AS the holy month of Ramadan comes to an end and the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration begins, people are busy preparing for a long holiday.
Sadly, this celebratory excitement often tempts many to overspend, splurging money on unnecessary things.
As a result, they get into debts once the festive celebration is over and become stressed.
To prevent this, it is crucial for us to spend money cautiously and wisely.
Among others, people can allocate a specific budget for their festive season expenditure. This is important as we can save the rest of the money for other purposes in future.
In planning this specific budget, it is crucial to be realistic. We must always remember to spend money within our means.
It is important not to indulge in extravagant expenditures. To ensure that our expenditure is within the budget, it is wise to make a checklist.
Before going on a shopping trip, be sure to make a realistic checklist of all the things we need. Most importantly, stick to the checklist! A shopping checklist will enable us to focus only on the things that we need.
With all the last-minute sales and promotions around town, it is easy for us to be lured into spending money on things we want instead of need. We must be smart shoppers by comparing the prices of goods.
We must be extra cautious not to fall victim to profiteering activities carried out by irresponsible traders.
If we suspect that traders are involved in profiteering, we must lodge a report with the authorities, such as the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry or consumers’ associations.
We must also ensure the items we want to purchase are of good quality. To prevent any conflict with traders, it is advisable to keep all receipts as evidence.
Another tip is, festive decorations can be recycled creatively, so there is no need to buy new items every year. This also applies to clothes, furniture, crockery and accessories.
Islam teaches us to be moderate and to spend prudently. Islam forbids extravagance.
This is stated in the Quran, where Allah SWT said: “And they who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor miserly, and there is ever a just mean between the two” (Surah Al –Furqan: 67).
As such, it is our duty to spend wisely and not waste money buying unnecessary things to fulfil our desires.
Happy Aidilfitri to all in the country.
DR MUZAFFAR SYAH MALLOW
Senior lecturer, Faculty of Syariah and Law, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Nilai, Negri Sembilan