Brussels, are you ready for the most wonderful time of the year?
Anyone I am talking to, they are more or less ready…to go on Christmas holidays. 😂 At least in the Brussels bubble, November and December always seem to be the busiest months of the year. And with all the work, it’s sometimes hard to find our middle ground. How do I find it? I am speaking about this and other personal topics on my very first podcast, recorded for the Middle Ground. You can listen to the episode on Spotify or watch it on YouTube - let me know what you think! ☺️
On a stroll last week, I stumbled upon a new shop called Vomfass. It’s a very cute place offering all sorts of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks as well as delicacies. The staff was so nice and they even have space for organising some small community events! But it’s not a place I could afford every single week. As we all know, Brussels can get quite expensive. However, we don’t need Black Friday promotions to save money or buy our Christmas gifts. In this newsletter, I am sharing many tips on how you can get a bang for your buck all year round.
In this issue, we’re going to look at:
💰 23 tips for saving money in Brussels
🎄 The ultimate list of Christmas markets in Belgium
🗓️ Upcoming events in Brussels (20 November-2 December)
🎥 Content creator in the spotlight: Emma’s roadmap
23 tips for saving money in Brussels
FOOD
Cheaper supermarkets - I personally love Delhaize, and some of you are Carrefour fans, but if I want to spend less money on my groceries, I will opt for Colruyt, Aldi or Lidl.
Abattoir market - I have never personally been there, but one of my friends swears by it. She buys her fresh fruits and veggies there almost every weekend, sometimes even other produce, like an octopus. Some other markets that are on the less expensive side include Midi, Flagey, or Chasseurs des Ardennais.
Happy Hours market - I love shopping on this app, as it has a lot of my favourite Delhaize products, but for much cheaper! The reason is that the expiration date usually comes very soon after your purchase, but I have also bought items that weren’t expiring for another few weeks. Their collection points are all over Brussels.
Too Good to Go - This app allows you to collect unsold supermarket items, bakery or vegetable produce, or entire meals. It can easily be a hit and miss, as you never know what you’re gonna get and what amount. But I do recommend you try it; after several attempts, I now have my favourite places that I know aren’t going to disappoint me.
Freego - If you are really struggling to make ends meet, you can come to this distribution/food bank point in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre. You only need to pay 1 EUR to participate.
HOME
Action - Please don’t go to the one in Porte de Namur. There are many better and less chaotic branches than that one (although every Action I’ve been to in Belgium gets busy, no matter the time of the day). I love how affordable Action is for all kinds of household items - stationery, cleaning products, decorations, small furniture, or basic clothing, like socks.
CLOTHES
Second-hand shops - Brussels is overflowing with second-hand shops and I’m here for it! Marolles is definitely an area I would recommend everyone exploring; my favourite second-hand shop there is Fripkot. Another area is Rue du Bailli, but I have yet to properly visit that one. And the city centre itself also offers many options. Some chains you may see more of in the city are Les Petits Riens (a charitable second-hand shop) or Think Twice, which has crazy discounts on certain days of the month (they announce those on their Instagram page).
Vinted - I don’t think this online platform needs a lot of introduction. Many friends and acquaintances I know use this website/app as their go-to clothes marketplace. If you are looking for S/M clothes or English-speaking novels, you can also check my personal Vinted profile.
Zalando Lounge - Zalando is another name that doesn’t need an introduction, but did you know it has a sister site where you can buy clothes for much cheaper? The sales are time-bound, and you need to create a free profile to be able to access them.
Sellpy - I am beyooond obsessed with this website and buy most of my clothes there. I use the international version, but they also have a Belgian one in Dutch. Sellpy is a Swedish second-hand online platform, where you can choose clothes from “new” to “acceptable” condition.
BEAUTY
Beauté Privée - This is a French website that ships to Belgium. It offers heavily discounted skincare, haircare, bodycare, and make-up products, both from your well-known drugstore brands and some Sephora favourites. I am expecting a package as we speak!
Medi Market - If you need over-the-counter medication or dermacosmetics, then you should really pay a visit to Medi Market. Compared to regular pharmacies, their deals are much more affordable.
Kruidvat - This Dutch drugstore, and your experience in it, is also dependent on the branch you choose. A new shop recently opened in Rue Neuve, and I was pleasantly surprised by the choice and tidiness there.
FITNESS
Basic-Fit - This gym offers the cheapest gym subscription in Brussels. If you have never seen someone with its signature gray and orange backpack, have you even been out?!
Swimming pools in your neighbourhood - If you like swimming, you will have cheaper access to the one in your “commune” as its resident.
FREE TIME
visit.brussels newsletter - Sign up for this newsletter to receive last-minute tickets to concerts, cinemas, exhibitions, etc. Not ideal for non-spontaneous planners like me, though.
TicketSwap - You are queuing online like crazy, but your favourite artist’s concert is sold out. Or you have been looking forward to seeing Pitbull live, but got sick. TicketSwap is a great app for both selling and buying verified tickets. Yes, if a concert is sold out, you will probably buy the tickets for the same price as previously announced. But if not, a lot of people, including me, will try to get rid of their tickets at a lower price.
