Slim boodschappen doen met een handig boodschappenlijstje

What does “een goed begin is het halve werk” mean?

Een goed begin is het halve werk (“a good start is half the work”) is one of the most-recited Dutch proverbs. Kids hear it from a teacher before a test. Adults hear it from a coach before a project, a contractor before a renovation, a doctor before a pregnancy. The Dutch are partial to a particular flavor of proverb: practical, faintly stern, dressed up as common sense. It’s the kind of wisdom you hear in a parental tone, even from your colleague.

This Voedingscentrum clip uses the proverb to sell smart grocery shopping: check the cupboards first, then write the boodschappenlijstje, then go. “Een goed begin is het halve werk,” said dryly, with full conviction.