Feeling some financial anxiety? You are not alone. Enter, strong budgeting.
Picture this: You go out to dinner with a friend who you know makes a lot more money than you. When you open the menu, your heart sinks. There isn’t a starter under £20 and even a soup will set you back £15. The waiter then comes over with… oh my, is that an in-house sommelier? It is; you lose at least £100 tonight.
If you’ve found yourself in this scenario (and let’s be real, who hasn’t), you’ve probably skipped dinner and vowed to eat pesto pasta until payday to make up for it. But what if you just turned to your friend, closed the menu and said, “I’m sorry, I have to be honest. I can’t afford that. Shall we go somewhere else?”
That’s the idea behind noise budgeting, a trend on TikTok that can not only help its followers financially, but can actually be both mentally and emotionally helpful when dealing with these kinds of stressful situations. In an age where everyone seems to put on a facade and bend all the good things they have for a gram, it feels somewhat revolutionary to just be honest about what you can and can’t afford.
The term and concept was first coined by TikTok comedian Lucas Battle as part of his 2024 ins vs. outs list, in which he states that quiet luxury is out for 2023 and “noisy budgeting” is in. In a subsequent TikTok, Battle explained its concept. Simply put, noise budgeting means being honest about what you do and don’t want to spend money on.
“Noisy budgeting has the same feel as sneaking candy into a movie theater,” he says in the video. “You feel like you missed something.”
TikTok content
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After his video, the concept spread to young people on TikTok, who rightly pointed out that the trend came at a significant time. Mainly because everything is currently out of control expensive.
TikTok content
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At a time when inflation seems to be affecting the prices of everything from haircuts to groceries while wages continue to stagnate, it seems that many Gen Zs and Millennials are welcoming the opportunity to admit that it’s hard—and maybe even stupid—to keep trying They share their own tips for saving money and changing their habits, from only dining or drinking out (not both) to ditching £22 salads for lunch (or at least cutting back).
TikTok content
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Battle told MarketWatch that he wonders why the trend appeals to so many of his peers.
“I think this age group on TikTok is feeling the financial pressures of today’s world,” he said. “It started as a joke, but it struck a chord.”
It’s not just TikTok, though. Even those in the financial services industry agree with the trend. Nicolina Cuca, a financial advisor at Northwestern Mutual, says she’s seen social media increase the pressure on her clients to spend more than they can on luxury items they can’t really afford, and she welcomes a movement to mitigate that.
“I think [social media] it can make a lot of younger people feel like they’re behind in some capacity and that they have to deal with it and have to buy luxury and branded items, whether it’s clothes or cars or whatever the case may be , and put it out there,” she tells GLAMOUR.
She says the most valuable part of the noisy budgeting trend is that it provides a sense of accountability. For example, if you tell a friend that you’re trying to cut down on drinks out, you’re much more likely to stick to the goal than if you just keep it to yourself.
“I think sometimes a lot of people are more likely to let themselves down than other people, which is why accountability works,” she says. “I think it’s a really helpful strategy in terms of just bringing camaraderie and bringing in other people who will support you financially in your larger life goals.”
Working together with friends to achieve financial goals and still have fun? It’s a trend we can get behind.
This feature first appeared on GLAMOR US.
