Sun, beach and holiday feelings instead of freezing in cold Germany: This is what the life of pensioner Ruth looks like. She has fled from the high prices.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife – In Germany, around 13 million people were at risk of poverty last year. This is shown by data from the Federal Statistical Office. The so-called threshold for the risk of poverty is about 1251 euros net per month. This should make it clear that many German pensioners fall below this threshold, including Ruth Doster. But she didn't want to be a poor pensioner and decided to take a big step.
Pensioner receives only 600 euros a month – and emigrates
After 29 years of working as a secretary and postman, she receives a pension of only 623.79 euros per month. Living in Germany with it is hardly possible anymore. Especially after prices have risen so sharply in recent months. That's why Ruth decided to emigrate to Tenerife, as RTL reports. On the Canary Island, she lives as if she were on holiday every day.
Editor's Note
This article was originallypublished on September 26, 2022. Since it is still relevant to our readers, we present it again.
She lives in a 40 square meter apartment including a pool, which she shares with four other tenants in the large villa. For this, she pays 400 euros in rent. She is not worried about the increased heating costs at all, she says. "I have a heater, but I've never needed it." On the Spanish holiday island, it usually doesn't get colder than 15 degrees, even in winter.
Retirement: A new start abroad needs to be well thought out
Her friends in Germany warned Ruth, she says. She is "stupid to leave the social hammock" in Germany – but she is happy with her decision. However, the pensioner also makes it clear that this step must be well considered. You have to be aware that you need a financial cushion, that you may have to learn a new language and that you may have to look for a job locally. But all this did not stop Ruth. The advantages of Tenerife have outweighed the disadvantages for them.
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For example, the prices in the supermarket. For her weekly shopping, the pensioner pays significantly less than in Germany. RTL accompanies them to the local discounter. For a little fruit, vegetables and bread, she pays only 12.54 euros. In this country, that would be about 18 euros. Another advantage of living as an emigrant is that if you have Spanish health insurance, you only have to pay a fraction of the original price for medication. "The Spaniards are doing something for their pensioners and I think that's a good thing," says Ruth, impressed.
"If I had stayed in Germany, I would have become a poor pensioner"
Social life is not neglected either. Thanks to the lower prices, the pensioner can also afford to visit a restaurant or pub more often. She pays only 5.85 euros for a meal including beer – a price that is hard to imagine in Germany. For Ruth, a fresh start on the island was the jackpot. "If I had stayed in Germany, I would have become a poor pensioner." Then she would have had to collect bottles, she says. "It feels like winning the lottery. I never want to leave." (ph)
