Your Financial Guide to Building Wealth as a Student

Since its initial release, this book has established itself as an invaluable resource, serving as a practical guide for both international and Dutch students alike to effectively manage their personal finances and embrace a frugal lifestyle in the Netherlands. The core objective of this book is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of how living frugally in the Netherlands can help someone attain financial independence in the future. Additionally, it aims to equip students with essential knowledge on budgeting, managing, earning, and investing money while navigating their student journey.

Our generation is dubbed the "unlucky generation" (pechgeneratie in Dutch) due to all the unfortunate events that occurred during my university years. In spite of all of this, it made me resilient. I gained insightful knowledge on how to deal with difficult situations as a student. I once had doubts about how I could ever pay back my student debts or afford a house in the future, but all these worries have vanished thanks to the solutions I've found and shared in this book. This is one of the main reasons I wrote this book, to help other students face their problems and become more resilient and confident with their finances.

I am incredibly grateful for the students who have read and found value in the first edition; you have taken significant strides toward improving your personal finances. From the early drafts and pre-orders in 2020 to the prospective students preparing to embark on their studies in the Netherlands, I extend my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you. Over time, I have had the privilege of presenting this book alongside workshops to diverse audiences, both in the Netherlands and in the Caribbean, further assisting students in their budgeting endeavors.

In this second edition, you can expect a wealth of new content and an arsenal of tools for the frugal student. Building upon the feedback received from the first edition along with additional insights gathered throughout the years, I have attempted to perfect this book. My aim is to provide you with a complete and practical guide to living a student life with the confidence to manage your finances effectively. My aspiration is for this book to become a timeless piece, ensuring that its practical lessons and tips remain relevant even in the future. If you find value in this book, I kindly invite you to consider recommending it to others, as your support would greatly contribute to the expansion of the frugal student community in the Netherlands. Thank you.

Sincerely,

—Franklin Seute