Rose - and everyone else who posted responses,

Thanks alot everybody! I think I've probably gotten over twenty responses to my posting, most of them excellent, providing a lot of food for thought.

Today I got an e-mail from the Motley Fool telling me that my thread on this topic has been selected to be featured in the Hot Topics section on the front page of their website and they extended my membership in the discussion groups by a month in appreciation for my postings.

I will be making an appointment with my local SS office next week. I plan to begin drawing SS as soon as my unemployment ends in about 16 weeks. I turned 64 this past Wednesday so I am starting only 18 months early.

I'm investigating what I would need to do to satisfy fire/safety codes required to take in a couple of college students. I can cut a door in the wall between my front and middle bedrooms and make a great little apartment for 2-3 college students. MA is lousy with colleges. I just had carpet laid in the middle bedroom today and am beginning to redecorate the front room. It will be really nice and I should have no trouble renting the rooms. (I'll even give a discount if they'll shovel the snow in the winter.)

The collective knowledge of the people on these discussion boards is awesome.

Susanmb