Time's Illusion in Balinese Thought: The Role of Sad Ripu and Time Management in Financial Decision-Making

In today’s fast-paced world, individuals increasingly experience time as slipping away, creating a sense of urgency that profoundly shapes financial decisions. Yet, research rarely examines how this subjective temporal perception interacts with emotional regulation and time management to influence behaviour, leaving a critical gap in understanding the psychological and cultural mechanisms underlying financial decision-making. This study investigates how time perception, Sad Ripu control—a culturally rooted framework of emotional regulation in Balinese Hindu thought—and time management jointly affect financial decision-making. Using a purposive sample of 300 financially experienced individuals in Denpasar, Bali, data were collected via structured questionnaires and analysed with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings reveal that faster perceived time significantly enhances financial decision-making both directly and indirectly. Surprisingly, heightened temporal urgency improved Sad Ripu control, suggesting that cultural context can convert perceived pressure into greater self-regulation. Effective time management further amplified rational financial choices, demonstrating the synergistic role of cognitive and emotional strategies in high-pressure settings. Practically, these results offer actionable insights for individuals, organisations, and policymakers globally. Cultivating temporal awareness, strengthening emotional regulation, and promoting disciplined time management can reduce impulsivity, enhance financial resilience, and improve adaptive decision-making in volatile economic environments. Integrating cultural constructs such as Sad Ripu into financial literacy programmes offers a globally relevant strategy for fostering rational, sustainable, and context-sensitive financial behaviour.