Would you still stay in Dubai if you weren't saving any money per month? | ExpatWoman.com
 

Would you still stay in Dubai if you weren't saving any money per month?

5400
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 06 January 2011 - 10:28
What part of London were you in? We have family in Fulham area so if we were to go back we would prob choose somewhere around here, do you know if this area is safe for little ones? Remember, London house prices are outrageously expensive, I would imagine a bijou little 2 bed villa in Fulham would cost at least half a million GPB nowadays, with rent proportionate. I don't know about little ones in Fulham, but a lot of young families who have the choice and the money would prefer to be a bit further out of central London - even Putney and Wimbledon, just across the bridge from Fulham, would probably be more child-friendly. Richmond-upon-Thames would be my first choice, I think, but we couldn't afford it unless we sold our house in Geneva, which ain't gonna happen. Actually, Clifton in Bristol would be my first choice if we went to live in England and we probably couldn't afford that, either (well, possibly a flat in Canynge Road)!
1579
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 06 January 2011 - 10:22
.. For the Aussies... "One Powerball.... and I'm out of here".. NB... Powerball in OZ is a big prize lottery! not a washing block... Ditto :)
Anonymous (not verified)
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 January 2011 - 10:16
We would still stay here, simply because the lifestyle here is better than what we had in the London. We would be crammed in a tiny 2 bed apartment with cold, gloomy,dam weather and ill, miserable children (who are locked home coz it's raining almost everyday) for most of the year. Apologies to the brits out here, DH is british but London is just not my cuppa tea... But BUT if DH ever agreed to go back to Sydney, I would go right now..even though money will be much less there, lifestyle is amazing compared to Dubai. I never know what exactly people mean by 'lifestyle' in this context - maybe it's too personal to each individual for it to make much general sense. I'm not British by nationality, but I left a luxurious Dubai apartment in the Marina last summer to come back to one of those tiny 2-bed London flats for a spectacularly chilly winter during which we both got flu. We are struggling financially, but I've not regretted leaving Dubai for one second. We were saving money in Dubai, but money or living space mean absolutely nothing to either of us compared to the benefits of living in London, in terms of the wealth of music and art and theatre on offer. I've been to two (free) classical concerts and two RSC plays in the past week, and spent Sunday afternoon walking on Hampstead Heath with friends, which was exactly the kind of thing we missed in Dubai. In practice, we both discovered money doesn't make up for the absence of everything we enjoy about life. Yes, it would be nice to have more money and space, but our mounting bank balance in Dubai turned out not to mean a great deal when it came down to it.... Sorry, I should've explained in detail what I meant by "quality of life". If we were in London, it would be really difficult for us to survive on one income. So, I would have to be working full time. While working full time with a baby (or two as is my case now), I had little time to enjoy myself. Weekends were spent cleaning the house, doing chores. Here, I have the luxury of staying home with the kids, having a helper come and clean for me at a peanut price (compared to the UK), and I can do things I like in spare time. But, I realise for many of you ladies, this is probably not the case, so you had a lot of time to enjoy yourself. For mr quality of life entails being able to spend quality time with family..being able to go out for walks without worrying about getting robbed/knived, kids being able to play outside safely (without getting kidnapped). The place where we lived in London just was NOT SAFE. DH won't live anywhere else as that's where he grew up and that's where his entire family is and it's close to city....:-( What part of London were you in? We have family in Fulham area so if we were to go back we would prob choose somewhere around here, do you know if this area is safe for little ones?
