Meet a Dutch Reader | Josine
Earlier this summer, Josine promised she'd answer my questions, but she had a busy summer ahead of her and wouldn't be able to get to the questions until later. Happily, I got her email this past week, so now we get to meet a reader from the Netherlands!
1. Tell us a little about yourself
I am Dutch. I have been married over 20 years and our children are 20, 18, and 16.
my children on a beach holiday years ago
Pieter is attending university. He started last year, so he barely had offline classes. The frugal upside of it is that he had no housing costs and that this year all universities ask half the regular tuition. I am grateful he did well in all classes. He does have a job as a volunteer, where he gets paid a little.
Joost finished 5 classes of high school. He has 3 more left to finish this year. He has had several jobs but is now not working.
Willemijn has 3 more years of high school to go.
an igloo my kids built
My husband works 1 KM from home. I am a stay-at-home mom. I have done different kinds of volunteer jobs, at church, school, library and for Catholic children’s summer camp. I am glad my example led our children to do volunteer jobs from a young age on; Willemijn was about 11 when she asked the library if she could help. She helps organize books or give out tickets for a meeting for younger children at the library.
We live in a city of a little over 100,000 inhabitants in the middle of the country. The old part of the city is medieval and just a bike ride from our house. We are also lucky to have a (free) swimming pond within walking distance and around that pond a lovely part of nature to walk or bike or walk a dog.
My daughter by the nearby pond
2. How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?
I have been reading The Frugal Girl since Zoë started school. I think I found it on another similar blog. I follow you on a near-daily basis.
3. How did you get interested in saving money?
I think I have always been interested in saving money.
My parents had enough money to live conveniently, but my grandparents were in their 20’s-40’s during the depression. One grandfather lost his father during those years, leaving a widow (my great grandmother) and 9 children. I think that inheritance influenced my parents and in the end me and my siblings.
Being the oldest child, I remember getting secondhand clothes from cousins or friends. That wasn’t a necessity, but a never felt bad about it. I remember being thrilled to get a whole box of new-to-me clothes. When our children were small, I asked a mother of a friend if I could have her daughter’s clothes. I knew she had no younger girls in her family and my daughter was a few years younger than her’s. Willemijn has had lots of lovely clothes that way.
Once I was known as “the mom who is happy with hand-me-downs”, lots of others started offering me clothes or toys their children outgrew. I did the same when my children outgrew their clothes and toys.
And between my sisters and some friends, we also share clothes we don’t like anymore.
4. What’s the “why” behind your money-saving efforts?
A major reason was to be able to live off one income, so I could be a stay-at-home mom.
But I also think we have a duty not to use too much of our earth. Even if you have enough money to buy new clothes, why buy more than you could wear? Why fly around the world for a vacation to find time to enjoy yourself, if you can enjoy being around your loved ones on a walk in your own neighborhood?
5. What is your best frugal win?
Profitwise it was the first apartment I bought when I started to work. We sold it after I had lived there for 6 years and it had grown a lot in worth.
On a daily basis, it is sticking with little frugal decisions that end up being big over the years, like meal planning, mending things instead of buying something new.
6. What is a dumb money mistake you have made?
I don’t think I have made very foolish decisions, but I do sometimes buy things on an impulse that I don’t need and they end up on the attic.
7. What do you splurge on?
I allow myself a visit to the beautician every 6 weeks. That is a moment just for me (although I have been there with my daughter for her birthday). I enjoy being able to relax myself and feel happy and ready to face the world again after those visits.
8. What is one thing you aren’t remotely tempted to splurge on?
Make-up and jewelry. I have some jewelry from my husband, parents, and grandparents that is precious to me because of the people who gave it to me. And I sometimes wear lipstick or nail polish but rarely anything more.
9. If 1,000 was dropped into your lap today, what would you do with it?
I think half of it toward driving lessons for the children and half to a charity.
Driving lessons are really expensive here. You are not allowed to teach your child yourself and an average lesson is about 50 euro. You need 30-40 lessons at least, plus 2 exams.
