- All right, let's talk about recent viral trends I shockingly love. Number one, the Grimace Shake. A lot of good storytelling there. Number two, Girl Dinner. It's low maintenance, it's versatile, it's snacky. What's not to love? And number three, people putting snail slime on their face. I may not partake, but I appreciate a creative solution. And last but not least, today I wanna talk about the viral trend that Gen Z is claiming will help you save money and improve your finances. - Loud budget-- - Loud noises!
Is this the Gen Z trend to follow, or will it leave you questioning your life decisions a la snail slime? That's what this video is all about. But first, I have a bonus trend for you, and this one is changing lives, including mine. And here it is, clicking those like, subscribe, and share buttons. You don't want to be the last one to jump in. Trust me, because you know how that ends. Last one in is a rotten egg. Don't let it be you. Get to clicking.
Okay, so to understand what loud budgeting is, we're going to need to go back in the annals of time to the year of our Lord 2023 and the cultural movement known as quiet luxury. Now to an outsider, it would seem like quiet luxury was all about minimalism and sustainability, but it's actually a pretty insider concept because instead of wealth looking like overtly projecting money and status, quiet luxury is all about discrete displays of money that are only recognizable to those in the know.
It's all about idolizing wealthy influencers who don't actually talk about their wealth at all. They just allude to it with $800 beige cardigans, Pilates classes, and again, snail slime. So much snail slime. Who does that?
And the problem with being quiet is that onlookers out there are overspending to keep up an appearance they're not even sure Insta idols can afford. Quiet luxury normalizes the materialism people are going broke for, and it gets away with it because it's so dang subtle. But it didn't take long for people to wise up to the dark side of quiet luxury, specifically our favorite Gen Z TikToker, Lucas Battle, who thusly coined the term loud budgeting. So here's the talk that started it all.
Loud budgeting is a new concept I'm introducing for 2024. It's the opposite of quiet luxury. But if you know any rich people, you know that they hate spending money. So it's almost more chic and
more stylish, more of a flex. It's not I don't have enough, it's I don't want to spend. So it's like if your friend texts you, I want to hang out, you say I don't want to spend gas money on coming to you to hear you talk about your ex for three hours. Let's send a message to corporations about the national inflation level. Let's take a stand. Also, while quiet luxury is about idolizing celebrities, loud budgeting is about the everyday person, the average Joe.
So 2024 is all about loud budgeting, okay? Put that dollar in your pocket. Choose a stock that's going to rock it. Gosh, I love Gen Z. Okay, there's a lot of good apples out there. Thank you for that, Lucas. Maybe there's hope for us. So basically what he's saying is that it's time to break away from this quiet luxury culture and instead be vocal and transparent about how we want to spend less and save more.
In other words, let's be loud and proud about budgeting and good financial principles. So how did the masses respond to this? Well, let's just say it caused quite the splash, which we'll dive into in just a second. But first, I wanna ask you a question. Do you spend time doing things that actually matter to you? I'm not talking about going 10 miles out of your way to save 5 cents on gas. I'm talking about things like improving relationships or reaching goals, the hard stuff. And if your answer is no, then Lucky For You BetterHelp is the sponsor of today's episode.
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That's BetterHelp, H-E-L-P dot com slash George. Okay, so how did people respond to loud budgeting? Let's take a look. Loud budgeting is a new concept. It's the opposite of quiet luxury. I feel like I've been summoned. Loud budgeting for 2024. There is nothing better on this planet, to me personally, than when someone is like, oh my God, love that dress. Where'd you get it? And I'm like, thanks, Bollie.
$10 on Amazon. Thanks. I thrifted it. Just get so much more of a rush from that than I ever could from actually carrying like a $5,000 purse. In this economy, I'm saving every penny I make. Loud budgeting. You heard it here. Thank you.
Lauren Roscoe. Great entertainment there. I agree with everything she said. I think it's a flex to brag about how cheap something was versus how expensive it is. And I like this mentality. And I like that she is way cooler than me with way more influence. And she's telling people, hey, it's okay. Even if you can afford it, it's okay not to buy it. And that is something we can all learn from. Next influencer up reacting to the loud budgeting trend is Jocelyn. Jocelyn.
Since we're all loud budgeting this year, this is my best tip for saving money. I can't afford it. Doesn't matter if you can actually afford it because I know I can afford many, many things, but I keep telling myself I can't afford it. So I don't try to pay for it. Your friends keep asking you to go out to dinner. Can't afford it. This really cute dress that you can actually pay for, but you probably will only wear like once or twice. Can't afford it. The essential goal is to live below your means.
That way you're actually saving money and you're not spending way more or trying to keep up with the Joneses and do all that kind of stuff. Yes, this is connected to more of a scarcity mindset and it is the opposite of like what the girlies on TikTok are saying about
spending your money like you already have it. I'm sorry. I'm not going to manifest money by spending more money. I don't, I cannot do that. What I can do is limit my spending habits within reason. And that is how I'm not a broke girl. My broke girl mentality is going to give me a rich girl bank account.
