Ramadan has a special feature that lies in worship, drawing closer to God, and doing good. Families often anticipate the advent of the month of fasting to meet some of its requirements. Food stores are crowded with customers shopping for their needs for iftar tables.

Usually, before Ramadan, the concern of housewives is to think about the various recipes and dishes that they intend to prepare in this holy month, so they start preparing early. Tadbeer” have become two “dishes” on the Ramadan table that must be thought about and their requirements must be taken care of.

Al-Jazeera Net met with heads of Jordanian families who took proactive steps to save on Ramadan table purchases, including employee Murad Al-Sayed (47 years old), who resorts to shops that sell products at discounted promotional prices.

The housewife, Umm Sami, says that she seeks to achieve some savings and fulfill her family’s wishes, by developing an appropriate plan that is compatible with the monthly income and basic requirements, so she buys her needs according to the food items that are to be prepared during the days of fasting.

She added, “My husband and I avoid random shopping, and we make a list of purchases, as we have prepared food supplies, meat and some vegetables, in addition to preserving, drying and freezing them in the refrigerator.”

Wafaa Mustafa (mother of 4 children) shares her opinion, saying that preparation saves a lot, especially in the first days of fasting when the prices of vegetables are very high, noting that she tries to change the type of food from one day to the next in the month, and she also avoids preparing expensive foods.

The fiftieth Abu Alaa rejects the idea of ​​shopping in Ramadan, and prefers to buy days before the holy month, indicating that he does not drift towards attractive offers, but rather estimates his family’s actual needs based on his previous experience in drawing up a list of purchases and calculating their cost.

Plan how to spend

Social economist Hossam Ayesh comments on the matter, saying that it is important for families to plan how to spend in Ramadan, especially since this month is characterized by a high rate of spending in it.

He explains – to Al-Jazeera Net – that spending on food and drink depends on the family’s income rate, “in Jordan, the family’s spending rate is estimated at about 12,519 dinars (about 17,630 dollars) annually, and 33% to 34% of the income is spent on food and drink in difficult circumstances.” And it doubles in the holy month, meaning that spending on food and drink occupies the first priority out of the total family spending on other requirements in its life.

He adds, “It is not assumed that spending on food and drink should drain our potential, in case of emergencies or even other basic requirements. Therefore, planning is very important, with setting priorities for each family.”

Ayesh indicates that shopping according to the needs of the family before the holy month organizes the issue of spending and saving, especially since when a fasting person shops before breaking the fast, he is in a nervous state of mind and more impulsive towards buying and spending on purchases that he soon discovers are more than he needs, and may not be used or destroyed.

He believes that “digital technologies, commercial offers on the Internet, and means of communication give us an opportunity to compare prices and request value-added needs, to spend on them during the month of Ramadan. These means also shorten time and effort, so we come out of the holy month with a stable financial condition, and we do not stumble financially or face problems in adapting to spending in the months following Ramadan.

Reducing the expense

“With the advent of the blessed Ramadan, and the difficult economic conditions experienced by most families, there is a great need to be aware of the importance of moderation in spending and to take practical steps to reduce expenditure, and not to make the month of fasting an economic burden, and then Realizing the significance of fasting and the purposes of Sharia and achieving contentment among family members.

Sarhan explains the importance of preparing the basic necessities for Ramadan without exaggeration and before the season of high prices, which often falls in the early days of the month, as the increase in demand for commodities leads to an increase in their prices.

According to Sarhan, buying vegetables, fruits, or foodstuffs during the show period is desirable, but it requires good management in dealing with them so that they are not damaged due to improper storage. They can be kept in the refrigerator or pickled to be used during Ramadan in preparing daily meals, which saves time and money.

Family budget management

Sarhan says that the culture of consumption has become an essential part of the life of many, and the diversity of goods and supplies and the change of varieties and forms from one year to another have increased the burdens on families seeking to keep up with the usual commodities, and this has gone beyond that to luxuries, home accessories, and Ramadan decoration requirements that part of the budget is spent on. the month.

And he added, “Wisdom requires that the amount of food be suitable for the number of family members, without exaggeration, and requires not to have many items on one table, because this increases the financial burdens of the family. As well as taking advantage of leftover meals on other days, whether the main or secondary meal. Managing the family budget is an art and a responsibility, and it does not fall on the wife alone, but on all family members.”

Al Jazeera