10. Share a frugal tip.
I think it is mostly about attitude. Your situation in life may be very different, but if your attitude is one of gratefulness, if you try to see the beauty in things (and even more in people) around you, you are more prone to be happy with what you have.
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Josine, I smiled as I read about you being known as the "mom who is happy with hand-me-downs" because that's how I was when my kids were little too! And I'm also known as a person who will accept food to save it from waste, so sometimes people give me food they don't need or want.
I have a question for you that I forgot to include when I sent you the interview email: what's different about trying to save money in the Netherlands as compared to what you read about here in the U.S.?
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I visited the Netherlands for a conference held at de Bettled about ten years ago and enjoyed what I got to see of the country. Thanks for sharing bits of your life with us. I remember how hard our host family's kids were studying for exams and college prep years in advance!
And yes, I love to find a good supply of hand me downs too! My friends often offer me boxes knowing that I'll pass on what we can't use to others.
Hi Josine; thanks for sharing! I too was surprised by the expense of the (required) driver's education courses in our state. And I also loved getting hand-me-downs. I always like passing things along too, imagining someone else getting more good use of everything. I like your philosophy of using less of the earth's resources.
As far as differences - I love the idea that when you bike to the "old" part of the city, it's medieval - that's quite different from our town's "old" section, very fun!
What a refreshing "interview" I especially loved:
What’s the “why” behind your money-saving efforts?
I ... think we have a duty not to use too much of our earth.
and
Share a frugal tip.
I think it is mostly about attitude. Your situation in life may be very different, but if your attitude is one of gratefulness, if you try to see the beauty in things (and even more in people) around you, you are more prone to be happy with what you have.
It's great to see that despite so many differences in how we all live that there are so many universal ideas we share.
Hi, Josine!
I like your attitude toward life. I share your experience and joy at getting boxes of hand-me-down clothes from my cousins when I was growing up. I also welcomed hand-me-down clothes for my kids.
I am completely blown away by the expense of your driver's education, though. My kids could have taken a reasonably priced paid private course if they chose, but they didn't. Where we live, they were allowed to just learn from their parents or another responsible adult for six months once they had a learner's permit, then take the written and road tests to get a license. I think now my grandkids have to have their learner's permit and practice for a full year before they can sign up for the road and written testing, but they still can just learn at home from their parents.
I worked for years with a man who was Dutch. He went home almost every year for a vacation, as his family all still lived there. He was friendly and had a great sense of humor, but what I remember best was how much I liked his accent!
@JD,
In my state, drivers ed is expensive and mandated, both classroom and road. It’s maddening! Louisiana.
I don't think the situation in the Netherlands is that different from the US money wise. But we do have a good system of health insurance. We pay a monthly fee - actually we pay once a year, to get 5 % reduction - and we have to pay up to several 100 euro's by ourselves. but visits to a general practitioner are fully covered by the insurance. It depends on your insurance how much you pay for other treatments. Under 18 you don't pay for insurance and most treatments.
Josine
@Josine, Oh that is such a nice thing to have!
Josine, it's so nice to hear from you! Wow, your driver's education classes are crazy expensive. My daughter starts with hers tonight so that caught my eye. All told, I will be paying around $400 for her to take the classes, which isn't cheap, but it's definitely more affordable than what it is for you. Thanks for sharing about your life.
I love your answer to #4 - we have a duty not to use too much of the Earth!!
When our first child was 1, the church in her grandparents hometown started a consignment sale twice a year and after the first gear, they would have over 200 consigners, so it was huge. We regularly bought a years worth of her clothes for less than $100, but I always bought new shoes. When our sons came along, we did the same and they were always some of the best dressed kids and I didn't get caught up in the stores!
Hi Josine,
I am German and many things you mention sound familiar to me - like walkable medieval cities, very expensive driving licences (here average 2200 €), hand-me-downs etc. It was interesting to learn about your life and circumstances. Thank you.
Kristen - I would be ready for an "interview".....
Ooh, fantastic! I will email you the interview questions. 🙂
Is driver licensing like this all over Europe?
@Kristen, I think so! But I can only speak for Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy!
@Floortje, Only! 😉 that's a pretty big western Europe coverage there.
