The cost of living in the UAE is rising due to inflation. Khaleej Times recently spoke to expatriates from all walks of life in the UAE to find out how these UAE residents are saving money despite the rising cost of living in the UAE.
Efraim Santos, a Brazilian who has lived in Saudi Arabia for more than two years, shares some money-saving tips.
Efraim likes to shop at different grocery stores, and he considers three grocery stores located near his home. He points out that some items are more affordable at these different grocery stores. Over the past few months, he has conducted detailed research and now knows which items to buy from which grocery store.
Efraim found that joining social media groups can save a lot of money. He said, "I joined some Facebook and Whatsapp groups where expats share the discounts they found. I once bought the water bottle I wanted at almost half the price, and also saved a lot of money on bags and shoes." However, Efraim stressed the need to be patient and wait for the good products to come. He wrote, "It takes patience and waiting for the good products to come. But once we find these discounts, we can enjoy great prices and save a lot of money compared to buying them in traditional stores." In addition to saving money, Efraim also found that joining social media groups can make a lot of new friends. He said, "Through these groups, I met a lot of people from different countries, we help each other and share information and experiences." In summary, joining social media groups is a very useful and interesting task that can help us save money and meet new people. Of course, we need to be patient and screen carefully to ensure that we are in a group that is truly interesting and useful.
Amayoy and Mitchay Malilay are Dubai residents from the Philippines. Here’s how they save money:
In terms of the budget, they emphasized: "We allocate 50% of our expenses to meet daily necessities such as housing, food, public expenses, health care and car payments. Then, we allocate 30% to additional needs, Also keep 20% for savings.”
Their meal prep approach involves preparing ingredients for the following week's meals at the end of each week, which avoids unnecessary eating out or ordering in.
Mohammed Iqbal, an Indian expatriate living in Dubai, shares some tips on saving money.
Wholesale is an essential step when buying fruits and vegetables.For a family of six, it is very important to go to Al Aweer Fruit and Vegetable Market for weekly shopping.Compared with supermarkets, wholesale from the market can save about 40% of the cost.
He recommends shopping in the discount section of the supermarket. "When I go to the supermarket at the weekend, most supermarkets have a discount section where you can find good discounts. Also, if you need to buy household cleaning supplies, he always shops on Amazon, where there are usually good discounts. Especially for floors Products such as detergents and washing up liquids.
