Salman Qureishi talks managing finances as a freelance actor, comedian, and father

On this episode of #MySarwaStory, we sit down with Salman Qureshi – one of the funniest guys in Dubai, by profession (he’s an actor and comedian). He also runs a comedic podcast, “Expat Brat,” talking about what’s going on in the world with a pint of humour.

Salman describes himself as a “spender.” But having a family and a child, Salman and his wife have become more mindful of their finances, managing their money together.

“If they made ‘Legally Blonde’ again, but with a guy, I’d be the dude,” Salman said jokingly about his money habits.

Talking about his financial habits, Salman shares that he has put some cash into a long-term investment strategy. Besides having some money kept in a bank account and stocks, he also put some savings into crypto, a fairly new ground to explore.

“I think it’s quite exciting, to be honest,” says Salman, explaining that he views crypto as a way to diversify his investment portfolio.

He also revealed he wants to invest in a property, but seeing himself as a nomad, he does not know where he and his family would spend their lives on a long-term basis. That is why he has been putting off buying a house for now. He does not want to buy a house as an investment but rather a place to live for his family.

Salman reveals that his family supports his being a freelancer (rather than having a stable 9 to 5 job). Being a freelancer and depending on different gigs, Salman learned to manage his income and have some savings put away when he does not perform as much, which is usually summertime in Dubai or, in the previous year, during the pandemic. Thanks to the savings he had previously, he could “buffer for the storm,” as he puts it, talking about the coronavirus crisis.

Besides his comedy gigs, Salman is developing an online store to have as an extra source of income.

Plug in your headphones and watch the full interview on our YouTube page, or if you’re on-the-go you can listen to it on your favorite podcast streaming platform (such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Anghami).