A browse through online forum discussions reveals a world of UAE consumers desperate to make extra cash on the side.
"I need a part-time job to balance my expenses as a result of the high cost of living, and my current salary is not enough," writes Aslam, who would not share his first name.
Aslam is just one of the staggering number of UAE residents looking to sacrifice their free time for a chance to do something more financially rewarding. Many of them are low-paid employees who struggle to keep afloat in shaky financial waters.
Despite dramatic rent declines, UAE consumers still feel the economic pinch due to the rising costs of health care, education, food and other basis essentials. Besides, according to debt management firm ISDM Consultancy, 85 per cent of UAE residents are still wading in deep debt.
Sole breadwinner
She may not have bad loans to pay, but Maria (name changed) feels that being the only breadwinner in the family with a Dh3,000 paycheque is like climbing a mountain every day. Keeping her daughter in grade school, a brother in high school and another in college is all down to her hard work.
"I'm a single mother and I have two brothers and a dependent mother to send money to, so I've got to find ways to boost my income," the Filipina expat says.
By day, Maria works as a front office executive in Dubai, taking phone calls and attending to company visitors and clients. By night, she swings by neighbours' homes in Sharjah to either babysit or help some children with their English and Math studies for Dh10 to Dh20 per session.
Every time she gets the chance, she also peddles perfumes to some friends and colleagues.
"I buy perfumes straight from a supplier for 40 per cent off the retail price, so I re-sell them for some profit" she says.
The opportunities for extra earnings still arise and Maria's enthusiasm for work continues. Just recently, she asked her employer to allow her to go on a few days' leave just so she can do a part-time job waiting tables at a big event in Abu Dhabi this month.
"It's all hard work, but I feel lucky to have a very understanding employer. They know what I do on the side and they don't object to it. Besides, I do these things outside my work and they don't compete with my current job," she adds.
Juggling multiple roles is definitely paying off. In one month, the single mother earns about Dh4,000 extra income, more than her basic pay. Although the extra revenue stream is not constant, Maria says, it has helped her a lot financially.
"I send about 80 per cent of my salary to my family back home. I keep the extra income to myself and invest," she adds.
Theresa Tsui, an expat from the UK who moved to Dubai as a full time housewife a few years ago, now capitalises on her knack for style and fashion to earn extra bucks on the side.
An income-generating idea was hatched while she was sitting in the car waiting for her two children to finish school. "I thought there must be a better way to spend my time. I was just sitting in the car eating or reading magazines. So I started making hairclips for girls," recalls Tsui, who used to be a full-time fashion stylist working in shoots for style magazines and catwalk shows in the UK.
The creative pastime got out of hand and she later found herself selling dresses, bags and other creative pieces at fairs hosted by the Artisans of the Emirates (Arte), an organisation that provides a legal platform for UAE residents to trade handmade goods. On a good day, she makes about Dh2,000 just by displaying her creations at an Arte event.
"Recently, I had a buyer who bought a whole batch of hairclips to sell in their shops," says Tsui. Just last month, Tsui expanded her entrepreneurial venture by signing up with Tilly & Pinch, a new company that operates on a direct selling business model similar to that of Avon.
She's now selling hand-crafted clutch bags to a growing network of friends and Tsui is happy to report that her new-found earnings avenue is well on its way to recoup her capital outlay of only about Dh3,000.
There's no high expenditure in the household and the husband has no problem about sharing the salary, but Tsui still wants to feel financially independent and be able to help with other family expenses.
Vacation
The extra income from Arte sale alone, which she always stores in a box, proves useful when vacation time comes around. "It serves as our spending money for the entire summer," she says.
"I don't think I'll be a millionaire someday, but these things just help me make money along the way. And ideally, I'd like to do another holiday in a year, a short break that doesn't incur huge costs… Ultimately, we're here to make money, but the cost in Dubai has increased so much in the past three years.
"My shopping bill has gone up by at least 100 per cent. School fees have gone up. Eating out has gone up. Everything has gone up, so if I can find a way to ease that, it's so much better for me," she adds.
Should residents be allowed to opt for additional or part-time jobs? Is there something you would like to do part-time?
