‘I’m really a saver’

In

‘It was during a lecture on the design of a wind turbine that I realized that I was not following the right course of study. I was excited about the teacher’s announcement, until we had to do calculations on it. I wanted to draw and examine the wind turbine, but I was not interested in solving equations.

“I then exchanged my mechanical engineering studies in the United States for Industrial Design. In retrospect, that choice made sense: as a child I was always curious about how things work. I ended up in the Netherlands because it was one of the few countries in Europe where technical bachelor’s degrees are offered in English.

“My graduation coincided with the corona outbreak, very bad timing. I had a year to look for a job, on a ‘Search year visa’, because I am not from the European Union. If you don’t have a job after a year, you have to leave the Netherlands. I applied almost every day, but unfortunately many companies were not looking at the time. Fortunately, two weeks before the deadline, I finally found a job through an acquaintance.

“Now I work for a technical company in Tiel, where I am responsible for PR and marketing. For example, I manage our social media, visit customers and fairs and am responsible for advertising. I have been working there for 2.5 years now and in the meantime I have been able to pass my integration exam, which means that I have now received a Dutch passport.”

Out

‘Every month I send two hundred euros to my parents. It’s not because they ask, but because I want to give something back. They arranged their lives so that my sister and I could study abroad, to give us the best opportunities. Now that they are retired, I think it’s important to help them out a bit, and luckily you can.

“I am really a saver. This is mainly because I lived on a limited budget during my studies. I learned the 70/20/10 rule from my father: 70 percent of your income goes to your regular expenses, 20 percent is savings, and the other 10 percent is for spontaneous expenses, such as going out. That helped me to structure my expenses.

“Even now that I work full-time and earn a nice income, I try to save as much as possible. It’s in my system. It helps that I also consciously deal with what I buy. Because I hate the fast fashion culture and its impact on the economy and the environment, I hardly buy anything new, even if it’s hip or discounted. Whenever possible I opt for second-hand clothing.

“I also think the food waste here in the Netherlands is a shame. In the environment I grew up in, people determine whether something is spoiled by sight, smell and taste – not just by looking at the expiration date. That’s why I usually buy discounted products and use apps like TooGoodToGo.

“But I like to spend my money on fun things now and then: taking my girlfriend out for dinner, for example, or on festivals, concerts and other hobbies.”