Don’t you find it extraordinary how quickly stuff accumulates in cupboards? Before you know it, you have no idea what’s actually lurking inside them.
A jam-packed kitchen cupboard should mean that it’s stashed full of food that you can actually eat. Instead, what it invariably means is that it’s full of stuff that you’ve forgotten about. So don’t forget to have a good clear-out of the cupboards every six months or so. That way, you will know what you’ve actually got and you will actually use it.
The same is true when it comes to the fridge and freezer – make sure that they don’t become graveyards for food that you buy with the best intentions but then promptly forget all about.
When you’ve emptied out all the rubbish from a cupboard, to try to avoid clutter quickly accumulating again, decant packets into jars and label them, so that you can quickly see what you’ve got and what you’re running out of. That way you won’t keep buying stuff you’ve already got.
* Taken from Simply Wonderwoman: A Survival Guide for Women with Too Much to Do (Kyle Books) by Joanna Gosling, Dh103, www.amazon.com
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The five pillars of Islam
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How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
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