Shardiya Navratri 2025: How To Celebrate Without Overspending

With Shardiya Navratri 2025 nearing, most families are gearing up for nine days of festivities. While the festival is a time for devotion, food, and cultural festivities, it can also take a toll on personal finance if not planned for spending. Here are a few easy steps to help you enjoy the festival without incurring unwanted stress.

Prepare A Budget In Advance

The process of cost management starts with creating a clear budget. It must include all festival spending such as clothes, food, puja material, decorations, and participation in the event. Breaking down the budget into segments will allow the monitoring of spending and prevent unnecessary splurging in one area at the cost of the other.

For example, if a household is going to spend Rs 20,000 on Navratri, it can spend Rs 8,000 on new clothes, Rs 6,000 on sweets and food, Rs 4,000 on puja material, and Rs 2,000 on functions or celebrations.

Needs Over Wants

Prioritise needs over wants. Festivals are considered needs for the attire and puja material, with the extra ornamentation or the additional gifts being graded on the basis of budget. Early planning enables families to shop around, look out for deals, and stay away from impulse purchases, which has the tendency to boost costs.

Advance purchases also prevent last-minute shopping binges, which tend to cost more. Websites and neighbourhood stores offer early-bird coupons, too, which can be used wisely for essentials.

Use Online Payment Deals

Online transactions have been a part of every shopping spree during festivals, with offers and cashback from all banks and mobile payment wallets. These offers need to be used wisely and not as a means of spending extravagantly.

For instance, if a wallet offers 10 per cent cashback on spends not exceeding Rs 2,000, it is wise to use it on necessities and not on luxury products over and above the budget. Managing digital spends in coordination with the budget avoids the cashback winnings from getting diluted without raising expenses.

Monitor Daily Spends

Tracking daily spending during the nine days of Navratri is important so that you do not exceed the budget. Easy measures like having a small notebook or using expenditure tracking apps can help families keep their spending habits in mind at all times.

Monitoring daily expenditures also helps in identifying areas where expenses can be reduced. For example, making preparations for traditional foods at home rather than ordering from outside can save money without affecting the quality of celebrations.

Don't Borrow For Celebrations

The fund to spend during festivals must not be borrowed. Borrowing money from credit cards or short-term loan avenues to spend during festivals can lead to long-lasting financial pressure. Instead, families can prepare in advance to use their savings to fund festival spending.

Few adjustments in day-to-day routines, for instance, restriction of discretionary spending a month before the festival, facilitate money release for shopping during Navratri. In this way, festivities are made merry without having to worry about subsequent festival-induced debts.

Plan For Energy And Food Costs

Navratri may also involve other usage of energy in terms of lighting, music, and parties. Families can include approximated energy costs in their budget. Garba nights and neighbourhood events may also include entry fees or ticketing amounts. 

Celebration Should Be Meaningful

Lastly, the spirit of Navratri is about devotion and family time and not about extravagance. Basic things like making house decor, cooking traditional food, and attending community gatherings can create a satisfying festival at a minimal expense.

Budgeting for Navratri doesn't mean depriving yourself of fun. Instead, by budgeting ahead of time, families can indulge freely without a hitch in their purses. Maintaining the necessities as a priority, availing electronic offers wisely, keeping a tab on day-to-day spending, and not borrowing unnecessarily can bring the nine-day celebrations home with happiness and devotion.