The Time-Travel Money Method: Tomorrow First, Yesterday Second, Today Last

A Fresh Take on Financial Management

It's Friday evening at Jumeirah Beach in Dubai. The sunset paints the sea in billionaire gold, and the smell of grilled lobster floats through the air. You're holding a 20 dirham iced latte, scrolling through your phone at a bank notification showing -5,000 dirhams. Suddenly it hits you: "Where did last month's salary go?"

Congratulations! You've just unlocked the ultimate adult philosophical question: "There's no such thing as a free lunch." Today, we're not talking about Warren Buffett or memorizing charts. Instead, let's explore how to transform from a "broke-by-payday" lifestyle into a "Dubai millionaire mindset" – starting with this age-old saying.

Chapter 1: Good Days Don't Fall From the Sky (Unless You're Dubai Royalty)

"Everyone wants to live the good life, but it won't just drop from the sky."

This truth is like my mom's bone broth – smells amazing, but you don't realize it's scalding until you take that first sip. When Jo first moved to Dubai in 2022 with a 25,000 dirham salary, she rented a small apartment across from Burj Al Arab, thinking the "high life" meant ordering Zuma delivery every day. The result? Three months later, her bank balance could barely cover a box of strawberries (and we're talking the expensive Egyptian imports).

Theory #1: The Instant Gratification Trap

My Expensive Lesson:

Nobel laureate Richard Thaler discovered that our brains release three times more dopamine from "pleasure now" compared to "pleasure later." Translation: You'd rather eat lobster today than wait three months to eat lobster AND drink champagne. Dubai is the ultimate amplifier of instant gratification – malls open 24/7, delivery in 30 minutes, zero down payment credit cards... It's a minefield!

During the 2023 Black Friday sale, I fell for a 12,000 dirham Dyson vacuum cleaner (yes, a vacuum!). I chose the 12-month payment plan at 1,000 dirhams per month. That night, lounging on my couch binge-watching shows, I thought: "This thing will suck away all my problems!"

Reality check? Three months later, I realized it only sucked away my cash flow. I eventually sold it on a resale app, losing 4,000 dirhams, and gained one life lesson: "Even the most expensive vacuum can't suck away the stench of being broke."

Chapter 2: No Free Lunch, Plus the "Pay-Before-You-Eat" Dinner

"There's no free lunch" doesn't just remind us not to chase cheap deals – it has a deeper, more painful meaning: If you want good food, you need to do your homework and practice cooking. Same with money management – if you want to feast on "financial freedom," you first need to learn how to "chop onions" (manage your cash flow).

My neighbor Alaa (not his real name), a local Dubai guy from old money, earns 40,000 dirhams monthly plus family dividends. In 2023, he became obsessed with "crypto wealth," studying charts until 3 AM every night, swearing: "One more month and I'll have financial freedom!"

The outcome? When Bitcoin dropped from $100K to $60K in 2024, his account evaporated by 70%. Now he sells dates from a stand outside his house, telling everyone: "There's no free lunch in crypto – just free vegetables for cutting."

Theory #2: Overconfidence Bias

Research shows 80% of retail investors believe they can beat the market, but only 10% actually do. Alaa is the textbook example: He confused "research" with "effort" while ignoring risk management. Real effort is spending 10 minutes daily tracking expenses, not scrolling through 10 hours of crypto influencer content.

Chapter 3: The Time-Travel Financial Sorting Method: Tomorrow First → Yesterday Second → Today Last

Here comes the main event! Think of your household budget like a pot of chaotic stew with taxes, loans, utilities, water, electricity, living expenses... To make it clear broth, you need to add ingredients in the right order.

The financial world's "zen rabbit" has summarized a golden rule:

"Tomorrow first, yesterday second, today last." In plain English:

1. Tomorrow First: Feed the Hen to Guarantee Future Eggs → Priority Investment Accounts

Action Checklist:

• After receiving your salary each month, immediately transfer 20% to investment accounts (like Vanguard Global ETF or local REITs)

• Build an emergency fund covering 6 months of living expenses (in a high-interest savings account)

My Comeback Story:

In 2024, I had enough. I set up automatic transfers: Right after my salary hit, 5,000 dirhams went to investments, 3,000 dirhams to emergency fund. The result? When layoffs hit the company in 2025, I calmly sipped coffee while updating my resume because I had 150,000 dirhams of "lifesaver money." Meanwhile, Alaa was taking high-interest loans to buy more Luna 2.0...

2. Yesterday Second: Pay Debts + Manage Assets → Handle Credit, Property Fees, Taxes and Other "Historical Issues"

Action Checklist:

• List all debts and pay them off from highest to lowest interest rate (credit cards > personal loans > mortgages)

• Set up automatic payments for property fees and utilities to avoid late penalties

Friend's Success:

My friend Mei owed 50,000 dirhams across three credit cards in 2023, with interest snowballing monthly. Following advice, she sold her unused LV bag and paid off the highest-interest card first (18% annual rate), saving 800 dirhams monthly in interest. Now she uses that savings for cooking classes and makes amazing lobster pasta – a true "free lunch"!

3. Today Last: Arrange the Egg-Eating Matters → Living Expenses, Entertainment, Shopping Come Last

Action Checklist:

• Set a monthly budget cap for living expenses (for example, 5,000 dirhams)

• Use the cash envelope method for entertainment: Put 1,000 dirhams cash in an envelope monthly – when it's gone, it's gone

Quick Tip:

I now use a budgeting app and spend 10 minutes daily categorizing expenses. After discovering I spent 1,800 dirhams on delivery last month, I immediately banned myself from ordering out. Now I cook every Sunday – costs plummeted, and the taste rivals Michelin restaurants!

Final Thoughts: Be a Zen Rabbit That Lays Golden Eggs

Friends, financial management isn't mystical – it's simply a "Tomorrow First, Yesterday Second, Today Last" sorting game.

• Tomorrow is your investment account (the hen) – feed it first

• Yesterday is your debt (old bills) – clean them up promptly

• Today is your living expenses (the eggs) – eat them last

Remember: Good days won't fall from the sky, but they will grow from your automatic transfers.

Next time you spot a 5,000 dirham bag at a Dubai mall, ask yourself three questions:

1. Is my "hen" well-fed?

2. Are my "old debts" cleared?

3. Can this bag lay eggs?

If the answers are "no, no, and no," then smile, put it down, and head to the Food Court next door for a 20 dirham shawarma instead – at least that won't leave you broke by month's end.