DUTCH MINIMALISM | 10 Frugal Habits for a Simpler Life

So I came across this thing online recently called Dutch minimalism. And as someone who is Dutch, and also a minimalist, this made me wonder, is Dutch minimalism really a thing? And if so, how and why? And after thinking about it, there are some things that we do here, both intentionally and accidentally, that make it so that perhaps Dutch people are more minimalist than some other places in the world. We have our own ways of thinking about things like tidiness and clutter, how much stuff we really need, how to deal with money, and what makes a home nice to live in. And the Netherlands is also a country that naturally encourages owning a little bit less, in a few different ways. So for this video, I thought it'd be fun to explore Dutch minimalism, and perhaps also how you can practice some of these things in your own life too. So as always, feel free to join me, grab yourself something nice to drink, and let's talk about it. So I do want to say that I will be generalizing a little bit in this video. Because of course no two Dutch people are the same, there will still be differences. So I am basing this on both my own personal experiences, having lived here all my life, and a little bit of research of course as well. But keep that in mind. All right, the first habit that I want to talk about is the Dutch concept of making sure your home is netjes and opgeruimd versus rommelig. Netjes means neat or orderly, and opgeruimd means tidy. So Dutch people really don't live in the typical minimalist aesthetic homes that you see with the white walls and nothing on the surfaces. That's really not our jam. But Dutch people still value tidiness. So we might have some things out, but it'll still be at least somewhat tidy and organized and intentional. As opposed to rommelig, which means messy or cluttered. And that is something that most people here don't like. And I think there's a big difference between a home that is not necessarily minimalist, that still has lots of stuff out, maybe lots of furniture pieces, decor items, but still keeps it mostly tidy and organized, versus a home that just has a lot of stuff and is also really messy. And I think the key thing here is that we Dutchies like our stuff to have a home. Like we are intentional and a place where our things belong. And we also put them back there. For example, let's take a Dutch coffee table. So in most homes here, I don't think that the coffee table will be minimalist and empty. Because we don't think that that is very gezellig. In this case gezellig meaning cozy and inviting and warm. So we have some things on there, maybe a little plant, or a little vase with some flowers, or maybe a little tea organizer with a few tea bags in there, some coasters, candle holder. But those things will have been put there with intention. So someone kind of decorated the table with intention, and they are there for a reason. We don't just dump stuff on there, because that is messy or rommelig. In my home we also have a coffee table, there are some coasters on it, there's a little candle holder in the shape of a lotus, and oftentimes our remote controls will also be on there. But that's it. We don't put anything else on there, because that's not where that stuff belongs. That has another place somewhere else in our home. So one way that we keep our home somewhat tidy and organized, is by making sure that everything has a place. And even if it is a cupboard or a drawer, it might not be like the most pinterest worthy organization that you might see online. But at least there will be a thought behind it. Things will have been put there with intention, and that is where they go, that is where people put them back after using. So if you'd like to create this in your own home too, then I think a really good place to start would be to make sure that all your items have a home, a place where they belong, that makes sense. And be intentional with it, even if you have more things than the typical minimalist would have. So here I do want to challenge some of the myths about Dutch minimalism. The first is that Dutch people are not living in pristine white minimalist homes, and minimalism really isn't a mainstream identity here. I would say that many Dutch homes have still quite a lot of things, and some of them will be cluttered. Two, Dutch people still like to buy things. We have Ikea, we have Bol, we have Amazon, we have Action, we have fast fashion, and plenty of consumer culture. However, because of the things on this list, I do think that we might be more minimalist overall than some other places in the world. So let's move on to habit number two. Which is the concept of genoeg, which means living with enough. This one is a little bit harder to explain, but I think that influences many parts of Dutch life and culture. This idea of having genoeg. Of course everyone wants to live comfortably and have enough money to pay the bills, but I think Dutch culture puts less emphasis on always wanting more. And Dutch people really don't think that more always equals better. More money, a bigger house, a higher position, a better car. Instead, we sometimes just think that once you have enough, you stop. You enjoy it. For example, if someone is a freelancer and they already have enough work to earn a comfortable living, then people here would not immediately think like okay now I need to double my income. They might actually start turning down more assignments because they already have enough work, they already have enough income. And then use that time for things like family, hobbies, travel, or