Dominican financial coach and author Diego Sosa says most people struggle with money because they let their finances run on "autopilot" instead of first deciding where they want their finances to go, in a column published in the Personal Economy section of Diario Libre on September 11, 2026.
Sosa said that when someone describes their financial habits as automatic, the real issue is not the automation itself but what has been programmed into it. He said that programming only works in a person's favor if it leads them toward a destination they actually chose. The trouble, he said, is that many people never decide on that destination in the first place, let alone build a plan to reach it, which makes it impossible to set a financial autopilot toward a genuine goal.
He said it is easier to let outside forces do that programming, but far less effective. As an example, he pointed to companies that sell high end smartphones, saying it is in their interest for customers not to keep the same device for more than two years. According to Sosa, these companies manufacture a sense of technological obsolescence while also offering buyers a feeling of superiority when they own the most advanced phone among their friends, which in turn builds loyalty to the brand.
Five financial habits to track
Sosa listed five aspects of personal finance that he said should never be neglected, ideally with automatic mechanisms in place to monitor them.
- Net worth. Sosa defined this as the total of a person's assets minus everything they owe, a standard measure used across personal finance. He said reviewing it periodically shows the direction of someone's financial life: if it is not growing, something needs to change; if it is shrinking, the situation needs urgent attention; and if it is growing, the pace of that growth determines whether to adjust course or stay on it.
- Credit standing. Sosa said people are often caught off guard when they finally need this information, and recommended checking it once a year to catch anything that should not be there, adding that the overall trend over time is also a useful signal.
- The phrases people use. Sosa said expressions such as "I deserve it," or sayings like "save bread for May and firewood for April," reveal how a person thinks about money. He said this shows whether someone prioritizes an emotional purchase over reason, as in the first phrase, or prioritizes building wealth, and that recognizing the pattern helps explain spending habits and leads to better decisions.
- Tracking debt. Sosa said outstanding debts should shrink month by month if the goal is to eventually clear them. He said a rise in debt is a warning sign of heading the wrong way, unless the new borrowing goes toward investment, a home purchase, or an asset that can be rented out.
- Budgeting before and after spending. Sosa said predicting in advance where money will go is essential for setting priorities and checking whether income covers spending goals. He said it is just as important to track what was actually spent afterward, which is why he recommends writing down purchases as they happen.
Who is Diego Sosa
Sosa is a speaker, consultant, coach and writer who has published 20 books. He spent 10 years leading one of the companies within Siemens, the German engineering and technology conglomerate, across operations in Argentina, Brazil and Germany, according to the author biography published with his column.
Sosa said his aim is to give readers the tools they need so they do not have to weigh every single financial decision, but can instead focus their attention on the ones that truly matter. He described mastering personal finances as training the mind to consistently make the assertive choices that move a person closer to their goals.
