Vince Scidone is 90 years old and still working part-time at a convenience store in Oklahoma. He earns $14.90 an hour. Despite decades of hard work and a pension that began in 1998, today's cost of living has forced him to stay employed.
A Lifetime Of Work, But Not Enough To Retire
“You can survive, but it’s a hard way to go,” Scidone told Business Insider recently. He worked as a carpenter for over 20 years, then spent another two decades representing union workers as part of the St. Louis District Council of Carpenters. He thought he had done everything right. But now, like many older Americans, he's dealing with economic pressure in his later years.
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Scidone and his wife, Deborah, live on a combined annual income of $104,000. That includes his fixed pension and the $997 per month she receives from Social Security. Still, their monthly expenses come out to around $7,000. That includes utilities, medical bills, car payments, a mortgage, and church tithes. “We’re not saving anything,” he told Business Insider.
From Comfortable Retirement To Financial Pressure
The couple had $50,000 saved when they married in 2022, but it didn't last long. The down payment on a home, furnishing it, and rising property taxes drained their funds within three years. “We ran one credit card up, and we had to pay that off, because the interest would eat you alive,” he said. Their property taxes alone went from $2,000 a year to over $5,000.
Scidone began receiving his pension nearly three decades ago. But, as he put it, that amount is “etched in concrete.” It hasn't increased, even as everything else has. “Twenty-seven years later, everything has escalated in price, so the money I was receiving over 20 years ago isn’t adequate for today’s economy,” he told Business Insider.
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Back To Work At 90
He tried to find work for three months before finally getting hired by a convenience store chain last year. “I’m guessing that seeing a date of birth in 1934 made people back away,” he said. But they brought him in after a 45-minute interview. He now works Tuesday through Friday, five hours a day.
Scidone helps prepare food for the grab-and-go bar, including pizzas, quesadillas, hamburgers and more. He doesn't handle customers, but he stays active in the kitchen. “It’s a pleasant job,” he told Business Insider, adding that he enjoys working with his team and that they often laugh and joke together.
The company even celebrated his 90th birthday. Executives visited the store, and his managers made sure he wasn't taking on physically risky tasks like climbing ladders. When he took time off for his health, they welcomed him back without issue.
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Hoping For One Last Retirement
“It doesn’t bother me to be 90 and still working,” Scidone said. But he does hope that one day he and Deborah can retire for good. Deborah’s health prevents her from working, and their financial situation makes travel difficult.
“I’d love for us both to be able to retire and take a trip to see our children and grandchildren, which wouldn’t be expensive,” he told Business Insider. “I want to break our routine.”
For now, the couple lives simply and focuses on stretching what they have. But with just $42 left in savings and no end to rising costs, the future is uncertain. “We’re just playing it by ear and trying to make things last longer,” Scidone said.
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