💰 Family finances · #103

I feel pressured to spend on the same level as my well-off friends. What should I do?

Living within your own means is freedom, while spending to compete with others is an exhausting kind of slavery. Your friends may be spending from a different income, or from debt you cannot see. Set your family budget based on what you can afford, not what people see. Learn to say ‘we'll sit this one out for now’ without shame. Allah praises those who, when they spend, “are neither extravagant nor miserly, but hold a balance between the two” (Surah al-Furqan 25:67). Choose friends who respect your modesty, not those who judge it. See family finances.

Sources

Surah al-Furqan 25:67

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This answer is general reference, not a fatwa. For your situation, consult the religious affairs office, a Syarie lawyer or your state Syariah Court.

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