Money Savers for the Lunar New Year!

It's the time of the year again! The Lunar New Year is just around the corner and for many Chinese Singaporeans, it's the time to stock up on Lunar New Year goodies plus spring cleaning and buying of mushrooms, abalone and other delicacies for this festive period.

Our spending tends to increase during this festive period as we shop for the customary set (or sets!) of new clothes, indulge in favourite snacks and goodies, buy new furniture and furnishings and generally have a ball of a time SPENDING.

There's nothing wrong in spending during Lunar New Year, but as time passes, I realised that we can save if we don't overdo the splurges that typifies our festive fetes!

Shop for new clothes during sales
Instead of buying clothes only during the period just before Lunar New Year, you can consider making use of the Great Singapore Sale last July to stock up on those new sets of Lunar New Year wear you need.

Consider the need for gifts
The mandatory abalone, mushrooms etc. for parents, in-laws are well and good. But if your parents are somewhat more liberal, you may dispense with such gifts and perhaps give them an ang pow that is more practical in nature?

Give smaller ang-pows (red packets)
This could be a potential money saver but the downside is that you will lose "cred" with the relatives/friends because this is often seen as a social status symbol. The bigger red packet or ang pow you give, the better off you are doing. However, if you are really tight for cash, there is no real reason why a $2 or $8 ang pow cannot do instead of a $10-$20 one. It's really up to you to manage how much your "face" is worth to you. Keeping up with the Lims, Muthus and Alis is a quick way to put yourself under financial pressure.

Stay at home more
There will be four days of holidays (Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday) for 2008. Instead of spending each and every day visiting every single distant relative and friends, perhaps you may want to cut down and just go out for the first two days of the Lunar New Year. Spend more time with your own family by visiting a public park and having a picnic with delicious lunar new year goodies from your home besides a home cooked beehoon, fried rice and some dishes.

There are many public parks available in Singapore that could provide a quality venue for valuable time spent with your immediate family!

Moderate your diet
Feasting on delicacies and lunar new year goodies can hit us both in the wallet and the stomach. Try not to over indulge as over-eating can lead to stomach problems and indigestion. Skip dinner and take fruits instead to help wash out the excesses from Lunar New Year reunion dinners. I will continue to enjoy my rolled oats breakfasts but maybe supplement it with some delicious bak-kwa (barbequed pork). :-) I recall how overeating made me feel very "gelat" over the overfeasting that occurred some years back!

I wish all my readers a good time in preparing for their own Lunar New Year celebrations and may the Year of the Rat bring you joy, peace and prosperity!

Be well and prosper.