JOANNE GOULD
Age: 78 Workplace: Rainbow Foods
To hear Joanne Gould tell it, she works at the Rainbow Foods deli counter in St. Paul "a little bit because I want to and a little bit because I need to. I have some charges that I went overboard on and I am paying those off."
But working down debt recently became a little harder.
Gould, who ran her own Delectable Deli catering business in Richfield for 13 years, sold the business in 2000 and joined Rainbow a few years ago. Until recently she worked 35 hours a week making sandwiches, salads and slicing lunch meats.
"But with the economy, they cut everyone's hours. Right now we are only getting 22 hours," she said.
So Gould and her 81-year-old husband cut back on their trips to the casino and are sticking with the necessities.
"I look at the price of something and I'll say, 'I don't need that.' I look at different foods and go with what is cheaper," she said. "You just watch your pennies more."
But the former caterer said she takes it in stride. She said she intends to keep working as long as her health holds out.
