How to save money?
Elena Martini — April 3, 2023
Studying abroad and far away from home can be quite a big expense for every family. Lately, we received a lot of questions about scholarships, subsidies or loans from the government.
Do you want to know more about financial helps that you could get during your studies in the Netherlands? Then keep reading this article where you can hopefully find some tips.
Tips: how to save on living
1- Shop in the local market: twice a week, in the Markt square, there is a fruit, vegetables and fish market, where you can find fresh food for a cheaper price than the supermarket
2- Make sure the house you’re renting has a freezer: it can turn out to be very useful in order not to waste food and preserve it for a long time
3- Give glass and plastic back: in all the supermarkets an extra fee will apply on glass and plastic bottles. How to get it back? Just go back to the supermarket with all these bottles and give them back, and you will receive a coupon for your groceries!
4- Too Good To Go: it allows you to buy from shops and restaurant good food that hasn’t been used during the day: a cheap and sustainable way to eat good dishes!
5- Eatly: that delivers fresh fruit and vegetables from local farmers directly to your home: https://eatlymaastricht.nl or their instagram: @eatlymaastricht
6- Tap water: water is clean and drinkable all over The Netherlands. Why wasting money and plastic on bottled one?
7- Buy a 2nd hand bike: many people decide to rent their bike from Swapfiets. However, in the long run it’s cheaper to buy a 2nd hand bike for 60/to euros rather than renting it every month. It’s up to you if you prefer to pay for the Swapfiest service or buy a second hand bike.
8- Reach the airports by FlixBus rather than train: trains in the Netherlands can be quite expensive, therefore if you need to go to the airport or to any town around Europe, you should definitely check out the FlixBus website where you can always find convenient offers and end up saving about half the money!
9- Vintage Shops & Markets: Take advantage of the several
10- Prep your meals: whenever you know you will spend a full day at university or at the library, there is no need to buy lunch at the mensa or cafeteria if you take it from home. The university facilities are all equipped with microwaves in order to heat up your meals!
11- Join UM Sports: it is the university gym, which offers classes and trainings for multiple sports, as well as a proper gym at a very convenient price for all students.
12- 2nd hand books and digital books: try to contact older students and buy 2nd hand books from them rather than paying the full price for it. Moreover, the professors will most of the times provide you with a pdf version of the book you need for that course, so that you don’t necessarily need to purchase it.
Tips: how to save on housing
Here are a few tips we have come up for housing:
1- Bills included: many times, you will save a lot of money if gas, water and electricity are already included in the price of the rent. And if this is not the case, this could be quite a big hidden extra cost.
2- Wi-fi included: not only it’s pricey to buy your own wi-fi contract in the Netherlands, but it’s also quite a long procedure to make one. Our advice? Make sure your landlord includes the wi-fi in the rent of your room.
3- Check at the Belgium border: houses that are closer to the border with Begium (10–15 min by bike from the center) are usually much cheaper than an average room in the center of the city. However, be aware that if you do happen to get housing in Belgium, you will not be eligible for the Dutch National Security Number (BSN), and this could be an issue if you need to get a Dutch health insurance or other.
4- Subrenting is allowed: if your contract allows you to temporarily subrent your room, you can be sure that if you suddenly need to leave your house for a few months (exchange/internship…), you will not waste the money of the rent.
5- Buy/Re-sell your furniture on FB Marketplace: it’s plenty of students who need to get rid of their furniture or home supplies before leaving Maastricht forever, as well as many incoming students looking for cheap furniture, this is always a win-win for both.
Maastricht University Scholarships
On the university website you can find a page entirely dedicated to scholarships and financial helps from the university. However, these only apply for some categories of students. Here are a few that could be relevant for SBE students.
1- Maastricht University Holland-High Potential Scholarship:
The Maastricht University (UM) Holland-High Potential Scholarship program offers 24 full scholarships every year for highly talented students from outside the European Union (EU) who have been admitted to a master’s program at UM.
2- UM Brightland talents scholarship: For non-EU master students.
3- UM Academic Achievement Scholarship: non-EU and Swiss students enrolled for a master at Maastricht University.
4- UM Global Studies Scholarship: for non-EU students from the global south enrolled for a bachelor at Maastricht University.
5- UM EU region refugee scholarship: Refugee living in EU region with residence permit in Belgium or Germany.
For any further information about UM’s scholarships, see this link: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/support/your-studies-begin/coming-maastricht-university-abroad/scholarships
Housing subsidy
If you are renting your home, you can be eligible for the “huurtoeslag” (housing benefit). Huurtoeslag is a contribution towards the payment of your rent. The amount of the benefit you could receive depends on the amount of rent or your income.
In order to be eligible for this benefit you need to meet certain conditions:
1- You’re at least 18 y/o
2- Your rent per month doesn’t need to exceed a certain amount (which changes every year but you can find this year’s on the government website)
3- Your income musts be below a certain level
To check if you’re eligible for this subsidy you can click on the link here below from the government: https://www.government.nl/topics/housing/rented-housing/applying-for-housing-benefit
Health Insurance Subsidy
If you have a job contract in the Netherlands, it is mandatory for you to have a Dutch health insurance. However, through the government you can get your health insurance refunded, as long as you have a job contract in The Netherlands. See the link below: https://www.belastingdienst.nl/wps/wcm/connect/bldcontenten/belastingdienst/individuals/benefits/how_do_benefits_work/i_want_to_apply_for_a_benefit/i_want_to_apply_for_a_benefit
