15 Effective Money Saving Tips for Moms in the UAE

Raising a family in Dubai can be challenging, but some proven money saving tips for moms make managing finances and preparing for unexpected events easier.

Living in Dubai can feel like a rollercoaster ride for expat moms. Even though most expats in the UAE may have more disposable income than they did in their home countries, living expenses in the Emirates are high. So, when it comes to raising a family here, are there any money saving tips for moms that actually work?

In fact, there are plenty, and it's important to understand that saving money is no magic trick; rather, it requires taking small yet firm steps toward financial stability, as well as knowing the tricks to frugal living without losing quality.

High cost of living, education expenses, healthcare costs, housing costs, debt and loans, childcare expenses, and limited access to financial products are all challenges many expat moms in the UAE have to deal with regularly.

For that reason, in this article, we’ve compiled a list of simple, applicable, yet effective money saving tips supported by professional advice from seasoned expats and financial experts. You’ll learn the following 15 money-saving tips for moms:

  1. Set Up a Savings Plan
  2. Build an Emergency Fund
  3. Reduce School Fees
  4. Spend Less on Family Activities
  5. Talk to Your Kids About Money
  6. Rotate Clothes Instead of Overbuying
  7. Take Another Look at Your Grocery List
  8. Buy Groceries in Bulk
  9. Make a Meal Plan
  10. Embrace the Power of Saving Habits
  11. Make Money In Your Spare Time
  12. Adopt Cost-Effective Shopping  Techniques
  13. Review Your Personal Finances
  14. Work Out At Home
  15. Start with an Automated Savings App

[Want to easily start saving for your family's future by rounding up small amounts from daily purchases? Digital savings app MALY has the tools you need to become financially healthy. Download MALY for FREE on the App Store, Google Play and Huawei AppGallery to start a better relationship with money.]

1. Set Up a Savings Plan

Living in the UAE can provide an amazingly high quality of life for your family. But for some moms, it comes with an overload of emotional labor associated with ensuring your family can live well despite high costs.

Although it may seem daunting at first, setting up a savings plan is a powerful first step to help moms save more money in the UAE. The following steps can make the process easier:

  • List all your basic monthly expenses in decreasing order of importance. Start with essential expenses like house rent, bills, and food at the top, followed by less critical expenses such as buying new clothes.
  • Review the recent month's bank statements and bills to understand spending patterns and identify areas of potential saving.
  • Take note of all the debts, including credit debts, loans, and any outstanding obligations.
  • Calculate the total monthly income, considering the salary and any additional sources of income.
  • Create an excel sheet or use a budgeting tool to organize and track all the details and calculate the total essential spending.
  • Analyze the numbers and decide what can be cut off.
  • Once done, commit to setting aside a certain amount of money every month to directly debit into a savings account. This should be about 20% of your total income, but if that is too hard, you can start lower at 10%. What’s important is to document and stick to the plan.

Pro Tip

Financial experts advise using the 50/30/20 rule, where 50% of the income or salary will be dedicated to essential expenses such as house rent and groceries, 30% for non-essential expenses such as shopping and hobbies, and 20% for savings. Using a separate bank account for monthly or essential expenses is also advisable.

2. Build An Emergency Fund

Life is full of surprises, and living in the UAE is no exception. Sudden repairs, job loss, or unplanned medical expenses can shake a family’s finances.And in some cases, they can cost a fortune, negatively affecting one’s quality of life. The urgent yet undesirable solution would be borrowing money at high-interest rates to cover the costs.To avoid this, having an emergency fund would provide the freedom to navigate unexpected circumstances without relying on credit or loans.

Starting an emergency fund plan includes some essential steps, such as:

  • Use the 50/30/20 rule to put a portion of the 20% savings to the emergency plan.
  • Calculate the emergency fund target amount, usually six months’ worth of living expenses.
  • Set a date to achieve the emergency plan and stick to it
  • Use a different easy-to-access account for the emergency funds.
  • Allocate any available current money to the emergency fund to start the plan.

3. Reduce School Fees

Tuition fees are one of the biggest expenses for families living in the UAE.Annual fees can vary depending on the grade and curriculums, but they typically cost up to 15% of household income. School fees can, in general, range from  20,000 AED up to more than 100,000 AED.

Source: Schooling fees as a percentage of income in the UAE.

Such a high expense is a heavy financial burden that can be reduced by following some tips, such as:

  • Apply for staff discounts for families working or affiliated with educational institutions.
  • Ask for special last-minute discounts.
  • Look for sibling offers, as some institutions provide a discount for siblings in the same school.
  • Plan for getting scholarships, as many institutions provide full or partial scholarships with specific requirements.
  • Look for credit card discounts for school fees.

