'Loud budgeting' takes over TikTok – helping Gen Z to save hundreds each month

People often shy away from money talk and transparency – but not Gen Z.

Like other areas of life including mental health and boundary setting, the younger generation is breaking barriers towards a more open and progressive society.

Now, "Loud budgeting" is taking over TikTok feeds across the world in a bid to save money in 2024.

"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, more stylish, more of a flex," TikToker Lukas Battle said in a viral clip that's racked up more than 1.4 million views.

"Let’s send a message to corporations about the national inflation level. Let’s take a stand," he continued. "It’s not 'I don’t have enough,' it’s 'I don’t want to spend.'"

He likened the money trend to "sneaking candy into a movie theatre" in that "you feel like you got away with something."

Lukas went on to suggest that 2023's 'quiet luxury' trend was focused on the rich and famous – not regular people.

"Celebrities or entertainers, they're here to entertain us. They're clowns really. And think about it, medieval peasants didn't ask the jester with a bum knee for a photo after their courtroom fart," he joked.

It didn't take long for fellow TikTokers to chime in with their takes, with one describing it as "so recession core".

"Loud budgeting is buying the travel size conditioner," another humoured, while a third wrote: "Someone said that spending money is an ick in 2024 and now I’m living by that."

Graduate Maya McIntyre told AU News that she was able to save an extra $250 from partaking in the trend, by cutting back on streaming services and eating out less.

"Most of my friends are making some changes to the way we think about our finances and some of us are definitely more open to saying no to things if we feel like we want to save money instead," she explained. "In my group, it’s not very taboo to talk about money."

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