Getting ready: Shoppers picking up necessities at a discounted price at the Melaka Madani Pre-Ramadan Sale 2023 in Malacca. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: With the holy month of Ramadan fast approaching, Muslims have been rushing to supermarkets to stock up on groceries.
Some, however, said they would take the opportunity to cut down on their food expenses as the cost of living continues to rise.
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Nur Hidayatul Husna, 27, from Kuala Lumpur said she would try to buy fewer ready-made meals at Ramadan bazaars to reduce costs.
The mother of one also said she would prepare sahur (pre-dawn) and iftar (breaking fast) meals in advance and keep them in the freezer.
“Grocery shopping has been done way earlier to avoid the crowd, especially with all the diseases around.
“Maybe less bazaar food this year. It saves money and time to have frozen homemade meals, and I will cook them while spending time with the baby after work,” she said.
Hidayatul, who will be going through Ramadan for the first time as a mother, said this year’s fasting would be different.
“Waking up earlier is a must because I need to prepare not only sahur meals for me and my husband, but also my daughter’s food for the day,” she said.
Medical assistant Mohd Hasry Effandy Haris, 36, said people needed to be smart when buying groceries as prices were now higher.
“I bought the groceries for my family earlier because I wanted to avoid the rush at supermarkets.
“As the cost of ingredients have increased, the public must be smart when choosing where to buy their groceries,” added Mohd Hasry, who is from Ipoh, Perak.
An executive from Subang Jaya known as Harith, 32, said that due to limited time after work, he would prefer buying food from the bazaar when the fasting month arrives.
However, he said he was worried that some traders would take advantage by selling their food at exorbitant prices.
Graphic designer Raysha Julia, 28, from Puchong has started a major clean-up of her house.
She said this was to avoid getting too tired during the fasting month while preparing for the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration.
“It has been the norm for our family to do spring cleaning at least a week before Ramadan so that we can rest during the fasting month.
“And when Hari Raya gets closer, we only need to do minor preparations,” she added.