Praise Jocelyn. She's an icon. She's a legend. And she is the moment. My broke girl mentality is going to give me a rich girl bank account. Tweet that. TikTok that. She already did it. It's too late. So I will say, I don't love the like lie of just like, well, I can't afford it. And constantly telling your friends that. I think it's...
much more honest to say, while I can afford it, that's not a priority for me right now. Or I have other financial goals that I'm trying to achieve. It's okay to just say that and set up a boundary. Just say no. And I love this idea of living like you're broke. Living below your means for a long time is what actually creates lasting wealth. So thank you for that, Jocelyn. I made a video about loud budgeting, but let's talk about how I will actually be implementing that in my life this year.
First of all, we are maxing our retirement accounts. For me right now, I'm maxing out my Roth IRA and I'm not maxing out my 401k, but I'm looking to change that and I will be maxing out both by the end of the year. Next, we are building fun into our budgets instead of cutting it out. It is a-okay to get a coffee every once in a while, go out to drinks with your friends, go out to dinner with your friends.
just build it into your budget. That way you know what's coming up and there's no guilt or shame around it when you do do it. Next, we're opening the accounts that will help our money grow. So that's our Roth IRA. That's our health savings account. That's our high yield savings account. The next one, kind of controversial, girl math is out. And I just mean this in the sense that
For me, I justify a lot of purchases if they're on sale or I'm buying a dupe. But in reality, if I never needed that item to begin with, then I'm not saving money. I'm spending money and I'm just over consuming and I end up with stuff I don't need. Next, we are saving up for big purchases. It is totally normal to have to save up to afford something and not just be able to buy new things every week. Drinks at home before dinner or nightcap at home after.
It is so expensive for dinner and drinks, at least in the city I live in. But I know that's true for like most cities. We're drinking water in 2024. No notes, no crumbs.
She crushed it. She killed it. I truly love everything Emma had to say. It's very practical. So much wisdom there. And you can see she's not trying to keep up. She's trying to live her best financial life and not worried about what everyone else is doing. And so for that, I commend her. Great content from Emma. You go, girl. You go, girl. So as you can see, this trend is taking hold and is one of the healthiest, best trends I have seen in recent memory. And what's great is that
This trend gives you permission to embrace your financial limitations. It empowers you to actually reach your goals. It gives you accountability. It frees you to talk about money in healthy ways. Because here's the thing, too many people are embarrassed about having less money than others, not having the right stuff, and they feel pressure to spend money they don't have and on things they don't really want.
Like Chaz's bachelor party on a Disney cruise. Nobody wants to go, Chaz. Nobody. You're a grown man. You know that? By addressing these issues clearly and respectfully, you're just setting boundaries so you can prioritize your own financial stability. That is the best part of adulting.
Okay, prioritize your goals and ignore everything else and set those boundaries up. And if you don't have the funds for Mickey's 12 meter regatta excursion, loud budgeting empowers you to just say no. And yeah, it might hurt someone's feelings and it may sound painful to some of you who can't be candid with your family and friends about money, but you should never feel ashamed for sticking to your budget.
And look at it this way: when you're vocal about your financial goals, the people in your life get a chance to be your accountability partners and cheer you on. And who knows, it might encourage them to start paying attention to their finances too. That way, the next time you're planning a bougie brunch to celebrate the spring solstice, your friends can kindly remind you of that Camry that you're saving up for and maybe suggest Cracker Barrel instead. Which is hardly a sacrifice considering those little airplane shot maple syrup bottles
That stuff puts the crack in Cracker Barrel. You know what I'm talking about? Now, if you want to try out this loud budgeting thing, here's some habits to help you get started. One, start talking about your spending limits openly with the people in your life. Number two, pack a lunch and start meal prepping instead of eating out so much. Number three, automate your savings so that you're not tempted to spend more. When that money disappears, you'll just learn to live off less. Number four, refuse to impulse shop.
Instead, here's what you need to do. Try waiting 24 hours before making a purchase. And even better, try removing your card info from some of your favorite apps and websites so you're not as tempted to buy. Number five, host people at your house and embrace free activities. Here's some ideas. Go on a walk. Make your friend or spouse a fancy coffee at home. Go jelly dogging with the bros.
which is a thing where you wear a life jacket like a diaper and you chill in a local body of water until your sunburn. And last but not least, if we're talking about loud budgeting, how about actually, you know, budgeting? You just blew my mind. And this doesn't have to be a cuss word. We make it really easy with an app called EveryDollar that you can download from the App Store and start budgeting for free. Just add your income, add your expenses, and keep track of what you're spending and make a plan for every dollar. It's that simple.
And listen, if the people in your life aren't supporting your goals, that sucks. But don't let it derail you. If you own where you're at with some peace and some confidence, they'll come around eventually if they really want what's best for you. And if they don't, just find new friends. There's plenty of fish in the sea. But listen, becoming a smart spender, it doesn't happen just by talking about it. You got to be about it. And I suggest starting by learning from people who are already crushing the game. So stick around for my next video about the 17 things frugal people refuse to buy.
And make sure to let me know in the comments how you plan to start loud budgeting. Thanks for watching. We'll see you next time.