Museum pass - Are you a museum lover? Then why not sign up for a year pass which gives you access to all participating museums in Belgium and discounts on train tickets?
Travelling by train at the weekend - Just a reminder that travelling at the weekend is 50% cheaper than during the week. If a bank holiday is around the corner, then SNCB will announce whether a discount will apply to a “bridge” between the weekend and the holiday.
Free hikes by ADEPS - Someone suggested this under one of my posts on LinkedIn. ADEPS organises free hikes every Sunday and bank holidays, from 5-20km, across Brussels and Wallonia.
MISC
Veepee - I shopped way too much on this website during the first lockdown. 😅 But Veepee just has about everything. Like Zalando Lounge, it is a website with time-bound deals for its members. You may browse through clothes, drugstore, furniture, holiday stays, electronics, household items, food and drinks or dietary supplements.
buy nothing Brussels Facebook group - Anytime I want to give away something that is not worth selling or throwing away, I upload it to this Facebook group. The items are always gone within minutes. So if you are on the opposite side, you have to be super quick to get that free item.
The ultimate list of Christmas markets in Belgium
In Mariah Carey’s voice, it’s tiiiiiiiime! I am personally not a big fan of Christmas, but I do love the atmosphere - the lights, decorations, mulled wine or raclette. It does still amaze me that the Brussels Christmas market is supposedly one of the most beautiful ones in Europe, though. But besides Brussels, you have 20 other options (at least on this list) for Christmas festivities in Belgium.
Brussels: 28 November-1 January (link)
As was the case in the past few years, you will find little wooden chalets and activities in Place Sainte-Catherine, Place de la Bourse, Place de Brouckère, Vismet and Place de la Monnaie.
Hasselt: 14 November-4 January (link)
Bruges: 21 November-4 January (link)
Durbuy: 21 November-4 January (link)
Mechelen: 28 November-23 December (link)
Blankenberge: 28 November-4 January (link)
Malmedy: 28 November-4 January (link)
Ostende: 28 November-4 January (link)
Liège: 29 November-30 December (link)
Namur: 29 November-31 December (link)
Nieuwpoort: 1-25 December (link)
Ciney: 4-22 December (link)
Gent: 4-31 December (link)
Arlon: 5-14 December (link)
Tournai: 5-23 December (link)
Antwerp: 5 December-4 January (link)
Kortrijk: 5 December-5 January (link)
Mons: 6-31 December (link)
Leuven: 9-21 December (link)
Eupen: 12-14 December (link)
De Panne: 13 December-4 January (link)
Upcoming events
❗❗ Don’t forget that Brussels will experience 3 days of strikes between 24 and 26 November. More info here.
📅 20 November: Raclette party by Pierro @Wolf (link)
📅 20-23 November: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical @Auderghem Cultural Center (link)
📅 21 November: The Nine Annual Regency Ball @The Nine (link)
📅 21-29 November: Kinky Boots musical @Novum (link)
📅 22-23 November: Brussels Design Market @Gare Maritime (link)
📅 22-23 November: Fair Priced Vintage Brussels @UR Square (link)
📅 23 November-14 December: Coudenberg Sound Box Fest 2025 @Coudenbergh Palace (link)
📅 26 November: Charms workshop x My Jewellery @Wolf (link)
📅 27-29 November: Schuman Show @Espace Lumen (link)
📅 27-29 November: VKRS Festival @Les Riches-Claires (link)
📅 27-30 November: Les Nocturnes du Sablon @Place du Grand Sablon (link)
📅 27 November-5 December: 25th Cinemamed @various locations (link)
📅 28 November: FemTech Hackathon @BeCentral (link)
📅 28-29 November: The Nine Conscious Winter Market @The Nine (link)
📅 28-30 November: Brussels Ass Book Fair @KANAL-Centre Pompidou (link)
📅 28 November-2 December: Brussels International Guitar Festival & Competitions @Centre Culturel Hay Duon (link)
📅 28 November-14 December: Art Truc Troc & Fashion @Espace Vanderborght (link)
📅 29-30 November: Balagan World Presents Mind Against - Brussels @Docks Bruxsel (link)
📅 29 November-2 December: Indian Film Festival 2025 @Flagey (link)
📅 1 December: Raclette evening @Chalet Robinson (link)
Content creator in the spotlight: Emma’s roadmap
emmasroadmap, an account by Emma Verhaeghe, a Belgian travel content creator, has more than 270,000 followers. I think Emma first popped up on my feed already during Covid, and that was before she made content creation her full-time job. I love watching her posts and videos, because she just has this genuine positive energy around her; you can tell she really enjoys showing you all the hidden gems around Belgium. If you are a nature lover and are thinking about where to organise your next hike, then I’m sure you will enjoy Emma’s content. For more information, you can also check her website and pre-order her book about Belgium’s hidden gems, which comes out in March 2026, here.
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