Money is a delicate subject. Many people don’t like to talk about their salary, their means and what they manage to save.
But Lukas Battle, a 26-year-old New York comedian, hopes to change that with an expression of his own, loud budgetingwhich he explained in a video that went viral on TikTok.
According to him, budgeting out loud means “proclaiming your financial objectives loud and clear” and “proudly declaring the limits of your budget”. Saying it out loud without discomfort or embarrassment can help you stay focused on your life goals, he says.
It’s like an incantation that guards against unwelcome invitations to spend.
You can say, “I’m not going to dinner, I’m budgeting out loud this week,” and there’s no further explanation needed.
Lukas Battle, comedian
Lukas Battle’s video, viewed more than 1.5 million times, sparked a chorus of glowing comments from TikTok users.
IMAGE LUCI GUTIERREZ, THE NEW YORK TIMES
Money is a touchy subject, but transparency can create positive momentum.
“I just discovered thrift stores and budgeting out loud describes what I do very well, when I brag about my finds in front of my friends” wrote @srattyb.
“I dye my hair and do my own nails and wear $20 dresses… not because I’m broke,” says @lorenrosko on TikTok. Why would I spend my money? »
An antidote to stealth luxury
So can budgeting out loud really help people manage their finances?
Chris Browning, host of the Popcorn Finance podcast, believes that if the phrase sticks and gets people talking about money, it will already be a positive thing.
Money provokes all kinds of emotions, like shame or guilt, and we rarely talk about it openly, even with those closest to us.
Chris Browning, host of the Popcorn Finance podcast
Mr Browning adds that inflation over the past two years may have made the subject of money less taboo.
Inflation has fallen since its peak in June 2022 (8.1% in Canada, 9.1% in the United States), but rent, food, gasoline and restaurant meals remain much more expensive than before COVID-19. Consumer spending has been strong, but recent data suggests that consumers are starting to lose focus on high prices.
For Mr. Battle, budgeting out loud is the antidote to understated luxury, a 2023 trend inspired by the ultrarich who buy expensive clothes and luxury goods without logos telegraphing their value.
He thinks that budgeting out loud could be very useful for people who are financially tight – young people, in particular – but also for anyone who wants to reduce their expenses.
But he insists. This idea of budgeting out loud has nothing to do with the kind of advice we sometimes throw at young people.
“I’m not saying, ‘Skip coffee a day and you’ll be a millionaire,’” Mr. Battle says. Keep what brings joy to your life, because obviously it is dark and short. »
This article was originally published in the New York Times.
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