"This course is really for everyone"

Taeke attended the Coping with Money course at amaryllis this spring. A free course for anyone who wants more overview of their money. From handy saving tips to creating an annual plan.

All kinds of people take part in the course. "Some just moved out on their own and wanted to know what all that involved in terms of money, others were entrepreneurs and wanted to know where all her money went. This course is really for everyone," says Taeke. "I myself was under administration. From Tina, a social worker at Amaryllis, I heard about this course. All help was welcome, so I decided to join."

Taeke enjoys working in a group. "It is good to see that you are not the only one who wants more overview of his income and expenses. It makes it easier to talk about it and seek help sooner." During the course, participants are all given tips. For example, which supermarket you can shop at the cheapest and how to make an overview of income and expenses.

"In this course, we don't just send information, but we also learn a lot from each other," Tina explains. For instance, there was someone in the group who gave tips on maintaining appliances in the house, such as the washing machine. That way it lasts longer and so you have fewer costs. Taeke came up with the tip of using an app on the phone to keep track of all income and expenses. "There was a lesson on the cash book. In that, you keep track of your income and expenses on paper," Taeke adds. "I used an app for that. Very handy, because it lets you enter a receipt as soon as you have bought something. That way you can see very clearly how much you still have to spend that month. There are many apps with free versions. Always check carefully what the terms and conditions are." Taeke even gave a presentation on this to the group.

"There is an image among some people that you have to be in debt to join this course," says Tina. "That's not the case. It is for everyone. In fact, it also works very well as a preventive measure. Say you can only just make ends meet every month, then it can be very useful to have a bit more to spend with a few handy tips. Or do you want more insight into where your money goes and what you can save on? Then this course is for you too. Everyone will benefit from tips on cheap groceries."

"If it wasn't for this course, I would still be going to the expensive supermarket and wouldn't have my annual budget complete," says Taeke. "For example, this year I didn't see the municipal tax bill coming. Those were always waived in previous years. Now it's on my annual budget and it won't happen to me again that I forget. That gives peace of mind."

Taeke also has a tip for people in the same situation as he was in. "Talk to someone about your debts. Step to Amaryllis, for example. Don't try to get out of it yourself, because you won't succeed. Do you need to call a bailiff? Then ask an acquaintance or someone who knows about it to call. They can look at it more neutrally. You yourself are often too emotional."