It’s that time of the year when bazaars and supermarkets start hawking mouth-watering cookies and retailers are offering mid-year sales to coincide with Hari Raya. In a couple of weeks Malaysian Muslims will be busy sorting out their finances in preparation for their Raya family reunions.

We at RinggitPlus were curious as to how much generally people spend during this festive month. Responses varied from the frugal to the lavish. For instance, could you imagine spending more than RM20,000 for your Raya expenses?

Zuhli did. And she confesses that she pays a king’s ransom every year for her family’s Raya celebrations.

“My Raya celebrations are usually held in my husband’s hometown. I spend about RM8000 on baju raya, that’s inclusive of baju raya for myself and family members. RM6000 is reserved for duit raya, RM2000 for new furniture and decorations and another RM2000 for cookies and gift hampers. Not forgetting the cost of travel for both me, my husband and our two kids which is about RM4000, it’s not surprising that my Raya budget ballooned up to RM22,000 last year.”

Taufiq, who has two kids himself, spends over RM5000 each Raya, but unlike Zuhli who spends a chunk of her budget on clothes and duit raya; he bears the cost of being host for his family’s open house sessions.

“My budget for the past four years has been fairly consistent: RM300 for my wife’s baju raya, RM600 for my two kids and RM100 for myself. We spend RM300 on kuih raya for ourselves alone and budget another RM400 for our parents, new curtains and gifts. My duit raya budget sets me back RM2,000 which brings my Raya budget to more than RM5,000. Part of the reason is because my parents no longer want to be involved in the open house preparations and so I have to take over as host.”

Some people however have a more simple approach, preferring to spend Raya with only their closest family members. Like Maisara who skimps on new clothes and furniture but has no qualms about spending so her family can dine like royalty.

“Our Raya gatherings are a lot more intimate. Definitely lower key as it is only the immediate family members for dinner, we don’t even have open houses or spend on new baju raya. Between my family of four and our parents and in-laws I spent about RM1000 to indulge in some good food.”

And then of course there are those who are single and happily oblivious to the burgeoning budget of families who celebrate Raya. Hafiz for example only has to budget for the duit raya for his nieces, which comes up to RM150.

“I’m not the type to spend on new clothes and the generosity of my neighbours and contractors ensure that I never have to spend a single sen on kuih raya. I think the only expense out of my pocket is RM150 for three of my lovely nieces. Ah, the perks of being single.”

Raya budgeting made easy



Different people have different spending priorities. Raya is after all is a family occasion and you want to make it a memorable time. If it is within your means then by all means go ahead and splurge. But if you are already struggling with your monthly living expenses consider scaling back your budget, otherwise you might end up in debt till the next Raya.

Here are some basic guidelines to help you plan your Raya budget this year:

Spend within your means – This is the golden rule when planning your budget, always be aware of your financial situation and how far your ringgit can take you. Resist the urge to take on personal loans to cover your Raya expenses. Always ask yourself first, do you need it and can you find something cheaper?

Prioritise your spending – Different people have different needs. As you can see from the testimonials above some tend to spend more on clothes while others spend more on food. Whichever you choose, prioritise your spending and stick to your budget.

Plan ahead of time – When you leave things to the last minute you tend to go over your budget due to time constraints and lack of options. Get your car checked weeks before the trip home, start scouting for promo flight ticket prices and make a checklist of essential items you need to shop for.

Keep your savings in mind – Don’t neglect your savings while in the midst of planning your budget. It might be tempting to leave this out “just this once” to accommodate the festive spending but you’ll be glad you didn’t in times of emergencies. The minimum should be 10% of your monthly salary.

Here's wishing all of you a memorable festive season.