184
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 January 2011 - 10:14
We would still stay here, simply because the lifestyle here is better than what we had in the London. We would be crammed in a tiny 2 bed apartment with cold, gloomy,dam weather and ill, miserable children (who are locked home coz it's raining almost everyday) for most of the year. Apologies to the brits out here, DH is british but London is just not my cuppa tea... But BUT if DH ever agreed to go back to Sydney, I would go right now..even though money will be much less there, lifestyle is amazing compared to Dubai. I never know what exactly people mean by 'lifestyle' in this context - maybe it's too personal to each individual for it to make much general sense. I'm not British by nationality, but I left a luxurious Dubai apartment in the Marina last summer to come back to one of those tiny 2-bed London flats for a spectacularly chilly winter during which we both got flu. We are struggling financially, but I've not regretted leaving Dubai for one second. We were saving money in Dubai, but money or living space mean absolutely nothing to either of us compared to the benefits of living in London, in terms of the wealth of music and art and theatre on offer. I've been to two (free) classical concerts and two RSC plays in the past week, and spent Sunday afternoon walking on Hampstead Heath with friends, which was exactly the kind of thing we missed in Dubai. In practice, we both discovered money doesn't make up for the absence of everything we enjoy about life. Yes, it would be nice to have more money and space, but our mounting bank balance in Dubai turned out not to mean a great deal when it came down to it.... Sorry, I should've explained in detail what I meant by "quality of life". If we were in London, it would be really difficult for us to survive on one income. So, I would have to be working full time. While working full time with a baby (or two as is my case now), I had little time to enjoy myself. Weekends were spent cleaning the house, doing chores. Here, I have the luxury of staying home with the kids, having a helper come and clean for me at a peanut price (compared to the UK), and I can do things I like in spare time. But, I realise for many of you ladies, this is probably not the case, so you had a lot of time to enjoy yourself. For me quality of life entails being able to spend quality time with family..being able to go out for walks without worrying about getting robbed/knived, kids being able to play outside safely(without getting kidnapped), kids not suffering from flu for the entire year etc... The place where we lived in London just was NOT SAFE. DH won't live anywhere else as that's where he grew up and that's where his entire family is and it's close to city....:-( But if we had no kids and had ample time to enjoy ourselves with theatre and artwork, London would be a much better option than Dubai. <em>edited by tahm563 on 06/01/2011</em>
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 January 2011 - 09:13
.. For the Aussies... "One Powerball.... and I'm out of here".. NB... Powerball in OZ is a big prize lottery! not a washing block...
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 January 2011 - 08:11
Yeah we would stay...in fact we don't save anything just now other than sending money back home to pay off some outstanding debts (this will be savings in time I guess). We don't have an extravagant lifestyle here but it has allowed me to stay at home with DD rather than work and that together with some other benefits to our quality of life means we would stay as long as we were happy here - we have a nice life. For us the decision to come here was the impact on our quality of life rather than purely financial gain.....although saying that the financial has allowed for some of the improvements but not all!!
2725
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 06 January 2011 - 07:39
Would probably stay put for a while, as I know its quite bleak in the UK, and whether DH wages would be the same as before we left, He would have work away from home and after years of him doing it, he wouldnt really want to.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 January 2011 - 07:18
I also wanted to add that I also am quite sure that when we finally move, I will miss aspects of Dubai. Here money is never a concern to us and still we save a lot of money. We bought a fantastic house in cash in the home country, and have made other investments and no way would we have done that had we lived somewhere else. Saving here has just been so quick and for my husband career opportunities have been amazing - and for metoo. I have to be grateful for that. That is our future in the end and future of our children.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 January 2011 - 07:10
If we did not save lots of money here every month, then we would not stay here. I have been here ten plus years and the sand, dust, heat, a lack of greenery and cultural things have started to get to me. And for some reason I am fed up with this constant festival feel. Some posters talk about things you cannot measure in money. I m the same way. I miss many things that do not exist here. But I do not hate Dubai by any means. for example I love how safe it is, easy to live in, multicultural, friendly people everywhere. We enjoy it for now but have no plans to settle here indefinitely even though here financially we would always be better off. The other day I told my husband - I do not want to drive along Sheikh Zayed road the rest of my life. Before I get old - am now three years shy of turning forty, I want to still start a new page in my life. Dubai is means to an end, to save money and then go. But while doing that we also enjoy our life here. If it was JUST the money and no enjoyment then we would have basically sold our souls. You have to still enjoy your lif whereever you are.
