Cairo Embassy

[UmmSqueakster 54]

You're right. I don't want that to hold us up.

I never understood the whole conversion thing. I didn't do too well in Economics. I mean I know that 1 us dollar = 5.whatever pounds but I always thought it was all relative, you know? Like I figured still, 1 pound bought them the same there as 1 dollar would here. Someday I'll look all this up. . . in my spare time with two kids...hahahahahaha

It buys even less when you look at it that most egyptians earn a pitance compared to americans. I mean here, we earn $1000+ a month. Egyptians are lucky to earn 500+ LE. While it was always a wonderful escape for me to go and eat out everyday, buy 10 scarves in one pop and take a taxi as opposed to a minibus, my poor husband was having an anurism as I spent the equivilent of his monthly salary in a few days.

[doodlebug 3]

You're right. I don't want that to hold us up.

I never understood the whole conversion thing. I didn't do too well in Economics. I mean I know that 1 us dollar = 5.whatever pounds but I always thought it was all relative, you know? Like I figured still, 1 pound bought them the same there as 1 dollar would here. Someday I'll look all this up. . . in my spare time with two kids...hahahahahaha

It buys even less when you look at it that most egyptians earn a pitance compared to americans. I mean here, we earn $1000+ a month. Egyptians are lucky to earn 500+ LE. While it was always a wonderful escape for me to go and eat out everyday, buy 10 scarves in one pop and take a taxi as opposed to a minibus, my poor husband was having an anurism as I spent the equivilent of his monthly salary in a few days.

That's kind of what I thought too. I mean I don't know what he makes a month (nor do I think he knows since he works for himself and doesn't do accounting...drives me batty!!!), but I think it's near about 200 to 300LE per week or something so that would be a big chunk of change.

[Together4ever 1]

We spent $100 at the grocery store last Sunday and I thought Mohammed was going to faint. "Honey!!!! $100!!!! But we didn't even really BUY anything!!!!!!" Yup. Zactly...

[ya falaha! 0]

We spent 98LE (about $18) at Carrefour. Moh was like All we bought was candy, snacks and hot sauce.

Because of my ####### retentiveness I had Moh hand sign his 325g and send me two sets of passport photos for the petitions. He had to send this stuff, twice, because of my unpreparedness. This cost my poor husband a total of 650LE. Half a month's income.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

We spent $100 at the grocery store last Sunday and I thought Mohammed was going to faint. "Honey!!!! $100!!!! But we didn't even really BUY anything!!!!!!" Yup. Zactly...

My husband gets worried when I spend $50 a week at the grocery store. I figure $25 worth of food per person per week isn't too much. I suppose we could eat mac n cheese every day and be cheap, but even I, macncheese lover extrodinaire, would get sick of it eventually.

[ya falaha! 0]

I spend $50+ a week on food for myself Of course, I do make and take my own lunches so I don't have the added expense of buying lunch from out.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Because of my ####### retentiveness I had Moh hand sign his 325g and send me two sets of passport photos for the petitions. He had to send this stuff, twice, because of my unpreparedness. This cost my poor husband a total of 650LE. Half a month's income.

DH insisted on paying for his embassy fee (600+LE), and for the TNT fees (that we had to pay for twice), as well as our apartment in Cairo for my visit in June 2005 to prepare all the visa stuff. My heart ached, because it's so much for them. I mean, with my plane ticket and everything I spent when I was there, it still was just one month's salary, but for him, it was so much more.

I never saw a Carrefour in Cairo When my family was there, we shopped at Metro, but when it was just me, I was happy as a clam to go to the local hole in the wall place, and even happier when I could just eat take out koshari

[ya falaha! 0]

We went to Carrefour in Alex. I'm an Alex girl. They do have a Carrefour near Cairo but I forget which city.

Moh also paid for all his courier, visa, translation, etc. fees. It's crazy how much everything cost in comparison to how much he actually earns per month. He spent over a month's salary on that stuff.

[m&n 0]

Carrefour in Cairo is in El-Qatamiya.....about 15 minutes from el-Maadi and 15 minutes from el-Moqattum

We went to Carrefour in Alex. I'm an Alex girl. They do have a Carrefour near Cairo but I forget which city.

Moh also paid for all his courier, visa, translation, etc. fees. It's crazy how much everything cost in comparison to how much he actually earns per month. He spent over a month's salary on that stuff.

[doodlebug 3]

We shopped at the Metro once too but to be honest I had my expectations too high. I was planning on making my riccotta stuffed tomatoes and there was no ricotta to be found in all of Cairo. Actually every recipe I brought never saw the day of light because I couldn't find at least one of the ingredients. I was assured by the peeps on egyptsearch that it wouldn't be a problem but maybe that's only if you're able to find a Carrefour or whatever the name is.

Usama is insisting on paying his airfare and all other fees as well. That's partly why he's so strapped out now. I put my foot down about my trip in July though and insisted that we spend the 9 days at the Marriott Rennaisance in alex since it's only $100/night. He couldn't object this time around since he saw how I freaked at having to flush my own toilet and seeing the cockroaches, etc. I think he thinks I'm high maintenance now. lol

[ya falaha! 0]

You're lucky you could talk Usama into letting you pay for a nice hotel. Moh has too much friggin pride to let me do that stuff. I have to tough it out with the sorsar and no flushing toilet. He said to me...If I can't afford it, we're not doing it. Ah well maybe by the time we go back for a visit together we can get a nice hotel room or furnished flat in Alex, isa.

[jordanianprincess 0]

Rahma how the heck do you only spend $50 a week???? I can easiely, without even trying, spend $150 at the grocery store. I grabbed a few items the other day for a superbowl party I went to and that came out to $50

[UmmSqueakster 54]

LOL, I'm going to have to direct my husband towards this thread. I usually get the weekly ad, and plan meals around whatever is onsale. When chicken, fish, pizza or frozen ground turkey is on sale, I'll stuff the freezer full.

[doodlebug 3]

Ok granted I have two growing daughters but for the three of us I spend $150/week on groceries. In addition to that we eat out twice/week which ends up being around $30 a whack and I buy lunch each day for around $8/day. I'm too tired to add that all up but then there's also my coffee that I buy each morning along with my big gulp break I take around 3pm each day.

[jordanianprincess 0]

LOL, I'm going to have to direct my husband towards this thread. I usually get the weekly ad, and plan meals around whatever is onsale. When chicken, fish, pizza or frozen ground turkey is on sale, I'll stuff the freezer full.

Wait....$50 and you are buying all that and you have a full freezer? Are you light eaters or something? You should be a personal shopper.

Ok granted I have two growing daughters but for the three of us I spend $150/week on groceries. In addition to that we eat out twice/week which ends up being around $30 a whack and I buy lunch each day for around $8/day. I'm too tired to add that all up but then there's also my coffee that I buy each morning along with my big gulp break I take around 3pm each day.

Thankfully my company caters lunch daily now so that saves me a bunch of money on my car insurance.

Edited February 9, 2007 by jordanianprincess