As beloved as the Dutch are, it won’t surprise anyone that they have a reputation for being stingy.
We’ve all received a Tikkie for 80 cents at some point; after all, the expression “going Dutch” had to come from somewhere.
Offering to carpool to work and then sending you a bill, not only for fuel (fair) but also asking you to chip in on yearly maintenance costs — say what!?
We know some generous Dutchies are out there, but we’re sure you know at least a few of the below types too. 😉
Here are 14 of the stingiest things that Dutch people do!
1. Send a Tikkie for minuscule amounts of money
Ever heard of a little thing called Tikkie? Of course you have; this is the Netherlands, and we’re sure you’ve received one for a tiny amount.
@dutchreview Sending a Tikkie after a date, yay or nay? 🤔 #dutchreview #fyp #capcut #netherlands #lifeinthenetherlands #expatlife #MemeCut #voorjou ♬ original sound – DutchReview
Dutch Tikkie-ing is an extreme sport. This whole article could be about absurd Tikkie tales. There are that many. But that’s for another day.
READ MORE | Dutch Quirk #7: Send a Tikkie for virtually nothing
Ever been to someone’s house for dinner, and had them slap you with a Tikkie the next day? That’s how you know you’re in the Netherlands! Going Dutch, eh? 😉
2. Be masters of DIY
You know what they say: “Any accountant can be an electrician or a plumber!” What, you’ve never heard that before? Well, they say it in the Netherlands.
Need to lay some laminate flooring? Does your house need to be rewired? Decided you want a new bathroom? That’s a DIY job.
Every Dutchie has these skills in their arsenal because the other option is *GASP* to pay someone qualified to do it!
This practical side of the Dutch gets them through mind-blowing home renovations on the cheap.
3. Own a flessenlikker (a what?!) and a kaasschaaf
That thing that looks a bit like a spatula, what did you say it was again?
Oh yes, that’s a flessenlicker — a uniquely Dutch tool loved by many across the lowlands, used to scrape the hell out of empty bottles and jars.
If you’re anything like us, you’ve never heard of a flessenlicker. But our extensive research found that the humble tool is a fan favourite in Dutch kitchens.
2. The "flessenlikker" or bottle scraper. This little kitchen tool helps you get every last bit of yoghurt out of the furthest corners of your tetrapak. Dutch people love "getting the dregs out of the jug". We like value for money, we do. #Top5DutchThings pic.twitter.com/keY9dqBfvU
— Judith Kingston (@JudithKingston) May 17, 2020
You might wonder why Dutchies would invest time and energy in scraping an empty ketchup bottle — and you wouldn’t be alone. We’ve decided the only conclusion is that they get a thrill out of it. Scraper Olympics, anyone? 🥇
Another Dutch kitchen staple is the classical Norwegian kaasschaaf (cheese slicer).
How else would you get the thinnest, finest slices off and save your cheese for as long as possible? Thick slices are for the wasteful!
4. Remove the lightbulbs and laminate flooring before moving houses
We can’t understand why so many Dutch people use laminate flooring when they move houses. It sounds exhausting, unnecessary, and frankly, a little rude.
READ MORE | Dutch swear words: the guide to insults and cursing in the Netherlands
Also, what are the chances of finding a new house that will exactly fit your old laminate flooring? Is that a criterion when people are house-hunting?
And don’t even get us started on lightbulbs.
While Dutchies save their precious euros by unscrewing each half-used lightbulb, the new residents will probably spend their first night huddled around the light of a smartphone. Welcome home!
5. Plan a surprise or romantic getaway for their significant other, and expect them to pay half
Let’s just throw the social rule book out the window; why don’t we?
While the Dutch are super pragmatic, romantic getaways are much less dreamy when you know you’ll be receiving half the bill for it in a few days.
READ MORE | Lover’s paradise? Amsterdam ranks 5th in the best cities for dating in the world
And that’s not even the worst of it. One of our readers told us about when her boyfriend bought her a gift… and then sent her a Tikkie for it later.
6. Eat bread with minimal condiments for breakfast and lunch every single day
We always thought the Dutch breakfast and lunch menu consisted solely of bread with hagelslag and cheese, respectively, due to a lack of taste.
@dutchreview Its nutrition, look it up. #Dutchlunch #Lifeinthenetherlands #Netherlands #livinginthenetherlands #dutchculture #expatsinthenetherlands #dutchexpats #Meme #MemeCut ♬ original sound – 𝑲𝒓𝒊𝒌𝒖𝒕
Turns out, it’s a sneaky way to save money!
Why spend €7 on lunch for a day, when you could spend that much and have breakfast and lunch for a week? Smart with money, or downright stingy?
7. Refuse to spend money on public transport or taxis
It could be four in the morning, there could be a blizzard, they could be wearing a ball gown, or their wife could be giving birth.
None of this matters to Dutchies, who believe their biking skills are far superior to any weather phenomenon or health event. They’re biking, or they’re not going anywhere.