12
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 January 2011 - 01:01
We would still stay here, simply because the lifestyle here is better than what we had in the London. We would be crammed in a tiny 2 bed apartment with cold, gloomy,dam weather and ill, miserable children (who are locked home coz it's raining almost everyday) for most of the year. Apologies to the brits out here, DH is british but London is just not my cuppa tea... But BUT if DH ever agreed to go back to Sydney, I would go right now..even though money will be much less there, lifestyle is amazing compared to Dubai. I never know what exactly people mean by 'lifestyle' in this context - maybe it's too personal to each individual for it to make much general sense. I'm not British by nationality, but I left a luxurious Dubai apartment in the Marina last summer to come back to one of those tiny 2-bed London flats for a spectacularly chilly winter during which we both got flu. We are struggling financially, but I've not regretted leaving Dubai for one second. We were saving money in Dubai, but money or living space mean absolutely nothing to either of us compared to the benefits of living in London, in terms of the wealth of music and art and theatre on offer. I've been to two (free) classical concerts and two RSC plays in the past week, and spent Sunday afternoon walking on Hampstead Heath with friends, which was exactly the kind of thing we missed in Dubai. In practice, we both discovered money doesn't make up for the absence of everything we enjoy about life. Yes, it would be nice to have more money and space, but our mounting bank balance in Dubai turned out not to mean a great deal when it came down to it.... Very well said. I miss all the normal things you can do on weekends, that don't cost a fortune and don't involve eating and drinking.
141
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 January 2011 - 00:40
We would still stay here, simply because the lifestyle here is better than what we had in the London. We would be crammed in a tiny 2 bed apartment with cold, gloomy,dam weather and ill, miserable children (who are locked home coz it's raining almost everyday) for most of the year. Apologies to the brits out here, DH is british but London is just not my cuppa tea... But BUT if DH ever agreed to go back to Sydney, I would go right now..even though money will be much less there, lifestyle is amazing compared to Dubai. I never know what exactly people mean by 'lifestyle' in this context - maybe it's too personal to each individual for it to make much general sense. I'm not British by nationality, but I left a luxurious Dubai apartment in the Marina last summer to come back to one of those tiny 2-bed London flats for a spectacularly chilly winter during which we both got flu. We are struggling financially, but I've not regretted leaving Dubai for one second. We were saving money in Dubai, but money or living space mean absolutely nothing to either of us compared to the benefits of living in London, in terms of the wealth of music and art and theatre on offer. I've been to two (free) classical concerts and two RSC plays in the past week, and spent Sunday afternoon walking on Hampstead Heath with friends, which was exactly the kind of thing we missed in Dubai. In practice, we both discovered money doesn't make up for the absence of everything we enjoy about life. Yes, it would be nice to have more money and space, but our mounting bank balance in Dubai turned out not to mean a great deal when it came down to it....
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 23:53
Definitely, we (I) would rather leave than stay in Dubai because the lifestyle in France is better than here and the cost of living in France is much cheaper if I make a comparison b/w Dubai/Paris. We come here because Dh had needed a change and with the taxe free, we hope we will save enough of money to buy a nice flat in Paris when we go back home. As to me, I just wanted to follow him and have a small break after 13 active years (had a good job and just resigned 1 week ago) to look after our 2 toddler. For the moment, financially we haven't saved any money yet, would rather say we have dipped into our saving account to settle in Dubai (1 check for rent, furnished the house, paid big bills that were sent by unscrupulous DH's parents thinking we earn more money which is not true cuz I'm not working so they can grab more...). well, we'll see in 1 year from now how thing's going. I also intend to find a job in 3/4 months from now when DS is 6mo & get my driving license, 2 incomes always help :).
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EW GURU
Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 23:03
Life in Dubai is easy. We may complain day to day about small things, frustration with the Dubai Municipality, finding good maids, landlords and the prices in the stores. But after spending several weeks in the US I've come to realize that the US is just as expensive as Dubai and the US has its own sets of frustrations. There's no such thing as the promised land anywhere and if you can arrange to have a good life in Dubai within your means, kudos to you. But one can have a good life nearly anywhere, it's all about how you arrange your daily habits and expectations. I can be shocked at how much my friends spend for their cramped terraced houses in central London, but they wouldn't trade the culture and opportunities of London for a bigger villa or better weather. One of our friends in London who lived in Dubai for several years admits that the UK winters can be long and dreary, but the Dubai summers are even longer and even more dreary. For us, we would not be here if we weren't saving substantial amounts of money. I hate the heat of Dubai, it's dusty for so much of the year, the cultural venues are limited, the landscape is generally dreary and I miss the greenery of the US. My family and friends are still in the US. While I do appreciate having a maid, and that I can buy nearly anything (of a luxury item type) in Dubai and I do admit to enjoying popping in at one of the malls, sacrificing so much of what my life would have been like had we stayed in the US is only justified by our savings, and even then I have my doubts. For those of you who are contemplating a long term stay in Dubai, you really must have savings plans in place for your retirement. Odds are you aren't contributing to a government pension scheme, which severely reduces the pension you will get down the road. DH sets aside a sum every month for our "pension" which is separate from the actual savings.
