Families in DXB

[Marsellus]

Guys and Girls,

Can anyone share the expensive side of having your family in DXB? I/ We know DXB and are aware of the expensive stuff. But can someone explain the little hidden things that adds up on a monthly basis. Is it really that difficult with EK's cash?

Thanks.

[skyvan]

Marsellus,

For someone who isn't at EK, you seem to show a huge amount of interest in declaring the current pilot's don't know what they're talking about.

It would appear that you are very pro-management, and very probably nothing more than mere management troll.

[Marsellus]

Skyvan

you are wrong.

I have nothing to do with management in EK.

Like others- I have certain questions that are still open.

I never said that people here don't know what they are talking about. I have said thats this is all very personal.

Its a shame that this forum only hides people like you. Also very negative and calling me a troll.

Why are you thread drifting my thread to your own negative experience.

Can you not just stay with my question and actually provide me with details?

[Buford]

Activities for kids are expensive. Music lessons - 1700dh for a term of 30min lessons, swim squad twice a week 2000dh/term. There are 3 terms in the year, so you can do the math. There are no "community" activities or sports centers so you will pay for anything extra-curricular and nearly all sports are "for profit" organizations. Emirates won't cover 100% of school fees - some fees are way beyond the Emirates allowance. Getting a "good" school isn't guaranteed and many kids attend various schools throughout their time here as parents realize how bad some of them are. Once kids near university/college many parents are realizing that their kids are now considered "international students" in their home countries - especially if parents are still based in Dubai. These are just some of the many expenses. Others include school uniforms, school trips, and the many "charity events" parents are expected to contribute to. Friends of ours sat down and figured out they were spending about 25,000dh a year on two kids and extra-curricular activities - this would not be an isolated case - we are probably about the same! Food costs for a family of four are easily 2000dh/month and our kids aren't teenagers yet.

[Saltaire]

"Food costs for a family of four are easily 2000dh/month and our kids aren't teenagers yet."

Try 5000 drm. At a minimum.

Good points and all true. Dubai is not cheap with kids. It's a good expat life overall but you pay for all activities as mentioned.

[jidder]

I agree with Skyvan, you are a troll.

In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people,[1] by posting inflammatory,[2] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response[3] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.[4]

To comment on such things as you have you need to have experienced them. You pass comment on matters in which you have no experience. You have tried to hijack many threads on this forum this evening. This has highlighted by more than one person. So I guess it's all of us guys that are "Mad" and not you.

Please I welcome you to to the Greedy company and will be the first to laugh :p when you get screwed because you can't listen to those with experience :ok:

J:E

[Rim-job]

I agree with Saltaire,

You are looking at a minimum of 5000AED for food each month for a family of 4. And I stress, that's an absolute minimum. I would plan more in the range of 6000AED to be realistic.

And that does't include the odd night out for you and the family or you and the misses (1000AED+).

Unless you want to live like a hermit. People do but it's a very boring existence.

[Schnowzer]

He's not a troll but a Wannabee with an opinion. In Feb he was querying about Qatar applications. As the say "opinions are like arseholes, everyone has one and they usually stink"

[Plazbot]

I echo that 5000 is pretty close. Brunches etc are extra to that. On the topic of food, I have noticed in the last year that there are many little Web based stores selling 'food from home'. These cost pretty close to double what they cost in home countries. I always have a chuckle when I pick up something at the supermarket and the box has preprinted price on it. An example is the £1 fish fillets that sell for 20 dirhams.

As for kids activities, 1 child for 2 X 1 hour tennis lessons a week for 4 months is 2015 dirhams. Convert that as required.

[Buford]

Yeah, I think I was thinking back to 2005 when I said 2000dh/month on food. Definitely closer to 5000dh on groceries...eating out is extra on top of that. If your kids are really young and you want them to attend pre-school one or two days a week Emirates won't pay anything until they're 4 years old. Pre-school can cost just as much as regular school!