While we’ve gotta admire their determination, there’s no denying that it’s usually far more comfortable to spend €10 on a taxi, or even take public transport.
But the Dutch would rather cycle five kilometres through a thunderstorm in a figure-hugging floor-length dress and heels. As they say, “Je bent niet van suiker!” (“You’re not made of sugar!”).
8. Retrieve half-eaten food and bottles of wine after dinner parties
Have you ever had someone over for dinner and asked them to bring an ingredient? A cucumber, for example? It might shock you that they’ve left and taken that half-eaten cucumber with them.
Goodbye to your hopes of making tzatziki the next day.
While this would be considered blasphemy in other places, it isn’t unusual in the Netherlands. Perhaps the Dutch standard of living is so high because of all that money they’ve saved by retrieving half-eaten leftovers after dinner parties.
Act broke to stay rich, right?
9. Prepare a single piece of meat per guest
Ever been to a friend’s house for dinner but gone home feeling kinda hungry? Yeah, it’s a Dutch thing. Dutchies are notorious for cooking for the exact number of people they’re expecting, and only preparing a piece of meat each.
Even though refrigerators were invented a century ago, there’s no place for leftovers (or people with a bigger appetite) in this society, because the broodje kaas is king.
@dutchreview Okay, we can take a hint. #fyp #dutchreview #expat #dutch #nl #dinner ♬ original sound – DutchReview
So, if you’re attending a Dutch dinner party, you might want to swing by the Albert Heijn to go on your way home.
10. Not provide food at weddings
We all know the best part of a wedding isn’t the ceremony — it’s the food. 😋
But consider yourself warned: read it carefully if you receive an invite to a Dutch wedding. Guests are often only invited to the ceremony, not the reception.
Of course, some people do go all out, but in general, the unions of Dutchies aren’t the big white wonderlands that you have in other countries.
Wednesday morning, 8 AM at the courtroom is more their style. You can’t have a fancy party that early in the morning.
READ MORE | Here are some odd Dutch wedding traditions when getting married in the Netherlands
So you see, there’s a method to their madness — or maybe it’s just a ruse to save some cash?
11. Take food to places that have catering
Going to the zoo can be a bit pricey, so why would you pay €5 for a snack at the on-site cafe when you could bring your own perfectly good broodje kaas (cheese sandwich) in a zip-lock bag from home?
Even when they travel, they’re known to pack their own food!
READ MORE | Dutch Quirk #66: Go camping in France for the holidays
Dutch people camping in France, for instance, might seem like it would be great for French restaurants.
Wrong. See, it could be, but Dutchies are notorious for bringing all their food with them from home — pindakaas, jam, and macaroni.
With all the culinary wonders France prides itself on, we must ask ourselves, “waarom?” (Why?).
12. Pick a travel destination based on a €3 price difference in the flight tickets
Athens would’ve been so nice, and you’ve always wanted to go there, but Kraków is €3 cheaper. What an obvious choice! After all, are you even Dutch if you aren’t financially prudent?
P.S. Hey Dutchies, your flight departs at 6 AM from Eindhoven — have fun leaving home at one in the morning.
13. Expect people to provide their own birthday cake
It’s your birthday, gefeliciteerd! 🎉
But we’re in the Netherlands now, so there’ll be no fanfare. Don’t forget to bring your birthday cake — yes, that’s right, it’s the only cake anyone will get.
Your friends and colleagues will be expecting it (because they’ve got your special day written down in their birthday calendar in the toilet). But remember, everyone only gets one piece each.
READ MORE | 9 Dutch birthday traditions that’ll confuse the heck out of internationals
While we’re on the topic, you can be certain no one will buy you a convertible for your birthday, but maybe your friends will chip in and buy you something super useful, like a new pedal bin for your kitchen.
14. Buy random things (in bulk) from the supermarket, because they’re on sale
We are convinced that many Dutch pantry staples make it onto the grocery list, not because Dutchies like them, but because they’re always in the ‘bonus’ (or, in non-Dutch, on sale) at Albert Heijn.
@dutchreview Never get between Dutchies and their supermarket deals. #dutchreview #international #expatsinthenetherlands #thenetherlands #supermarket ♬ original sound – DutchReview
Why else would people eat so many dubious-looking kipschnitzels (chicken schnitzels)? We can’t even prove that there’s actual chicken in there.
READ MORE | What your favourite Dutch supermarket says about you
Dutchies will stop at nothing to get a discount and maximise that saving. Even if it means changing their whole diet in the process.
While most aren’t that extreme, after hearing that their local supermarket was selling three crates of beer for €25, these Dutchies brought a tractor and loaded up on €6,000 worth of beer.
Now, do you believe us?
If, in reading this, you had a shiver-inducing flashback to a time when you encountered a stingy Dutch person, try not to take it personally. Their parents and grandparents were like that, and their kids probably will be too.
It’s just the Dutch way!
What’s the stingiest thing you’ve ever seen a Dutchie do? Tell us in the comments below!