just enjoying life. And from a young age, we kind of get taught to just be happy with having enough. And once you have enough, there comes a point where more doesn't make life better. That doesn't mean that Dutch people aren't ambitious, of course many people are. But once we have our needs met, we don't automatically set our sights to a higher goal, or more money, or more expensive stuff. We kind of stop chasing. And we have this mindset with our possessions as well. A perfectly good dining table can stay in the family for many years. A bike is something that you ride until it actually needs replacing. And if you have a phone that is a little bit old but still works, many people will just keep using it because it's good enough. So if this idea speaks to you, then perhaps a good question could be like, do I really want more of this? Or do I perhaps already have enough? And what can I then focus on instead? Instead of always, you know, trying to get more and more. Number three is gezellig versus minimalist homes. This is how the Dutch blend tidiness with coziness. Because Dutch minimalism is not the same as aesthetic minimalism. If there's one thing that Dutch people love is gezelligheid. And we need our home to be gezellig too. This means cozy, warm, soft, inviting, creating a home that feels homey. That's why Dutch homes will have candles, blankets, cushions, plants, flowers, picture frames. We want our home to feel lived in. So when I first got into minimalism, I tried clearing all the surfaces because I wanted to have that clutter-free aesthetic. And I quickly found that it wasn't me. And it didn't vibe well with the culture that I grew up with. So I started putting some things back out on the surfaces. And for me, that feels much more homey. It feels much more gezellig. We don't see decorations as clutter. We use them intentionally to create a homey atmosphere. However, I think again here that many Dutch people will be very intentional with it. We will actually like style things and decorate it with care and thought. And we won't just have things out collecting dust, usually. And we like to blend this coziness with functionality, which is where number four comes in. Smaller homes and making the most of your space. Dutch homes tend to be on the smaller side, especially when compared to the average American home. So because of this, we don't tend to treat our home as storage space. For example, in North America it's more common to have things like an attic full of storage, or maybe a basement, or a two-car garage, or maybe a shed, maybe a spare room, maybe a guest room. And while Dutch homes have some of these things sometimes, we typically don't have that luxury. Dutch real estate comes at a premium. And we say elke vierkante meter is duur, which means every square meter is expensive. And when real estate is that costly, you become much more aware of the fact that your stuff is taking up valuable real estate. And of course, this changes how we deal with stuff. Because if you have a lot of storage space, maybe you think like I'll just store this somewhere, maybe I'll need it one day. Or maybe you're at the store, you see a cool appliance, you might think like I'll get it and then I'll figure out where to put it later. But because our space is more limited, we ask questions like where am I going to store this, where am I going to keep this, am I really going to use it, and is this worth taking up valuable space. And I think this is something that most Dutch people do without really thinking about it. We're just used to thinking this way. And this can also really help prevent impulse purchases. There are some things that I've considered purchasing recently, like a stand mixer or a Dutch poffertjes iron, because poffertjes are super super delicious. But I haven't bought them because I really don't have the space to store them anymore. This also applies to gardens. Many people here either don't have a garden, or maybe only a balcony. Other people might have a garden, but it is typically smaller. So that also means less maintenance, fewer tools. And we're also used to making the most of our space, like utilizing small opportunities for extra storage, or also having one room be multifunctional. And even if you do have a bigger home, this is something that you could practice with if this idea speaks to you. To kind of like do a little thought experiment when you're decluttering. Like is this something that I would bring with me if I was to move to a much smaller place? Because that is a good idea to kind of see how much value something has for you. Number five is the practical do maar normaal culture. This actually explains a lot about Dutch culture. The idea of do maar normaal, dan doe je al gek genoeg. This literally means just be normal, that's crazy enough. But it really means like don't make too much of a big deal out of yourself. I would say Dutch people overall are very down-to-earth, and we don't think that one person is better than the other, perhaps simply because they have more money. It's not like we don't like nice things, but we don't like to show success through expensive items or fancy items. We're not that easily impressed by these things. For example, wearing an expensive watch or driving a flashy car will probably not get you the reaction that you might expect here. Instead of people thinking like oh wow this person must be so successful, people will probably think like why would you spend that much money on that? Like that's dumb. They might say a cheap watch will tell you the time just as well, or a normal car will get you from point A