Aiaiai: 1 in 3 people experiences a financial setback after the holiday

If you're reading this, I'm making the final preparations for my vacation. Just a quick pedicure with a fresh coat of polish, stocking up on Lancaster bottles, and hanging the last load of laundry in the hope that it will be dry within an hour. We've saved up, so we can go all out. You'd think, right? But 1 in 3 Dutch people faces a financial setback upon returning home.

I had that last year too. On the first day after my vacation I had a wheel clamp. And having a wheel clamp removed in Amsterdam is no small feat for your wallet, let me tell you. But for most vacationers, things go wrong during the vacation. For instance, a quarter of vacations have turned out to be more expensive than planned, according to research by ING. The reason? People tend to spend money more easily on vacation, which we understand. But there's also some tight budgeting and underestimating of costs. Your vacation is a bit of a reward for hard work, and putting yourself on rations just isn't in our nature. Come on, let's have another glass of white wine for 25 euros in a rooftop lounge (true story, my god).

A little pot for this in the left hemisphere, a little pot for that in the right, but if those two don't communicate, then finances become a mess. And the same research from the orange bank also shows that the most enjoyable things on vacation were almost free. A nice bike ride, pleasant walks, or lounging on the beach and swimming. Keep that in mind before you book that breathtakingly expensive excursion.

It might feel a bit like homework, but it's actually smarter to write down what you spend. Black on white is confronting, because was that knotted bracelet of 50 euros really necessary? But it is much clearer. And when you get home, you can still have a proper dinner in the evening instead of soup with crackers, which is also quite nice.

P.S..: If you're going over your budget anyway, make sure that you spend it on doing something fun and not on souvenirs.

P.P.S.: And these are the two things you want to spend money on when you're home, because that makes you happier.