Celebrating Carnival has become considerably more expensive now that we have to pay more for everything. Drinks, a beautiful carnival outfit and a greasy snack have also risen in price, so we have to keep an eye on the little ones. But will that work? Today in our Duurder Leven series, 21-year-old Tom from Mierlo: “We’ll see. When the money runs out, we’ll have no more beer.”
Tom studies ICT at the Fontys Hogeschool in Eindhoven. He still lives at home with his parents in Mierlo. As a side job, he works in an electronics store.
How do you celebrate Carnival?
“I’m diving into Eindhoven for five days. Because now that the time has come, I want to get everything out of it. Carnival is my party, I can’t do without it.”
A beer costs around 3.50 euros during carnival in Eindhoven, does that make a difference?
“I am lucky that I am a member of the carnival foundation Club 111. As a sponsor of the Lampegat carnival, they can get tokens cheaper at some tents. I have already bought some tokens and paid 2.20 euros for them. So that hurts quite a bit.”
Did you save especially for carnival?
“I did put some money aside, yes, but not too much.” Laughing: “We’ll see. When the money runs out, we’ll have no more beer.”
What kind of nice pekske are you wearing?
“A brand new suit that I just bought, a long blue coat. It is still virginally empty, but I want to buy carnival emblems by trading. It is a tradition that is popular in Tilburg and I hope that the Lampegatse celebrants can also be poked. So with a bit of luck, that coat will be completely full on Wednesday.”
Are there still things you leave behind in these expensive times?
“Getting around monthly is one thing, yes. I have a car and driving it has become a lot more expensive. I actually only use it to go to school or to work. It is paying attention to what you can and cannot do with your money. The pot to do fun things is really smaller. So instead of going out with my friends, we now meet more often at home.”
Do you have plans to live on your own?
“Certainly, I also look around regularly. Having my own place wouldn’t be a bad thing, but it’s just too expensive. As long as I can do it at home, I will continue to live with my parents in Mierlo.”
Are you worried about the future?
“I’m in the second year of ICT training and there is a lot of demand for personnel in that sector, so it will be easy to get a job. With a good salary, that’s a nice bonus.”
READ ALSO: Brent (20) celebrates carnival full gas despite a beer price of 3.50 euros