Surah Al'Araf, 31st sentence: "...and eat and drink, and do not be extravagant; surely He does not love the extravagant."

Aidilfitri is a day where we celebrate the month of Syawal after the fasting month of Ramadan has ended. While we enthusiastically celebrate Aidilfitri, we must remind ourselves so that we can avoid any kinds of waste later. 

Make sure the food servings are not excessive

Whether it is a small feast with relatives or an open house event, we should still be moderate with the food intake and should put a limit for the amount of food servings during Eid. Excessive food may lead to wastage of food and food that is not eaten would just be thrown away. Wasted food, not only does it give an impact towards the feast organiser only – the environment and ecosystem are affected, leading towards pollution of water, air and more.

We can avoid this from happening by creating an early and neat plan such as planning for an adequate amount of food quantity, being balanced and moderate in intake of food and being aware of the impact of food wasting.

Avoid buying fireworks and firecrackers 

The Aidilfitri environment is often decorated with the sounds of fireworks and colours of firecrackers at night, especially the night before the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri and the following days up until the end of the Syawal month. Even though it is lively and exciting, the purchase and usage of fireworks and firecrackers are one of the biggest contributors to the wastage during Hari Raya.

The price of fireworks and firecrackers can reach up to hundreds and thousands of ringgit; as if burning money for a fireworks and firecrackers show that lasts for only a few hours or nights. Plus, fireworks and firecrackers can also lead to body injury if it is not being operated accurately and safely.

Don’t pour money down the drain, spend money wisely and risk your safety in this festive month

Decorate your house moderately

True, it is a sunnah for us to dress nicely with new or like-new clothes for Eid, but it is not a must for us to decorate our house excessively. It is not wrong for you to decorate your house and it is undeniably true that we would want our house to look tidier and nicer, especially on a special occasion such as Hari Raya.

Nevertheless, you don’t have to buy and change into new curtains and sofas or any Hari Raya decorations, the decor that you already have is more than enough to beautify your residential space.

Donate to the needy

In the midst of the excitement of this festive day, we should remember that there are people who are needy. Different from zakat fitrah, we can sedekah or donate to Muslims and non-Muslims too. Even though you are giving out your own money for donation, remember that Allah promised us that those who donate will receive a more valuable and multiple sustenance.

Allah has said in Surah al-Hadid, in the 18th sentence:

            “Indeed, the men who practise charity and the women who practise charity and [they who] have loaned Allah a goodly loan - it will be multiplied for them, and they will have a noble reward.”

In this prosperous month, avoid being wasteful. Waste happens due to lack of proper planning. Hence, by following these prudential Eid holiday expenses tips, it is advised for you to make a significant plan for Aidilfitri celebration so that there will be no excessive buying or disposal of wastage. You are encouraged to make early financial plans so that there will be no unnecessary waste in the future.