Dubai: Every week, my mom sits in our comfy sofa with her glasses on, taking one booklet from a pile of similar ones – pen in hand. We usually make fun of her, for looking very serious and teacher-like, as she marks, circles and crosses out things in four or five different booklets.
Each booklet is one of the promotional offers brochures that supermarkets in the area distribute to residential buildings – you might have seen them in your reception area and ignored them. These - along with a few well-planned SMS subscriptions and Facebook page alerts - are what help my mom buy everything we need, and want, on a budget.