Is it possible to retire on Social Security alone? Yes, but with a few small sacrifices. Here’s how this New Orleans senior does it – and how you can too

How this retiree makes living off of Social Security work for her

Patricia Douglas, 64, began collecting Social Security benefits at 52 when heart problems forced her to retire from her job as a medical analyst, according to USA Today. She began receiving Social Security disability income, which totaled around $900 a month at the time.

Those benefit checks have since increased to close to $1,100 today. When Douglas turns 65, she'll be able to collect even more money when she becomes eligible for her Social Security retirement benefit. Douglas will also be able to collect a large portion of the retirement benefit that would have gone to her late husband, who passed away in 2009.

Of course, $1,100 per month isn't exactly a large sum of money to live off of in today’s economy, and as Douglas shared with USA Today, "it was rough when I first started." But with a few clever financial tricks up her sleeve, Douglas is able to make her money stretch, even after paying off her $1,000 mortgage with her monthly benefit checks. Her wise money moves include:

• Collecting food stamps
• Volunteering for a charity that offers her a $100 weekly stipend plus expenses
• Taking advantage of a $10-per-month internet plan available to low-income Americans
• Cooking food at home and eating simple meals, like cereal or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
• Looking for as much free stuff, or as close to free, as she can find

While she's hopeful she will have a little more breathing room when she begins receiving her retirement benefit at 65, Douglas’ financial tricks have helped her to keep a roof over her head and the bills paid despite living off of a meager income.

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What can you do if you rely on Social Security as your sole source of income?

If you're likely to find yourself in a similar situation as Douglas’ when you retire, you may have to consider making a few sacrifices as well.

Like Douglas, taking advantage of government benefits and other programs for low-income Americans could be an important lifeline after retirement. Beyond food stamps, you may also be able to access Medicaid if you aren't yet old enough for Medicare, and you may be able to get help with things like utility bills from different government programs. You can check Benefits.gov to explore your options.

Being smart about energy usage, choosing an area with low costs of living, or perhaps living with roommates to assist with housing costs, can also help keep your bills down. And if you can afford to, you may want to consider delaying your Social Security retirement benefit, as your benefit checks are set to increase by a certain percentage for each month that you delay up until the age of 70.

In a perfect world, every American should be able to retire with healthy savings to supplement their Social Security retirement benefit, but that just isn’t the case for many retirees. In that case, creating a frugal budget, making a few sacrifices and taking advantage of certain government programs can help you stretch your retirement benefit further so you can enjoy your golden years comfortably on a limited income.