Has Gen Z Actually Figured This Out? 

My wife told me years ago I needed to stop being so proud of how little I spend on things. Apparently I've been loud budgeting my whole life. I just got a free 60 inch TV for helping a friend move. Gonna ride that high for months

"I don't have the *budget* for that." is more honest, powerful, and intentional.

I always tell my kids "You get a 100% discount when you don't buy it". A discount is only worthwhile when you were intending to buy it anyways.

“You don’t need to spend money to have fun.” -the best advice I was given in my early 20’s

"Loud budgeting" just seems like young city people discovering what rural midwesterners have known for decades.

I once worked at a salon in California (high end place) I had a cheap necklace that was very real looking. One of these rich ladies complimented it and I instinctively said “thanks! It’s was like $5”. She looked at me like I was crazy and said “don’t tell people that”. Umm ma’am I love bragging about my frugality.

When we drive by fastfood and my kids ask if we can get some I say: "We COULD get some OR we could go on vacation to the beach!" I don't want them to think we're poor. We DO have the money, but we CHOOSE to do something else with it. Having a growth/positive mindset vs a closed/negative mindset. ❤❤

My friends clown me for not wanting to go out and spend 240$ on food. I told them that I could make better food for 5$ at home. They go and say if you can’t spend 40$ your “broke”. I’m not broke. I just don’t want to pay 40$+ for food that I could make way cheaper 😂

I was at a fair trade shop trying to decide if I wanted a full size chocolate bar or a small one. The store clerk said, "Or you can buy two of the small ones and have a little now and a little later." I said, "I'm not doing that, based on the weight I would be spending more money for less chocolate. I would only get the smaller chocolate because it gives room for something else in my snack budget." She said, "It's fine. It's girl math." I said, "I do math, not girl math." Also let's not excuse dumb financial decisions with a term like 'girl math.' It's kind of demeaning to women.

Instead of "I can't afford it." Why not "It's not in my budget."

I can't do the "wait 24 hours before buying it" thing. I have to wait 3-4 months before buying it. It still feels like an impulse purchase if it's within that first month of wanting it.

Saying "I can't afford it." ends the conversation. Saying anything else continues the conversation and then you have to keep justifying why you don't want to spend money.

My saying for years already is "don't want to afford it"

I've been quiet budgeting--living within my means and "moving in silence". I definitely like the "loud budgeting" trend. The pride in saying, "My financial priorities don't accommodate this request!" and choosing the thing that makes the most financial sense to your bank account.

Every other year I fly to visit my best friend and I always have to remind her. I am here to live with you in your daily life so that we can spend time together and that’s all and it is always fabulous. We cook meals together. We take hikes together we grocery shop together we drink wine and eat cheese together And catch up Those are million dollar experiences and I treasure each and everyone of my visits ❤

I’m like the first girl 😂I love telling people about my bargains! And it’s really shocking how many compliments I’ve gotten on cheaper dresses than more expensive ones. I also love to show people if my dress has pockets.

When my wife tells me she used 2 coupons on one item and my motor gets running! Haha. Love my wife and I have same goals and frugality.

Pro: They're getting with the program. There's a little hope for the future yet Cons: They have to make a new name for old and already proven concepts

I've been "loud budgeting" for years... though I call it being in reality and just saying it how things are.

That woman was so cheap she only bought half the shirt

Boy now I feel hip and trendy. I heard some new phrases today. Loud budgeting and quiet luxury

It's not in the budget. That sentence set me free!!!

As a 62 year old Boomer, I've been practicing these money saving tips for over 40 years. I've been a frugal person and a budgeter since I was about ten. Thanks for your content, George.

I much prefer “I thrifted it” to “$10 on Amazon” because that cheap dress on Amazon was probably made by a child in a sweat shop. As a Millennial who finally got to purchase a home at 40, I tell everyone how much I love the 2nd hand economy in Portland, OR and which furniture, decor, and clothing pieces I found 2nd hand and from where I got them. I get to be eco-conscious, budget-conscious, and a treasure hunter all in one 😊

I can't afford it = I can't afford to feel guilty about it, I can't afford to keep this in my closet and not wear it, I can't afford the extra calories

I find that I save TONS of money by getting my clothes from Goodwill, Salvation Army, and thrift stores. I always get compliments on my clothes, and I in no way feel less than for wearing them. Also, I can buy maybe 3 or 4 tops for the price of 1 top in mainstream retail... sometimes more. I save mainstream retail shopping for vacations. It has saved me soooo much money, I look great, often still wear designer clothes, and it barely makes a dent in my budget...under the title of weekly spending allowance (with a focus of putting as much as I can into savings).

