“When I have money, I think: Yes, spend it, right now”

How do you deal with work and money for now and in the future? Do you live from day to day or are you deliberately planning your financial future? In this Week van het Geld (Week of the Money, ed.) we talk to some young people. Today we give the floor to Maud (13) who is already earning some money doing small jobs and who is an expert in spending it.

Maud van Zandwijk (13)

Income: 72 euro per month

Savings: 180 euro

Do you get an allowance?

“Yes, I get 22 euro in pocket money and an allowance of 50 euro for clothing. I can also earn some money at home performing household chores. Doing the dishes earns me 1 euro and I receive 1.50 euro taking care of the laundry. That motivates me sometimes.”

Do you have any other sources of income?

“I take on some small jobs. I ‘work’ in the cafeteria at school from time to time. My payment consists of a free sandwich which saves me a lot of money. My parents said: If you deposit the money you save on those sandwiches on a separate account, it's almost as if you really get paid. That was a good idea. I also play walk-on parts at times. That earns me about 30 to 40 euro for each part.”

Is it enough all together?

“It should be. But because it feels as if I have loads of money, I also spend it quite easily. I now literally have 73 cents in my account. Halfway through the month I thought: Hey, I have some money left. So I went to the city center and that's where things went wrong.”

What do you spend your money on?

“Mainly food and drinks. We have nice things to eat at home as well, but McDonald’s is something we don't normally have. It's possible to have meals delivered by certain food delivery services, but then the fries are usually cold. It just feels nice not having to ask for permission and are able to buy whatever I feel like. I also bought a pair of shorts for 10 euro because the weather forecast was sunny. And then I saw a cardigan a friend of mine has and I also wanted to buy it: 20 euro. And all of a sudden I ran out of money. My parents don't tell me what to do with my money, it truly is mine. But once it's gone, it's gone. I have to suffer the consequences and they usually don't help me out.”

Do you roughly get the same as your friends, or more or less?

“I get quite a lot compared to them. Most of my friends don't receive an allowance for clothing.”

Do you save?

“Yes, that was a precondition for my parents to give me my own bank card. The agreement I made with them is to set aside 10 percent of everything I earn on a separate account. I call it my ‘don't touch’ account. I am used to it now, so I don't miss that 10 percent. So, I save quite a lot unwittingly, it feels like free money. That ‘don't touch’ account now has a balance of 160 euro. My parents also have money saved for me in the late future, but I have no idea how much that is.”

Do you save money for anything specific?

“I have another pot holding 20 euro, intended for America. We go to America at the end of the summer holidays and I want to have some money by then to buy Starbucks mugs. I collect those mugs and every city has its own version. Then I will have something special.”

Do you handle your money responsibly?

“No. I have usually spent my pocket money and clothing allowance in three days’ time. When I have money, I think: Yes, spend it, right now. I keep on making the same mistake and I don't learn from it.”

What do you want to be when you are older?

“I always wanted to become an editor, but I never do it anymore so I don't think that's what I still want. Maybe I can do some more walk-on parts or anything social or in the hospitality industry or something like that. I did some voluntary work in a cinema once with my mother and I truly enjoyed doing that.”

Do you care about the amount of money you will be earning later on?

“Yes, it's important to earn a good salary because I don't want to end up being homeless. It would be nice if I can make ends meet.”

Is money important to you?

“It usually is. You need money to buy things or if you have to pay someone back. It's rather miserable if you are unable to pay someone back. I borrow money from friends quite often when I have spent my monthly allowance and they handled their money more wisely. They usually don't mind, as long as I pay them back quickly. And I do.”

Does money bring happiness?

“Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. Money gives you the freedom to buy whatever you like. If you are poor, you cannot do whatever you want and have everything your heart desires. On the other hand, it also doesn't seem great to have everything you want. What should you do with your money in that case? I also heard that people could get very lonely if they have so much money they don't have to work anymore, because their friends still have to work and never have time to meet.”

Do you worry about your financial future?
“Sometimes I do, and then I think: How will I survive if I have to do it all on my own later on? It already happens sometimes that I don't get picked for a walk-on part, and the same may be the case with a real job. If you don't get picked then, you won't be able to pay the rent. My mother already said: You move out once you turn 18. Maybe my parents and I can agree for them to pay my rent if they want to get rid of me that eagerly.”

Your pension is still miles away, what do you know about it?

“That you receive money but no longer have to work, something like that. When I think about pension, I think about old men playing golf wearing those funny hats.”