to point B just as well. So when it comes to minimalism and consumerism, I think one of the bigger drivers of overconsumption might be status. Like buying things because they say something about you. But in Dutch culture, success isn't necessarily about looking wealthy, it is more about having good work-life balance, or being independent, or having a nice cozy home, or simply just enjoying your life. And this also relates back to the concept of genoeg, having enough. A practical purchase is often more valued here than an expensive or impressive purchase. And if this speaks to you, then one thing that you practice with, even if you're not Dutch, is just asking yourself why you want certain things. And if that is truly because you think that it's going to make your life better, it's going to add value for you, or if it's more so to project a certain image about yourself. The next habit is about the Dutch relationship with money, and especially credit and debt. So definitely not all Dutch people are debt free, but overall debt and credit are less normalized, especially for everyday purchases. So even though many people here do have a credit card, we don't really have the credit card culture that some other places have. We might use our credit card for example when staying at a hotel in a different country, or when ordering something online from a different country. But typically for our purchases we use a debit card, which is directly linked to our bank account. So when we buy something, that money will be immediately gone. And this creates a slightly different relationship with spending, because we do think in advance, like is this something that I can afford right now, or is this something that I might have to save up for first and then buy when I have the money, instead of purchasing it now on credit and then paying it later. It's not that Dutch people don't enjoy buying things, we do. But the spending money part of buying something is not our favorite part about it. We kind of see that as like the necessary evil to get what we want. So we would rather save the money if we can. So we will not immediately go for the more expensive option. We will try to see first if there is a cheaper way to get what we want, which is where number seven comes in. Borrowing, sharing and repairing. This one is also quite subtle, but it is something that I think many people here do consider. And it is ingrained in our culture, the idea that you don't always have to own everything yourself. And I think this might be changing a little bit. I think that people used to be even more willing to borrow and share stuff. And especially with younger people nowadays, they might be more inclined to just buy the thing themselves. But it is also definitely something that we still consider. Like do I really need to buy this, or is there another way? For example, it's quite common to borrow things from a family member. Like a ladder, or a power tool, or party tables, if you're throwing a party. Or some kind of equipment that you only need once. And this makes sense when homes are smaller, and storage space is limited. That not everyone needs to own all the things. That it sometimes just makes more sense to borrow and share. And this also goes for transportation. So not everyone has their own bike, or car, or scooter. We can rent these things, especially in the cities. There are shared cars, shared scooters. You can rent a bike for the day, just for when you need them. Or if you go to work, you can take the train to the nearby train station and rent a OV-fiets, a bike from there, to ride your way to work. And also there's a culture of trying to repair things if you can. Not necessarily, I think, because Dutch people are trying to be super sustainable. But more so because of the idea that throwing something away, if it is still fixable, is zonde, a waste. And there's also a strong second-hand culture here. Many people feel that when you buy something, it doesn't necessarily need to be new. Platforms like Marktplaats, which is like facebook marketplace, or thrift stores, or flea markets, or king's day flea markets. These are all very popular ways to buy and sell second-hand things. Number eight is frequent shopping instead of bulk shopping. In the Netherlands, it is really common to go to the grocery store several times a week, or even on most days. And this is a good example of how the environment that you live in can kind of naturally encourage a simpler lifestyle. Because we have smaller kitchens, we also have smaller refrigerators, and less storage space for pantry items. So we don't really store food for weeks or months. And because the supermarkets are close by, usually within walking distance, or at least biking distance, we tend to just buy what we need for the next few days. And this has some interesting effects. Like we don't really have that much food that we store for months and months, and then kind of forget about, that can go bad. And this makes it easier for us to see what we still have, and use up those pantry items instead of continually buying duplicate things. And I think this is another example of like accidental minimalism. Because Dutch people are definitely not immune to consumerism, but because our homes are smaller, we have less storage, we have smaller kitchens, this just naturally encourages having a little bit less food in your house. If you live somewhere where bulk shopping is just better for one reason or another, then something that you could still practice with is doing a use it up challenge every once in a while. Where you try to use up the things that you still