Loud Budgeting Is Out: Here’s What Actually Improves Your Finances

Loud budgeting was introduced by writer and comedian Lukas Battle at the end of 2023. It quickly became the personal finance trend of 2024, with countless TikTok and Instagram posts explaining it or showing how people use it in their daily lives.

What began as a lighthearted meme struck a chord. Many people were (and are) struggling with soaring prices and economic uncertainty.

It gave people a way to stop pretending they can afford everything and to stop silently stressing about money. They could speak up, set boundaries, and be honest about what they can and can’t spend.

But what exactly was the loud budgeting trend?

Loud budgeting is the concept of openly communicating how you want and don’t want to spend your money, freeing yourself from the social pressure associated with it.

It started as a humorous TikTok with a serious root, as a reaction to financial pressure. It was never meant to be a formal financial strategy.

As Lukas Battle puts it, it’s about being able to say, “I don’t want to spend.”

As the trend grew, people shared examples like:

• I don’t want to spend money on going out with my friends.
• I don’t want to spend money on an overhyped bachelorette party or trip for my friend.
• I don’t want to spend money on the latest sneakers to impress my friends.

Interestingly, many people saw it as the opposite of a fashion trend that took off at the end of 2023, “quiet luxury.” While this trend emphasized mindful spending, it was very celebrity-driven and potentially involved spending large amounts of money on fashion items. Elle Magazine defined it as:

“new-age minimalism, with a larger focus on investment pieces and thoughtful shopping habits.”

To sum up, loud budgeting was a concept introduced on social media that encourages people to prioritize their financial goals by transparently sharing them as the motivation behind their choices to not engage in certain activities.

What are the ups and downs of loud budgeting?

The upsides of loud budgeting

1. Normalizes money conversations
   We are just not used to talking about money. While in recent years we’ve seen more and more social media creators on this topic, we still have a long way to go before it stops being a taboo subject.
2. Encourages conscious spending
   Saying decisions out loud forces clarity: Is this purchase worth delaying my goals?
3. Strengthens self-confidence
   Loud budgeting is not just about money; it’s about putting your values and goals front and center. Saying no to activities or purchases that don’t match your goals can feel uncomfortable at first. But it also shows you are capable of doing it.
4. Creates community accountability
   Friends who share financial goals support each other instead of pressuring one another to overspend.
5. Reduces anxiety
   Transparency removes the constant inner debate of pretending you can afford things you can’t or would rather not.

The potential downsides (and how to avoid them)

1. It can turn competitive and performative
   If everyone posts their savings milestones, the conversation can shift from empowerment to comparison.
2. It can oversimplify complex realities
   Some people can’t “just say no” to expenses, especially with family or cultural obligations. Helping loved ones, showing up for special moments, or supporting your community can be nonnegotiable.
3. It might expose privacy you’re not ready to share
   You decide how “loud” you want to be.
4. It’s not a financial strategy
   Loud budgeting can be a tool to help you prioritize how you spend your money and even your time, but it is not enough to make sure you’re on the right track financially.

Should you be loud budgeting, or was it just a trend?

Loud budgeting was just a trend, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t make an impact. Most social media and website posts about it date to late 2023 and early 2024, and it was never intended to be serious financial advice.

Your financial decisions should be based on your specific situation, your personal choices, and your long-term goals. It’s never okay to base them on a social media post, even if it goes viral.

However, it’s fair to recognize that loud budgeting had a positive effect on personal finances and taught us some useful lessons.

For one, it openly addressed something we have all struggled with: how to say no when we don’t want to spend on something but feel like we can’t, for reasons like:

• We don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings.
• We don’t want to appear cheap.
• We don’t want to be left out of our social circle.

Whatever the reason, the loud budgeting trend showed we are not alone.

It also got people talking about money. The truth is we still don’t talk about it enough because it is often seen as a taboo or even rude topic. We don’t even get financial education at home, at school, or at university.

Finally, it made it okay to set boundaries based on a financial reason. By saying no to brunch, a night out drinking, or a visit to the mall, people put mindful spending front and center. It made financial boundaries feel normal.

Loud budgeting added to the conversation about personal finance, but by itself it won’t fix your finances.

If you’re not budgeting loud, what are you supposed to do?

Let’s face it. Your finances won’t magically improve just because you skip Sunday brunch with your friends. You need to go above and beyond, but the good news is it can be really easy.

As a matter of fact, just budgeting the right way will do most of the heavy lifting.

