'Step out of your comfort zone and break that circle'

Judith took the Coping with Money course last year. After three years in debt restructuring, she regained full responsibility for her income and expenses. "I had little overview of my administration. Thanks to this course, I again have an overview of what comes in and what goes out."

The course is for anyone who wants to become better at managing money. "One is someone nearing retirement and wants to know how to make ends meet later with less money," explains Sietske, a social worker at Amaryllis. "The other is in debt and wants more overview of income and expenses. Yet other people just want some handy tips on how to keep more left over or build up a buffer every month, or a student going out on his own and wants to know what all that entails. We also just give handy tips on where to find the order offers and what allowances are available."

"I learned to understand where it went wrong with me. When you are stressed, you can't think as well. As a result, problems only pile up," Judith explains. "I found it hard to remember which bills I had already paid. Some come in the post, others digitally. If you forget them, that's how costs add up. Here I learned to keep an overview."

Sietske: "We always get to know each other first. We ask if people experience stress around money and see if they really want and can change their behaviour. It is very important to have control over temptations. Often in the shop you see all these big signs with offers, but it is far from always that. Such a shop just wants you to buy as much as possible. Be aware of that. We all fall for temptations from time to time, but if you don't have a reserve in the account, it does become difficult."

"It's really nice to do this in a group," explains Judith. "When you are in debt, you feel very alone. During the course, you find out that you are not alone. Lots of people struggle with money matters. You don't have to feel ashamed."

In conclusion, Judith has a clear message: "Do it, give yourself a fair chance. If you keep hiding, you won't break the circle. Step out of your comfort zone."