Fallback Position

In about a month, I'm eligible to retire and collect social security. Rich Galen has looked into this and comes up with some rather depressing numbers, although as a syndicated writer, he doesn't actually have a job.
I tried looking up me status with the .gov, but there seems to be some kind of secret handshake to which I'm not privy, apparently involving the spelling of my mothers maiden name.
Anyway, if the economy goes into the dumper, I could throw in the towel, and officially retire next month, on about $20K/year. Actually, there may be something to this.

It seems that if you are collecting Social Security between the ages of 62 and 66 you have to give back fifty cents of every benefit dollar you earn over about $13,000 per year. So, if you make anything over about $55,000 per year your Social Security benefit drops to zero.

Plus, you have to pay Social Security taxes on the money you make so you are actually in the hole by starting your benefit at 62 and continuing to work at a job that pays more than about a grand a month.

If I actually get a job that pays my usual wage, I'll be paying SS tax on the money anyway, so no real loss there. What I'll have is an emergency backup income should the bottom fall out, and there's no work to be had at all.
I could get to like this, sitting on the back porch, shooting squirrels off the back fence, apologizing to my neighbor, across the back fence, and ignoring the wife's honey-do lists. Of course, if the economy improves (cue wild laughter), I can always find some kind of job to pay the handyman D'wife hires to replace me, and finishing his screw-ups, or in case one of my hobbyist projects involves words like "self-propelled" or "crew-served".