2024 is the year I heal my relationship with money. I tend to save save save and not spend out of fear of going broke. I'm slowly learning the balancing act of saving for the future and spending on things/experiences I enjoy.

Asian culture has been doing the "thrift flex" for generations. Welcome to the party.

I’ve been loudly saying… “I can’t… I want to retire”

I like how they pretend that this is a new concept. Like this isn't something we've been yelling for years.

When i was younger, i used to fall for the salesgirls tactics for embarrassing the customers into spending more. The raised eyebrows and smirks. Now when I'm shown something way overpriced, i feel no qualms saying, "Seriously? Is it made of diamonds? Put it back!" They get really sheepish and take me to the bargain section, because small commish still better than no commish at all 😂😂😂

I'm a 36yr old Millennial raised by a Boomer Father and a Gen X Mother, and, "We can't afford it," was drilled into my brain before puberty hit. "We can't afford it," is my default factory setting. I've literally said this in reply to the question, "Can we go to Target later?" We take into account the cost of fuel for a grocery trip. Anyone else only go to the grocery store one day a week? I know you do. It's like we're all going there at the same time. Forgot to get the milk? Good. We can learn to eat cereal dry.

Loud budgeting huh. Well my first car was only $500 from a random guy in a target parking lot! Wooo

The dinner and drinks thing, bought a bottle of wine for $9 at Costco, at the restaurant we went for our anniversary, it was $41!

So people are bragging that they are finally living within their means?

We need to get away from the taboo about talking about money.

This doesn’t work for everyone, but once I made a work bestie, I assumed I’d be pressured into buying lunch so instead I suggested we alternate brining lunch for each other :) it helps saving money but also time the day before when the other person is in charge of brining lunch

I am blessed to live and work in a community that fully believes in "reduce reuse recycle." A friend of mine, the wife of a corporate manager, gets her kicks hitting up the thrift shops. The company I work for has several "free boxes" at each location because we have seasonal workers who can't take all the new outdoor gear that they bought on a plane. (My best find was a $350 Columbia coat.) There are also several second-hand sporting goods stores within driving distance. My favorite however are these scratch and dent grocery stores! Sadly, there are none locally.

I guess I've been loud budgeting my whole life 😂😂😂

It’s amazing how the younger generation renames things that us older folks have been doing for years.

This gave me hope for the next gen. How about loud "healthy eating" next?

The shock on George's face when she said "Girl Math is out" 🤣

My husband, gen x, has been doing this forever and taught it our four gen z kids. They will be so happy that this is actually trending because my oldest adult children have said they wish they had not been taught to do this because they feel too guilty to not be frugal. They always felt weird because none of their friends were raised frugal.

People think they are spending money, but in reality we are all spending our time. It took your time working to earn the money to spend. I started putting my wants in relation to time I have to work to get it versus the time I bank by not spending and gaining time (investing instead) on earlier retirement.

It’s funny. My friends try to flex designer clothes and money on instagram and snap but since I actually know them they be living in they moms house with two kids. Retail job and a baby mom they they ain’t loyal too😂.

As a middle-aged European, it's great to see this become a thing in the US and with younger adults. Basically reducing the deviation from what most people in my circle consider common sense. The one thing I'd still like to see is not everyone who goes on camera for a "spontaneous" message having spent the previous hour in the make-up room.

If you can't buy it twice you can't afford it. Greetings from switzerland

One thing I did like about the "quiet luxury" trend was the idea of buying high-quality items you could use for a long time instead of cheap items you'd need to replace it a few months. Maybe there's a good middle ground, where you only buy what you actually need and / or you think will dramatically improve your life, but when you do decide to buy something, you get something that's good quality and won't end up in the trash in under a year. Cheap products cost you money, not just because they need to be replaced often, but because every time you replace them you're going back to the store and running the risk of impulse-buying something you don't need. My goal is to shop for basically anything that isn't groceries as rarely as possible. When I need clothes, I make a list of exactly which items I want to get ahead of time, but once I'm out shopping, I'm not afraid to shell out on those items if I think the value is there.

"Not in the/my budget" including my kids can hear this from me.

I was ridiculed for wearing crappy clothes, driving garbage cans on wheels, using an old telephone, rummaging through dumpsters, living where the conveniences of life do not exist, etc. Now I am the one who could walk into the new car dealer, point to anything on the showroom floor and tell them to have it ready for me by noon in exchange for pockets full of cash. But decades of struggles with old piles of crap has caused me to not need a brand new car, so I don't have one.

Gen Z : how do I brag without looking like I’m bragging

Never heard of quiet luxury. Stealth wealth yes though.

I'm a Gen Xer and I'm all here for "Loud Budgeting." This is a great concept. Save your money for a rainy day. ❤

As an old curmudgeon (Gen X) I can appreciate how the young whippersnappers are discovering these truths. This is exactly the kind of mindset that gave me the financial freedom I enjoy now.

