Shine brighter this Deepavali: Unleash the savings secrets for your festive shopping
Deepavali, the festival of lights, is just around the corner. The festival symbolises the victory of good over evil and is a time filled with joy. However, it can quickly become an expensive holiday for those who celebrate, as it usually involves purchasing various items such as new clothes, dry fruits, gold, jewellery, mithai (sweets), fireworks, decorations, candles, homeware, and more.
While we all want to embrace and celebrate Deepavali, we can do so while being mindful of our spending. Here are some handy tips on how to save on your festive shopping.
Budgeting is the most important step to spending responsibly year-round, and it’s especially crucial during festive seasons when you will be buying and spending more. When you budget you can determine the total amount that you want to spend and save, avoiding impulsive purchases or overspending.
To ensure you stick to your budget, you must also track your spending which can be done on a spreadsheet or even just your phone's Notes app. Creating a separate festival budget will help you distinguish Deepavali purchases from your regular daily expenses.
Be mindful of what you are buying
Think twice about your purchases and how much you need them. For instance, when buying new clothes, consider how much you can re-wear them. Be creative with your outfits; for example, you could wear a saree from a previous year but get a new blouse or pair a lehenga you already have with a new top and dupatta for a fresh look without spending much.
You could also save on buying Diwali snacks and sweets by making your own. While it takes time and effort to make your own snacks and sweets, you could turn it into a fun family activity where everyone comes together and helps, thereby creating a new tradition.
Use e-wallets for cashback and discounts
Even with budgeting and cutting back, you are likely to spend more than usual during Deepavali. So you may as well make use of the various cashbacks, points, and promotions that using an e-wallet can provide.
TrueMoney is an e-wallet that provides rewards to over 12,000 merchants all over Malaysia including discounts, cashbacks, and entry into lucky draws. It is the official payment provider at Lotus's, one of Malaysia’s biggest supermarket chains. When you spend at Lotus’s you receive double points for every RM1 spent with TrueMoney e-wallet. TrueMoney even instantly offers cashback for simply referring a friend to the app and upgrading or verifying your account.
Other e-wallets with great deals include GrabPay and ShopeePay. You earn GrabRewards with every GrabPay transaction, which you can collect and later redeem for free deliveries, rides, or even a spa day. ShopeePay gives you discounts and coins cashback which you can use on future food orders or online shopping purchases from the Shoppee website, adding an extra layer of savings.
Search for Deepavali sales
Lastly, if you are going to buy products during the festive Deepavali period, there is no reason to pay full price! Almost all stores have Deepavali sales whether you are buying clothes, shoes, jewellery, electronics, food, or gifts for others. Make sure you research sales offered by your favourite stores. You might even consider bulk buying products during Deepavali sales and stocking up on them to save money in the long run. Websites, such as Malaysia Freebies or Every Day on Sales, can help in finding the best Deepavali deals.
However, ensure you have a budget in place before walking into a sale to avoid impulsive buying.
In conclusion, to spend less this Deepavali budgeting, spending only where necessary, and tracking expenses are all important. However, when you do spend you should make the most out of it by using an e-wallet with excellent promotions and rewards as well as searching for the best Deepavali sales.
This listicle is provided by TrueMoney Malaysia team. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of Sinar Daily.
