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Compare and chooseShould you try ‘loud budgeting’?
We unpack the ‘loud budgeting’ trend and share the simple budgeting habits our Which? Money experts rely on
Josh is an award-nominated journalist with nearly a decade of experience, including writing for national newspapers. A data whizz, he specialises in covering personal finance and investing.
If expensive plans are eating into your budget, it might be time to make some noise about saving instead.
‘Loud budgeting’ is a Gen Z trend that encourages you to be open about what you can afford and what you’re working towards.
Here’s how it works, how you can try it yourself, plus we share four everyday ways the Which? Money team cut costs and stay in control of their spending.
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What is loud budgeting?
The term gained traction on TikTok and centres on being honest about your finances, whether that means cancelling plans or delaying big purchases that do not fit your budget.
Rather than making excuses, the idea is to be open with friends and family about why you are choosing not to spend.
Loud budgeting has quickly gained popularity – 68% of Gen-Z adults (aged between 18 and 27) have turned down social activities due to their financial situation, according to research from Standard Life, with half of them doing so in order to save for a financial goal.
The younger generation are also more comfortable having financial conversations with friends, with 61% happy to do so, compared to 49% of 35 to 54 year olds.
The last few years have been financially tough, and it’s easy to see why the concept of loud budgeting has taken off. Normalising conversations about money and empowering people to be comfortable talking about how they’re working towards financial goals is healthy.
- Find out more: 9 money moves Which? experts say matter most in 2026
How to try loud budgeting
If you want to try loud budgeting yourself, these practical steps can help you stay in control and avoid spending you’ll regret.
1. Be vocal about wanting to save money
Don’t be afraid to be open and honest with friends and family about why you want to save money.
Having a clear financial goal in mind is something to be proud of; and if friends know why you’re saving, they are less likely to suggest expensive plans.
2. Suggest cheaper alternatives
Rather than make up an excuse, be brave and put forward cheaper alternatives when friends and family discuss expensive social activities.
Loud budgeting doesn’t mean you have to turn into a closeted shut-in – there are plenty of cheap ways to have a fun day out. Our Which? guide to cheap and free days out is a great place to get ideas.
3. Stick to a monthly budget
Having a monthly budget planned out can really make you feel more secure and help you stay on course with your financial goals.
Budgeting apps can help you with this as they are good tools for tracking your monthly income and spending.
Apps like Emma can link directly to your bank account to help you track your cash. They often have money-saving features, such as highlighting expensive subscriptions you could cut out.
Others, like HyperJar, include a prepaid card (physical or digital). The idea is to load your money onto the card, and then allocate it into different digital ‘jars’ on the app. You can label these jars according to your spending habits, such as groceries and transport.
Some thrifty savers have even turned to ‘frictional’ apps like Freedom. These apps can block access to distracting websites on your phone, such as shopping sites.
- Find out more: best budgeting apps
4. Discuss money-saving tips and tricks
Chances are some of your friends are also saving up for their own financial goals. They might have some great strategies of their own.
Loud budgeting offers a great opportunity for sharing money-saving tips. Check out some of our own from the Which? Money team further down.
5. Have a rainy day fund
Remember to have a rainy day fund in place for emergencies. The generally accepted rule is to have at least three months’ worth of essential outgoings saved in cash in an easy-access account.
See our cash Isa guide to find the best available rates.
4 tips from the Which? Money experts
We asked the Which? Money team for their go-to budgeting tricks – these are the simple habits they use to stay on track.
1. Give your monthly payments a reset
Every couple of months I go through my accounts to check I’m not paying for anything I no longer use. Streaming services are a good example. You can rotate between Disney+, Netflix and others rather than have them all at once, and I also recently managed to find a cheaper Sim deal for my phone.
2. Block app notifications
One that's done me well in 2025 is turning off the notifications from all my shopping apps – Asos, H&M, etc, on my phone. So now I'm not constantly drawn in by the alerts announcing discounts and sales that I didn't need, which has really helped curb any impulsive spending.
3. 'No spend' days
I try to set a weekly budget by checking my balance and prepping for things like the food shop, travel, or hanging out with loved ones. I also aim for one 'no-spend day' a week. I always tell my inner circle the plan so they can hold me accountable, but also support me with it too. Sometimes that means skipping the coffee shop for a home-brew and a walk instead – everyone's always fine with it!
4. Mutual accountability
My partner and I have used the communications platform Discord to create a channel called 'spend-tracking'. We've (somehow) managed to instil in ourselves the discipline required to note what we spend and where. It's a gentle mutual accountability tool.
