Yeah, the name is a joke.
"okmate" is what your friends say — flatly, eyes already drifting toward the door — when you start explaining how you flew to Lisbon for 12,000 miles and a coffee's worth of taxes.
okmate.nl is a personal finance and loyalty-points blog for people living in the Netherlands. It's about the unglamorous, slightly obsessive craft of making your money and your points work a little harder: Albert Heijn Bonus optimization, Flying Blue promo awards out of Schiphol, surviving the Belastingdienst as an expat, and figuring out which Black Friday "deals" are actually deals.
I'm not a financial advisor. I'm a person who reads the terms and conditions for fun, tracks prices in spreadsheets nobody asked for, and has genuinely ruined at least three dinner parties explaining transfer bonuses. This blog exists so I can bore the internet instead of the people I love.
What you'll find here
- Points & Miles — mostly Flying Blue, because Schiphol.
- Financial Hacks — small, repeatable, legal money moves.
- Deals — with the hype surgically removed.
- Expat Tips — the 30% ruling and other Dutch mysteries.
The fine print
Everything here is opinion and personal experience, not financial advice. Rules change — especially Dutch tax rules, which seem to change for sport. Always verify the current details before you make a move. And maybe don't bring up koopzegels at the next party. Or do. I'm not your mate. Well. Ok, mate.