Gen Z calls it ‘loud budgeting’ – small business owners have been doing it for decades

Ask any small business owner what has challenged them the most over the past couple of years and you’ll frequently hear about cashflow. It’s no secret that costs have risen dramatically and finding places to save money isn’t easy.

If this describes your situation then I’ve got a solution to your problem. Ever hear of “loud budgeting”? Of course you have! You’ve probably been doing it for years.

Loud budgeting is considered to be a relatively new trend. According to one recent survey from Bank of America, as many as 42% of gen Zers “swear by it”. The concept isn’t hard. It’s basically the practice of openly proclaiming to the world that you can’t afford to do stuff instead of just quietly going along with the crowd and paying for something that you can’t afford. Financial services firm Charles Schwab & Co says it “makes oversharing cool – and effective”. The Economic Times says “it’s the smartest way to build wealth in 2026”.

“Loud budgeting is effectively being upfront about your financial situation and when something doesn’t align with your financial goals, values or capacity,” says Emma Edwards, founder of the Broke Generation who offers millennials financial advice on social media. “We have this belief that our financial situation shouldn’t have to be an inconvenience to others, or we shouldn’t reveal ourselves as being on a budget.”

How does one practice loud budgeting? That’s easy. Just complain a lot about money. Make it clear that you can’t afford to do stuff. Or, to save face among your friends, say that you probably could afford to go to that great restaurant or concert or trip to the lake, but choose not to because you simply don’t want to spend the money. Don’t blame yourself. Blame the economy. Blame the president. Point to the high cost of living and your paltry raise. Just be vocal and transparent about your finances. People like honesty. And they’ll understand. If they don’t – well, that’s their problem not yours.

All of the reports I’ve read about loud budgeting have focused on individuals, particularly younger people grappling with a challenging economic environment. But this strategy certainly isn’t new. In fact, I’ve seen a number of my clients – older, boomer, well-seasoned business owners – practice this behavior for literally decades.

“What? You want $0.02 more per pound for that poly-laminate? I can’t afford that!”

“A 4% price increase? Believe me, I hate doing it, but have you seen what my insurance company is charging me?”

“A 5% raise? Is he crazy? We’re barely able to stay in business and this guy wants a 5% raise. Sheesh!”

“I am certainly not going to pay $200 an hour for your accounting services. You of all people should know we can’t afford that.”

“A holiday party for the staff? Bah. Humbug!”

See what I mean? It’s loud budgeting, but from a business owner’s perspective. For many, this is not easy, because it goes against what we’re taught in business school.

The business gurus want us to be confident. And bold. We’re encouraged to take risks, work hard and relentlessly pursue our goals. “Fail greatly!” they say. “Reach for the stars!” “Push yourself to the limits!” “Be positive!” No one ever says to complain about your costs, gripe about your margins or whine about your money problems.

Loud budgeting turns all that positive-thinking advice on its head. Instead, it’s telling everyone around you – your customers, your employees, your suppliers – that you’re barely holding it together and that the $0.02 increase in poly-laminates is going to put you out of business.

You don’t have to reveal the truth. My clients who complain the most are the ones who are generally sitting on the biggest piles of cash. They’re driving 10-year-old cars, fly economy and eat at Outback Steakhouse. They don’t actually tell anyone that they’ve got enough money to afford more expensive things. That would destroy their ruse. They’re not broke. They just consider paying full price a character defect.

Loud budgeting is part of that ruse. Go ahead, try it. You’ll find that it’s a strategy to constantly remind anyone within earshot of your constrained budget and inevitably people start believing it. You’d be surprised at how many of them offer concessions – lower fees, reduced prices, better deals – out of sympathy or empathy or simply just to stop you from complaining.

You don’t need to be a young adult to understand this. Most successful small business owners do.

And it’s never too late to start. Go ahead: complain about your company’s terrible cashflow. Grumble. Grouse. Moan. Bellyache. Do this in public and do it loud. Make it so anyone will think twice before coming to you with something that’s going to cost more than what you’re already paying. People don’t want to get into fights. More than a few will be forced to come up with better ideas, rather than suffer your protests. Others may abandon their price increases altogether just to keep the peace. The ones that pursue their course of action will learn to really think through their case before presenting it to you.

“Loud budgeting helps take an element of shame away from feeling like you don’t have enough money,” said one financial educator.

Shame? I think shrewd is the better word.

Reporting from The Guardian contributed to this story.