Sticking to a budget is even more important this year as many people may have to spend more for the same Raya expenses due to rising prices and inflation.
More often than not, we get carried away and forget the budget that we painstakingly drew up at the start of Ramadhan to ensure that we would definitely not break it this year – no matter what.
If you are tasked to shop for the family this Raya, we have come up with the ultimate Raya shopping guide that will help you keep your cash in your wallet, without sacrificing your Raya tradition!
1. Compare, compare, compare!
Whether you like to go on Raya shopping sprees in town or look for deals online, the first thing you need to do is compare prices.
Make sure to compare the prices for each store and find the best deal for your money. More than ever this year, most of this information is available online – so you don’t even have to move from your couch.
If you’re too lazy to check every website and do the comparison, then use sites like iPrice or Hargapedia who have already done all the work for you. iPrice compares prices for pretty much anything you want from leading online stores like Lazada, LazMall, Shopee, Zalora, and more.
Hargapedia is an extremely handy app that compares and monitors prices from 6,300 stores – including popular stores like AEON, Cold Storage, Mydin, and many, many more. They also have exclusive deals from their partners and offer shopping insights for you.
Once you’ve identified the goods that you want, remember that buying in bulk can be wallet-friendly. For the usual perishable food items that have a slightly longer shelf life, such as condensed milk, cookies, chocolates, and candy, you can buy in bulk when the prices are slashed in order to maximise on your savings.
2. Shop online
As many Malaysians have discovered in recent months, shopping online takes away a lot of hassle. It saves time, money, energy, fuel – the list goes on. Chalk up your list of things to buy, and then scout online. Check out sites like Shopee, Ezbuy, Lazada, and more – they have all already started on their Ramadhan/Raya sale.
Upon purchase, the items get delivered straight to your doorstep. If you buy above a certain amount, the shipping is also free! You can also check each website to see which site has a deal with your credit or debit card so you’re entitled to an additional discount.
Just make sure you don’t go on a clicking spree and buy more than you needed in the first place. You’ve made a list – so stick to it!
3. Shop with the right card
With the rising cost of living and wages that do not raise in tandem, the most obvious choice to survive is to tighten our belts.
However, you don’t need to sacrifice every single thing. There are ways you can still afford some of the previous luxuries. Getting a high cash back credit card for your daily expenses will help you slash off some of the price hikes. Some cards offer up to 10% cash back on groceries, petrol, and Grab rides, while others offer up to RM250 cashback. Pick wisely and you will save a tonne of money.
4. Envelope budgeting
Figuring out what we can afford to buy or how much we can save is a continuous process that is part of adulting and the difference is how disciplined we can be in following a budget.
There are many budgeting tips out there from the 50/30/20 method to the elimination budget but perhaps one of the simplest methods you can try is the envelope budget.
Raya preparations usually involves a lot of shopping, making sure you have everything you need. During your shopping craze, you can easily get lost and break the budget. But you can try this budgeting method while preparing for Raya.
Set how much you want to spend for Raya, and divide the money according to different categories. For example, you may allocate RM300 on baju raya, and RM500 on food for Raya, and RM200 on additional expenses (perhaps this year, there is no need to put aside money for travel expenses due to restrictions in place). Take the cash out from your account and put it into individual envelopes.
The most important part of this method? STICK TO IT. If you overspend on one category, cut back on another.
The rising cost of living and the current economic climate can hurt our budget, but we don’t have to make it an excuse to not have our usual Raya tradition. It just takes a little more planning to ensure our finances are taken care of for Raya.
Do you know any other Raya hacks that can help save money?
