The mistake that's repeated every december with the year-end bonus

But it's also true that, in most cases, that money disappears as quickly as it arrives. It practically has a name and purpose before we even realize it: gifts, clothes, shoes, outings, meals, celebrations, short trips, and in many cases, paying for things with a credit card and then "figuring things out." And that's where the problem lies. It's not that treating yourself is wrong, nor is it about living like monks, but spending absolutely the entire bonus, and even going into debt beyond that extra income, is one of the most common—and most damaging—financial decisions.

Ideally, from a financial perspective (in my personal opinion), at least a portion of that money should be allocated to savings, a small investment, or finally creating that famous emergency fund that everyone talks about but rarely puts into practice. A fund that comes in handy when the refrigerator breaks down, when there's a medical emergency, when you lose your job, or when any unforeseen event arises, which, as we all know, always does. Having even a small nest egg saved makes a huge difference to peace of mind.

But the reality is quite different, and it's no coincidence. In our country, as in many others, financial education is practically nonexistent. Very few of us were taught how to manage money, how to save, how to invest, or how to plan. Most of us learned the hard way, watching our parents do what they could, often repeating the same mistakes. Then the bonus arrives, and instead of seeing it as an opportunity to strengthen our financial stability, we see it as "extra money to spend without guilt."

And that's precisely where the vicious cycle begins: we spend it all, we go into a little more debt, January arrives with bills, maxed-out credit cards, loans to pay off, and financial stress returns to our lives from the very first month of the year. Then we wonder why we never manage to get ahead, why we're always just getting by, why any unexpected event throws us off balance so much. Often, the answer lies in small decisions repeated over and over again.

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It's not about becoming extreme or keeping 100% of your bonus under the mattress. It's about being a little more mindful. Maybe divide it: some to enjoy, some to save, some to pay off debts. Maybe start with something simple, even if it's just 10% or 20%. The important thing is to create the habit, change your mindset, understand that the money that seems "extra" today can be the difference between a crisis and a solution tomorrow.

In the end, everyone decides what to do with their money, of course. But it's also true that many of the financial difficulties we experience don't just come from how much we earn, but from how we manage what we earn. Spending the entire year-end bonus, and even worse, spending more than we actually have, is a serious mistake that is repeated every year; it's something I see constantly. I hope that little by little we learn to do things differently. I'll say goodbye now, take care, and may this end of the year also be an opportunity to think a little more about our financial future.

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