‘I get more interest on my foreign savings accounts’

Income

‘I work 36 hours a week at a secondary school in Amsterdam as a student affairs team leader and support coordinator. This means that I lead the team that provides extra support to students and the student administration; I am the link between those teams and the management.

‘The work pressure is high, but I do have vacation every six to seven weeks. I receive an allowance for the gym and there is a bicycle plan, so the fringe benefits are well arranged. I am satisfied with my salary, it fits my responsibilities and I can get by just fine. Working in education doesn’t necessarily mean that you get paid little.’

Fixed charges

‘Our joint fixed costs are now 2,200 euros per month. Most of the money goes to the mortgage and childcare.

‘Our energy contract expires this month. The installment amount goes from 200 to 550 euros per month, which was a bit of a squeeze. Fortunately, we will soon finally have double glazing in our 1930s house, hopefully that will save a lot of heating costs. We already pay attention to our energy and gas consumption: we take shorter showers, dress warmer in the house and do not leave lights on unnecessarily. We also listened to a lot of radio via the TV, but that consumes quite a bit of power, so we don’t leave it on all day.’

Save

‘As soon as I receive my salary, 100 euros is automatically transferred to my savings account. Most months, more comes in than I spend, then I save what’s left at the end of the month. My girlfriend and I set aside money for our children, which they will receive when they are 18.

‘In addition to a Dutch bank account, I also have a French and Spanish bank account, because of the higher interest rates: 0.40 and 0.65 percent. Still not much, but more than the 0.01 percent in the Netherlands. The banks are covered by the deposit guarantee scheme, so if they go bankrupt, I simply get my money back.’

investing

‘Although I am quite careful with money, I opened an investment account last year, into which I deposit 100 euros every month. In the beginning I had a good return, but due to all the events in the world the result is now dramatic. But I don’t panic: I invest for the long term, I just leave the money in that account for the time being.’

Groceries

‘At the weekend, my girlfriend and I decide together what we want to eat for the next few days. We then look at the bonus offers and seasonal vegetables, because they are often cheaper. Since groceries have become so much more expensive, we hardly buy more A-brands and less meat.

‘We have AH premium, which costs 12 euros per year, but we do get an extra discount on organic products and more personal bonus offers. We also save sales stamps, on which you receive 6 percent interest. (With every euro you spend, you can buy a stamp for 10 cents. With a full booklet you have spent 49 euros, but you receive 52 euros, red.). It’s always nice when another book is full, then we pay for the groceries.’

Holidays

‘We go on holiday about three times a year, including short trips. We have been to the same campsite a few times and save points that we can exchange for free nights.

‘I always buy large purchases and airline tickets with my American Express credit card. Because of the purchase insurance, but also because I then save points with which I can fly cheaply again.’

Used to be home

My parents are both retired. My father also worked in education, my mother in healthcare. We never really talked about money, we were right.

‘I was taught from home that you can only spend your money once. With every purchase I still wonder if I really want it. A while ago I wanted a smartwatch, but then I thought: it costs money again, I don’t really need it, never mind.’