How much money is in your savings account? We order a different Dutch every week. Because although we talk more and more about money, we never talk about how much we earn and save. This week: 27-year-old Melanie, who managed to save after years of financial hardship.

profession: Breast lab technician
net income: 2108.63 and +/- 300 euros
living situation: House rented with a partner

Melanie Savings Account

Years later, Melanie dropped out of college and took a different path. She is now a breast lab assistant in training. As a breast lab technician, you take mammograms to detect breast cancer at an early stage. It works, but it learns at the same time. In addition, she works at the butcher on weekends, so her income is a bit more.

What is in your savings account?

“On my savings account now €1675. I also have a spare jar with €65 in it. Then I have a so-called holiday jar that has €181 in it.

Saving is going much better than before. I also have a joint savings account and checking account with my boyfriend. Earns more than I do. Every month we transfer an amount. We have discussed these sums at length and at length. At first I didn’t want to pay less than he did, which meant I would have very little money left for myself. For me that wasn’t a problem. My boyfriend was not comfortable with that. He could afford the costs more easily and didn’t think it was fair that he had so much left.”

How did you finally manage it?

“I was very stubborn, but I still had it and now he pays more. He’s a good saver and he thinks it’s important that we save together in the future, so we can buy a house later. Since we both now save a fixed amount, saving becomes easier for me. He has Now we put all the costs together, calculate what we need to cover all the fixed costs and see what we can save: together we save 1321 euros per month.

We’ve organized it so that we have 900 euros left: the rest goes to joint savings and the checking account. So I transfer about 1500€ to the accounts we share. We pay for practically everything from a joint checking account: groceries, cars, rent, internet, and subscriptions.”

“Because I pay less for the joint account, I sometimes feel guilty if I buy things we don’t necessarily need. If I want to stock up on a big plate of snacks, I often do so with the money I have left. My boyfriend doesn’t think it’s necessary at all, but I find it more fun myself.

I am happy with this build. Everything is clear now. It was different for me in the past. I was always nervous about the next bill, or that I hadn’t paid yet. There was absolutely no overview. It was a disaster, especially in my student days. Despite having enough money, I always felt that I had no money. Now that I know everything will work out, it gives me so much peace.”

What contributed to that peace?

“Overview, but also the fact that I spend less. The way I handled my money not only stressed myself but also made my partner restless. We tried different builds, but the way we handle it now works better. There are now five Accounts: joint savings account, checking account, and we have a personal savings account and checking account.”

“I found it very exciting to throw all the finances on the table. I always got my head in the sand. I spent a lot and always felt like I didn’t have enough money. It was hard for me to discuss this in order to find a new way together. During those conversations And discussions, I wanted to get away. There’s a difference in that I earn a lot more now in terms of income than when I was still a full-time student. We started this build in December and it’s been working really well for me. Since then I’ve finally been able to save for myself.”

How did you deal with money before?

“Everything that went in went straight into a savings account. Practically speaking, I needed that money to live. Then I had to pay an amount again that I had overlooked, and then I had a stomach ache for a week. At the end of that month, the piggy bank was always Empty. Even if there were no more unexpected expenses, I would still spend money on new clothes, make-up, or at the bar. Because I had never managed to save before, I was very afraid that I would never be able to handle the money. With the overview that I have now, that has changed.”

How do you feel now financially?

“Much better. Of the €900 I keep for myself, I save another €500 and have the rest to do fun things. It saves endless stress. Having a jar on hand when I don’t go out one time gives you peace of mind. I also lost the fear of not having enough money.”

What about debt?

“My student debt is 65,000 euros. Sometimes I might be jealous of friends whose parents paid for student room and tuition fees. My parents didn’t have that money. Right now, I’m still in my grace period. Until I start paying off, I’d like to Basically saving and as soon as I pay off, of course I will.I tried for a long time to finish college, but I constantly faced the same obstacles.It didn’t make me happy at all, but I didn’t want to admit it.Quitting wasn’t an option.In the end, I took “The lead – which is so miserable. I went to talk to a psychologist and I honestly looked at what I wanted. Now I’m very happy with my choice to become a breast lab technician and my tuition is being paid for by my employer.”

What is your best financial advice?

“It’s hard to reach out to someone and say, ‘I can’t handle money.’ But this help was very important to me. I just can’t do it myself. Try to find someone with whom you dare to be honest about your relationship with money. It’s okay if You had to learn things and don’t mind having help with that too. It’s kind of sour apples and it might not all work out in one day, but it gives peace in the end.”