7 LIFE HACKS To Simplify Your Life In Germany
Life Hack #1
Get Liability Insurance
Don’t leave things to chance! 85% of Germans have liability insurance.
Why??? – You may ask.
Well, German law dictates that everyone living in Germany is responsible for covering damages they cause to a third party.
Getsafe provides great liability insurance for expats. From 3,60 euros a month, you can get that peace of mind. Find our full review here.
✅ Website & customer support in English
✅ 100% digital
✅ You may cancel anytime
Life Hack #2
Open a free N26 Bank account
N26 is a game-changer for anyone wishing to do their banking in English and online in Germany.
Opening an account is fast, easy, and free. They provide a very user-friendly app, which is loved by both Germans and expats. We love them too. Read our full N26 review here.
✅ Website & customer support in English
✅ 100% digital and controlled through the app
✅ Open an account any day within 8 minutes
Life Hack #3
Learn The Art Of Recycling
Germany is world-renowned for its recycling system. As a basic rule, remember to separate your trash at home in at least:
1. Regular Waste
⚠️ If you don’t see a brown bin in your building, don’t worry; just put your organic trash in the black bin as well. Organic trash separation is not required everywhere in Germany.
2. Special waste
🍾 Bottles: Their are bottles with and without deposit (Pfand). To learn about how to identify them and dispose of them properly, take a look at our in-depth guide on the German Pfandsystem.
🔋 Batteries & lightbulbs: Rossman, dm, or any supermarket.
💻 Small to medium sized electronics: Saturn, Media Markt, or any electronic shop.
🔌 Old furniture and big electronics: You need to request for a Spermüll collector to come to your house. Another option is to drop your items at the local Wertstoffhof (collection station).
🛢 Paint and any other toxic material: Bauhaus, Globus, Obi,Hornbach or any other home improvements store.
Life Hack #4
File your tax declaration
Good news first – as a regular employee in Germany, you are not required to present your tax declaration.
If you are a freelancer, however, you have to file a tax declaration every year.
We explain all the ins and outs on how to file a tax declaration in our guide here.
Nevertheless, most employed expats decide to declare taxes because there is a high probability that you will receive money back from the government.
SteuerGo is a software tailored to help expats navigate through the complicated German tax declaration jungle. Read our full review of SteuerGo here.
✅ Website & customer support in English
✅ 2 tax returns per tax year included
✅ Complete your tax return in 20 minutes
Life Hack #5
Download the Post & DHL app
You will quickly realize that you need to send some letters through snail mail in Germany. 🐌
Instead of heading to the postal office and waiting in line, download the DHL & Post App to get postage that you can simply write on your letters.
No need for a printer! Whut? It’s super fast and straightforward to generate a postage code.
The app is just available in German; however, it is very easy to understand it.
Life Hack #6
Open a free Multi-Currency account
Wise is another no-brainer for expats in Germany. They offer a free multi-currency account and provide a free debit card.
You can easily wire money from your home country to your multi-currency account or vice versa for minimal fees. Don’t ever do a regular international bank transfer again!
We love to use Wise for traveling and for sending money abroad.
✅ Website & customer support in English
✅ 100% digital and controlled through the app
✅ Handle 50+ currencies in one account
Life Hack #7
Don’t Spend Money on a Credit Card
Most banks charge 25 euros or more per year for a credit card 😲.
There are free and better options out there, like the GenialCard from Hanseatic Bank, a 100% free credit card with great conditions.
You can read our full review of the GenialCard here.
✅ No foreign currency fees
✅ No cash withdrawal fees worldwide
✅ Link to any checking account of your choice
⚠️ Sign-up only in German / Banking app in English
