English / Bahasa

During the fasting month (Ramadan) people tend to spend more. Those of us who are usually satisfied eating simple food, begin to desire more delicious foods. At the same time the price of food often increases during Ramadan. Besides this, people generally want to by new clothes so that they can look special for the Lebaran celebration.

My mother has found a cleaver way to make the most of this opportunity. She’s done quite well recently, so we can afford to buy some tastier food this year! Since the start of the fasting month my mother has been selling clothing to her friends at the factory where she works. She purchases the clothes from outlets and makes a profit of between 5,000-10,000 Rupiah per item (60 cents to $1.15).

Her customers don’t pay all at once but instead pay in installments, usually two or three installments. But it’s not too bad—in the past my mother has sold at least 50 pieces. If only she had a bit more start-up capital, I’m sure she could get more clothing to sell.

Have a question?

I might not be able to respond straight away but I’m happy to answer your questions about my life in Indonesia and my job at the sports shoe factory.

Related Indonesian Entry – Bahasa Indonesia

Ibuku: Berusaha menangkap peluang

Saat-saat puasa seperti ini biasanya orang malah cenderung boros belanja. Orang yang biasanya makan lauk seadanya, jadi ingin makan yang enak-enak. Padahal, harga bahan makanan juga melonjak naik di saat seperti ini. Di samping itu, orang juga ingin tampil istimewa di hari raya.

Dan ibuku adalah salah satu yang menangkap peluang itu untuk mendapatkan uang tambahan, lumayan buat tambah-tambah beli makanan yang lebih enak :) Sejak menjelang puasa hari pertama, ibuku berjualan pakaian kepada kawan-kawan di pabrik tempatnya bekerja. Beliau mengambil pakaian jadi dari orang lain, dan dia mendapat untung 5 ribu-10 ribu rupiah per potong pakaian.

Pembelinya tidak membayar sekaligus, biasanya mereka mencicil 2-3 kali. Tapi lumayanlah, dari pengalaman sebelumnya, ibu menjual minimal 50 potong pakaian. Kalau saja modal ibu lebih besar, tentu dia bisa mengambil pakaian lebih banyak lagi untuk dijual…”