Budget saving tips

hi! as a family for 4 ( 2 adults 2 young children) we save money if: Go shopping every 2/3 weeks at vegetable and fruits market al Aweer and go at Union cooperative there as well ( other locations can be more expensive like Barsha mall branch as I discovered) to stock up on meat, and rice, cans etc.. I go to carrefour once a month as well to get the western products I like Go local mart for bread etc.. Bring coffee/sandwich/fruits to work instead or ordering Buy toys for kids second hand (dubizzle or baby baazar) Buy clothes only if needed and only if on sales or at MAX,carrefour etc.. Entertainment for the children having play dates, use the building pool, go to park, or at affordable play areas, offer on groupon/cobone Order food which I dont cook at home (asian food etc..) 1 or 2 times a month maximum Do things myself as much as I can ( cook,clean, repairs etc..) Limit holidays abroad ( last time was 3 years ago!) Limit the tips Sell what I do not need anymore Having simple activities at home : reading, decorating, activities with children, watching movies etc... hope that helps!

Union Coop is even cheaper than Carrefour, and I find the fruit and veg a much better quality. You may lack on some of the western products, so you can top up at Carrefour for those.

The biggest tip is have a budget. Only go over your budget in rare cases. If eating out use BOGOF vouchers. Swap vouchers with friends/colleagues so you get the ones for places you use more often. Get a coffee to go cup and make your own coffee/tea. Same for lunch + snacks. Shop in Carrefour. Plan your meals so you only shop for what you will use. If you are a big family, get your fruits and veg from the market. Shop for clothes in the sales or else when you go home in Summer. If you have children, when things like sports/school shoes are on sale buy a size bigger so you have a spare for later in the year when their feet have grown. For children, shop around for cheaper alternatives for clothes. For example, MAX has some cute things and very affordable. Children either outgrow clothes very quickly or spill things on themselves that no matter what you use never comes off. Plan your holidays way in advance so you take advantage of cheaper airfares and hotel deals and you can space out the payment over different months instead of paying for everything at the time of the holiday. Use credit cards that give you points with the airline you use the most so you can use your points for tickets or upgrades. Pay your credit card off each month to avoid interest. One of my big spend was entertaining guests. If you accompany them places (that you have already seen a zillion times already anyway) you are spending money you had not budgeted for. I have learnt to tell guests they are welcome to stay, and have a good visit, and enjoy all the UAE has to offer, without us accompanying them. Our social lives here revolve a lot around food and drinks. Instead of going out to restaurants/bars encourage your group of friends to get together over bbqs at home or in the park, over a picnic at the beach, camping, etc. More fun for the children than sitting in a restaurant. Use the facebook groups to buy second hand furniture (this is a very transient place, you can get some very good deals). Hope these are helpful. Looking forward to more tips from the other ladies.

Cook large meals & freeze them, that is if your not fussy about reheated meals! Groupon can have some fantastic deals and entertainer online has great monthly deals Grow your own veggies and fruit in the cooler months

Ladies, Since life is becoming increasingly expensive, can you share your little tips and secrets on how the budget can be optimized? Thank you! :) Stopped buying clothes in Dubai ( Unless the sales are on) Aside from Pork items buy from Carefour ( I used to shop in Waitrose and Spinneys) Utilise beauty offers on Groupon etc Limit my weekends out Spend a lot of time at the beach and take my own food Try to use the washing machine once a week instead of bi weekly Limit myself to a daily spend amount and stick to it Stopped buying coffees and lunch everyday ( make my own to take to work now) You can do laundry once a week? Ha! I would love that (3 adults 2 babies and 2 dogs) I try for once a day lol Even Carrefour is not as cheap as it used to be - I find myself going to different shops for differnet things - annoying but cheaper Eat local produce as much as possible too

Ladies, Since life is becoming increasingly expensive, can you share your little tips and secrets on how the budget can be optimized? Thank you! :) Stopped buying clothes in Dubai ( Unless the sales are on) Aside from Pork items buy from Carefour ( I used to shop in Waitrose and Spinneys) Utilise beauty offers on Groupon etc Limit my weekends out Spend a lot of time at the beach and take my own food Try to use the washing machine once a week instead of bi weekly Limit myself to a daily spend amount and stick to it Stopped buying coffees and lunch everyday ( make my own to take to work now)