Vince Scidonie, 90, has returned to work after retiring and being charging his pension, taking a radical turn to his life. The reason is that with the money he had saved and the amount that was charged with Social Security (Social Security in the United States) did not have to reach the end of the month. As he recounts in an interview with Business Insiderinvested 46,000 euros in buying a house, they ran out of money in the bank and, suddenly, taxes rose.
Specifically, the Real Estate Tax, an increase with which the couple that went from 1,860 euros a year to more than 4,650 euros. The interests began to “devour me in life”, and decided to send the curriculum to a job offer in which they were looking for personnel for the department of prepared meals of a supermarket.
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Thus, this retiree resident in Oklahoma, who had already worked on the work, in the United States Navy and as a carpenter, had to sign a employment contract at its newly fulfilled 90 years. “For more than two decades I had the frozen pension, we spent all our savings on a house that had to furnish and cover basic expenses, such as taxes or efforts.”
With his first job he charged a salary of 1.40 euros per hour
With 8 years he accompanied his father, who was a contractor, to the works he was in charge. Upon arriving at adolescence, he began in that sector where, he acknowledges, “the working day was 10 to 12 hours a day” and paid $ 1.40 (1.40 euros) the time. When his father was about to retire, Vince learned the office of carpenter. “He died when he was doing the formation,” he told BI.
That led him to leave that job and enlist in the Marine Infantry. “When I left him I returned to work, with a contractor, I liked it because I could do what they asked me and ascended quickly.”
All the money saved him to fulfill his dream, which was to have a house in property. “I was aware that debts and invoices should be paid, buy the furniture and assume all daily expenses.”
Considering that he had enough money in the bank to realize what he and his wife wanted, he asked for retirement. “We lived next to a lake, I played sports, played golf and we went to the church.” But his wife became ill and died later.
Economic problems began in 2024
When he was widower, he became a regular to the church, where he met his second wife. “When we got married I had $ 50,000 at the bank ($ 42,900) and a house in Oklahoma but we sold it to buy another.” When changing the city, taxes rose and as they were without savings, they saw themselves in a complicated financial situation.
“I had my pension, which I was charged since 1998, with a fixed amount for the freezing of pensions. Now, almost 30 years later, everything has risen in price so the amount it was charging was not enough for the day to day.” His wife charges another social security pension and between the two enter $ 104,000 (about 89,000 euros) a year.
Of course, we must bear in mind that in the United States health is not free and that his second wife also became ill and had to be operated. “Although they tell us that our income is considerable, it is not because the economy is fatal. I can’t save anything.”
With 42 dollars in the account he had to return to work
When he decided to return to the labor market, he encountered an important problem. His age was a handicap and continuously It was out of the selection processes. “I suppose that seeing in my identity card the date of birth of 1934 turned back.” In 2024 he saw a vacancy that interested him, in the Oncue feeding chain where he was interviewed in 45 minutes “and they told me immediately that employment was mine.”
Your working day is from Tuesday to Friday, with a partial contract of 5 hours a day. “I enter at 8 in the morning, and if they are behind in the kitchen I have a hand. If not, I begin to prepare the pizzas to carry. I know how to do 12 different types and from that moment on tacos, hamburgers or chicken snacks are made.”
At noon you have to clean the work area for your partners in the afternoon shift. “Sometimes they have asked me to go to other stores to replace other employees and then pay me three or four extra hours.”
Although he does not want to talk about the salary, he emphasizes that “it is not very high, I started with 14 dollars (12 euros) the time and now I charge 14,90”. “The work environment is very pleasant, I have a supervisor that will be between 45 or 50 years old and another that is younger with 35. We got along very well. So much so much that when I turned 90 years old they organized a party, and called several managers of the central offices.”
“I would like to retire and be able to travel”
Although he is happy with his work, to Vince the most important thing is his family. “I would like to be able to retire someday and travel to visit our children. I know that every father would like to help their family financially but they understand that I am not in a position to do so. My daughter and her husband have everything they need, just like those of my wife.”
The problem, it highlights, is that “now I am very healthy, but if this fails, what am I going to do? Now we are focused on seeing if we can save money, and how the economy treats us. I have learned that it is best not to program anything, and leave everything to improvisation.”