1236
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 22:47
We would still stay here, simply because the lifestyle here is better than what we had in the London. We would be crammed in a tiny 2 bed apartment with cold, gloomy,dam weather and ill, miserable children (who are locked home coz it's raining almost everyday) for most of the year. Apologies to the brits out here, DH is british but London is just not my cuppa tea... But BUT if DH ever agreed to go back to Sydney, I would go right now..even though money will be much less there, lifestyle is amazing compared to Dubai. tahm would you be kind enough to look at the post re oz passports for me pls :) I wouldn't live in London either but then I'm from rural Scotland which is gorgeous. There are fantastic parts of the UK and it certainly doesn't rain "all the time" We are going home in 2 weeks time and will be glad to see the back of the ME. Where I live offers a far superior lifestyle to what we have in Doha. Just depends on what people regard as good lifestlye. DH and I have been plagued with chesty coughs since we came to Doha with the thin air and dust. Looking forward to clean fresh air, a better choice of food and being back amongst family and friends. :)
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 21:46
erm blue skies, beautiful weather, amazing people, diverse cultures, so much to see and do (still discovering things after almost 3 years) , friendly and welcoming place...i would stay even if i was saving zero! Sounds like Perth, Western Australia :) Awwwww, are you from Perth? me too:) Sandgroper through and through :)
Anonymous (not verified)
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 21:36
We would still stay here, simply because the lifestyle here is better than what we had in the London. We would be crammed in a tiny 2 bed apartment with cold, gloomy,dam weather and ill, miserable children (who are locked home coz it's raining almost everyday) for most of the year. Apologies to the brits out here, DH is british but London is just not my cuppa tea... But BUT if DH ever agreed to go back to Sydney, I would go right now..even though money will be much less there, lifestyle is amazing compared to Dubai. tahm would you be kind enough to look at the post re oz passports for me pls :)
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 21:33
After returning to Dubai from the Uk for Christmas, I can definetly say I would stay here even if money was not being saved. UK -drab, cold, miserable bla bla bla- I'm here for as long as possible. There is nothing about the Uk(home) that I miss. *like*. I think before deciding to move back to any country of your choice, you should visit the country at its worst time (and stay for a few weeks), then you might change your mind. We were thinking of going back to the UK, went and spent a month there, decided we are much better off here....little things we never minded before was rather annoying this time around.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 21:29
We would still stay here, simply because the lifestyle here is better than what we had in the London. We would be crammed in a tiny 2 bed apartment with cold, gloomy,dam weather and ill, miserable children (who are locked home coz it's raining almost everyday) for most of the year. Apologies to the brits out here, DH is british but London is just not my cuppa tea... But BUT if DH ever agreed to go back to Sydney, I would go right now..even though money will be much less there, lifestyle is amazing compared to Dubai.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 21:11
We haven't saved anything since we got here in September, but for us, it's a matter of a job or no job.. Ditto!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 20:58
I never thought I would say this, but YES, YES, YES! I really do like it here. Having said that it did take me a couple of years to adjust and I will be the first to admit that I was most definitely a Dubai Hater. Love it now, though! (will add that my DH is SHOCKED by complete 180!) What was it that suddenly made you love it though, was it a change in circumstances? Hurray is right, kelly1814!! I will add that it wasn't easy but I appreciate the good thing Dubai has to offer and try not to sweat the rest. To answer your question, jwal, I think it was a combination of working hard at finding a career that I love (I left a wonderful job back home to follow my husband here) and having a baby (I think Dubai is wonderful for small children). The career part was not easy as there is not a lot in the way of professional development out here and it did take me a couple of years. But, I am here now and I am trying to make the most of this experience!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 20:54
We don't safe money, I'm not working (mum) and things are much more expensive here. It's only for DHs career that we are abroad. But it's not so bad here as I thought in the beginning, it's just more complicated to organize everything. But I'm still looking forward to go back home.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 20:43
