Everyone has a few staple celebrations that they look forward to in a year and for many Malaysians, Raya Aidilfitri is one of them. As much as we anticipate such festive occasions with excitement, planning for them can get very costly. In the euphoria of merry-making, we tend to become more ‘generous’ with our money and spend way over our budget only to realise the financial damage done later on when it’s too late.

In addition, after a challenging couple of years, many people might take advantage of the reopening economy to plan for trips with family and friends or home upgrades this Raya, incurring further costs along the way.

So, if you’re looking to save some ringgits this Raya without compromising too much on celebration, here are a few areas that you can look into while preparing for all the festivities.

1) Make the most of baju Raya shopping

While not everything has to be brand new for Raya, shopping for clothes or house decorations certainly adds to the celebratory mood. Fortunately, there are still ways to save up a few ringgits or even earn some extra in the process of shopping for Raya.

For starters, you can use your cashback or rewards credit card that lets you earn cashbacks or points when you spend. This way, you can shave some ringgits off your purchases or if you’ve accumulated enough points, you can even redeem gifts like shopping vouchers, electrical goods, and more which can come in handy during Raya.

It’s also important to be aware of the terms and conditions of your credit cards to plan your spending well and benefit fully from rewards. Find out if there is a limit for the monthly cashback earned, types of purchases, period of purchase, and more. For example, some credit cards only let you earn cashbacks for purchases during the weekends so you would have to schedule your shopping on Saturdays and Sundays.

2) Plan your balik kampung trip early

There are a few times in a year when we couldn’t avoid spending more than usual whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, or festivity like Raya. However, as such occasions tend to happen around the same time every year, we can plan for them ahead of time.

For example, if you’re ready to travel this Raya, arrange your flights and accommodations early on as last minute bookings could incur extra costs. Avid travellers might notice that sometimes, the prices of flights and hotels on booking platforms might increase as it gets nearer to the travel date. On the other hand, if you will be driving, try to avoid peak hours or schedule your ‘balik kampung’ trip a few days earlier so you could save on fuel and money.

3) DIY your kuih Raya and gifts

Food is a focal point when it comes to celebrations in Malaysia and nothing brings out the Raya festive spirit more than the colourful array of cookies or dishes that make their special appearances only once a year. However, buying Raya cookies could get quite expensive perhaps due to the higher demand during the festive season.

Rather than purchasing ready made cookies, why not rope in the entire family for a baking session to make your own and create memorable moments with them along the way? With the advancement of technology and more people getting creative with their baking, you might even find new recipes online that are easier to make with an air-fryer or require fewer ingredients.

Raya shoppers can also take note of the Keluarga Malaysia Sales Programme (PJKM) that has been extended to June where grocery items such as cooking oil, sugar, flour and more offered are up to 20% cheaper than local market prices in selected locations.

4) Get value-for-money Internet package

Every year, when a huge festivity like Raya comes along, we think of ways to spruce up our homes to ensure that our family and visiting guests would be at their most comfortable. Whether it’s watching classic films, playing video games, or video-calling your loved ones, it’s important to have a strong Internet connection so everyone can enjoy every moment without interruption. With that, we have some good news for those looking to get fast Internet at an affordable price this Raya.

TIME Internet is currently running a special promotion whereby everyone who signs up for the TIME Fibre Home plan will enjoy their first month for FREE. There are 3 plans to choose from offering speeds of 100Mbps, 500Mbps, or 1Gbps over a period of 24 months. Subscribers of the 500Mbps and 1Gbps plans will also receive FREE mesh WiFi, which ensures that every corner of your home has wireless high-speed WiFi.

Below are the packages on offer:

If you’re looking for a discerning 8K TV and high-powered gaming experience, the 1Gbps plan offers one of the highest download speeds in Malaysia using fibre-optic technology. Meanwhile, the 500Mbps plan allows for smooth 4K streaming and sharing of large files in a flash. Both 1Gbps and 500Mbps plans come with a WiFi 6 router which easily supports up to 10 devices, perfect for when friends and family come to visit this festive season. Alternatively, the 100Mbps Internet speed plan is adequate for web browsing and HD streaming for up to 5 devices.

Having a stable and fast Internet connection is essential these days. More people are staying home for work, studies, and even leisure as many might still be wary of leaving home frequently amid the pandemic. It’s only natural then that multiple people would be hooked to multiple devices in one household at the same time with some performing heavy-duty tasks that we used to reserve only for the office prior to the pandemic. In addition, almost everything we do involves digital technology nowadays such as paying your bills, ordering lunch, and buying groceries.

With a strong Internet connection, everyone gets to complete their tasks smoothly during the day and enjoy their downtime to the fullest without having to waste their time waiting for files to download or your videos to unfreeze. TIME Internet has been Malaysia’s most consistent broadband since 2020, according to Ookla, the company behind Speedtest, a global broadband speed test platform. Based in Malaysia, TIME Internet provides 24/7 support to every subscriber via phone, chat, and its all-in-one app, TIME Internet App. Through the app, you can manage your account digitally, from optimising your home WiFi via its Control Hub to paying your bills quickly and securely, so you can stay safe at home.

***

With the Raya festival just around the corner, we hope that these financial tips we have summed up here could help you save a few ringgits as you make preparations for this year. If you’re looking to upgrade your home this Raya, a high-speed Internet package for an uninterrupted online experience may be worth the investment and the gift your loved ones are looking for.

• TAGS:
• Hari Raya Aidilfitri
• Promotion
• TIME Fibre Home Broadband Plans
• TIME Internet