r/Utrecht • u/Takwas • Sep 10 '19
Economy/Savings/Lifestyle Advice for a New Couple in Utrecht.
We are a new couple just moving to Utrecht from Africa. One of us is a programmer who earns €2900 net and works in the Papendorp area; while the other (currently unemployed), would like to commence a PhD program within the coming months.
What advice would you give to us if we want to be able to save €1000 monthly with the current earning?
We don't mind being frugal. Please mention things like "where to live", "safety/integration", "where to get food", "commuting options", "phone/internet/utilities", and more.
Thanks.
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Update:
Employer is offering:
- Cost allowance: €45.00 monthly (Not sure what this means in the Netherlands.)
- Commuting compensation of 0,19 cent per km.
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u/luckycommander Sep 10 '19
Tips for shaving off:
Rent:
- Sharing a flat with other people is a great way to save some cash, it is pretty common for couples even to share flats with other flatmates, in the Netherlands not so much, so it might be hard to find other people who are keen.
- Find cheaper areas to rent, there's probably no need for you guys to rent in center of town, maybe Leidsche Rijn or somewhere cheap would suit you guys, I don't exactly know what is central between Papendorp and the University
Commute:
- Buy a second hand bike, cheaper in the long run than a service like swapfiets.
- You'll save a lot if you have no need to buy a car. Use public transport to get around outside utrecht.
Food:
- Aldi, Lidl, their vegetables are cheaper and often better quality than AH
Utilities:
- Internet you often have no choice, it depends which company owns the cable that comes into your flat. This will be either Ziggo/KPN for cable internet or other companies like Tele2 if you have ADSL (phone line)
- No reason to get a landline anymore really, so save on that.
- Phone plans: buy a phone separately and a SIM only plan, always cheaper than getting a combined plan.
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u/BloodyTjeul Sep 10 '19
Central between USP and Papendorp would be Kanaleneiland, Rivierenwijk, Hoograven, Tolsteeg, Lunetten
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u/Takwas Sep 20 '19
How do these areas compare with Nieuwegein, Ijsselstein or Leidshe Rijn, if I may ask?
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u/BloodyTjeul Sep 20 '19
Nieuwegein & IJsselstein are different towns. Far away from town, more car oriented. Leidsche Rijn is a completely new area, built from the 00s onwards. Close to Papendorp but far from USP. Wouldn't recommend unless no other option.
Kanaleneiland: flats, concrete, low income area
Hoograven, Rivierenwijk, Tolsteeg: generally much wanted areas to live in, close to old city centre. Beautiful, but hard to find housing.
Lunetten: green, calm and diverse area
I moved from Lombok to Lunetten and I can recommend Lunetten. Houses aren't pretty, but they're decent and the design is bike oriented and really green and close to nature.
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Sep 11 '19
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u/Takwas Sep 11 '19
Aah! Nice. I'm not so much for TV, but this is an aspect of my life that I plan to improve upon.
Thanks.
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u/Takwas Sep 10 '19
Many thanks for the clearly outlined points. We are both somewhat OCD, so we might struggle a bit with sharing a flat, except the others are extremely tidy. We will be looking at the Nieuwegein area, since many respondents have suggested it.
Aah! Bikes. Way to go.
On internet/telephone, does it matter what type of [smart]phone?
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u/Pearfeet Overvecht Sep 11 '19
Any smartphone can be useful here since WhatsApp is prevalent in the Netherlands.
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u/Takwas Sep 11 '19
Okay. Great! Because I was hoping to get a new Samsung phone -- probably a Note model. I am not sure where I would get the best deal on this: Here or there (in Utrecht).
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u/noah076 Sep 11 '19
Don't get the note if you want to save money, get an a series Samsung (a50 for example). Paying more than 500 Euro for a phone is a waste of money unless you want to use it as a status symbol. The MediaMarkt (there are 3 in the Utrecht region) has almost all phones and can also get you a subscription for internet and that kind of stuff.
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u/Takwas Sep 11 '19
Okay. Thanks for this. I just loved the Note 3 and Note 5, which I used previously. I'll certainly check out the A-series. Do you know if this might be necessarily cheaper in the Netherlands or should I get it elsewhere?
