Fernando Rodrigues received 540 euros in pension and his wife, Filomena, just over 700 euros, but the two pensions were not enough to cover the couple's expenses. More than 70% of the budget went to household expenses, including mortgage, energy, telecommunications, and medications, with approximately 250 euros monthly spent on medications alone. Costs for food and other basic expenses had increased, and the couple hadn't been on vacation for over 20 years.
Fernando had stopped working in 2007 due to medical advice, after suffering severe burnout, remaining away from professional activity for about 15 years. When Filomena retired in 2021, the couple did the math and realized their income was not sufficient. Fernando then began updating his skills and returned to the accounting field, working from home and adding about 500 euros to his pension.
Filomena, who had worked as a pharmacy technician, had left her job in 2007 to be with her husband during his illness. She later returned to the workforce and ended up retiring early in 2021 to care for her mother. She continued doing part-time work at a shop near her home whenever possible.
Regarding the possibility of resting, Fernando told Público: "When we go to the cemetery, that's when we'll rest. Otherwise, we always have to keep pedaling because we don't earn enough to eat." The couple hoped to be able to stop working definitively when they finished paying off their house, which should happen when they were around 75 years old. The story was reported by Público in May 2023.
