In some countries, older people who stop working choose to spend their money on themselves, for example on travel, instead of saving it for their children. Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

More and more retired people are choosing to spend their savings on themselves, for example on travelling, instead of saving the money for their children. In my opinion, this is mostly a positive development.越来越多的退休人员选择把积蓄花在自己身上,比如旅行,而不是把钱留给子女。在我看来,这在很大程度上是一件好事。

First, this trend supports the independence and well-being of older people. After working hard for many years, and often raising children during difficult times, it seems fair that retirees should be able to enjoy their own lives. Spending money on travel, hobbies or simply a more comfortable life can improve both their physical and mental health. When older people feel happy and fulfilled, this can also be good for the whole family, because their children do not have to worry so much about supporting them financially.首先,这种趋势支持了老年人的独立和幸福感。在辛苦工作了这么多年,并且常常在困难时期抚养子女长大之后,退休人员能够享受自己的生活似乎是公平的。把钱花在旅行、爱好或者仅仅是更舒适的生活上,可以切实改善他们的身心健康。当老年人感到快乐和满足时,这对整个家庭也是好事,因为子女不必那么担心要在经济上供养他们。

Second, this trend does not necessarily weaken family relationships; it can actually build stronger connections in a different way. Children who cannot rely on receiving a large amount of money from their parents are encouraged to build their own financial future, which can make them more independent. For example, instead of giving my 80-year-old grandmother a large sum of money for her birthday, I spent several days teaching her how to make video calls on Zalo. Now she calls different family members every week, and she said this makes her feel closer to us than any amount of money could.其次,这种趋势并不一定会削弱家庭关系;它实际上可以以另一种方式建立更牢固的联系。不能依靠父母留下一大笔钱的子女会被鼓励去建立自己的经济基础,这能让他们变得更加独立。例如,我没有在80岁的奶奶生日时给她一大笔钱,而是花了几天时间教她用Zalo打视频电话。现在她每周都会给不同的家人打电话,她说这让她感觉比任何一笔钱都更亲近我们。

In conclusion, I believe that retired people choosing to spend money on themselves rather than saving it for their children is a positive change. It allows older people to enjoy their later years while also encouraging a closer, more emotional kind of family connection.总之,我认为退休人员选择把钱花在自己身上,而不是留给子女,是一种积极的变化。这让老年人能够享受晚年生活,同时也促进了一种更亲密、更富情感的家庭联系。

An increasing number of retirees are choosing to spend their savings on personal experiences, such as travel, rather than saving the money as an inheritance for their children. In my view, this shift is largely a positive development.越来越多的退休人员选择把积蓄花在个人体验上,例如旅行,而不是把钱作为遗产留给子女。在我看来,这种转变在很大程度上是一种积极的发展。

Firstly, this trend supports the independence and well-being of older people. After decades of working hard, and often raising children through financially difficult periods, it seems entirely reasonable for retirees to prioritise their own quality of life. Spending on travel, hobbies or simply a more comfortable daily routine can meaningfully improve both physical and mental health in old age, which may also reduce the burden placed on the public healthcare system. In addition, when older people feel fulfilled rather than financially restricted, this often benefits the whole family, since their contentment removes some emotional and financial pressure from their adult children.首先,这种趋势支持了老年人的独立和幸福感。在数十年的辛勤工作、常常在经济困难时期抚养子女长大之后,退休人员优先考虑自己的生活质量似乎完全合理。把钱花在旅行、爱好上,或者仅仅是过更舒适的日常生活,能够切实改善老年时期的身心健康,这也可能减轻公共医疗系统的负担。此外,当老年人感到满足而非受财务限制时,这往往对整个家庭都有好处,因为他们的满足感减轻了成年子女的一部分情感和经济压力。

Secondly, rather than weakening family ties, this trend can redefine family closeness around connection instead of inheritance. Children who cannot depend on a guaranteed sum of money are encouraged to build their own financial security, which tends to foster greater independence and resilience. In my own experience, when my grandmother, who lives alone in the Mekong Delta, turned 80, I spent several days teaching her to make video calls on Zalo instead of giving her a large sum of money. She now regularly calls different family members each week, and she told me this made her feel far closer to the family than any amount of cash could.其次,这种趋势非但不会削弱家庭纽带,反而可能让家庭亲密感围绕情感联系而非遗产重新定义。不能依靠一笔确定的钱财的子女会被鼓励去建立自己的经济保障,这往往能培养出更强的独立性和韧性。就我自身的经历而言,当我那独自住在湄公河三角洲的奶奶年满80岁时,我没有给她一大笔钱,而是花了几天时间教她用Zalo打视频电话。现在她每周都会定期给不同的家人打电话,她告诉我这让她感觉比任何一笔现金都更加亲近家人。