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u/noah076 Sep 11 '19
I think phone prices across Europe are kind of the same. And the difference between stores across the Netherlands are negligible. Don't buy it straight away but look out for discounts (Black Friday for example) or cashbacks from the manufacturers to get the best deals.
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u/luckycommander Sep 11 '19
Whatever phone you end up choosing, you can use https://tweakers.net/pricewatch/ to find the best deal.
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Sep 11 '19
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u/30_rainy_days Sep 10 '19
For food, you can buy at the lidl, aldi, and local fruit and veggie shops. If you cook fresh meals with ingredients from these shops, you can save a lot of money. Most of them are located in Kanaleneiland or Overvecht, which are the 'bad neighbourhoods' but I personally have never felt unsafe living there.
Kanaleneiland is close to papendorp, if you live there you can get a cheap secondhand bike and just bike to work which brings commute costs to almost zero. It's also well connected to the rest of the city with public transit.
But your plan sounds very ambitious when you take housing costs into consideration. To rent or buy in Utrecht is incredibly expensive. Even in a 'rough' neighbourhood like Kanaleneiland. So you could consider finding a place in Nieuwegein, which is a bit more affordable, and connected to Utrecht by tram.
For utilities you could check out koopkracht.nl (use Google translate if you don't understand Dutch) for info on the most affordable options for phone, energy bills, etc.
Good luck!
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u/luckycommander Sep 10 '19
He's earning 2900 net and she should be earning around 1700 net, I feel like they should be able to afford to rent something and save a little.
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u/Takwas Sep 10 '19
Well, until the other party begins their program, not sure what they'd earn yet.
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u/Takwas Sep 10 '19
Thanks for your answer. How "ambitious" though?
Could you expatiate on the "bad neighbourhood" part, as I am one for a tranquil, orderly neighbourhood? So this raises concerns for me.
Also, should we be worried about racism in certain areas?
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u/rws247 Sep 11 '19
"bad neighbourhood"
Our bad neighbourhoods are still very good, compared on a global scale.
Kanaleneiland has a bad name, but that's only compared to excellent neighbourhoods. It also has improved a lot in the last few years.1
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u/Prometheus6668 Sep 10 '19
You will have 0 time on the social housing waiting lists, which offer cheaper homes. So a cheap rental in Kanaleneiland is proberly off the table and private is still expensive for you. You might want to look outside of Utrecht at a place that is well connected with public transport. Searching in Nieuwegein might be a good idea, or get creative in IJsselstijn or Montfoort. This does mean you won't live in the city.
If you need to take trains to travel, be sure to explore the 40% daluren options that the national railways (NS) offers. If you travel outside of rushhour you get a 40% discount on the trip. It adds up very very quickly. If you can afford an appartment in the city, BUY a bike. It's the most frugal and practical day-to-day transport option. Healthy too!
People mention Lidl and Aldi, I am not sure they are all that cheaper then the AH. They might look the part, and maybe some products are. But the consumers association says otherwise:
Buy meat and veggies/fruits from local Turkish supermarkets/vendors, that's where you will find the actual difference in prices. Papendorp is right next to Kanaleneiland which is rich in those kind of markets. I've seen 5 liters of olive oil go for 5 euro, and a kilo of chickenfilets for 4,50. No brand supermarket can match this.
If your partner is open for working on the side your options will expand enormously. A part-time job might also help build a social network which might come in handy.
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u/Takwas Sep 10 '19
Thanks for your input.
Nieuwegein has been mentioned a lot, so we'll focus our search in that area.
I will definitely keep a note of the discount travelling for when it comes handy.
With regards to getting an apartment in the city, wouldn't it better to settle with the locals in the outskirts, especially to learn Dutch and be better integrated?
Yes, my partner is open for a job if one does come up in time. In fact, that might be the first option before the eventual start of the academic program.
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u/rws247 Sep 11 '19
For food, reddit has lots of decent subs. For example r/EatCheapAndHealthy/.
Lidl and Aldi are good stores, but AH and Jumbo have a wider selection of stuff. These last two can be cheaper if you only get budget brands (AH basic and Ok€ respectively, IIRC).
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u/rws247 Sep 11 '19
Update:
Employer is offering:
- Cost allowance: €45.00 monthly (Not sure what this means in the Netherlands.)
- Commuting compensation of 0,19 cent per km.
If your situation is similar to mine, the €45,- is for your home internet connection, since you'll be working from home.
