About 40 percent of cooked and consumable items find their way to waste bins due to the irrational consumer behavior prevalent in society, local media said, quoting an economist.

Price hikes on different items are a seasonal phenomenon which takes place at specific times throughout the year. “However, people can cope with the inflation if they rationalize their consumption of food and other items rather than mass attack the market as if there was a war,” economist Rashid Al-Fawzan told Sabq wire service.

He pointed out that the trader is not to blame for the unreasonable spike in prices during Ramadan but it is the consumer who through his unjustified purchasing habits triggers the high prices of essential commodities.

He said there are other reasons leading to the unreasonable prices such as over-purchasing and stockpiling of goods without paying much attention to whether they are needed at all.

To avert such bad shopping habits, Al-Fawzan called on consumers to read the price lists carefully and select those goods which suit their budget and not to stick to one particular brand.

He stressed the fact that Ramadan is a month like any other in terms of consumption and added that weekly shopping is better than ‘mass shopping’ where one will buy only what one really needs.

Al-Fawzan also stressed the importance of planning in all walks of life including shopping, tourism, travel and the benefit of offers which provide 50 percent discounts on certain goods and services.

He also criticized the food stores in Saudi homes where many goods expire before use. “About 40 percent of cooked rice in houses is thrown away due to the irrational amounts of food purchased and cooked,” Al-Fawzan said, adding that housewives could play a pivotal role in curbing the growing consumption trend.

He pointed out that good planning and rational consumption of food and other items have to be taught in schools, universities and community institutions in order to have a more organized consumer society.

The low cost of food and subsidies on a number of essential items makes shopping a favorite pastime for many in the Kingdom. However, a large amount of food is regularly wasted when it could have been used to feed the poor.