7 Ways To Work Around The Most 'Mah Fan' Things During CNY

PROBLEM: That errand to the mandarin orange shop could set you back by 30-60 minutes. No time?

SOLUTION: Ask your friend, colleague or relative to help buy your supply now for CNY. There's just a few days left! Don't be stingy on the quantity. You don't want to regret not buying enough.

PROBLEM: Getting stuck in the notorious CNY jam along the highway is no joke. People have spent over 10 hours to travel back home when it would normally take them four.

SOLUTION: Get a Touch 'n Go card and reload it for your both trips, back and forth. Look for a reload spot closest to your current location.

PROBLEM: The bank is out of RM10 notes, and you don't have enough RM1 notes. It's like an epidemic or a currency rationing every year. You need to hold on to your notes like your life depended on it. Don't use the good notes on your CNY goodies.

SOLUTION: Pay for necessities and groceries at Tesco, Watsons, Mydin Supermarket, KK Supermarts and Sam's Groceria with your Touch 'n Go card.

PROBLEM: If you're 30 and you are still the resident 'loser' in your group of friends, stop the big buy ins.

SOLUTION: Observe how the high rollers win or take the kids out to see the firecrackers the neighbours are launching into the sky.

PROBLEM: By this point, if you have "nothing to wear", you need to realise that you had something to wear for every single one of the 365 days before CNY.

SOLUTION: Utilise your unused vouchers, check the retail outlets your credit cards are giving promos for, shop on an online store with free shipping + 3-day delivery (max), buy an awesome piece of accessory and pair it with your favourite top. Nobody should penalise you for creativity.

PROBLEM: It's hard to stay off the feasting. Your relatives may not like it and they'll keep feeding you things on your plate anyways.

SOLUTION: Eat. Slowly. Pace yourself. If you've overdosed on pineapple tarts on the first day, eat more meat or veg on the second day. Hydrate yourself with a lot of water after eating. It'll help curb all the binging and unnecessary snacking.

PROBLEM: You think the shopping mall will be empty because everyone will balik kampung right? WRONG. There are thousands of people thinking the exact same thing as they head to the mall only to find out it's super packed and jammed. How do you beat this?

SOLUTION: Use the LRT and avoid queuing in line with a Touch n' Go card. If you don't fancy that, there are taxis and ride sharing services where you can arrive in style, hassle-free.