While Covid-19 affected lighting designer Jaspal Bal directly, quarantine is helping him save up to Dh7,000 a month
Jaspal Bal, 39, is a British lighting designer who moved to Dubai 11 years ago. A year ago, he set up his own business, Light Link, based out of Dubai Marina Plaza, with clients including Snap and PwC. Mr Bal lives in his own three-bedroom villa in Arabian Ranches with his maths teacher wife Reena and 10-month-old daughter.
How did your upbringing shape your attitude to money?
A lot of people influenced me – a mix of savers and spenders. I’ve always been drawn to people who are successful but know how to have fun – spontaneity costs money. My mum and dad were factory workers and we moved around when I was a child, from Birmingham in England to northern Punjab in India when I was two, then back to England, to Derby and then to Nottingham. Then we got our own grocery stores. I spent my life living above shops in inner-city areas and my siblings and I (my older sister and younger brother) would help out a lot, either in the shop or going to the Cash & Carry to get stock.
