If you’re following along on my No Buy Year journey, you know I’m all about finding intentional, clever ways to slash monthly expenses without sacrificing my quality of life. End of the year is the time when discussion about healthcare insurance in the Netherlands starts all over again, because we can switch providers and adjust insurance policies.
Today I’m going to share one way that I use to lower monthly expenses.
The Strategy: Maxing Out My “Eigen Risico”
In the Netherlands healthcare insurance comes with a mandatory deductible known as the eigen risico (own risk). By default, this is set at a baseline amount (which sits at €385), but insurance providers give you the option to voluntarily raise it in exchange for a lower monthly premium. You can also choose to have it at €0, by paying higher monthly contributions. The option you should choose highly depends on your health situation.
For 2027, I’ve decided to max mine out to €900. Why would I voluntarily take on a higher deductible? Simple: I’m not chronically sick, and I very rarely visit the doctor. Because I don’t anticipate major medical expenses, it makes financial sense for me to bet on myself. The monthly discount on my premium adds up significantly over the course of the year, outweighing the baseline deductible (provided I stay healthy).
Another way to get a little bit more of a discount is to pay your health insurance premiums once every quarter or make one payment per year. I personally don’t do that, because I’m currently not able to fork out entire amount. Would love to do that in the future though.
But What If Something Happens? The Savings Plan
Of course, maxing out your own risk means you have to be prepared in case the unexpected happens. If I do need medical care that falls under the deductible, I’m on the hook for that €900.
Since I don’t have a separate, pre-existing savings account specifically for this goal, I’ve just set one up. To fund it safely without straining my budget, I’m going to put away €25 every single week (since I get paid weekly).
It will take me exactly 36 weeks of consistent weekly transfers to fully fund my €900 buffer. Once I hit that 36-week mark, my eigen risico is completely covered, giving me total peace of mind for the rest of the year.
Why This Fits the No Buy Philosophy
A No Buy Year isn’t just about depriving yourself of shopping sprees. It’s about optimizing your fixed costs so your money goes toward things that truly matter. By lowering my monthly premium and systematically building a safety net €25 at a time, I get the best of both worlds: lower fixed monthly expenses and a fully funded medical buffer built painlessly over time (if nothing happens).
I once heard that any form of an insurance is a gamble – you bet that something happens, your insurer bets the opposite. And I agree with that. So for 2027 I’m willing to take the gamble and try to lower my monthly expenses just a teeny tiny bit.
If you are located in the Netherlands, do you play around with your deductible to lower your insurance premiums or do you prefer to stick to what is mandatory? And if you are in other countries – how do you lower your costs? Let me know in the comments below!
Leave a comment