@Kristen, it depends. In France and Switzerland for example you can drive with friends or family, once you pass the theory test.
Yes, that's how it is here in my state. You pass a learner's permit test and then you fulfill your driving hour requirements with parents or other experienced adult drivers.
@Kristin, same in Italy except that you are obligated to do a certain number of lessons through a school in a car with dual controls and must do the driving test in one of those cars too. Friends/family must have had their license for 10+years and not be over 65.
Oh wow, 10 years! In my state, the supervising driver only has to have had their license for something like 3 years.
@Kristen, In sweden you can drive with family or friends, if they had their driver´s license for more than five years. So my boys´drivers licenses were about 1100 dollars each with a few lessons and the mandatory tests.
It is wonderful to meet you Josine! Like many of the readers who commented before me, I love hand-me-downs and believe in buying second-hand.
We have a saying in our house, “Attitude is everything! A positive outlook is a gift in and of itself.
Josine, I enjoyed your interview. I don’t like to travel and prefer staying home. We live in a area where people come for vacation. So years ago I decided to explore here. Very frugal, even expensive activities are cheaper without adding in traveling.
The information about beginner drivers was interesting to me. Dh and I had a fun discussion about it. Thanks for sharing.
Josine: I really enjoyed learning about your life in the Netherlands. Your children's names are lovely. I'm with you on using less of the earth's resources and being grateful. Thank you for sharing!
Hallo Josine, wat grappig om over een landgenote te lezen bij een buitenlands blog!
I can't help trying to guess what your hometown is, for sure there are a number of great places that would meet the criteria!
We only have two children but I would always welcome clothes from family or neighbours too. Small children grow out of clothes so terribly fast!
Fijne dag! J.
@J, i had the same inclination Hihi. I’m thinking Zeist, Soest, that area!
Very interesting! Thank you for sharing your life with us.
This was a lovely post to read. I like seeing that if money fell into your lap, you would give part of it to charity. It’s a good reminder to me of the importance of using money, especially “extra” or bonus money, for needs in the world and not just my own tiny piece of that world.
Interesting that learning to drive is so expensive there!
I know in the larger cities in the Netherlands public transportation is pretty good so that driving isn't always necessary, but how is it in more rural areas and smaller towns like yours, Josine? And can you easily get to larger cities using public transportation?
Perhaps that's why bicycles are so popular there? What do non-drivers do for transportation in the winter when there's a lot of snow? (I'm a Californian so I've never dealt with snow).
@Jan, public transportation is indeed rather good here. Students always get a reduction: our son can travel for free on weekdays and with reduction in weekends. The smaller villages that have no train are harder to travel to and from; there may be a bus every 2 hours and not until late in the evening. Bikes are very popular. We have more bikes than inhabitants! With e-bikes larger distances are quite possible. Our daughter rides her (regular) bike to school 5 KM from home. But other children may travel up to 20 KM by bike. We have raincoats (and raincovers for the schoolbag) and most of the year that is fine. we don't normally have heavy snowfall; it might be a problem just 1 or a few days per year.
Hi Josine! So fun to read your experience especially as a fellow Dutch reader!
Im definitely trying to guess where you live and I think it’s fairly close to where I grew up (Maarssen). I now live in the US and have been for nearly 5y.
Hello Josine,
Thank you for sharing about your life in The Netherlands. I am shocked about the high price for drivers' training. I was lucky. My high school in Michigan offered free driver's ed classes in the summer. My teacher was very good and he had a lot more patience than my parents.
I have relatives on my Mom's side who came to Michigan from your country to live back into the 1800's. My boyfriend and I were looking forward to doing a Dutch geneology trip back in 2020, but it was put on hold. We will make it there someday. I am keen to visit and learn more about where my ancestors were from. We visited Poland and did a tour with a geneologist a few years ago. It was fascinating to see where my Dad's parents were from.
Take care,
Beth B.
I've heard about the free driver's ed in public schools! I guess that is a downside of homeschooling; we've had to pay for the two weeks of required classroom education here. But almost all the required hours of driving time on the road is done by parents/guardians, not by the driving school. It sounds like the on-road time is something you have to pay for in the Netherlands.