I remember when I bought my new car, I was ashamed that I had taken a loan (paid it off in three months)..... what shocked me is how many people congratulated me on getting a new car (it was used). No regard to how it was funded. The false success model in America needs to cave against honesty.

I appreciate Gen Z (or any generation) being smart about money but honestly I prefer how my Depression-era parents handled it. My mother taught me never to ask how much people make, what they spent on an item or anything focusing on money. She said it was rude to judge people that way. If someone compliments my outfit, I just say I love the color or how comfortable it is, not what I spent on it.

When you tell someone about your goals (in this case - saving) - you become somewhat resposible for that goal. But at the same time - you create an illusion that you're doing something when you're really not (apart from talking about it) You should find what works for you!

This behavior is toxic and default here in Europe. Employers start to assume it's ok to pay you much less because you just need to rent a room instead of an apartment and to cycle to work instead of paying for public transportation or car/parking. If you want to save do it quietly so you have an edge. Once you normalize low spending that becomes the new normal and incomes will surely reflect that there as they reflect that here. I don't see the Dutch retiring early because they're frugal, as employers pay much less here. Sorry.

Loud Budget tip - my wife needed some lotion on a road trip and we stopped at Buc-ee’s for gas and the restroom. I picked up one of their lotions and my wife (a lotion snob for thirty years) genuinely liked it. At $2.30, I stop every time I pass one and buy a few.

Renaming a concept that many of us from all the generations have been practicing forever doesn't make it a new concept or makes it unique to Gen Z. I'm Gen X and have been using this concept since the 80s, I would call is using common sense by living within your means. Is all about being disciplined, setting up a financial plan to achieve your goal... whether it is as small as buying groceries or as complicated as owning a home or investing. Numbers don't lie, if you bring home $2k a month and you spend $3k, no amount of miracles will ever balance that budget. Either get a 2nd or 3rd job to generate more than $3k just to break even and have some savings or adjust you living costs below your take home income. There are no shortcuts to financial freedom.

loud budgeting, you mean being financially responsible and you can use your money to manifest more money its called investing

Repeatedly saying no to going out with friends is not free. It can cost you a friendship. There are costs other than money in this world.

This is a trend I can absolutely support! 👏🏾

I'm so glad I learned how to tell my friends, "Sorry, it's out of my budget." Trip to New Orleans? Going out to dinner this weekend? Meeting up downtown for drinks? Sorry. Can't. It's out of my budget.

We retired early, house is paid off, eat and entertain at home, car is paid off, dont spend $ at the coffee store, snd enjoy spending extra $ on our hobbies....been " loud budgeting for years...also if we cant pay cash it waits....1 credit card used only for emergencies... 😅

My fiancé taught me to spend smart and spend on quality (essentially quiet luxury), however we also practice loud budgeting. For me, every penny spent doing new and fun activities with my friends and catching up with them is money well spent. Never has to be expensive, even simply having them over.

be careful not to throw your friends and family away because of fear of spending

This just feels like the Dutch lifestyle. People here are always bragging about how cheap their things are. I always say: I don't have the money for that.". I do have money, just not for that.

instead of saying, I can’t afford it, which would be a lie I just say “it’s not in the budget “ that sends two signals to people. one is I don’t have the money for it. And two is I’m doing this thing called budgeting that might actually lead to follow on conversations about why do I budget, How do I budget and how is it worked for me.

Other tips for this mindset: create a rule for yourself that you don't buy something the first time you're considering buying it. If you forget about it, you didnt need it. If you come back to it a few times, consider realistically how much use this thing will get. Is it genuinely worth the money? Is there a cheaper option? Will its presence in your life be worth the environmental impact of it when it reaches the end of its life? Is it worth the physical space in your home and the mental energy of managing it as part of your inventory? It's quite easy not to impulse spend when you ask yourself these questions.

I'm budgeting through meal prepping and bringing lunch to work so I can redirect the money spent at the drive-thru to paying off my smallest debt!

This should be a required watch for all college age kids. Heck even the high schoolers should see this.

can some one clarify something for me if this is what gen z think loud budgeting is then what to they think budgeting is because this just sounds like a standard budget and living within your means whats new here ?

Great content and great presentation as usual, but “Spring Solstice”? 🤔

Every dollar has a name! Never pay full price, always ask for a coupon or discount. Capsule closets are in, 4 pants, 5 tops, etc…

As a person born between the boomers and the X'ers, I'll add a couple of thoughts. Always remember, you own your material things, they don't own you. Ask yourself, will this bring me $X worth of enjoyment, or is there something else that gives a better return for the money. Look at the range of options - for example, $46K (plus $13K in markups) for a Civic Type R, or $13K for a mint C4 Corvette that will trounce the Civic on the performance end. I applaud the recommendation to automate your savings. I followed that advice at the start of my career, and retired early at 55 with a net worth in the top 1%, all without any other special magic than just working hard and doing my best. Good luck out there.

