In a previous article we’ve shared some surprising facts about the Dutch and their savings. The overall conclusion is that we should reconsider our savings behavior, and in this article we focus on some things worth saving for…
The Digitalistas is an online lifestyle magazine, so we believe in enjoying the good things in life. Some of them are free (a sunset, a blooming flower, a smile), but unfortunately most things are not. Yet, we can keep some things within reach, and managing our savings correctly helps us to afford those things that improve our lifestyle.
LeasePlan Bank has initiated a large survey amongst approximately a thousand Dutch people aged 25 to 65, representing various social target groups, to find out more about our savings -and therefore spending- behavior. From these results we have extracted what is relevant for us and our readers:
• 44% of the Dutch save up for travels:
We have always been a nation of travelers and explorers, and we continue in that tradition. Saving for a trip means we want it to be special. Here are some suggestions:
– The world’s most expensive hotel room is the Royal Penthouse Suite at the Hotel President Wilson in Geneva. The 12-bedroom suite includes 12 marble bath rooms, a wrap around terrace with view of Lake Geneva and the Swiss Alps, the use of a private staff -butler, chef, PA-, a Steinway piano, private gym etc. Cost: approx. €63.000 -Source: CNN
– You can finally visit the world’s most overpriced holiday destinations, and surprise, surprise: the most expensive city in the world isn’t even that far away…Oslo, Norway. Source: Huffington Post
– We would all love to fly First Class for once in our lives, and the most expensive airline ticket is from Cathay Pacific. For approx. €23.000 you’ll have your own personal space; your own leather recliner with a LCD touch screen that allows you to control everything from the lights, to the position of your chair. Your recliner turns into a full bed, along with your own pair of PJ’s. You get your own personal TV, as well as a full course, hand prepared meal and wine, for your flight. Source: The Richest.
• 40% of the Dutch households save for the furbishing of their homes. It’s easy to go shop at the Swedish interior giant, but we also want to add some exclusive, designer furniture to that. Would these items be worth saving for?
– A magnetic floating bed for 1,2 million Euros
– The antique Dragons Chair, by Eileen Gray. It dates from 1917 and worth 23 million Euros.
– The Archeo copper bath tub, filling up to 270 liter of water for the mere price of € 50.000
(Source: The Richest)
• Dutch households who have neglected their savings interest could have earned an extra € 200-€ 300 a year! The same amount 20% of us like to spend on fashion items, and an other 20% prefers to splurge on beauty products…Imagine some things you could buy for that amount:
-In the beauty department you can easily spend these hundreds on super revolutionary facial creams and serums; La Prairie, La Mer and Sisley are the biggest players in that price range. Always a better idea to try one of these before running to the botox clinic.
-Fashion wise it’s not even a challenge since a regular designer bag is hard to find under € 300. Think of all these great investment pieces you could buy for that amount: a classy coat, a leather jacket, the perfect Little Black Dress, a pair of Louboutins….
Are the benefits of your savings becoming more clear now we have visualized them for you? Don’t stop dreaming and start by a quick scan of your savings behavior here. Start managing your savings and you are one step closer to ‘lifestyle improvement’.
(Image source: Weheartit)