have in your fridge, in your freezer, in your pantry, so that you can kind of start with a clean slate. Number nine is the role of city planning and infrastructure. One thing that I don't think we really talk about often, is how much infrastructure can shape consumerism. For example, I don't live in the US obviously, but I can imagine someone living there, maybe in a more remote area, genuinely needing two cars, a garage, lawn equipment, bulk Costco purchases, and generally just having the equipment that you need stored in your own home. Whereas someone living in Utrecht or The Hague or Rotterdam might really not need all of these things. And this is another example of how Dutch people probably don't really identify as minimalist, but just that the baseline amount of stuff needed for daily life is a little bit less. For example, cycling is so common here, and we use it for so many things that many people might have a car, but not use it for our daily things. Because we can oftentimes bike to work, or school, or the train station, or the supermarket. And this is the biggest reason that we still don't own a car ourselves. Because we can go everywhere we want to go, using a combination of walking, cycling if we need to, I currently don't own a bike, or public transportation. And while that can be sometimes a little bit more inconvenient, it still is so much better for us when compared to the cost, and the stress, and the hassle of owning and buying a car, and maintenance, and parking, and gas, and all of that stuff. And this also goes for city planning. Dutch cities are quite compact and dense, and there is no big separation between like, this is where the houses are, and this is where the shops are. It's all like interconnected, and most things are close by. So the amount of stuff that we just need for everyday life, is a little bit less. So when you look at it this way, so much is also just influenced by the environment that we live in, and the culture that shapes our behaviors, and the way that we think about things, that can naturally result in more or less consumerism. And number 10 is that we value functionality over convenience. This one also really influences, I think, how much we own. The Dutch relationship with convenience and comfort. It's not that we're actively trying to make life harder, of course. But overall, Dutch people tend to feel like small inconveniences don't justify buying something that removes it. And many of us are quite willing to accept small inconveniences if the alternative means having to spend money, or buying something. An example of this might be that many Dutch people don't own a dryer. And of course, many also people do own a dryer, just hang up their laundry on a drying rack. I do that too, because we feel like our laundry is going to get dry either way. So why would I need an appliance for it? And I think that that is a very Dutch way of thinking. Sometimes for us, the easier option is just accepting that things might take a little bit longer, or are slightly less inconvenient. But it still works perfectly fine. Another example is lunch. Many people here will typically bring their own lunch to work, instead of buying it at work at the cafeteria. Because it's practical, it's simple, and you will just have your own lunch. It takes a little bit more effort to put together. But for us, that is very normal. And then maybe we'll buy something at the cafeteria, like sometimes. So instead of buying the most convenient, or the most comfortable option, many people here just like the simple stuff. Like a normal city bike, instead of a super fancy bike. Or one good winter coat, instead of a closet full winter coats. Or an older phone that still works. And that's it. 10 Dutch minimalist habits to simplify your life. Whether you also live in the Netherlands, or maybe somewhere else in the world, perhaps there are some small ways that you can bring some of these mindsets into your own life too. I don't think that many people here are typical minimalists, or identify as such. We are not immune to consumerism at all. So don't believe everything you hear online about Dutch minimalism. But I do think that people here ask themselves the question, like do I really need this? Like where am I gonna store it? Is this worth it? Can I fix this some other way without having to buy something? And typically just being okay with having things be good enough, instead of always needing things to be more, or better, or fancier. Of course, I would love to know from you. I always like reading the comments, and especially on these like culture related videos. Because it's super interesting for me to see where other people are coming from, and what their view is about these things. And is there something from this video that speaks to you, that maybe you would like to practice with in your own life too? I would love to hear. Thank you for sticking around all the way until the end, I really appreciate it. And if you enjoyed the video, I would love it if you could give it a like, subscribe to the channel if you haven't already, maybe share it, comment it, hype it, whatever you can do to help. Because the channel kind of needs a little pick me up in the algorithm. So if you can do that, I would really appreciate it. And also a huge huge thank you to my channel supporters who are helping me to make the channel possible, and to keep it going. This channel is my full-time job, and my channel supporters are a very big reason for how I can do this, and keep making the free videos for everyone here on youtube as well. 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