Welcome to The Fillennial: A personal finance blog that’s probably not like the others you’ve seen.
Yes, this is another finance blog. But before you roll your eyes, hear me out.
First about the name: It’s about me, and maybe you, a millennial with an interest in personal finance and financial independence. Combine it and you’ve got a Fillennial.
Does that mean this blog is only for the Harry Potter generation who watched Pokémon after school, chatted on MSN, and button-mashed on their Nintendo while living through more world crises than anyone deserves in one lifetime? Absolutely not. Whether you’re Gen Z, a Boomer, or anywhere in between, money affects all of us.
But despite money playing such a central role in our lives, most financial advice on the internet feels to me like it was written for robots by accountants: save 10%, invest in index funds, don’t buy lattes, retire early, the list goes on and on. It’s not bad advice, it’s just boring and way too generic.
I believe the real challenge is in the behavioral side of money and actually applying the advice in the context of your own life: the emotions, the distractions, the messy changes in priority due to unforeseen circumstances. And that’s where stories matter. A true anecdote will often teach you more than another “10 hacks to financial freedom” list ever could.
So here’s what you’ll find at The Fillennial:
- Personal finance with a pulse. Real stories, real lessons, no corporate jargon.
- A grain of salt. Money is serious, but the writing about it doesn’t have to be.
- Practical takeaways. Each post ties a story back to a money principle or experience you can actually relate to.
In short: think of this blog as a cross between a diary, a finance textbook, and that slightly tipsy (yet surprisingly wise) friend at the bar.
Why I’m Writing This Blog
I’m a regular Dutch guy in his near thirties trying to find his way around money, just like all of us. Being Dutch, saving money is kind of in the DNA. I quickly learned, however, that there’s a lot more to it than pinching pennies.
I grew up in a family where saving meant security. Later, I discovered it also meant freedom. My savings paid for my studies without going into debt, gave me options, and opened doors I didn’t even know were there. Eventually I learned how money isn’t just for spending or saving, it’s also a tool to grow itself.
You see, our perspective on money constantly shifts. It’s shaped by our upbringing, our experiences, our conversations, and even the books we read. This blog is my way of putting those shifts into words.
My “why” is simple:
- To create something I personally would have liked to be there when I just got started trying to make sense of my own financial behaviour.
- To help at least one person out there see their money in a different light, and maybe take action.
- To leave behind my thoughts as a kind of personal financial legacy, so that they can one day from now be reflected on by myself, family and friends.
- To appreciate the people who have gotten me to where I am today.
- And yes, if it ever turns into something that pays for itself, that would be a nice bonus.
Do you want to know more on the background of the blog, the strategy behind it and how it came together? Here is a special post that explains it in detail.
What You’ll Find Here
Personal Stories
Like the morning I realized I’d hit my first €100k, the time a billionaire paid for my curry, or how unconsciously adopting my parents’ saving discipline got me debt-free through university.
Lessons That Stick
Every post takes a story and ties it back to a money lesson. Not in the “10 steps to financial freedom”, but in a “this actually happened and here’s how I was impacted by it” kind of way.
A Different Lens
This isn’t about chasing status symbols or “grinding”. It’s about experiencing freedom, enjoying life, being nice to others, and sometimes just laughing about how weird money can make us behave.
What You Won’t Find
- Generic “Top 10 money hacks.”
- Clickbait promises about getting rich overnight.
- A lecture about skipping your morning coffee.
If you came here looking for that, Google and a whole lot of scammers on the internet got you covered.
A Note on Anonymity
I write under a pseudonym. Not because I’m running a secret Ponzi scheme or something, but because these are personal thoughts which I’d rather keep separate from my day job.
Since this is a personal finance blog, you’ll find plenty of details about my own life here. That’s completely fine by me, I just prefer to keep it compartmentalized.
Who This Blog Is For
- Anyone who wants a break from dry, soulless financial advice and is curious about how real life events shape financial thinking.
- People who already know the “rules” but want a fresh perspective to actually apply them.
- Anyone looking to build a better relationship with money, without losing their sense of humor.
Final Word
Money is personal. So is this blog.
I am no financial advisor (full disclaimer here), but I am an expert at being me. And that includes my attitude towards money. If you stick around, you’ll get a mix of stories, lessons, and the occasional bad joke. All in the hope that something clicks for you the way it once clicked for me.
Start with the story about how the saving mindset instilled by my parents got me debt-free through university. It’s the one that got this journey started, one of my personal favorites, and the perfect place to dive in.
Thanks for being here.
– The Fillennial