterprise rent-a-car, Denny’s (20% off from 4-10 p.m. and $1 coffee any time), Walgreens and Borders book store.

The Bronze Medal goes to Bank of America. Their Museums on Us program offers members free admission to select museums on the first full weekend of every month. The closest participating galleries are the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Worcester Art Museum, and the DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, both in Worcester.  Traveling to other states? Be sure to check the list before paying full price unnecessarily. Upcoming weekends are June 4^th and 5^th, July 2^nd and  3^rd, and August 6^thand 7^th.

Honorable Mentions: 

Alumni Clubs: Many colleges’ alumni associations  partner with companies that are willing to offer discounts to their graduates. For example, Boston College alums receive discounted insurance from Liberty Mutual and 20% off at Ocean’s Edge Resort and Golf Club on Cape Cod. 

Boston University alums receive $5 off a single  ticket or $10 off subscription series rates at BU’s Huntington Theatre Company and 10% off at the Barnes and Noble at BU .

Consult your college’s website for possible alumni perks.

Acton’s own Discovery Museums have a reciprocal relationship with several other children’s museums.  These include the Boston Children’s Museum and the Cape Cod Children’s Museum, both of which will honor Discovery Museum family membership cards. In addition, membership to the Discovery Museums entitles one to discounts at a dozen local retailers including Learning Express and Kitchen Outfitters. Consult the website for a full list.