mentalist

If you shop at Lulus and Dragonmart and avoid costly brunches, you will be fine.

lullabelle

It's a shame Lionheart wasn't here as he could advise brilliantly re economising...

As some one who has cut right back over the last few months you could look at this scenario:

Car hire - 1600 for a yaris, 2000 for something nippier like a Honda civic. Was quoted 3000 for a Rav4. When I hired a Pajero for a month it was madly expensive.

Could you get a loan and buy a car? Much cheaper this way. My friend pays 1500 per month for a brand new big shiny 4wd something. Of course I'm assuming you don't have a car and you probably do but you included it in your list.

Petrol 400 month but I mostly just drive up and down the beach road.

Our basic du tv/Internet/phone package is 339 per month.

Food- even with really trying I reckon I spend about 700 a week, often more.

Beverages - about 500 month

Eating out is about 1200. I try not to but recently we have been out more as we want to visit places before we go.

Dewa - you'd have a villa so the Dewa is unlikely to go below 1000? my friends with villas seem to always have huge Dewa bills. I'd bank the 2,500 every month as a cushioned Dewa fund so that
you are not caught out in the summer.

So the above gets you to almost 9500 and that doesn't include toiletries, clothes, treats, shoes, classes etc. mind you, this is for 4 people, not two and there's no real good reason to eat out as much I suppose.

It's all doable but it's not going to be luxury living. It's crazy as I've just converted this to pounds and it's not a bad amount at all. Except here it doesn't seem to go so far....

Are you comfortable with that amount? Are you responsible for school uniforms, kids clothes, shoes, courses etc? That could make a huge difference.

Millhouse

it's more than the teachers get and they survive, save and get pissed frequently.

Spugsy

Sure you will petal, you'd be ok on that plus a bit more from your freelance.

Ethos83

But the teachers are 20somethings who aren't paying for expenses associated with children or dewa. What about holidays? Savings/investments?

MataHari can live off that income and even in some comfort but her quality of life is going to decrease substantially. This is a classic case of the housewife getting screwed in a divorce.

I'm sure she ignores me most of the time but I'd advise her to find a permanent job to supplement her income.

flares

or a sugar daddy

MataHari

hell yeah, that's more like it...sadly I only seem to meet total arseholes without any money.

Hello.Kitty

Hate to say it, but downsizing to a 2-bed apartment may be worth considering. There are some really nice ones and the DEWA especially never seems to go above 500aed a month, just make sure the A/C is included. Find one close to the Metro and you won't need your car so much either.

MataHari

I don't see how that would work, as then my 8 year old daughter will have to share with a 16 and an 18 year old boy, plus I will be having a maid, so that would all be a bit of a tight fit...
My daughters school is in Mirdif and I plan to stay there, decent villas are around 80,000 dhs...there's no metro in Mirdif.

Norm_uk

How about nice poor guys?

N.

MataHari

hmmmm...I'll have to think about that.

Ethos83

It is absolutely tacky to bring this up at this point in your divorce but since the subject has already been broached - I had a couple of single/divorced directors in Dubai who were looking for girlfriends and always complained about the lack of suitable (educated middle aged women) to date.

If you strut yourself out there I imagine you'd be surprised by who you can meet, especially with nice large packages.

Unfortunately they don't live in Mirdiff....

Jerseygirl

Norm_uk

Take you're time...I don't have any on offer or anything

N.

MataHari

that's not what I am told by single/divorced women I know...it's apparently very difficult to find a decent, non married guy in his 40s here...seems most guys that come here are out to have a good time, no commitment, live a bachelor type life after their divorce.
Think it's a difficult age anyway, as men in their 40s or even early 50s will probably look at women in their 30s.