@Kristen, public schools here *used to* include Driver's Ed in the high school curriculum (at least they did way back when I was in school). Now it's no longer offered through the schools (again, in my limited / local experience). Public school students end up paying several hundred dollars for Driver's Ed classes & the required on-the-road training.
@Kristen,
It must vary greatly by state. Where I am, Driver's Ed is required and includes a required parent class and about 1/3 of the required in-car hours. That plus the permit & license fees definitely exceeds $1000. We're in process so I'm not yet sure of the total cost, but based on what I do know it wouldn't surprise me if it exceeds $1500.
@Kristen, Wow! Guess I had a great deal back in the 80's when I was in high school. The free driver's ed included behind the wheel time as well. The teacher even took me out for extra sessions because I was having trouble with one way's in the downtown area.
@Kristen,
I think the size of our country has to do with the way driving education is organized. There are 17 mlln people living on a handkerchief of a country, it is crowded. So many people of all ages trying to make way to their homes, schools and work location in the peak hours. Not just motor vehicles, but also cyclists and pedestrians. Also consider that by Dutch law, if a collision takes place between a driver and a cyclist or pedestrian, the bigger responsibility will always be considered to be with the driver as they will cause most injury. In a dense infrastructure it takes quite a while to get used to all different fellow traffic types. In all my years of driving,, I've never driven in central Amsterdam for instance. Taking trams, buses and enthusiastic tourists into consideration on top of everything else, is just too much for me.
Hi Josine! This was delightful to read. I love your kids' names. And how wonderful that your husband works so close to home, for a number of reasons. I have a feeling that if I lived where you do I'd be spending a lot of time at that swimming pond! Thank you for sharing a glimpse into your life.
Josine, it is a pleasure to meet you and hear about your life in the Netherlands. Yikes -- very expensive for driving lessons! I so agree with being the person who loves hand-me-downs, especially when kids are young and growing out of things so fast. And people LOVE to hand down stuff so it is a win-win. I have only ever been in Schipol (spelling?) airport and I LOVED it -- I look forward to visiting the rest of the country some day 🙂
@priskill, That airport is really cool! 🙂 I've flown through there and was lucky enough to have a layover. We ate at a chocolate cafe.
Nice to meet you, Josine. The medieval part of your city intrigues me. Is it kept up as a tourist attraction that has tours, or do some people still live there with a few business establishments?
@Shirley, some parts of the medieval city are still in use. Some buildings may only have a medieval cellar, with a new house built on top. Tourists love to take a tour on water, half under parts of old houses. Those little rivers were used for transportation and as sewage. That is also the reason people didn't drink water in those times, but made beer (that was lighter in alcohol than the beers we now drink).
@Josine, that is absolutely fascinating! As spectacular as castles are, I find how the majority of real people lived more interesting. Hopefully I can find some videos via the internet. Thank you for answering. That tidbit about the beer and water was eye-opening too. It’s energizing to discover new information.
It is so nice to get to know each other! My husband’s relatives came from there, some of them- we don’t always realize that borders and allegiances changed rapidly, sometimes! I did, and still do, the frugal things, like paying on and receiving hand-me-downs,, and am SO thankful!
Thank you for sharing. My paternal grandmother was from the Netherlands. It has always been a place I want to visit. She was a wonderful person in the hardest of lives here in the US during the depression with 8 children.
Man, I wish that same driver's ed requirement were true in the US... In some of the states I've lived in, if you're over the age of 18, you're not even required to take driver's ed - all you have to do is pass the written and in-car tests.
I was curious, so I looked it up - the Netherlands actually does have a pretty high percentage of adults who have licenses (80% vs. the US's 89%). I was surprised, given the additional burdens of cost and convenience for Dutch folks to get a license, along with the prevalence of cycling and public transportation, compared to the US!
Wow I really enjoyed reading about you and your family. One thing that stuck with me is why buy more than you need! I am awful about buying too many clothes and I have so much that I never ever wear, yet I cannot get rid of them for some reason or another. One day I am going to purge and go crazy as ever and I hope it comes soon! LOL!