Finally, you should check to see if your employer can help with school fees. “The first thing to do is check employment packages carefully,” says Alison Soltani, CEO and Founder at Leap Savvy Savers. “Sometimes, it's more beneficial to take a lower salary if a discount off school fees is provided by the company.”

Source: Dubai school fees

4. Spend Less on Family Activities

The easiest and most effective trick for a money-saving mom is staying home and enjoying time together!Actually, stay-at-home moms, by doing the usual homework, save roughly AED 13,000 monthly, an impressive number considering the average current salaries.

Adding some exciting activities will make staying at home more enjoyable for moms and their families, such as having home games that gets everyone involved, like arts and crafts sessions or a family movie night with delicious homemade snacks.

Additionally, inviting some friends, especially if the kids attend the same school, would be a great opportunity to cut costs by arranging friend gatherings, scheduling kids' pickups from school, saving on gas, etc. “Children remember what they did with you and their friends, not what you gave them,” says Steve Cronin, Founder of Dead Simple Saving. “Research has backed this up time and again.”

Pro Tips

  • Replace expensive gifts with family homemade gifts and quality time together.
  • The UAE has many free public spaces; make use of them.

5. Talk to Your Kids About Money

Get the children involved in saving by teaching them about money and how to use it wisely.As a mom in the UAE, it might take extra effort to educate them about how to control spending money due to the highly commercial environment they’ll grow up in.

However, start training them early, try to simplify finances, and involve them in setting saving goals. Teach them to separate needs, such as food, and wants, such as new toys, and understand that they can’t always have what they want.

Pro Tips

  • Moms and dads should lead by example by demonstrating good financial habits and talking about money.
  • Give kids some control over their money by setting a daily or weekly spending cap.
  • Use visual demonstration to track saving progress to get the children's attention.
  • Offer your children some savings incentives like interest for a specific amount of savings.
  • Track your children's spending through prepaid debit cards.

6. Rotate Clothes Instead of Overbuying

Having kids, especially newborns, is an unforgettable experience, and most new moms can’t resist the urge to buy them new clothes and, as a result, increase expenses. Experienced moms have a different opinion, especially with the rate the kids grow would waste the new clothes for nothing. Some won’t even be worn!

Don’t overbuy things for newborns. Adopt the rotation rule, and rotate clothes, toys, and shoes from the older children to the youngest. It’s easier to convince the youngest to get the “Big Child” clothes and even be proud of it.“You don't have to show your love for your child by buying them everything you can find and everything they want. Is that really helping them in the future?” says Steve Cronin, Founder of Dead Simple Saving.

“There are so many second-hand markets in Dubai with high-quality clothes, books and toys. Mattresses, car seats and toothbrushes should be bought new - but that's about it. Your child won't care where something came from.”

  • Set a budget for clothing expenses and stick to it.
  • Take inventory of your children's clothing to determine what they need.
  • Prioritize quality and durability and buy items that last long.
  • Teach your children to handle their clothes carefully, following washing instructions to prolong their lifespan.

7. Take Another Look at Your Grocery List

Food is undoubtedly the most significant expense for moms, especially when caring for big families. Therefore, reviewing the grocery list and adopting good shopping habits is crucial to save on monthly expenses. Avoiding wastage of food and making smart grocery investments can make a substantial difference.

8. Buy Groceries in Bulk

The bigger the family, the bigger the grocery list and the expenses go high. Additionally, grocery shopping daily adds more stress and expenses, such as transportation.Therefore, to cut costs, consider buying groceries in bulk, especially supplies that will last for weeks or months. Instead of buying from the local supermarket, search and compare prices at top supermarkets such as VIVA Supermarket or Union Coop, which usually offer discounts on bulk quantities, reducing the grocery store bill.

Pro Tips

  • Stick to your pre-prepared grocery list; no temptations.
  • Eat before shopping, especially when heading to large wholesale stores.
  • Check and compare the small unit and large package prices. Sometimes, small ones are cheaper.
  • Shop from the bottom shelves as stores place high prices at top levels.
  • Pay attention to the expiration date as the grocery is intended to be stored for some time at home.
  • Plan the shopping moves in the big store as they usually put the essential goods such as dairy products and bread at the far corner, forcing shoppers to move through unhealthy goods shelves.
  • Buy meat in bulk and ask the butcher for the fresh and specific amount needed instead of prepackaged meat.
  • Review the grocery receipt for errors.

9. Make a Meal Plan

Cooking at home can greatly reduce costs.For example, a non-vegetarian meal can cost AED 50 at home, while the same meal at a restaurant can cost up to AED 110. Therefore, avoid eating out or fast food and make a weekly meal plan that can save money and stress, and make sure to include the required ingredients in the grocery bulk shopping list.

