Loud Budgeting: A Refreshing Social Media Trend
I'm not up to speed with my celebrities or what’s trending on social media. A commercial will feature an individual and I'll remark to Mrs. TFC, "I feel like that's a celebrity they expect me to know." And she will reply with, "Yeah, that's Eva Longoria."
Social media is also a bit lost on me. The influencers lack influence. Based on the dollars brought into the marketplace by their singing, dancing, and satire, I'm the weird one. The outlier.
Occasionally I catch an article explaining a social media trend. The trend under examination today -- loud budgeting.
Little did I know, I could have been a trend setter. I have been loud Budgeting my entire life and didn't even know it would one day achieve viral status.
What is loud budgeting?
Everything is cyclical. It used to be cool to spend extravagantly on flashy things. Vibrant colors and huge logos.
Then stealth wealth and quiet luxury became a thing. Still popular to spend on quality, but without the gaudy factor.
Loud budgeting resides at the other end of the spectrum. It’s all about financial discipline and transparency. It’s about showing restraint for any number of reasons we will discuss.
TL;DR
Conscious spending has become popular.
Cost-friendly alternatives may produce equal results.
Value never goes out of style.
Spend according to your allotment.
State of the Union
Today's product advertisements are as personalized and present as ever. Rates of impulse spending are on the rise.
Simply talking about a product magically makes it appear in the next 'products suggested for you' solicitation.
Loud budgeting is a trend where folks are saying, “I make conscious decisions to avoid purchasing a particular item because it isn't worth it.”
For example, I rarely buy lunch at work. Is a sandwich within my spending allotment as a locum CRNA? For sure. I don't brag about bringing my own lunch. I simply think it’s easier and more affordable to load the ole’ brown paper bag.
The Shacket
This was my last clothing purchase (made by Mrs. TFC of course), which was actually a new article of clothing described to me as a shacket (shirt/jacket of the flannel variety). Could I afford a luxurious cashmere shacket costing thousands of dollars? Yep.
Mrs. TFC purchased this one at a respectable, trendy store for the reasonable price of $70. Not the cheapest, but a well thought out purchase and a form of loud budgeting.
Even buying a new article of clothing is a stretch for me. A good percentage of my clothing was thrifted. I could go on a whole rant about the benefits of thrifting, but now isn't the time.
Best of all, no displayed logo. I try my best to avoid logos unless a company is paying me to advertise their brand, which none of them are.
Loud budgeting isn't about announcing to the world what you can or can't afford. It's about value and financial responsibility.
Financial Responsibility Factor
This is the budgeting part of loud budgeting. Impulse spending is a budget's worst foe. Significant, unplanned spending derails a zero-based budget quickly. I'm guessing most discretionary allotments aren't sufficient to cover the barrage of advertisements we see in a day.
Loud budgeting curbs impulse spending. It's saying, “I'm not buying this cashmere hat because it wasn't in the budget.” It doesn't matter if I can afford it or not, the purchase is not responsibly planned. It’s not worth deviating from the personal finance plan.
Value
This resonates with me. I don't spend on anything that doesn't bring me happiness. Clothes, vehicles, houses...none of which bring joy. I just think of a missed opportunity to invest coupled with maintenance. Not even maintenance costs, just maintenance. Work outside of work. It isn't enjoyable.
I drive a 2010 model truck with 95,000 miles. It's not that I can't afford an upgrade, I simply don't want a different one. Mine drives reasonably well...most of the time.
In a way, this blog entry is my way of budgeting loudly. Sharing my finances with the world wide web. Most of what I write about is doing what I deem to be financially responsible paired with experiencing what life has to offer.
Financial Transparency
The “loud” part of loud budgeting. I'm not referring to the act of publishing intimate financial details. Or even to the degree I publish on The Financial Cocktail.
Transparency to the degree where one may disclose to a spouse or friends how they would rather handle a situation.
For example, Jim didn’t want to attend last weekend's Super Bowl LVIII for financial reasons.
It doesn't matter if the reason is affordability, value, or something else. Instead of attending the big game, Jim could suggest hosting a Super Bowl party with a variety of pizzas, buffalo wings, appetizers, dips, and adult beverages at his dwelling.
Such a suggestion accomplishes many of the same objectives with a significantly smaller price tag. Find a way to watch the game and spend time with quality company without a financial setback.
Embrace Availability
Mrs. TFC, little Miss TFC, and I flew out to see a couple of good friends recently. It wouldn't have made any difference if we would have done the most extravagant activities or stayed at home drinking coffee and catching up, we would have had a blast.
Well, one of the friends attends a graduate program for a university that just happens to be one of the top basketball programs nationally. And he has season tickets, which includes a guest pass. And tuition includes a parking pass.
We made an afternoon out of walking through the university arboretum before attending the game. What a great excuse for doing something awesome without spending a boat load. Yay for me.
Experience Affordably
Mrs. TFC and I had tickets to a local arboretum, which also came with guest passes. The annual passes were only 1.5x a day pass.
This was a great place to walk around for a couple hours or have a scenic picnic. They hosted events periodically. When people would come to visit, this would have been a great way to spend an affordable afternoon.
Spend Extravagantly
Live to your net worth, not your income. Look at attending the Super Bowl. It can be done. And should be done if it means a great deal to you. The price tag is quite high, but if one values the experience and has the financial means, why not?
Loud budgeting is about the acceptance of a purchase. Show disciple in the areas that don’t bring you joy and prioritize seeing your team play in the big game. That’s the time to spend big if warranted.
It's okay to talk about finances. If a member of our friend group was uncomfortable with an expense, I hope they would say so. No reason or rationale required. Just say no and present an alternative.
I don't want bitterness to brew because of a trip or gate fees. It isn't worth it. And if they are real friends, substitutions won’t be a bother.
Everyone has unique goals and priorities. Sufficient value to one may not apply universally. All the more reason to speak up. Thanks for reading.
