loud budgeting

Loud budgeting means being open about your money goals and saying so when you turn something down, instead of making excuses. “I can’t, I’m loud budgeting” replaces “Sorry, I’m busy that night.”

What loud budgeting means

The idea is simple: you stop treating saving money as something embarrassing. If friends suggest a $90 dinner or a weekend trip you can’t afford, you say it’s not in your budget, or you suggest something cheaper. It isn’t about being broke or about being cheap. It’s about not spending money just to avoid an awkward moment.

Part of the appeal is that it pushes back on years of social media showing off spending. Loud budgeting makes saying no feel like a choice rather than a confession.

Examples

• “Brunch sounds fun, but I’m loud budgeting this month. Picnic instead?”
• “New year, new rule: loud budgeting. If it’s not in the plan, I’m saying so.”
• “She’s been loud budgeting since January and already saved for her trip.”

Where it came from

Comedian and TikTok creator Lukas Battle popularized the phrase in a video posted at the end of December 2023. CNBC reported in late January 2024 that the video had passed 1.4 million views, and the trend spread quickly as a New Year money resolution. The “loud” part riffs on quiet quitting and the run of “quiet” and “loud” workplace terms that followed it.

Loud budgeting vs. doom spending

They’re close to opposites. Doom spending is buying things to feel better when money worries pile up. Loud budgeting is saying no out loud so you don’t.

Related terms

• Doom spending: spending to cope with stress about money.
• Vibecession: when the economy feels worse than the data says.
• Loud quitting: openly checking out of a job.
• Side hustle: extra income on the side.

More workplace terms in our work and money slang guide.