has worked since she was 12 as a babysitter, chef, and convenience store manager. The 68-year-old should be preparing for retirement, but she believes she'll have to . Echols lives in Alabama.
She said she never made much money and has always lived frugally, but her rent and transportation alone cost her $1,000 monthly. She started and receives $1,056 monthly — 25% less than she would have gotten had she waited until the federal retirement age of 67. But she's still working part-time as a bus driver making $26 per hour to pay the rest of her bills.
"I don't see myself being able to retire, but I'm grateful and healthy," she said. According to a published last week of 2,100 adults, just 30% of respondents said they believe Social Security alone will allow them to live comfortably in retirement. Over the past few months, Business Insider has spoken with over 40 baby boomers and some Gen Xers, all of whom are struggling in retirement or because debt, low-paying jobs, and unexpected life circumstances have kept them from saving enough over the years.
Though many say they are thankful to have Social Security payments at all, they aren't enough to fill the gap. Social Security is supposed to be American retirees' safety net, but as it continually it might seem like a less safe bet than ever before. Full benefits are set to unless Congress steps in with an infusion of funding.
"There's just a lot of people who expect Social Security to be a really important piece to their post-wor.