Money Matters
The Netherlands is very much a middle of the road buy when it comes to costs. It is not the most expensive holiday destination for tourists in Europe and it is far from the cheapest. This gives the average traveller the choice of how much to spend on a holiday in the Netherlands. Those tourists looking to stretch their euro in the Netherlands will be well serviced: €30-40 will keep you sheltered, well fed and have change to do the things that tourists do. There are many cheap hostels; aside from a few train trips you can do the majority of your travelling by walking; and when it comes to food there is a plethora of places that sell food at an affordable price. On the other hand, if you wish to indulge yourself and take a walk down luxury lane then the Netherlands will more than oblige your tastes. To be able to afford this you are looking at least €75 per day per person. To do it in style, you'll need closer to €120. The sky is the limit though, if price is no concern and luxury is your only goal, the Netherlands will also abundantly cater to your wishes.
Whether you are a budget traveller or part of hotel royalty, the free activities in the Netherlands are also some of the very best. Aside from all the free public spaces, many museums and concert halls have free entry days - it is best to plan ahead for these - some are daily, but some of the best are only monthly (such as free museum entry).
Euro 
In the Netherlands the currency used is the euro. The euro is the offical currency of 16 of the 27 members of the EU (European Union). These 16 countries together are known collectively as the Eurozone - you can cross from one country to another and use the exact same currency. The Eurozone countries are: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Findland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. A total of 327 million Europeans use the euro as their currency.
The euro is like the dollar in that 100 cents make up 1 euro. The euro notes are issued in demoninations of €500, €200, €100, €50, €20, €10, €5. Each banknote has its own bright color and is dedicated to a specific period of European architecture. The front side of the notes feature windows or gateways and the back sides feature bridges. The architectural examples on the notes do not actually represent any actual existing architectural structures, so as not to cause controversy with the choice of monuments. The higher denominations like the €500 are not issued in all countries, though they remain legal tender throughout the Eurozone. The coins are issued in demoninations of €2, €1, 50cent, 20cent, 20cent, 5cent, 2cent and 1cent. In the Netherlands it is common practice to round the price of items or services up to the nearest 5 cents - this has allowed for the phasing out of the 1 and 2 cent coins, which you are as a result unlikely to see during your visit to the Netherlands.
Tipping
The majority of places that you will feel you need to tip at have already included a service charge in to the bill without you even knowing. Therefore, in principle you do not necessarily need to provide a tip. Rounding up to the nearest euro is usually considered the polite thing to do. The ceiling for the amount you tip in the Netherlands is genearlly considered to be 10% of the bill - this kind of tip though would only ever be given for truely exceptional service. Make sure that if you are paying with your credit card that you don't pay the tip on it - many less scrupulous owners will simply pocket the money - try to tip in cash.
ATMs
The cheapest way to get your money out of your bank account or off your credit card is almost always by visiting an ATM. You'll find ATMs outside all banks, at airports and most railway stations as well as a fair few sprinkled throughout the main shopping districts. Make sure you check before you leave on your holiday for any charges or restrictions (such as the number of withdrawals permitted per day) imposed by your bank on international transactions. The ATMs will accept your Visa and Master Card/Eurocard credit cards as well as your standard bank passes that carry the Cirrus symbol.
Cash
Nothing beats the convenience of cash. Almost all stores will accept it and for many of the small purchases it is the most viable option for the average tourist visiting the Netherlands. Calculate how much you are likely to spend in a day and carry that amount with you - any more and you run the risk of losing a large amount of unrecoverable cash. Be warned that some tourist purchases will not accept cash. Some hotels and most car rentals will require a credit card as security and many will even insist that final payment is made with it. Ask in advance when making your booking so you don't get any unwelcome monetary surprises.
Credit Cards
Many shops will levy a surcharge on any purchases with a credit card - this is to redeem the charges they incur themselves from the credit card companies. Shops that do this will usually also be the shops that welcome cash (to avoid said charges). All the big name credit cards are widely recognised in the Netherlands and you should have no problem at all with these, though it will depend in the end on individual shops, hotels etc if they accept a specific type of card. You can always ask in advance of payment which cards they accept - you always have the option of visiting and ATM and withdrawing cash from your card.
If you lose your credit card while on holiday in the Netherlands it is most likely it has made its way to someone who is going to abuse your misfortune. Contact your bank immediately to block the card. Keep the appropraite number with you (not in the same place as your credit card of course):
Currency Exchange
The best option is to avoid having to do this in the first place. If you can, stick with taking money out of the ATM. However, if you are stuck with non-euro currency (especially that is not the currency of your country of origin) the only real option in the Netherlands is going to a GWK counter and changing your money there. They are located at most larger railway stations and airports. Your back up options are visiting a bank or a post office - both will stick to the official exchange rates so you have no concern about being taking advantage of. All other currency exchange booths should be avoided at all costs as they will typically take advantage of you.
Travellers Cheques
Avoid these at all costs. There are many other viable options listed above. The majority of places will refuse travellers cheques and those that do accept them will do so at a price to you, add to this the issue of correct conversion rates and you are in a very vulnerable position.
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