Nele In Zurich

I moved to Switzerland and just went with UBS. They had good rates for young professionals at the time, and I signed up and then... completely forgot about it. Autopilot mode for years. Until I actually looked at what I was paying for.

*The hidden fees

 I had no idea I was being charged for things I wasn't paying attention to. It sounds small but it adds up, and the worst part is I never noticed because I wasn't checking. Lesson one: read your account statements, even when everything feels fine.

*The "credit card" that isn't

 I also had what I thought was a credit card — but it was actually a prepaid card. There is a big difference. A prepaid card means you load money onto it before spending. A real credit card gives you a monthly limit and — more importantly — often comes with actual benefits. Things like travel insurance, car rental coverage, and cashback or points. These can be genuinely useful, but the conditions vary a lot between cards, so always read the fine print before picking one.

*Traditional banks vs. online options 

The big Swiss banks — UBS, Raiffeisen, Cantonal banks — are reliable and well established, but they come with fees. Monthly account fees, card fees, transaction fees. It varies a lot, so always check the full fee schedule before signing up, not just the headline offer.

*Neon

 After I finally started paying attention, I found neon. It's a Swiss online bank — free account, free card, no monthly fee. The app is clean and easy to use. For everyday banking it does everything I need. There are other similar options too (Yuh, Zak) so it's worth comparing, but neon was the one that worked for me.

In part 2 I will talk about Twint, what to actually compare when choosing a bank, and a few things I wish I had known before signing up anywhere. Make sure to follow so you don't miss it

Any tips?

I am feeling that managing the home is a full time job, but it doesn't have to be... So I'm trying to understand what is it that I am doing wrong, as O don't have that many things... But probably I do have too many things that have lost the purpose.

So in the next weeks I will be making my house a place where I really want to be, a place which is functional, and nice and supports me in the current stage of life (with a baby and a toddler 😅🫠)

So if you are also finding yourself a bit lost and a bit mad about the keys that you cannot find for 3 days straight, you're at the right place....

Stay tuned for day 2 updates

Xoxo
Nele

It's that simple, I promise 😀🇨🇭

Just grab a box, put stuff you were thinking about getting rid off - all those small toys your kids no longer play with, any random item that do not fit you or that strange McDonald's happy meal toy you got 3 years ago...

Someone might find it useful, interesting and use it further.

I picked up some toys, plant pots and books like that myself, and it makes me happy to think that those things will not go to trash (just yet)

The rules are simple - put it somewhere where it's dry and visible, keep the box simple and easy to browse through (no big mess) and then write GRATIS

Then you can leave the box for 24 hours, I prefer mine only during the day. If you leave for longer neighbors can start complaining like if you're littering.

Do you do it too? What's your best find?