10 WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR MONTHLY EXPENSES
Lowering recurring costs pays you back every month. These are the places where the money usually sits.
Cutting once helps for a month. Lowering fixed costs helps every month, without you having to think about it again.
How much you save depends entirely on your contracts, your usage and your situation. Treat this as a checklist, not a promise. Have debts too? Read how to save money when you're in debt first for the right order.
1. LAY OUT YOUR ENERGY CONTRACT
Look at your rate per kWh and per cubic metre, your standing charge and your end date. A variable contract running for years is rarely the sharpest.
Also check your monthly instalment: an inflated advance means you are letting the supplier save with your money.
2. REVIEW HEALTH INSURANCE IN THE SWITCHING WINDOW
The Dutch basic package is identical in content, the premium is not. Add-on packages do differ, so start from the care you actually use.
A higher excess lowers the premium, but only makes sense if you could genuinely absorb that amount.
3. CHECK OTHER INSURANCE FOR OVERLAP
Travel cover through your credit card, legal cover through your union, phone cover through your liability policy. Overlap is more common than people expect.
Also check whether the insured amounts still match your current life.
4. LOWER YOUR TELECOM COSTS
Many people pay for a data bundle they never use, or a handset instalment that was paid off long ago.
Base your plan on your real usage over the last three months, not on the bundle you once picked.
5. CLEAN UP YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS
Streaming, apps, cloud, gym, delivery and gaming. Search your banking app for recurring charges and judge them one by one.
Pausing counts too. Many services let you stop temporarily without losing your account.
6. CHANGE HOW YOU DO GROCERIES
Groceries are variable, which is exactly why there is room without cancelling anything.
A weekly menu, one fixed shopping day and own-brand basics usually beat chasing individual discounts.
- Build the list around what you will actually eat that week.
- Do not shop hungry and do not shop without a list.
- Compare price per kilo or litre, not per package.
7. LOOK HARD AT BANK FEES AND PENALTIES
Account packages, extra accounts, overdrafts and credit card interest quietly add up.
An overdraft is one of the most expensive ways to cover a shortfall. If you live in it structurally, that is the first thing to fix.
8. REBUILD YOUR TRANSPORT COSTS
Add fuel, insurance, road tax, maintenance, parking and depreciation together. Only then do you see what transport really costs.
For some people, driving less or downsizing the car is the single largest saving available.
9. TACKLE HOUSEHOLD USAGE
Lower wash temperatures, shorter showers, bled radiators, draught strips and appliances genuinely switched off. Small on their own, noticeable together.
Structural improvements are often your landlord's job. Ask rather than pay for it yourself.
10. AUTOMATE WHATEVER YOU SAVE
A saving that stays in your current account usually disappears into ordinary spending.
Move the saved amount straight to your buffer or a repayment, on the day your income arrives. If saving alone is not enough, see 10 side hustles you can start with €0.
RUN THE NUMBERS
Use Money Reset to see what is left after your costs, and Spending Check to see which category weighs heaviest.
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What you actually save differs per person, contract and household. This is general information, not financial advice.
NEXT STEP
If you have debts, the order matters more than speed. Read how to save while you repay.
HOW TO SAVE MONEY WHEN YOU'RE IN DEBTREAD NEXT
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