According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong, if large amounts of money do not arise due to illness, this amount is basically enough for daily living, but it is difficult to save an amount for other arising expenses. At the age of 67, she still maintains a fairly active retirement life. Every day, she goes to the market, travels by motorbike and proactively takes care of her daily activities.
Before retiring, Ms. Hong worked in the construction industry. In 2015, she started retiring and receiving a pension. At that time, her pension level was more than 5 million VND/month. After a number of adjustments, the amount she received has now increased to more than 8 million VND/month.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong, the adjustment of pensions to increase over the years helps retirees have more conditions to cover their lives. If it continues to be adjusted to increase in the coming time, this is also what she and many people want.
However, according to her, it is very difficult to determine how much income is really enough, because prices, living needs and incurred expenses of each person are different. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong's pension of more than 8 million VND per month is currently mainly for daily needs such as eating, drinking, electricity and water, traveling, buying personal items, weddings...
If her health is stable, she does not have to be hospitalized or have unusual expenses, this pension level basically helps her spend on daily life. However, the amount of money she can save each month is not much.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong added that at the age of over 60, health-related expenses are difficult to plan in advance. Just needing to be hospitalized for a period of illness, spending more money on medical examination and treatment, medicine or medical services, the accumulated money can quickly decrease. "Like just the day before going to the hospital, the monthly pension has been used up" - Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong said.
After 11 years of retirement, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong said that she did not save a significant amount from the pension she received. However, she still appreciates the value of this steady income source. According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong, having a pension when old is precious. Even when the pension level is only about 3 - 4 million VND/month, this is still a meaningful income for the elderly, helping to cover a part of the essential needs in life.
From her own experience, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong believes that participating in insurance to have a pension when old brings practical value. The monthly amount may not help retirees have a comfortable life, especially when incurring medical examination and treatment costs, but it helps them have more financial autonomy, not relying on children.
For Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong, if the pension continues to be adjusted to increase, it will be better for retirees. How much is really enough depends on the needs, health and circumstances of each person. And the pension may not help Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong save much, but after 11 years of retirement, it is still a regular income that helps her proactively take care of her life.
