Retirement delayed and broke anyway

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

74. Speaking from experience,

you should do what you can to get more years in play. Do retail. Get temp jobs. Work in a hotel.

Each zero earnings year you can eliminate matters a lot, even if you don't earn that much money those years. Trust me. I've been there, done that.

I just looked back at Social Security statements going back to 1998, and what I gained by going back to work is astonishing. I also benefited from being divorced and able to collect 50% of what would be my ex's payout starting when I was 66, my full retirement age. When I turned 70 I switched (actually Social Security had the information and made the switch for me) to my own benefit, which was several hundred dollars more per month. If my ex passes away and I become one of his two widows (he's remarried) I will start collecting 100% of his current benefit, whatever that might be. It will be noticeably more than my current benefit. Not sure if I should wish . . . . No, I guess I won't.