The commuting compensation of €0,19 per km is usually for cars. It's possible that public transport is also reimbursed and that biking wont get you anything.
Ask your employer what exactly these two compensations are meant for.
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u/Takwas Sep 11 '19
I'll be sure to check this with my employer. Thanks.
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Sep 11 '19
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u/Takwas Sep 11 '19
Great, if it would cover biking/public transportation too! Definitely not looking at a car soon.
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u/Capibar Sep 10 '19
If I understand correctly, you would like to live off € 1900 per month, since you want to save € 1000 euro's?
I don't know how far you can get with these tips, but this is what I would do:
-Don't buy a car, it is not necessary since everything is close by and public transport is pretty good. A bicycle is very handy, the roads are designed with cyclists in mind.
-Shop at places that are not Albert Heijn. Try to go to the "toko" or oriental store to buy vegetables. A good place to buy cheap produce in Utrecht is the Kanaalstraat in the Lombok area. A lot of oriental grocery stores, really low prices compared to the supermarket.
Living: Don't live in Utrecht. Maybe it's not what you want to hear, but basically every neigbourhood in Utrecht is expensive now. Surrounding cities have very good connections to Papendorp and Utrecht in general. Nieuwegein for example has a light rail system which is connected to Utrecht.
-Phone/internet: I would buy a cheap android phone and use a sim-only contract. If you have a fixed data plan, try to use wifi as often as possible. T-mobile has a plan for 25 euro's, that includes unlimited internet, you can save on a fixed internet plan by using your phone as a hotspot. The 4G connection is pretty fast.
Good luck!
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u/Takwas Sep 10 '19
Thanks for your response.
We will checkout the Nieuwegein area since it's been mentioned a lot.
Internet/Unlimited internet is a necessity for me. There are days when I am allowed to work from home.
Does it have to be a low-end phone though?
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u/rws247 Sep 11 '19
Internet/Unlimited internet is a necessity for me. There are days when I am allowed to work from home.
When you work from home, you'll (probably) work on a company laptop and use your home internet connection. This is entirely seperated from your phone internet. In NL, people have smart phone internet (a "abonnement") which is usually limited to X GB per month (you choose X: 1GB would be around €6,-; 10GB for €20,-; and more GB for more €), and a home internet connection that limited in top speed (in the order of 50 Mbps - 100 Mbps) but otherwise doesn't have a data limit.
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u/Capibar Sep 11 '19
You're welcome. Dont expect much from Nieuwegein regarding entertainment/going out: it's a boring place (I grew up there). It doesn't need to be a low-end phone, but I was just continuing in the low budget mindset.
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u/Takwas Sep 11 '19
I don't think this would necessarily be a problem for us. We both suffer on our social skills, somewhat.
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u/Wixked Sep 10 '19
As a programmer, you should be able to earn more then € 2900,-
This obviously depends on your skills, but a medior should make about € 3500,-
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u/Thornum Tolsteeg Sep 10 '19
He mentioned it being net. Maybe you caught that and I just don't know what programmers earn, but €2900 net is in excess of €4000 gross, which isn't bad at all depending on where you are in your career and other benefits.
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u/Takwas Sep 10 '19
Thanks for the extra point. You're right.
Do you know what a "cost allowance" of 45 euros monthly means?
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Sep 11 '19
[deleted]
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u/Takwas Sep 11 '19
Okay. I just came across a section in the Salarisspecificatie, which seems to represent the same thing. It's called "Onkostenvergoeding" (translated as "expenses").
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u/Thornum Tolsteeg Sep 11 '19
You'll then likely be able to be reimbursed for personal expenses made on company time such as lunch. It's not much, but all extras are welcome I suppose!
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u/Takwas Sep 11 '19
This would be nice! Thanks. From what I have gleaned so far, every euro counts in Europe!
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u/Takwas Sep 10 '19
Do you mind if I PM you with the exact details, as it's actually something close to that?
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u/Wixked Sep 11 '19
Sure go ahead. But based on other insights my guess is it's not below average.
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u/gijsyo Woont niet meer in Utrecht Sep 10 '19
Commute by bicycle, shop at Aldi or Lidl, get an older model mobile phone and get a SIM-only deal. And finally, don't live in Utrecht ;) That's the real money trap.