Your carnival suit, a glass of beer and that fries with: pull out your wallet for a few days of fun and laughter. Everything is rapidly becoming more expensive and we also have to keep an eye on the little ones during Carnival. But will that work? Today in our Duurder Leven series, 20-year-old Brent from Velddriel: “I think about sixty to seventy euros a day goes through.”
Brent studies at Fontys Hogeschool ICT & Media in Eindhoven and has just had a tough weekend.
Are you going to celebrate Carnival this year?
“Well, I went to three festivals this weekend and that was a bit too much. My voice is just coming back, the next day I really sounded like one of those dog toys where the beep only half works. But I will definitely celebrate carnival, I’ve been doing that since I was young. From the age of fourteen I really go out. Normally I went to Den Bosch, but this year I’m going to carnival in Eindhoven for the first time, together with my friends. So far I have plans on Friday and Saturday at least, but I want to go the other days as well.”
A beer costs around 3.50 euros during carnival in Eindhoven, does that make a difference?
“The prices are ridiculously high, so I will certainly notice that during carnival. But if I’m honest, I don’t really look at it. I drink about ten to fifteen drinks a night and then some shots in between. I think about sixty to seventy euros a day goes through.”
Have you saved for carnival?
“Yes, I did save a little for it. I wanted to start saving earlier, but I didn’t succeed. In any case, I don’t celebrate Carnival any differently than other years, I think my friends feel the same way. At the moment I don’t have a job, but I work at an ICT company during holidays. That fits in nicely with my studies, so it really helps me for the future.”
Are there still things you leave behind in these expensive times?
“I do pay more attention to what I spend, so I no longer buy food at school. And I notice it in the price of petrol, which has also become much more expensive. That is why I use the scooter more often, which is cheaper in terms of consumption.”
And what kind of nice pèkske do you wear for the weekend?
“Normally I always went to Den Bosch and wore a red, white and yellow coat, otherwise you are not allowed to enter some cafes. But now that I’m going to Eindhoven, I bought an animal suit. I think it’s a fox or something.”
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