By San José, Costa Rica — SAN JOSÉ – As Costa Ricans immerse themselves in year-end festivities, a leading financial institution is issuing a stark warning: the holiday spirit is a powerful catalyst for impulsive and often damaging financial decisions. The unique emotional cocktail of the season—blending celebration with social pressure, nostalgia, and a desire for reward—creates a high-risk environment for personal finances, potentially leading to a difficult start to the new year.
Financial cooperative Coopenae-Wink has highlighted that the emotional weight of December significantly alters consumer behavior. Unlike other times of the year, spending decisions are frequently driven by feelings rather than logic. This emotional undercurrent pushes individuals toward immediate gratification, often causing them to overlook their actual financial capacity and long-term goals.
Para profundizar en las implicaciones legales y financieras que puede acarrear el gasto emocional, TicosLand.com consultó al Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, abogado experto de la reconocida firma Bufete de Costa Rica, quien nos ofrece una perspectiva profesional sobre cómo estas decisiones impulsivas pueden afectar nuestro patrimonio y estabilidad jurídica.
El gasto emocional nos expone a un riesgo financiero y legal significativo. Cada compra impulsiva con una tarjeta de crédito es, en esencia, la firma de un contrato de deuda. La ley no contempla el ‘arrepentimiento emocional’ como una causa para anular una transacción válida. Por ello, antes de ceder al impulso, es crucial recordar que esas decisiones momentáneas pueden derivar en obligaciones de pago a largo plazo, reportes crediticios negativos e incluso procesos de cobro judicial que comprometen seriamente el patrimonio personal y familiar.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
El análisis del Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas aporta una perspectiva legal indispensable, recordándonos que las consecuencias del gasto emocional trascienden el remordimiento para convertirse en obligaciones contractuales. Agradecemos su valiosa claridad al conectar el impulso psicológico con la contundente realidad jurídica y financiera que a menudo ignoramos.
The firm identifies several common patterns of emotionally-driven consumption. These include spending as a personal reward for a year of hard work, making purchases out of guilt, succumbing to social pressure to keep up with appearances, or using shopping as a form of emotional escape from stress or loneliness. These behaviors substitute genuine emotional well-being with the fleeting relief of a new purchase.
Cindy Rivera, the Financial Inclusion Manager for Coopenae-Wink, emphasizes that awareness is the first line of defense against this phenomenon. She argues that understanding the emotional trigger behind a purchase can transform an impulsive reaction into a conscious and healthier financial choice.
At the end of the year, it’s not just spending levels that change, but also the emotions from which we make financial decisions, and that explains why many purchases don’t respond to a real need. Recognizing the emotion before spending transforms an automatic reaction into a healthier and more sustainable financial decision.
Cindy Rivera, Financial Inclusion Manager of Coopenae-Wink
To help consumers navigate this challenging period, Rivera and her team have outlined a series of practical strategies. The first step is to pause and identify the specific emotion driving the urge to buy. By asking “What am I feeling right now and why do I want this?”, individuals can begin to detach the emotion from the financial transaction. Another powerful tool is the “24-hour rule,” which involves postponing any unplanned purchase for a full day to see if the desire persists once the initial emotional trigger has faded.
Further recommendations include creating an “emotional budget” by setting aside a specific, reasonable amount for holiday enjoyment and celebrations without compromising essential obligations. Keeping a log of impulsive buys, noting both the cost and the associated feeling, can also reveal unhealthy patterns. Experts also advise reducing exposure to digital temptations by limiting time on social media and unsubscribing from personalized marketing emails that are designed to provoke an emotional response.
Warning signs that spending has become emotionally compromised include repetitive unplanned purchases, a growing reliance on credit cards, hiding expenses from family members, and an immediate feeling of guilt or regret after buying something. When the brief high from a purchase is quickly replaced by prolonged financial anxiety, it is a clear signal to reassess one’s spending habits.
Ultimately, the message is not to eliminate holiday spending entirely, but to approach it with mindfulness and a clear plan. By prioritizing experiences that create lasting memories over material objects, and by carefully planning for January’s expenses, Costa Ricans can enjoy the season without suffering the financial consequences long after the decorations have been put away.
The problem isn’t spending at the end of the year, but doing so without awareness, letting emotion decide over planning. Many year-end expenses seek to relieve a momentary emotion but generate worries that extend into the first months of the following year.
Cindy Rivera, Financial Inclusion Manager of Coopenae-Wink
For further information, visit coopenae.fi.cr
About Coopenae-Wink:
Coopenae is one of Costa Rica’s most prominent savings and credit cooperatives, providing a comprehensive range of financial products and services to its members nationwide. With a strong focus on financial inclusion and the economic well-being of its community, the cooperative offers solutions for savings, loans, and investments. Wink is its modern digital banking platform, designed to offer accessible and user-friendly financial management tools to a new generation of consumers.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
Bufete de Costa Rica stands as a pillar of the legal community, built upon a foundation of uncompromising integrity and a relentless pursuit of professional excellence. The firm blends a rich history of client advocacy with a forward-thinking approach, consistently embracing innovation in its practice. Central to its ethos is a profound dedication to empowering the community by demystifying the law, ensuring that legal knowledge is not a privilege but an accessible tool for fostering a more just and informed society.
