Big celebration, small budget

Happy holidays: (From left) Hazel Chao, Peisze Tan and Lee Hooi Ling posing with a giant rabbit statue at the historic Klang Kwan Imm Temple in Klang. — KK SHAM/The Star

GEORGE TOWN: This Chinese New Year, most families are celebrating in a big way without spending big, mainly due to the economic crunch.

Ooi Su Ching, 41, is doing away with the traditional yee sang tossing.

“Most of it is wasted in the end anyway,” said the mother of two.

“We do not eat all the ingredients and usually just toss it for the symbolic meaning. So, yee sang is out this year.”

Ooi said she wasn’t splashing on new clothes for her children either.

“They are growing up quickly, so I no longer buy new clothes for the festive celebration,” she said.

As a person who lives life simply, Ooi doesn’t splurge on branded items either.

“To me, the festive season is all about being with family and the elders being healthy and happy,” she added.

Ooi, who runs a business with her husband, gifted their staff members with items to use when cooking Chinese New Year dishes.

“We got the ingredients usually used in steamboat (abalone, mushrooms, fish) instead of giving them hampers,” she added.

Still, donations will go on in the Ooi family.

“This year, my children used their savings to buy pineapple tarts from a single mother to give to their teachers,” Ooi said.

Lawyer Ch’ng Wei Woon, 29, who usually splurges on gifts for herself such as designer handbags and expensive outfits during festive seasons, decided to tighten her purse strings this year.

“I waited for the dress I liked to go on sale before I bought it,” she said, adding that she also decided not to get a new handbag.

“I do want to save up as the prices of food and rations are increasing,” Ch’ng said.

“My monthly expenditure has increased with more going towards food. It is best not to overspend during the festive season and save the money for a rainy day.”

To help local businesses, Ch’ng decided to buy cookies from them this year, adding: “Instead of spending on expensive cookies sold at the malls, I bought traditional cookies to give as gifts this year.”

Down south, many families are feeling the pinch though they still aim to celebrate the festivities as best as they can.

Real estate agent Winson Liem from Melaka said though he was mindful about his spending habits, there was a lot of spending he could not cut down on.

“I am single, so it does not affect my new year’s budget as much. However, this year I have tried to spend more cautiously such as buying fewer new shirts,” he added.

Liem, 34, said he did not overspend on his credit card and tried to buy only what was needed.

“The amount I spent was based on my bank account balance, not the credit card limit,” he noted.

Senior project manager Koon Nam, 42, from Kuala Lumpur said his festive celebration would be simple this time around.

“Previously, I had a tendency to buy extra things, but not this time around. My family and I are spending based on what is most important and affordable,” he said.

For language instructor Suzanna Yusoff, 57, from Ulu Kelang, although Chinese New Year brought about shopping opportunities with sales offered, it was important to keep track of what was being spent.

“I put aside a certain amount of my salary for savings,” she said. “I make sure I have enough necessities to get through the month.”

The mother of three steered clear of sales gimmicks too, adding: “I buy only the necessities and not let myself be influenced by advertising gimmicks.”

Freelance content writer P. Selvi from Subang Jaya said her family decided against going for a trip during the Chinese New Year holidays as hotel room rates and other accommodations had shot up.

“Our spending habits have changed. After calculating costs including petrol, lodging and food, it was quite expensive to travel, so we didn’t,” said the 37-year-old.

“But staying at home can also be expensive. I just spent RM60 on a few items from the supermarket to get us through the weekend.”