Yearly Income and Expenses of a 25 Year Old Working Student in Belgium [OC]
September 16, 2024
Yearly Income and Expenses of a 25 Year Old Working Student in Belgium [OC]
Posted by yentltijssens
6 comments
I’m a financially independent student living in Leuven, Belgium. I’m studying a Masters in music composition while working around 11 hours a week. Here’s some information about my budget of schoolyear 2023-2024. Feel free to ask me about anything or give me tips/feedback on my chart or on my spending habits!
* **Academy**: I teach piano 9 hours a week in a music-academy. Our academies are government funded. * **Private Students**: I teach piano privately to a few students a week. * **Church**: Every few weeks I accompany three masses on organ. * **Flemish Government**: The Flemish government gives everyone under 25 a monthly allowance (I turned 25 in June). The amount depends on your financial situation. * **Summer Job**: I worked in a kitchen for a week during summer. * **Rent + Utilities**: I share a 100m^2 (1075 sq feet) two-bedroom apartment with my partner. The rent with utilities is around 1050 euros a month. That’s reasonable, as Leuven is one of the most expensive places to live in Belgium. * **Groceries**: I eat vegetarian and relatively frugally. * **Transportation**: Mostly taking trains, but also some taxies. Public transport is relatively cheap in Belgium as a student. A large part of this was payed back to me by the academy I work at (counted together with my salary). * **University**: Tuition + materials for university. * **Therapy**: I go to therapy every few weeks. * **Insurance**: Health care insurance (108 euro a year)+ insurance for scooter accidents (140 euro a year). * **Unexpected**: Things like bike repair, buying medicine etc. * **Scooter**: I bought a secondhand electric moped (Niu NQi) so I don’t have to rely on the bus anymore. * **Dining Out**: Dining out is my favourite way to splurge, and hang out with my friends. Dining out in Leuven is pretty inexpensive as it is a student town. * **Spending Money**: Money I spend freely during the month. Things like books, games, furniture, stationary. * **Gifts & Donations**: Mostly donations, but I included some gifts I gave this year. * **Activities**: Going to bars, cinema or museums. * **Coffee Bars**: I love going to coffee bars, but I try to not go overboard with it. * **Subscriptions**: I have a subscription for: iCloud, Apple Music, YNAB, YouTube Premium. All family plans shared with friends. * **Clothes**: I only buy second-hand clothes. * **Investing**: I try to invest as much as I can in ETFs.
**More details**:
* 1 euro = 1,11 USD * This is from September 2023 till August 2024. * Percentages are rounded. * I use YNAB to plan my budget and track my expenses. * I made this graph with [https://sankeymatic.com](https://sankeymatic.com/) * Tuition cost in Belgium is between 125 euro and 1.100 euro depending on your financial situation.
No debt? Rent between 1/4 and 1/3 of income? Investing over 15% of income?
You’re killing it!! Keep this up and you’ll be a multimillionaire when you retire!! And to all those who say it can’t be done… look at this!
Is there a reason taxes aren’t listed here? Is it because of income (in the US, no taxes below a certain level), is that income post-tax, or is there something else?
Very nice. One small correction. Your apartment is ~1075 sq/ft. Which, is still a nice size.
Ok I have new favorite word. Flemish. Its like flehm and famish combined
Wow, this is amazing. How did you get started? And what software did you use to record all this.
Asking, cause I’m definitely going to give this a try.
6 comments
I’m a financially independent student living in Leuven, Belgium. I’m studying a Masters in music composition while working around 11 hours a week. Here’s some information about my budget of schoolyear 2023-2024. Feel free to ask me about anything or give me tips/feedback on my chart or on my spending habits!
* **Academy**: I teach piano 9 hours a week in a music-academy. Our academies are government funded.
* **Private Students**: I teach piano privately to a few students a week.
* **Church**: Every few weeks I accompany three masses on organ.
* **Flemish Government**: The Flemish government gives everyone under 25 a monthly allowance (I turned 25 in June). The amount depends on your financial situation.
* **Summer Job**: I worked in a kitchen for a week during summer.
* **Rent + Utilities**: I share a 100m^2 (1075 sq feet) two-bedroom apartment with my partner. The rent with utilities is around 1050 euros a month. That’s reasonable, as Leuven is one of the most expensive places to live in Belgium.
* **Groceries**: I eat vegetarian and relatively frugally.
* **Transportation**: Mostly taking trains, but also some taxies. Public transport is relatively cheap in Belgium as a student. A large part of this was payed back to me by the academy I work at (counted together with my salary).
* **University**: Tuition + materials for university.
* **Therapy**: I go to therapy every few weeks.
* **Insurance**: Health care insurance (108 euro a year)+ insurance for scooter accidents (140 euro a year).
* **Unexpected**: Things like bike repair, buying medicine etc.
* **Scooter**: I bought a secondhand electric moped (Niu NQi) so I don’t have to rely on the bus anymore.
* **Dining Out**: Dining out is my favourite way to splurge, and hang out with my friends. Dining out in Leuven is pretty inexpensive as it is a student town.
* **Spending Money**: Money I spend freely during the month. Things like books, games, furniture, stationary.
* **Gifts & Donations**: Mostly donations, but I included some gifts I gave this year.
* **Activities**: Going to bars, cinema or museums.
* **Coffee Bars**: I love going to coffee bars, but I try to not go overboard with it.
* **Subscriptions**: I have a subscription for: iCloud, Apple Music, YNAB, YouTube Premium. All family plans shared with friends.
* **Clothes**: I only buy second-hand clothes.
* **Investing**: I try to invest as much as I can in ETFs.
**More details**:
* 1 euro = 1,11 USD
* This is from September 2023 till August 2024.
* Percentages are rounded.
* I use YNAB to plan my budget and track my expenses.
* I made this graph with [https://sankeymatic.com](https://sankeymatic.com/)
* Tuition cost in Belgium is between 125 euro and 1.100 euro depending on your financial situation.
No debt? Rent between 1/4 and 1/3 of income? Investing over 15% of income?
You’re killing it!! Keep this up and you’ll be a multimillionaire when you retire!! And to all those who say it can’t be done… look at this!
Is there a reason taxes aren’t listed here? Is it because of income (in the US, no taxes below a certain level), is that income post-tax, or is there something else?
Very nice. One small correction. Your apartment is ~1075 sq/ft. Which, is still a nice size.
Ok I have new favorite word. Flemish. Its like flehm and famish combined
Wow, this is amazing.
How did you get started? And what software did you use to record all this.
Asking, cause I’m definitely going to give this a try.