What started as a joke has resonated with younger generations and has become a reality. In late 2023, influencer Lukas Battle brought “loud budgeting” to life when comparing it to “quiet luxury.” While the “quiet luxury” aesthetic embraces understated celebrity wealth and ultra high quality (and expensive) goods, “loud budgeting” engages a frank and direct expression of affordability and practicality. “Loud budgeting” allows folks to not hide their frugal tendencies and share their thoughts and feelings on how they want to spend (or save) their money in an attempt to remove awkward conversations with friends and family.

Another TikTok trend embraced by younger generations is called “soft saving” - putting less money into the future and using more of it for the present. Gen Z is leading the “soft saving” trend. Intuit’s Prosperity Index reports that nearly 3 out of 4 Gen Zs say the current economy makes them hesitant to set up long-term goals and 2 out of 3 say they’re not sure they’ll ever have enough money to be able to retire. Many are thus thinking about living in the present and pursuing passions or hobbies today.

Where are younger generations getting all these ideas for “loud budgeting,” and “soft saving” or even “girl math”? None other than TikTok or more specifically, FinTok - more than 60% of Gen Z get their financial advice from TikTok according to PYMTS. And even more specifically they are getting advice from “finfluencers” like Markia Brown, Humphrey Yang, Tori Dunlap, or Taylor Price. However, TikTok is under serious scrutiny given the call from congress to ban the platform entirely and organizations like the CFA Institute are contending that “finfluencers” are not qualified to be advising on financial health and are seeking more regulation on social media platforms for the safety of young investors.