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Before the Lebaran holiday, many people always anticipate one thing besides mudik, namely Religious Holiday Allowance (THR) money. This is understandable since people need to prepare the necessities for Lebaran much earlier.
The Indonesian government has regulated THR payment rules that the companies must adhere. For the 2023 Lebaran holiday, the government regulates THR payment to be made on 18th April 2023 at the latest. There are four days left to spend the money on your Lebaran necessities.
However, many people spend their money lavishly instead of managing it wisely, resulting in nothing left from the money. Besides Lebaran necessities, you can also use THR money for an emergency fundor long-term investments.
Try applying these tips to spend THR money wisely during the Lebaran holiday to make it more beneficial for you.
Before allocating the THR money for all your needs, it’s best to make an expenditure plan first to control your spending. You can list essential needs for Lebaran, such as foodstuffs, cookies, or parcels for your family and relatives.
New clothes for Lebaran are not necessary especially if there are many other appropriate clothes in your wardrobe that you haven’t worn. That way, you can allocate your money for other essential needs, rather than spending it carelessly.
After receiving THR, don’t forget to pay zakat, an annual obligatory charity pay. In Ramadan, Muslims must pay zakat fitrah before Eid al-Fitr day.
In line with Islamic teachings, zakat fitrah must be given as foodstuffs such as rice or wheat in the measurement of 2.5. You can give zakat fitrah directly to the group of mustahik zakat, such as the poor people, old widows, and orphans.
You can also entrust it to the caretakers of the local mosque so they can distribute it to the group of mustahik zakat.
In addition to the obligatory pay, you can voluntarily set aside some of your THR money to gain more blessings to your livelihood subsistence. You can set aside around 2.5% or more of the money and give it to those in need.
Make sure you save some of your THR money before spending it on consumptive needs. The savings will come in handy as emergency funds. You can also apply for life insurance for your old age.
It’s best to keep your savings in a separate account from the one for your routine expenditures, or you can use the savings for buying mutual funds. Mutual funds are not only profitable but also suitable for beginners.
After allocating the THR money for obligatory needs and savings, sharing some of it with your family, particularly older people and nieces/nephews would be nice.
This is especially true given that sharing some money with family members has been a tradition for Indonesians. Thus, they must have longed for you during the family gatherings.
To make it more engaging, you can give the money in an envelope with a funny and unique design. Don’t forget to attach greeting cards to congratulate them for their success in completing the fasting in Ramadan month, which is full of blessings.
Try to remember if you have unpaid debts or credit card bills. If yes, you can allocate your THR money to pay off all the debts and bills. Doing so can make you feel more peaceful and inspire you to break the habit of being in debt.
Those tips are for spending the THR money wisely during the Lebaran holiday. With good financial management, you can avoid yourself from the act of wasting money.
Don’t forget to develop your skills to get a job because there are usually many job openings after the Lebaran holiday. Every year, this Astra Group’s company welcomes new members to fill various positions at the company,