You needed to use your savings account to get through those expensive summer vacations. How do you start living more frugally?
A friend of mine used to be a financial planner. After retiring, she began working as a debt counselor for people with large debts. She always takes a cash book with her on her first visit. Start by writing down what you spend. Look at all subscriptions. Do you really need Netflix, Spotify and NLZiet?
It often takes effort to part with such a service. Once cancelled, the loss is not too bad. Convert this kind of fixed costs into costs per year. A savings of 120 to 240 euros sounds better than 10 or 20 euros a month.
If you keep a cash book, you can see small expenses like coffee or water along the way. Saw a nice sweater for 40 euros? Apply the 1 euro rule: Each time you wear the garment, it costs you 1 euro. If there's a good chance you won't wear it forty times, don't buy it.
Check your insurance regularly through a comparison portal. If your insurance has been running for a while, you have a maximum notice period of one month. And cancel the overdraft facility at the bank. These days, you can quickly transfer money from a savings account to a bank account.
What package you have with the Internet provider? In recent years, providers have added more and more capacity. The basic or starter package is often good enough. And pay monthly for the landline that you hardly ever use? When you call the provider, they can see if it is cheaper for you to pay per minute.
Use a subscription with little data volume for your smartphone and use the available WLAN as much as possible. Don't sign up for a subscription with lots of call minutes, you can also make calls via WhatsApp. Family subscriptions can be beneficial.
Travel by car? With the app ANWB Route or Directlease Tank Service you can quickly find a cheap gas station. Rabobank customers can sign up for cheap parking through their bank app. The Flitsmeister app is also affordable.
You leave by train and don't have a season pass? Then consider NS Flex. This is a flexible subscription that gives you 40 percent off-peak discount for 5.10 euros per month. And for 2 euros only on weekends. You can often reimburse these costs with a round-trip ticket. Especially if you travel with a partner, because they get 40 percent joint travel discount. Simply activate this discount in advance via the app or ticket machine. Travel little? Then switch back to the basic free subscription.
Want to go on vacation again this fall? Book a train ticket a month and a half to two months in advance, and you'll almost always get a cheap fare. It is usually not possible to make another advance booking.
Don't be ashamed of frugality. Share money-saving tips with others regularly, and you'll automatically become an expert.
Reinout van der Heijden is editor-in-chief of Geldgids. Have a question yourself? [email protected]
A one-way train ride from Rotterdam to London with the Eurostar can be booked early for 39 euros.