[airbusgirl66]

What costs so much with kids...

Food...it's expensive here.
Sports activities
entertainment in general - nothing is free
birthday parties
uniforms
music lessons
school trips...and I'm not talking about going to the zoo
like someone mentioned above...the many charity events schools put on
additional school costs & fees that are over the EK allowance or not covered
Travel expenses...staff tickets are not free and rather costly
tickets to go home..on our ALT EK doesn't cover to our home airport
additional medical insurance coverage for the children (as EK lowered the monetary amount children are covered up to a few years back)

Dubai is expensive, and with children it's VERY expensive.

[Marsellus]

Thanks guys and girls,

Hopefully more people will add info.

jigger, are you not supposed to fly so many hours!?? You are a troll as per your own copied text. Don't reflect and mirror your own behavior on me. Trying to get emotional comment from me.

This my last message to you Peace & Love.

[lol777]

All the info looks good. My question is. Will me and my wife and 2 kids 8 and 5 be able to survive on a flydubai or EK salary. Will we be able to go see a movie very now and then and go for dinner. Will we be able to live and have a bit of fun during the month.

[falconeasydriver]

lol777, it all depends on your expectations. If you want to "live the life" i.e. lots of toys, that nice new Q7 or RRover etc, wife in new designer gear each week after a visit to the salon, then forget it.
If you are happy with good friends and a BBQ (brai etc) and a few beers or wines et al, then yes you can cover costs and save a bit.
The trick I've found is to not buy into the BS, plus I sent the family home, took the housing allowance at EK.

[Marsellus]

Falcon, did you buy or rent a place? I've read that the landlords can be very painful?

[falconeasydriver]

Maresellus I rent, I don't live in Dubai anymore, I live about 40 minutes away where the rent is about 60-70% less for a comparable apartment. Given that I spend between 6-8 days a month in the UAE, and the rest elsewhere it works fine for me. I have friends in Dubai, but apart from that I have as little to do with the place as I possibly can. From my perspective, the better the English spoken, the better the landlord. I'm posting this BTW from my garden that backs onto a small wood. Tomorrow I'll take my kids to school in a normal town populated my normal people, it is the best option as far as I'm concerned, I'd rather sacrifice some family time rather than subject them to the shallow plastic existence that typifies many expats living in Dubai.

[aileron droop]

falcon:

how is it working out for you.. i.e in terms of driving back and forth to the airport are there activities for the wife when u leave?? from what i understand u dont get transportation once outside a certain perimeter. is your monthly rent fixed or is there an increment ? what will your advice be for an f.o with a wife and an unborn child.
thanks

[falconeasydriver]

Aileron Droop, my wife and kids haven't lived in the UAE for the past 18 months. As for how is it working out, well for me and my family it is infinitely better than when we lived here full time. The company will collect and drop you off anywhere within Dubai, so in that respect I merely park at a convenient location and get collected from there.
As for rent, I pay that 4 times a year and it is fixed for each year I sign.
My advice would be stay away if you want to be a dad to your unborn child, you will be worked into an early grave here.
I'm presently doing what I'm doing until my money bucket gets full enough and then I will be gone faster than a raindrop on a June day in Dubai.

[aileron droop]

falcon.

thanks for the advice brother , i hope u reunite with them faster than that raindrop. this job burns out our time faster than anything

[Marsellus]

Falcon

If the annual leave is difficult in EK. When do you see your family. Must be hard. Are you living in Sharjah?

[lol777]

Falcon i left you a PM. Where are you from if I may ask

[wrightnow]

After 6 years in DXB, now living in RAK by the Golf Course. For those of you looking for cashflow while preparing the exit, it's an option: 1hr15min drive to B-Building at training college, 60K rent....makes 130K for you p.a. I enjoy the place and more and more drivers are coming out here.

[falconeasydriver]

Wrightnow, you must be in a villa?

[wrightnow]

Townhouse 150 sqm, 2BR, little garden. Big enough for family visits.