Exercise restraint at Ramadan bazaars
BARELY a few days into Ramadan and I’ve already come across stories about how expensive some of the food items being sold at the bazaar is.
A friend lamented he had to pay RM10 for a cheesy “roti John,” only to discover that there was no cheese!
Some friends have complained about spending close to RM50 on a single visit to the bazaars.
Admittedly, these bazaars symbolise our nation’s love for food, cutting across religions, races and cultural boundaries.
However, they also highlight the unhealthy trend of “feasting” over glorious food instead of fasting.
It’s common to see people leaving these bazaars with a lot of bags. It’s almost as if they’re buying for the whole neighbourhood. Unfortunately, a lot of it goes to waste.
What’s gone wrong here? I put it down to our inability to control ourselves.
The traders are taking advantage. We’re living in a relatively wealthy society, hence there’s very little financial motivation to cut down on essential food. And therein lies that important word — essential. It’s okay to spend on food but to buy in large quantities, only to waste them later, is simply not okay.
SAY ‘NO’
The solution is to observe how much we usually eat on any given day.
During the fasting month, that limit doesn’t change drastically.
Sure, there are a few dishes that only make an appearance during this time of the year and you may want to taste them but don’t add them to what you normally eat. Instead, substitute the regular food with these special ones.
Secondly, limit the amount of cash you bring to the bazaar. I always practise this and have found it to be highly effective.
Estimate the cost of food for the family and bring roughly that amount. Stop shopping and go home once you’ve spent it all.
Be assured that what you have will already be enough despite your yearning for more.
There’s always tomorrow to try that other stall.
Be sensitive to food prices too. Buy only from stalls that display prices clearly.
Without such price tags, some traders may take advantage of the chaos to sell overpriced items.
In turn, we may be too “proud” to reject them once ordered. This was what happened to the guy who reluctantly paid RM10 for the roti John.
Learn to say “no”. In fact, we should reduce consumption and while we’re at it, say “no” to exorbitantly-priced Ramadan buffets too.
Don’t follow the crowd or succumb to your food cravings. Be in control and set your own target. Have a special budget for Ramadan. The money saved can be channelled to something more meaningful such as donating to families in need.