Olga Rolenko
Marion, 70, raised two sons in Washington as a single mother, often working two jobs while making financial sacrifices. However, after various surgeries that put her out of work, she decided to try a new cost-saving measure: living with roommates.
Marion, whose last name is being withheld for privacy reasons but is known by Business Insider, decided to sell most of her belongings and leave friends behind to move in with her sister and her sister's boyfriend in rural Ohio. She couldn't afford rent anymore in Washington, and she now pays about $500 in Ohio, allowing her to save money and more comfortably pay her many medical bills.
Still, getting by even in a one-stoplight town is challenging, given her $1,662 in Social Security only goes so far.
"I now have roommates for the first time in my life, but it's a way to live comfortably," Marion said. "You got to do what you got to do."
Marion's father was in the military, and her family moved around the country as a child. She was born in Germany and moved to Massachusetts, Florida, Michigan, and Texas.
"We were never wealthy; we were your typical middle-class family," Marion said.
She got pregnant at 17, though she had to support her child independently. Soon after, she married a man who wasn't her child's father and moved to Washington to be closer to his family. They had a child together, though they divorced four years later.
Marion raised her children north of Seattle while working as a cocktail waitress and side jobs, which paid her enough to support her children. She spent 13 years at one chain restaurant, then switched to another chain for 18 years in managerial positions that paid more.
"It was hard to raise your kids working that much and making sure that they were on the straight and narrow and not getting in trouble," Marion said, noting she often made sacrifices so her children could live comfortably and get an education. "Sometimes I look back, and I don't even know how I did it."
She recalled having a car that would fill up with smoke when it started, but she couldn't afford to buy a new one. She once borrowed $50 from her boss to get her son a Christmas present, which took her three months to pay back.
Over two decades ago, she retired early from her job due to extensive medical issues, including neck and back surgeries that left her unable to work the 50 to 60 hours a week her job expected.
She relied on Social Security Disability Insurance payments to keep her afloat, which were much less than her salary. Marion earned about $1,200 monthly, which wasn't nearly enough. She filed for bankruptcy and lost her condo, after which she moved in with her mother for a decade before she died.
She cashed out her 401(k) early — as she couldn't have assets while on SSDI — and spent much of her savings on dental work. Her sons also helped pay some bills during rough patches, as the hours she could work were limited. She also sold painted bottles at a local art museum bringing in about $100 a month.
"I learned to adjust bit by bit. I learned where to cut corners, where to buy food cheap," Marion said. "I would clean houses under the table. A few times a year, I would get an extra $200, $300, $500."
She lived on her own for over 11 years in Washington, limiting vacations just to important family events. She rarely got her nails or hair done, shopped at Goodwill for clothes, and only dined out infrequently.
For the first two years of the pandemic, government assistance and a pause on rent increases allowed her to live frugally but comfortably. She paid $675 a month in rent when she first moved in, though that jumped to $900. However, last year, her rent jumped to $1,150 for a 600-square-foot one-bedroom apartment, which she knew she couldn't afford to rely on $1,662 net in Social Security. When she applied for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, she only qualified for $23 a month.
"When you take $1,150 away from $1,662, that does not leave a lot for food, car insurance, gas, or internet," Marion said.
There was almost nowhere in Washington she could move for significantly less rent; even the administration fees and security deposit would be a stretch. She said her part of Washington had "deteriorated" over the last 10 years and she wanted to move somewhere safer and quieter. She knew she didn't want to move in with her two sons, as she didn't want to be a burden on them.
Marion discussed moving in with her sister and her sister's boyfriend, though she would have to move across the country. She decided to sell her car, leave behind her home state of five decades, and move to Ohio. She went into debt for six months to afford a U-Haul and a new bed.
"I had to move, but I don't have a network of people here," Marion said. "I hardly know anybody, just my neighbors."
She, her sister, and her sister's boyfriend rent a five-bedroom house for $1,300 total in the small town of Mechanicsburg, which has 1,700 residents and one stoplight. With utilities and other home expenses, she pays between $500 to $600 monthly. The town has just a few shops, though she said little happens there, and getting groceries is a 20-minute drive. Still, it's "one of the safest places I've ever lived," she said.
It took time to adjust to living with family with different values and beliefs, though she was grateful she had a roof over her head and could work on her artwork. She's also adjusted to leaving her grandchildren behind, making life "emotionally really difficult" some days.
"I never thought that I would end up with roommates since that's something you do when you're young, not when you're an old person set in their ways," Marion said. "But it's an option for older people to live with roommates because at my age and with my Social Security, living alone isn't always possible."
She said her sister and her boyfriend are better off financially, as they get small pensions on top of their Social Security. Her sister's boyfriend still works part time to bring in extra income.
Despite cutting back on rent and putting aside money for savings, finances are still tight. She avoided cancer screenings and stress tests at her last doctor's appointment because they had a $300 copay. She still owes $350 for glaucoma surgery, while she's paid $35 to $40 for each specialist she sees for her arthritis and foot issues. She said her doctor wanted her to wear a foot cast that would avoid surgery, though it would cost $500.
"When you're old and you get aches and pains, the hardest part is sometimes you don't know if you've got a legitimate ache and pain or if it's just old age," Marion said. "With my medical expenses coming up, I just don't even know how to prepare for that except for waiting for October, when I'll try to get a different medical plan."
She said the biggest concern now is saving enough so she can live the rest of her life without stressing out her sons.
"My biggest thing right now is trying to save up enough money so that I can pay for cremation," Marion said. "I don't want my kids to get stuck paying for any kind of funeral."
Are you worried about retirement? Reach out to this reporter at nsheidlower@businessinsider.com.
