No matter how much they get for their pensions and SSI, some extra income always comes in handy.

Brilliant strategy on Walmart's part. Those greeters aren't even necessarily doing it for the money. Unlike the bulk of people that work in retail they actually seem to enjoy their job, they get to talk to people all day and help some of them. . Retirement isn't paradise and sitting home all day watching television is a really crappy way to spend the last couple of decades of life.

Some people just don't feel like sitting at home waiting to die! Being a greeter at Wal-Mart is BETTER to them than that!

There is a heroic assumption behind the scenes that everyone worked steadily under a pension plan. Many did not and do not. Others may have worked under pension plans at various times but did not stay in any one place long enough to get "vested". Typical vesting requirements start at 10 years or more, and even then may involve something like a few dollars a month for each year of service. Some people for various reasons may miss out on pension dollars by leaving or being eliminated from jobs just short of more lucrative vestment steps. Saving for old age requires sacrifice. There are several actions one can take to make that sacrifice pay. One of them is getting a higher education. Work your own way through as I did if needed (most people will not do that). Earning power and therefore saving power increases tremendously. Lay money back just for the sake of doing so, not just in terms of saving "for" something like a house or car. Mix your savings among safe insured instruments like CDs and riskier mutual funds, which bring good returns in the long run among the ups and downs. Start as young as possible. That is difficult to do if you are paying your own dues, since your youngest years are invested in getting started. Still, start when you can. Your returns will go to work for you. As you can tell, all those things require effort. Entitlement-minded people will not do them. Some miss out on the dues that increase earning power and struggle just to support themselves and their families, and in so doing miss the critical savings years. Others hit some hard luck, but again you must be responsible for yourself come whatever may. Finally, some people choose to work. A relatively easy job may be just what it takes to round up the budget even with social security and modest pensions coming in. My own grandmother was provided for between social security and the sale of my grand dad's business, but she was frugal and she got a good feeling out of keeping a job at a neighborhood grocery.