So, this is a midwest flex, lol. Anyone compliments anything 'new' you have (or they live 3 hours away and you haven't seen 'em in a while) the first thing you do is say, "Thanks! 50% off so and so plus I got this coupon." The best is when you can say it was free because you got it from your cousin and then fixed it up. The looks of terror you will get if you actually paid out a lot of money is comical. Never pay full price. Nothing is worth full price.

Being vocal about your savings doesn’t always help with the people around you even family, because most people don’t understand what you’re doing. They think you’re just greedy and they shame you for saving money. At least that’s my experience and learning not to care about all of that while I have done, it is harder than what it seems.

Removing my card from Amazon has saved me sooo much money😑😮

An advantage of having no friends and no social life is how much money and money I save without even trying.

So, are we finally acknowledging that the Loud luxury is also out, finally? Remember when congressmen were calling out the loud luxury trend of posting avocado toast on Instagram? Yeah, everyone argued "they deserve that luxury, and bad budgeting has nothing to do with not being able to afford bigger things"

The big queston is, what are the current young generation gonna remember from their youth when they're in their middle age? I mean "the boomers" remembers woodstock, first kiss, having crazy fun with their friends, adventures to change the world and make a difference,... What are zoomers gonna remember and share with their kids and grand kids other than they watched smart phone screen 24/7, whined and complained how everything was so offencice and inappropriate?

My personal phrase is “I’m a poor person” in response to anything involving money.

I literally just posted about how my entire outfit was thrifted, including shoes, bag, and jewellery. I love a good thrift find

I didn’t recognise any of those “influencers”. I’m doing a good job minimising social use

I love how the best example he gives of loud budgeting is...not spending some money on gas to go be with a friend. And then right after there's an ad saying, "are you spending time on what matters most? get Better Help.". So...isolate yourself so you have mental health issues and then pay for someone to talk to about it. I'm exaggerating but that part felt a little off.

So essentially a budget.

Thank you for the video, one thing I'd like to mention is how the words economy and ecology have the same Latin root word, eco, basically translating to home. To me, this shows that to have a healthy home, both our actual home and the the planet as well, we need solutions that are both economically AND environmentally intelligent. With this in mind, the Federal tax credit for Solar PV and solar hot water panels is 30%.

When you actually have a million dollars, and you see the people around you broke with nice stuff, you just feel sorry for them. Nobody can shame your car, since you could buy a freaking supercar in cash, but instead just choose to drive a used minivan.

I'm totally for loud budgeting, but I also want to make sure people balance it out eventually in the future so you don't fall into poverty mentality and then you NEVER spend money. Ultra parsimoniousness is also NOT a flex and can be damaging. But during this season of high inflation, yeah, do it. Don't buy a damn thing, American's in general don't need anymore stuff.

In economics "saving" money isn't the same thing as in colloquial terms. If you buy on a special offer and get your thing for 7 bucks instead of 10, you didn't save 3 bucks, you consumed 7. Saving is only what you invest to be able to use it in the future.

Apparently I've been a "loud budgeter" for years. Everyone just calls me cheap though, lol. But while I might not go out to eat every time I'm invited... I have all the nice things in my home that I actually care about.

oh man, never knew of loud budgeting (i'm old). seems i've already been doing it the last 40yrs!

I can buy anything I want... not everything I want. Saying "I can't afford it" for me means 'it's not worth it to me"

"Gen Z discovers living below your means" A concept that was lost on many folks that fell prey to the alluring powers of a credit card. Unfortunately, they're not actually free money.

I’ve been doing that since I moved out in 2014. “I like your coffee table” “Thanks! I found it in someone’s trash!” Though it CERTAINLY was not trendy at the time

Love hearing younger people finally getting it. We boomers learned this in the 70s and 80s during the last recession. So happy they are learning to take matters into their own hands and implementing.

I paid of my car. Starting saving for a newer one. Saved up enough for a nice newer car cash. Kept going, saved enough for a new-new one, not just new to me. Kept going, still saving. Old car is doing fine.

Hah. I guess I was "loud budgeting" the other day when a customer asked where I was going on my lunch break. I looked a little confused, cocked my head to the side, and said, "... to the kitchen?" He still sounded a little surprised when he asked, "Oh, so you pack your lunch?" I replied, "Of course. I can't afford to eat out every day!"

Another way to do it is "I don't choose to spend money on that." It shows you are deliberate about what you buy and attracts abundance through deliberate action.