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It’s a logical assumption that people spend less money during Ramadan, since Muslims are required to refrain from eating and drinking from dawn until dusk.

But in reality, that’s not happening. For many people, fasting means spending more and buying more.

Riska Primanda Lubis, a married mother of two who works for a bank, is one example. Her monthly budget usually skyrockets during Ramadan compared with other months when most of her spending is on household items.

“This is something I have to face every year,” she said.

During Ramadan, Riska said she needed to allocate a large portion of her money for tajil, the small food dishes eaten by Muslims to break the fast.

Not only does she need to buy tajil, but she also spends more money to make special dishes for the whole family.

“I just think that the family deserves to enjoy better meals after hours of fasting,” she said, adding that her food budget usually doubled during the fasting month.

Rinaldi Andri, a bank relations officer, knows the feeling.

“It may sound funny, but it’s true that you want to eat a super-delicious meal after fasting,” he said with a laugh. “It’s simply about getting maximum satisfaction.”

Rinaldi said that for 11 months of the year, he usually spent just Rp 30,000 ($3.50) a day on food and drinks. When he’s not fasting, he said he didn’t mind eating at warungs or other inexpensive restaurants with their limited selection of food, usually including fried rice or chicken sate.

But during the holy month, he said he indulged himself when it came to food. Ramadan, he said, is the one time of the year when he goes more often to upscale restaurants and craves more Western dishes, like spaghetti, steaks or burgers. These are temptations that he can usually resist, expect during this time of year, when his cravings get the best of him.

“I can now spend up to Rp 50,000 just to break the fast,” he said.

“When you’re totally hungry and thirsty, all you can think about is eating the most delicious foods and enjoying freshest drinks in the world,” he said. “It may not be right, if you were to ask a cleric, but what can I do?”

As well as for breaking the fast, Rinaldi said he needed to buy food for sahur, the predawn meal, which raises his food costs to around Rp 60,000 to Rp 70,000 a day. Over the course of the month, all that extra spending adds up.

“It’s very likely that I’ll be completely broke by the end of Ramadan,” he said.

In July, Bank Indonesia, the central bank, announced that the amount of money circulating during Ramadan would reach as high as Rp 61.46 trillion, a 12 percent increase from the same period last year.

Marketing research firm Nielsen also predicted that people would spend around Rp 25.74 trillion on fast-moving consumer goods, a significant increase from normal months.

Besides wanting to eat better, Dede Haris, a marketing officer, said his monthly budget increased during Ramadan because he had to attend events to break the fast. “Each week, I have to go to one of these events,” he said. “Last week, it was with my high school friends, next week I’ll be meeting my university friends.”

For each event, Dede expects to spend around Rp 100,000. “It’s costly because we always meet at a nice restaurant,” he said.

And the bigger your social circle, the more you are likely to spend as you try to catch up with all the different groups.

Riska said all those meals out added up to a big bill at the end of the month. But still, she’s not complaining, saying it’s money well spent.

“I think it’s good because I can meet my old friends and just socialize,” she said, adding that this makes the fasting month the perfect time for reunions.

With the hectic pace of life in Jakarta, Riska said Ramadan was a blessing as it gave people an opportunity to reconnect.

“Sometimes it’s extremely difficult to meet certain people during the rest of the year, but somehow you can meet them during Ramadan,” she said.

Dede agreed with Riska. “Instead of complaining, I don’t mind spending more as long as I can have a good time with some old friends,” he said. “I think it’s totally worth it.”

People aren’t only spending extra money on food during Ramadan. Buying new clothes for the family and giving gifts of money and clothes to loved ones is also customary during the month.

University student Rya Fauzia said she had spent Rp 500,000 on her Idul Fitri outfits this year.

“Everybody wants to look great on Idul Fitri, so I think it’s necessary,” she said, adding that she was also planning to buy presents for her parents and siblings.

As a part of the Ramadan tradition, Rya also ordered cookies to give to her grandparents and relatives. These cookies, often kept in jars, are usually put out for guests during Idul Fitri.

“Ramadan is definitely costing me a lot of money, but it’s fine as long as everyone’s happy,” she said.

Riska has to budget for new clothes for her husband and children. But still, she said, making her family happy was her highest priority.

“The greatest feeling that I have during Ramadan is when I can make the people I love happy,” she said. “Money shouldn’t be a barrier to happiness.”

Riska also said she was planning to donate money to the poor and those who are less well off, such as the security guards at her housing complex and the office boys at her work.

“In my opinion, one of the most important things about Ramadan is sharing with others,” she said.