Steve Cronin is the founder of WISE, a non-profit community helping expats invest sensibly. Pawan Singh / The National
Steve Cronin is the founder of WISE, a non-profit community helping expats invest sensibly. Pawan Singh / The National

The seven steps of effective budgeting



Commit

If you are hopeless at sticking to a financial plan, tell your significant other, parents or friends that you are creating a budget and are committing to stick to it. Invite them to judge your impressive budgeting skills in a few months’ time.

Understand

Allocate one hour to go through all your credit card, bank and phone statements. Highlight any large items and note any late payment or interest charges. Sticking to one hour will ensure you don’t keep putting this off.

Categorise

Identify your main types of costs – travel, food, rent, school, clothes, fun etc. Figure out roughly how much you spent on each over the past three months.

Chop

Figure out the large items that you can cut out easily without really affecting your life. Gym memberships, brunches, drinks, shoes, gadgets, credit card late payment fees and cable TV packages are common targets.

Budget

Create a budget for each category based on your recent months, minus the big items you can chop, and minus 10 - 20 per cent to reflect your newly disciplined self.

Test

Track how you do against your budget, being extra tough on yourself in this first month. Set aside some of what you save this first month as a reward to yourself. Use an app like Wally to make tracking easier.

Refine

At the end of the first month, figure out what worked and what didn’t. Pick one category per month to cut drastically. You may discover that category never needs to go back up again, as you learn to enjoy life without splashing the cash.

––––––––––––

Read more:

'We live on a shoestring in the UAE': Spendthrift expats reveal budget secrets

Dubai resident: 'I retired at 37 after achieving financial independence in two years'

Broke after the holidays? Here are 20 tips to get your finances back on track in the UAE

––––––––––––

Election pledges on migration

CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections" 

SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom" 

COMPANY PROFILE

Founders: Sebastian Stefan, Sebastian Morar and Claudia Pacurar

Based: Dubai, UAE

Founded: 2014

Number of employees: 36

Sector: Logistics

Raised: $2.5 million

Investors: DP World, Prime Venture Partners and family offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Tips to keep your car cool
  • Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
  • Park in shaded or covered areas
  • Add tint to windows
  • Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
  • Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
  • Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Results

6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah Group Two (PA) US$55,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Rasi, Harry Bentley (jockey), Sulaiman Al Ghunaimi (trainer).

7.05pm: Meydan Trophy (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,900m; Winner: Ya Hayati, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Bochart, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

8.15pm: Balanchine Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Magic Lily, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: Waady, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.

9.25pm: Firebreak Stakes Group Three (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.

10pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Eynhallow, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.