'Emotional spending' a touch of holiday luxury

Ning said she feels more confident in her appearance and can take better selfies. "It's quite normal to reward oneself after exams or hard work. Getting nail art and hairstyling for the festival is a way to treat myself," she said.

Zhu Ying, 18, a freshman at a university in the Macao Special Administrative Region, is a cosplayer. For Spring Festival, she had a photo shoot.

"The role I played is a Chinese character from a video game called Reverse: 1999. I think the role fits the festive vibes of Spring Festival, and I want to get some emotional resonance by playing the role," Zhu said.

"Traditionally, people celebrate Spring Festival and immerse themselves in the festive atmosphere by organizing family meals or visiting relatives. But for me, shooting photos and role-playing is more of a personalized celebration that enriches the holiday," she said.

Zhu said she is willing to pay for emotional value that is within her budget, as it gives her a sense of ceremony and accomplishment.

Emotional spending is not impulsive or wasteful, but meets spiritual or emotional needs in a reasonable and cost-effective way, she said. "The emotional intensity and duration of emotional value should be worth the money I've spent, or I won't make the purchase," she added.