It’s an expensive world. And managing a home budget requires some forethought, some after-the-spend analysis and some strategy. We asked four mums, expats living in the UAE, about their hard-won tips on keeping costs low and the family’s quality of lifestyle high.
Here’s a look at what they said:
1. Don’t give in to mid-week requests
Mum-of-three Afshan Anjum has been in the UAE for 10 years. The Indian expat says one way in which she curtails costs is by keeping only one day a week for grocery shopping and not indulging every whim. “I don’t buy things mid-week unless I have no choice; I try to spread out the groceries for the week,” she says. “This is something I suggest to other mums as well – because if we buy things mid-week we tend to overspend.”
I don’t buy things mid-week unless I have no choice; I try to spread out the groceries for the week...if we buy things mid-week we tend to overspend.
2. Want a big-ticket item? Wait for a sale
In the same vein, Anjum explains that the family uses special sales – such as Gitex, for example – to capatalise on the best deals for their electronics. Or, they skim sites online. “For things such as electronics, we use Amazon or other online sites as we find better discounts there.”
3. Students get discounts – take ids along
If your child is a student that status comes with benefits. Many stores offer university students discounts – when in doubt, ask. “Recently, when we had to buy a laptop for our daughter, we were going to wait for Gitex but then decided to get it now because she’d need it sooner. Instead, we used her university card to get a discount,” explains Anjum.
4. Keep score – note down all expenses including pocket money
There are many benefits to keeping a note of income and expenses; for one thing, you’ll always know where you are in terms of your financial goals. For another, you’ll teach your child to be better at calculation too, especially if you add pocket money to the mix and have them make a credit/debit log. “At the beginning of the month, my husband and I make an Excel sheet where we divide our salaries into various pots; education, rent, savings and groceries to name a few,” explains Pramila Sujata D’souza. The Indian expat and mum to two adds that she keeps Dh3,000 out in cash, which she uses to manage her groceries. The other envelopes of money are used for things such as education, going out, etc.
5. Keep spending money separate
Like D’souza, Pakistani expat and mum-of-two Dr Sanobar Yasmin keeps the cash saving and spending accounts separate. “When our salaries come in, we keep some money - which will be used for the month to pay off loans and daily expenses - in that account and take out the rest and put it in another savings account. This is to ensure we don’t overspend.” This is particularly helpful when going out – family entertainment expenses can creep up on you if there’s no clear end-spend boundary.
When our salaries come in, we keep some money - which will be used for the month to pay off loans and daily expenses - in that account and take out the rest and put it in another savings account.
6. Cash back cards can make you money
Cash in on cards that give you air miles or reward you for using them with cash back offers. “My husband uses cashback cards while paying the utility bills, etc. helping us make some money,” explains D’souza. Outgoings such as school fees can also turn into avenues of gain.
7. Benefits of a debit card
Yasmin’s family has no credit cards and will only use debit cards to make payments. “This way we know exactly what’s going out,” she explains. There’s no question of overspending.
8. Make food at home to stay in budget
Partly due to the pandemic restricting movement last year, a number of mums experimented in the kitchen, finding that they could replicate the food their family loves to order from restaurants in a healthier, more economical way. Now, even with things opening up, they find this habit is a keeper. “Because of COVID-19, we’ve had limited outings but sometimes we do go out. What I’ve found is making the same thing, you’d buy at a restaurant, at home is much cheaper,” explains Yasmin.
9. Check out the deals your local grocery store is offering
This tip is one followed by all four mums we spoke to. “I have the WhatsApp numbers of the grocery stores nearby so when they have an offer they message me and if it’s worth it I order it from them,” says Yasmin. And D’souza adds: “I get brochures for the special deals and discounts on in supermarkets on a Thursday, so I take those into consideration when I want to shop and I use them to make purchases.”
10. Head to Deira fish market
If you really want to save that cash, you must look for deals. And one good way is to head to the Deira fish market, which offers fresh seafood, mutton and more at great rates. “Every two weeks we go to the Diera fish market where we stock up on fruits and vegetables, meat and fish – this is very affordable,” explains Yasmine.
11. Don’t buy everything from one place
Do your research and you will be rewarded. Some things cost more in one supermarket and less in another even when there’s a deal on. This includes everything from food to stationary and crafting products. “Certain items are purchased from one outlet, certain from another. Lulu has a good selection of rice at a good price. Certain items are purchased in bulk and a few items are supermarket brands,” explains Indian expat Anisa Da Costa, who has two daughters.
Certain items are purchased from one outlet, certain from another.
12. Don’t be duped by brand names
Yasmin is clear on this – buying should be about utility. Whether a bar of soap costs Dh5 or Dh50, the end use is the same, she says. So she’d rather go with the Dh5 product. “I find that they [branded things] are unnecessarily overpriced. I’d like to tell others that too – don’t be duped by brand names. This saves me a lot of money,” she explains.
13. Make your kids budget
Not only does making your child responsible for money help him/her learn financial literacy, it also teaches other valuable lessons such as resource management. “I’ve begun to restrict my kids’ purchases because I found they were buying and not using their things properly. So now, I give them some money and have them budget and buy what they need,” explains Yasmin.
