If you can make these three moves, you may find that you're able to take home a lot more money than just $2,002.39 per month.

If you can keep working while looking after your health, do it. You get 100% of your Social Security benefit at full retirement age, which is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or after, and you receive a lesser amount if you claim at any time from the age of 62 until full retirement age. If you wait until age 70, you receive roughly 8% more per year .

Based on the latest estimates from those who know the Social Security program inside and out, benefit cuts are possible for retired workers and survivors of deceased workers in as little as eight years. Worse yet, the amount that benefits are expected to be cut if Congress implements no reforms is even bigger than initially forecast.