1. Make your finances a priority: If you know about loud budgeting and you are reading this article, you probably already are on the right track.
2. Reflect on what exactly it is you want to achieve: Do you want to save for something? Do you want to invest? Do you want to stop living paycheck to paycheck? Do you want to stop feeling anxious about money? Having a goal will make day-to-day decisions easier.
3. Identify what your income is and how you spend it: Yes, this may be obvious, but sometimes we just lose track.
4. Make a budget: Budgeting isn’t about saying no; it is about planning to meet your goals. In MML we recommend making an annual budget and then turning it into months. This means estimating your income and deciding how it will be spent, saved, and invested. For example, decide how much of your income you’ll use for daily expenses, how much for short-term savings, and how much for retirement. If you need help with your budget, you can download our free budgeting template here.
5. Make sure you know where your money is going and you have the necessary accounts or products:

For example, if one of your goals is to build your emergency fund and you’ve included it in your budget, you need to know where you’re keeping this money. For example, a high-yield savings account. Or if your budget includes health insurance, then make sure you acquire one that meets your needs.

6. Set up systems that make it easier to stick to your budget: Your budget will tell you how your money should be distributed each month.

Having the right accounts and products helps you avoid decision fatigue and know exactly where your money should go.

 Now make sure that distribution is easy and effortless. Set up automatic transfers when possible. You can also charge bills to your credit card, as long as you pay it in full each month. Or set aside an hour on payday to send your money where it needs to go.

Track your budget: If done right, you don’t need to track every cent you spend, specially when your system is set up and stable. If you follow the previous steps, your money should go exactly where you want it to go. So instead of tracking, just use your budget as a checklist to make sure you paid all your bills and your money was sent to the accounts or products you intended it to go.
This way, any money left is yours to spend. Ideally, that amount comes from planning your budget carefully.

7. Review and repeat: Your budget isn’t set in stone, so review it occasionally, adjust what isn’t working, and keep going. A light review once a month and an in-depth look every three months seems to work.

By implementing this budget framework, you are not just saying no as your financial strategy; you are being mindful about your goals, your month-to-month decisions, and where you’re putting your money.

If done right, you should get some peace of mind. You set your goals and your systems so you know for sure you are meeting those goals one step at a time. Basically, you’re sending your money toward those goals, and if money is left in the bank, you can spend it guilt-free. Perhaps you don’t need to say no as often as you thought.

If you want to budget but dont know were to start you can read our post Personal Budgeting 101: 10 Simple Tips to Master Your Money

Should you forget about loud budgeting?

Maybe not. Loud budgeting is just a trend and not a long-term financial strategy. But it can still be useful once in a while.

Let us explain. If you use the budgeting framework we described, you should gain clarity about your finances and, after a few months of execution, reduce money-related stress.

Your system should lock your money in place. This helps ensure it goes where you intended. This ensures the money goes where you intended. This means you really shouldn’t have more money available to you than the amount you expected to spend. So, no need to use loud budgeting.

However, loud budgeting can be a good tool to follow two very important rules to secure your financial health:

•Rule #1: No consumer debt.

Ideally, you shouldn’t have any consumer debt (like credit cards), but if you do, you should aim to keep it from increasing its balance.
You can afford to make a few unwise choices with the money already set aside in your budget, and loud budgeting won’t really help you advance your financial goals.

If you can’t pay for something the moment you want it, you can’t afford it. And if loud budgeting helps you step back from a purchase, use it.

Note: This doesn´t mean you can’t have a credit card, it just means you have to use it wisely and avid carrying a balance.

• Rule #2: No taking money out from savings and investments.

All your budgeting, planning, saving, and investing can go to waste if you take money out whenever you want.

Unless it fits your intended use of the money you have saved or invested, you just can’t use it. For instance, if your car breaks down, you can take money from your emergency fund, since this is what it is for, but you can’t if you find a super good sale on Black Friday.

This is especially true for long-term investments, since you risk withdrawing money at a bad time, facing penalties, or losing tax benefits.

The bigger takeaway: we need to talk about money more

Money touches every part of life, yet many of us don’t have the knowledge we need to manage it well. Loud budgeting shows that we are ready to talk and learn about money.
You don’t have to announce every spending decision online. You just need to know your numbers, set boundaries, and talk honestly with the people who matter.
That’s how financial literacy becomes financial freedom.

Next step: make your budget clear and confident

Understanding your money starts with seeing it clearly.
Download our free budgeting template to organize your income, expenses, and savings goals for the whole year and month by month in a simple, clear way.

📎 Click below to get it instantly and start building a budget you can feel proud of.