I'm raising my grandson alone in my 70s and can't afford to retire. With gas prices rising, I worry about finances every day.

Rhonda Abbott works at 73 while raising her grandson on her own.

Rhonda Abbott

• Rhonda Abbott, 73, is raising her 14-year-old grandson on her own in Alabama.
• Abbott works full-time for her daughter's company and isn't financially able to retire.
• Her Social Security goes toward her house, and gas prices have chipped away at her savings.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Rhonda Abbott, 73, who lives in Daphne, Alabama. Abbott adopted her grandson and is now his sole parent.