The child benefit will be back in your account today. Have you been looking forward to it for two months and thirty days? Have you already spent it on all kinds of children’s junk before it arrives? And where is it actually going?
This is how the editors deal with child benefit.
Kimberley, editor: “I buy clothes for my daughter when I see something nice and they never present the new collection on the day that my salary has just been paid or the child benefit is credited to my account. In addition, I spend a fortune every day on diapers, squeeze fruit, wipes for bottoms, wipes for toes, hydrophilic wipes, toddler biscuits, corn puffs, lost pacifiers, lost socks, shoes that are too big, shoes that are too small… You name it. Before those quarterly bonuses arrive, they have already been issued three times. Although this time we really need a new car seat.”
Lisa, editor-in-chief: “Since I have a huge hole in my hand, my husband is the one who receives child benefit. He is good at saving and immediately puts the money aside in a savings account. We save an amount every month for each child, so we don’t necessarily do that from child benefit. So the money actually goes with the rest of our savings, which we sometimes use to pay for larger expenses, such as things recently done for our renovation.”
Kezia, partnerships manager: “For me, it always goes to the savings account for the children. Yes really.”
Like thisëhead of marketing: “I set it aside, then take it off once more. Oops!”
Chiara, editor: “To be honest, I usually don’t even notice when the Child Benefit is deposited into my account. The costs for a (new) toddler seem to have no end – the money just seems to slip through my fingers. But now that I happen to know that it is being deposited once more, I realize that there are still eight Klarna accounts waiting to be paid off. Plus, there are still clothing purchases for both myself and my son, a coffee filter holder that we absolutely needed for his birthday party, skincare, and let’s not forget our new addition: our luxurious Emma bed. No judgement, please: our little man provides the sleepless nights, so ultimately we can also include this under the heading of ‘child benefit’.”
Josselin, head print: “Child benefits? To me, that is just as much of a concept as electricity and municipal taxes. It’s all on my friend’s pile, who arranges and does it nicely. I’m especially good at publishing it.”
Emma, editor-in-chief Mamaplaats: “I often don’t even realize it’s coming in. Firstly, because it comes into our joint everything-for-the-family-and-household account and secondly, because it is often gone (spent) before I even realize it. It often compensates for (part of) the expenses we incur on children’s clothing and small items, etc.”
Tara, columnist: “I wish I might see child benefit as a nice extra to go to the nail salon with, but so far the financial gods have not been kind to me. So it just goes to groceries, diapers, the mortgage; all those kinds of unpleasant practices. But hey, I guess that’s what it’s for.”
Sesanne, creative director: “We basically save Child Benefit for the children and it is immediately transferred to their savings accounts for later. Only Max was born on March 31 and we got an extra quarter, which we didn’t expect. With a broken washing machine and way too expensive birth announcements (oops), that’s where his first child benefit went! Sorry!”
We are very curious; what do you spend child benefit on?
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