After returning to Dubai from the Uk for Christmas, I can definetly say I would stay here even if money was not being saved. UK -drab, cold, miserable bla bla bla- I'm here for as long as possible. There is nothing about the Uk(home) that I miss.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 20:07
I'd stay for awhile if we weren't saving money because we're here for the experience. We're saving quite a lot but that won't influence our decision to stay or go. We're just about ready to leave as been here a couple of years and for us I know that home is a much nicer place to be which we've come to appreciate after living here. Also, we love the outdoors but that's what I miss being in Dubai. I feel like we're stuck inside (or worse, stuck in shopping malls) for at least 6 months of the year. <em>edited by Sausage on 05/01/2011</em>
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 19:44
Tough choice in todays job/economic climate. On the one hand, here we are employed, with regular income and while not flash at all our 'lifestyle' is good, in that it suits us, we're outdoors, camping and travelling every time we can. However this month, we've the school fees. bus fees, rent cheque, christmas, a holiday, and daughters b'day. Pot noodles for us! At 'home' say, we'd just not have managed all of it, pot noodles or not. Soooo, for now it's here for us as it offers at least some form of stability however fragile. Give us an opportunity to experience another country who may offer us an equal salary etc with more 'benefits', well...we'd still think long and hard. We love the outdoors here, kiddo thinks it's her country, other jobs showing up (in other countries) have massive pitfalls re tax, education- worse than here-and I think it just has to be studied on a case by case basis, by each individual. If we were going backwards, I'd be paying up and gone. Keeping afloat and maybe saving a bit for now? I'd stay. Funnily enough, whilst employed out here youre probably more likely to encounter opportunities or people that may lead you to new jobs, new fields, world wide. Not sure if I can say the same for home right now.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 19:23
Most are here to make money, this is not a place to settle down long term and make roots, its a for a while place.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 19:21
We haven't saved anything since we got here in September, but for us, it's a matter of a job or no job.. same here, still paying off debt from running 2 houses(one in uk and one here) as DH moved to Dubai in mar 10 and I moved here aug 10. hopefully will start to save from feb!!!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 19:17
No not at all.. the title might give that impression, but trust me, I own no designer clothes, and don't live lavishily, but this book taught me a simple approach to my finances. It's about breaking down your monthly expenses, and looking at it from a different angle. If as you say you really are living on the breadline, then like other say, you should head back home where you have more security as here debt can lead to jail. But if you want to try a different approach, then this book has a good approach. It also includes simple things like the other poster said, saying your coins, looking for secondary income (which i have found in Dubai.. I now teach one or twice a month of an evening at a local college), and lots of other tips. I thought i'd throw it out there to you as another option to look at. Even if you move back home, initally it would be tough, as i'm assuming you'd have to look for work, set up a home, etc etc all that costs and the budget tips in the book can help. thanks for the link. i read a bit available on amazon and it looks interesting. can you buy it here? I brought it here, i'm sure if you took the title into the big book shop in Dubai Mall they would have it or order it in for you.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 19:00
much as I enjoy day-to-day life here, if there weren't any savings to be made, there'd be no point in being here. I am lucky to live in a place in the UK where I'm actually closer to the sea than I am here and have far more on offer in terms of facilities, good healthcare, good schools, the lot. We're planning on going back for when DD starts school, because it's at that point that the balance will tip. The weather is the least of my concerns...
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 18:27
I never thought I would say this, but YES, YES, YES! I really do like it here. Having said that it did take me a couple of years to adjust and I will be the first to admit that I was most definitely a Dubai Hater. Love it now, though! (will add that my DH is SHOCKED by complete 180!) or a 360!
Anonymous (not verified)
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 18:15
I never thought I would say this, but YES, YES, YES! I really do like it here. Having said that it did take me a couple of years to adjust and I will be the first to admit that I was most definitely a Dubai Hater. Love it now, though! (will add that my DH is SHOCKED by complete 180!) What was it that suddenly made you love it though, was it a change in circumstances?
 
 

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