Being good at getting free stuffs in The Netherlands is a Dutch national pride. Well who does not love getting free stuffs and things that are good value for money? Living in The Netherlands for 13 years allow me to discover this part of the culture and enjoy life while being saving at the same time. This “Dutch pride” of being saving and getting good value for money is deeply rooted in the trading history of The Netherlands. Even to this date, The Netherlands is one of the major trade countries in the world. Making good business that links to various strategies such as customer intimacy and making marginalised profit while scaling up sales, as opposed to taking large profit or margin while having less sales, is at the heart of many Dutch companies. Of course, Dutch people also love to share simply out of good will. This could be rooted in the Christian way of living that is happily adopted by Christians and non-Christians foreigners who also enjoy and participate in the sharing culture of The Netherlands. In this blog, I will share some tips and tricks to save while in The Netherlands, by getting these free stuffs.

Free stuffs in The Netherlands

1. Free stuffs during your birthday.

Celebrating birthdays in The Netherlands makes you feel special, since you will get many free stuffs from different establishments. These could be free food, beauty products, outings, etc. By giving free stuffs, companies show their appreciation to their customers, which make their presence even more prominent. Interested to know further about free stuffs you can get during you birthday, check my blog on Free birthday treats in The Netherlands.

2. Free stuffs through collecting supermarket stamps.

Many supermarkets allow their customers to collect stamps based on the amount that they shop. For example, Albert Heijn gives 1 stamp for every 10 euros spent in their supermarket. Depending on the number of stamps, you can get free or discounted things. In our case, we got a set of wine glasses for collected stamps, and 12,50 euros discount on Efteling tickets (see in this blog about our Efteling experiences). In Hoogvliet, you get stamps at the back of the receipts to save for free products. A receipt can include 2-3 stamps depending on your grocery lists, and when you collected 12 stamps, you can get your free products, such as wash detergents, 6-packs of alcohol free beers, beauty products, chips, pack of juice, and so on. The value of these products can reach up to 5-10 euros, which is not bad especially that you are getting for free.

3. Free and discounted outings in The Netherlands

There are many free places to visit when in The Netherlands ranging from nature areas, recreational areas, beaches, lakes, and farms. There is also a free camping that is being offered for families who cannot afford to travel during summer holidays. I have written several blogs on this activities such as Free activities to do for family in The Netherlands, Zandenplas Nunspeet: Free Kid’s Day-out, and Geitenboerderij Riddamerhoeve: Kid’s activity in Amsterdam for inspiration. But these are just a few of the many free things to do especially for family when in The Netherlands. For discounted outings, there are several websites that I always check to get discounts such Voordeeluitjes.nl, Groupon and of course, SocialDeal.

4. Free stuffs and savings during King’s day

King’s Day is a national celebration during April 30 of the year, to honour the birthday of the King of The Netherlands. In the spirit of the birthday of the king, there are many free parties and concerts, free activities for children and adults, and flee market which you get many discounted second hand stuff, and more likely many free stuffs that people want to share to others. King’s Day is a symbol of unity and one of the main celebrations in the country. For more information about the King’s Day, check out my blog on Celebrate King’s Day like a real Dutch.

5. Free toys at Speelotheek and free books at Bibliotheek

The idea of Speelotheek is to offer free accessibility by borrowing all kinds of toys, especially for family who cannot afford to buy toys. The toys can range from small toys for toddlers to bigger toys such as bikes, with stuffs that can normally accumulate to thousands of euros in spent. Dutch people believe that children should be able to enjoy their childhood by playing. Even while being poor, children in The Netherlands can enjoy access to these toys. This contributes for Dutch children being the happiest in the world. In addition to playing, learning in The Netherlands should not also deprive poor families. That’s why there are Bibliotheeks (libraries) where public can borrow books for free. Children in The Netherlands can borrow for free for certain age, while adults pay for membership.