The month of Ramadan is a time of reflection and self control for Muslims. For a whole month, Muslims are trained to restrain their desires, not only from eating and drinking, but also from various excessive behaviors.
In practice, challenges often arise in the form of unconscious consumptive behavior, one of which is overbuying.
Dr Megawati Simanjuntak, an expert in Family and Consumer Sciences at IPB University, believes that Ramadan often becomes a period prone to excessive purchasing. According to her, this condition contradicts the essence of fasting, which essentially teaches simplicity.
“Overbuying is the behavior of purchasing goods or services excessively without considering actual needs. This behavior often occurs during Ramadan and tends to have more negative consequences,” she explained.
She gave an example that consumptive behavior is most often seen before breaking the fast. Various dishes are prepared in excess, ranging from heavy meals to various snacks such as fried foods, compotes, fruit ice, and dates.
“Often, the amount of food available on the table for breaking the fast is not proportional to the body’s needs. This is not good, both in terms of health and expenditure,” she said.
Dr Megawati explained that hunger after a day of fasting often triggers what is called “eye hunger.” The desire to buy a lot of food arises not because of need, but because of a momentary emotional impulse.
Not only during iftar, consumptive behavior also increases ahead of Eid al-Fitr. People are driven to buy various additional necessities, ranging from new clothes, special Eid dishes such as rendang, ketupat, and chicken opor, to various pastries.
Dr Megawati shared several tips to help people avoid overbuying, especially during Ramadan. She emphasized the importance of financial management and planning, one of which is to make a list of necessities before shopping.
She reminded people not to be easily tempted when breaking their fast and buying food excessively. According to her, Ramadan should be a moment to do more good deeds, not just follow momentary desires.
In addition, Dr Megawati advised people to refrain from excessive consumption as it can disrupt the solemnity of worship. She also urged the public to limit their activities on social media and e-commerce, which often trigger fear of missing out (FOMO), especially sales through live streaming.
She reminded people not to be easily swayed by labels such as “limited edition” or big discounts, as these are merely marketing strategies. “Shopping in moderation according to your needs is a wiser choice,” she advised. (dh) (IAAS/EPK)