Pro Tips

  • Cook large quantities and freeze the leftovers for the next day.
  • Store and label leftovers to ensure they are consumed before expiration.
  • Use slow cookers or pressure cookers to save time and energy.
  • Add vegetarian or plant-based meals to the meal plan, as meat can be expensive.
  • Prepare homemade lunches for all family members instead of buying lunch daily.
  • Invest in reusable lunch containers and drink bottles to avoid single-use packaging.

10. Embrace the Power of Savings Habits

Saving is more of a regular habit that can be developed through commitment.

Therefore, no matter how much mothers in the UAE try to set a savings plan, adopting saving as a lifestyle is the best solution for success. It seems like a no-brainer, but people should never buy what they can’t afford. Initially, sticking to it can be difficult, but it is worth it in the long run.Most people can’t resist the allure of brands, but it’s essential not to fall into that trap. Ultimately, it’s all about utility; a bar of soap for AED 5 serves the same purpose as the AED 50 one. Consider other saving habits such as:

  • Save gas, use Metro Dubai, or walk if possible.
  • Control the usage of detergents and wash only full loads.
  • Turn off the lights in empty rooms.
  • Cancel any subscriptions that are not being used.
  • Maintain home appliances and find opportunities to save huge repair costs, such as fixing a small faucet leak before it becomes larger.

11. Make Money In Your Spare Time

Reducing expenses sometimes isn’t enough.So, generating extra money in your spare time can be a game-changer. Fortunately, there are many ways to earn money from home by identifying your talents and skills.Some of homemade income-generating ideas can include:

  • Engage in various freelancing opportunities, such as writing, proofreading, and online researching for clients and companies.
  • Earn extra income by reselling old gadgets, furniture, or clothes that are no longer needed or used.
  • Participate in website testing processes where individuals can get paid for testing interfaces and offering feedback to webmasters.
  • Provide babysitting services to other families, giving them peace of mind while earning money.

12. Adopt Cost-Effective Shopping Techniques

The best way to reduce costs and start saving is by shopping cost-effectively. Here are some good tips to follow:

  • Before swiping your credit card, make an effort and look for deals, as many stores in the UAE regularly offer discounts and special offers. Check social media or websites and pick the best deals.
  • Special discounts, such as student discounts, are dedicated to certain people, so ask for them and always look for a potential discount.
  • Take advantage of sales events, seasonal discounts, or holiday promotions, which can save a lot of money.
  • Many stores like Carrefour offer special programs that allow moms in the UAE to collect points and exchange them for money when checking out.
  • Keep all your shopping receipts to allow for cashback if something goes wrong; additionally, it helps verify bank statements to ensure you’ve been correctly charged.

13. Review Your Personal Finances

Saving money is a long journey that needs continuous work.

Therefore, building a habit to regularly monitor your finances is essential. Track expenses to record every dirham spent and identify areas where saving is possible. Also, evaluate income sources, including salary, additional income streams, and potential opportunities for increasing earnings.Review any outstanding debts, such as loans or credit card balances.

Make a comprehensive list of the debts, noting interest rates, minimum payments, and repayment terms. Create a strategic plan to manage and pay off debts systematically, prioritizing those with high-interest rates.The most important step is reviewing your financial goals, both short-term and long-term, assessing progress and adjusting your savings plan accordingly while seeking opportunities to increase savings.

14. Work Out At Home

Keeping in shape is a top concern for moms in the UAE.However, gym subscriptions aren’t cheap and require significant time that can’t be saved. Luckily, moms on a budget can stay fit with some cost-effective solutions, such as:

  • Doing free outdoor exercises such as running, walking, or cycling
  • Searching for a suitable routine using YouTube’s free online fitness programs and follow it.
  • Buying used exercise equipment such as treadmills or dumbbells.

15. Start with an Automated Savings App

Money-saving apps come in handy when you want to track spending and really commit to saving goals.New apps now help automatically transfer small deposits from daily purchases to a savings card.Indeed, apps like MALY are specifically designed to help busy moms easily build up their savings from daily spending, as well as set up monthly or weekly savings plans.

[Invest in your family's future with smart savings app MALY, which links to your UAE bank, automates savings from daily purchases, sets up easy saving plans, and helps you achieve financial wellness. Download MALY for FREE on the App Store, Google Play and Huawei AppGallery. Your future self will thank you!]

Takeaways

  1. Expat moms in Dubai face a high cost of living, including housing, education, and healthcare expenses.
  2. Setting up a structured savings plan can reduce financial stress and help manage expenses effectively.
  3. Although saving money in the UAE is not easy for everyone, it’s applicable with the right approach, even with small amounts monthly.
  4. Educating children about finances and involving them in saving goals can instill good money habits from an early age.
  5. Saving apps provide many services to help moms in the UAE save money while maintaining their daily routines.
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