Netherlands: Nibud offers budgeting tips as survey reveals public misconceptions on money creation

The Dutch consumer agency Nibud outlined four concrete steps for households struggling with finances: conduct a detailed money audit, cut unnecessary fixed costs, adopt daily micro‑savings habits, and build a small automatic financial buffer. These measures aim to give families more control over their budgets.

A separate survey by Motivaction found that most Dutch citizens assign responsibility for creating money to public institutions – 31% to the central bank and 24% to the government – while only 7% think commercial banks should do it. In reality, commercial banks generate the bulk of money as debt, a fact unknown to 93% of respondents. Awareness has risen since a 2014 poll: fewer people (38% vs 47%) say they don’t know who should create money, and more now favor the central bank as the primary creator. The study links these misconceptions to broader issues such as inflation, high house prices and growing inequality.