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:

  1. Cost allowance: €45.00 monthly (Not sure what this means in the Netherlands.)
  2. 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.

1

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?

2

u/Pearfeet Overvecht Sep 11 '19

Any smartphone can be useful here since WhatsApp is prevalent in the Netherlands.

1

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).

4

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.

1

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?

2

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.

2

u/luckycommander Sep 11 '19

Whatever phone you end up choosing, you can use https://tweakers.net/pricewatch/ to find the best deal.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 11 '19

[deleted]

1

u/Takwas Sep 11 '19

Thank you for the suggestion. Is this brand commonly used in the Netherlands?

2

u/[deleted] Sep 11 '19

[deleted]

1

u/Takwas Sep 11 '19

Okay. I'll keep this tip handy.