In conclusion, the growing choice made by retirees to spend money on themselves rather than save it for their children represents a positive shift. It allows older people to enjoy genuine fulfilment in later life while encouraging a more resilient and emotionally connected form of family relationship.总之,越来越多退休人员选择把钱花在自己身上而不是留给子女,这是一种积极的转变。它让老年人能够在晚年享受真正的满足感,同时也促进了一种更有韧性、情感联系更紧密的家庭关系。

A growing number of retirees are choosing to spend their savings on personal pursuits, such as travel, rather than setting the money aside as an inheritance for their children. In my view, this shift is, on the whole, a positive development.越来越多的退休人员选择将自己的积蓄花在个人爱好上，例如旅行，而不是把钱留作遗产传给子女。在我看来，这一转变总体而言是一种积极的发展。

First and foremost, this trend champions the autonomy and well-being of older people. After decades spent working and, in many cases, raising children through years of financial hardship, it seems entirely fair for retirees to prioritise their own quality of life. Spending on travel, hobbies or simply a more comfortable daily routine can meaningfully improve both mental and physical health in old age, which in turn may reduce the strain on the public healthcare system. Furthermore, when older people feel fulfilled and engaged rather than merely thrifty out of obligation, family dynamics can actually improve, since their contentment and independence lift a certain financial and emotional weight off their adult children's shoulders — a weight that, in Vietnam's still-developing pension system, many working-age children quietly carry.首先，这一趋势倡导了老年人的自主权与福祉。在为工作和抚养子女辛劳数十年、甚至历经多年经济困顿之后，退休人员优先考虑自己的生活质量似乎完全合情合理。将钱花在旅行、爱好，或仅仅是让日常生活过得更加舒适上，可以切实改善晚年的身心健康，进而可能减轻公共医疗系统的负担。此外，当老年人感到充实和投入，而不只是出于责任感而一味节俭时，家庭关系其实可能会有所改善，因为他们的满足感与独立性减轻了成年子女在经济和情感上的某种负担——在越南尚不完善的养老金体系下，许多正处于工作年龄的子女其实一直默默承受着这份负担。

Secondly, rather than weakening family ties, this approach quietly redefines intergenerational support around connection rather than inheritance. Children who cannot rely on a guaranteed windfall are encouraged to build their own financial security, which tends to foster greater resilience and ambition. In my own experience, when my grandmother, who lives alone in a small town in the Mekong Delta, turned 80, I spent several days during Tết teaching her to make video calls on Zalo instead of leaving her a large sum of money as a gift. She now initiates calls with various family members several times a week, and for her most recent birthday, all of us sang to her together online — an experience she said made her feel closer to the family than any envelope of cash ever could. This illustrates how time and attention, rather than financial inheritance alone, can become the true bedrock of family closeness.其次，这种做法并非削弱了家庭纽带，而是悄然地将代际支持的重心从遗产转向了情感联系。那些无法指望一大笔遗产的子女，被激励去建立起自己的经济保障，而这往往能培养出更强的韧性和进取心。在我自己的经历中，当我住在湄公河三角洲一个小镇上、独自生活的祖母年满80岁时，我在春节期间花了几天时间教她用Zalo视频通话，而不是留给她一大笔钱作为礼物。现在，她每周都会主动与不同的家庭成员发起好几次视频通话，而在她最近的生日时，我们所有人一起在线为她唱生日歌——她说，这种体验让她感受到的亲近，是任何一个装着现金的红包都无法比拟的。这说明，时间和关心，而不仅仅是经济上的遗产，才能真正成为家庭亲密关系的基石。

In conclusion, the choice made by many older people to spend their money on themselves rather than save it for their children represents a beneficial shift. It fosters genuine contentment in old age while, somewhat paradoxically, encouraging a more resilient and emotionally connected form of family life than a simple inheritance ever could.总之，许多老年人选择把钱花在自己身上，而不是为子女存钱，这代表了一种有益的转变。它促进了老年人晚年的真正满足感，同时，颇具悖论意味地，也培养了一种比单纯的遗产继承更为坚韧、情感联系更紧密的家庭生活方式。