Loud Budgeting Makes It Easy for Me to Avoid the Amazon Prime Day Noise

CNET

3 days ago

Skipping the summer sales could mean more savings for your wallet.
Getty Images/CNET
There are so many summer sales this week. Between Amazon's Prime Day, Target Circle Week and Walmart and other retailers discounting items, it can be hard to stick to your budget -- especially if you're worried about tariffs pushing prices higher later this year.
It's hard for me, too. It's not easy to stay on track when AirPods and TVs are around 40% off. But I'm able to decide what's worth spending my money on thanks to an old TikTok trend -- loud budgeting.
Over a year ago, I stumbled upon the loud budgeting trend that made saving and spending intuitive for me. It was different than other budgeting advice that encouraged no discretionary spending and wasn't realistic for most people. Instead, loud budgeting encourages me to say no to spending that doesn't align with my priorities and yes to the purchases that do. If there's a Prime Day deal that fits in my budget and aligns with my money goals, great. Otherwise, it's easy for me to pass.
Here's how loud budgeting can help you navigate summer sales without jeopardizing your money goals.
Read more: I Love a Deal. That's Why I Don't Bother With Amazon Prime Day
What is loud budgeting?
Loud budgeting is a financial strategy that puts your money aspirations front and center for friends and family to see. This money technique involves clearly vocalizing why you might choose not to spend money -- even if you have it. This level of accountability can help you stick to a budget without feeling guilty or experiencing FOMO, or the fear of missing out. It can also help you if you're struggling to keep up with the lifestyles of influencers you see online.
Loud budgeting doesn't mean you can never spend money. Instead, it encourages you to think about the areas of your life where you want to put your money. For example, you may skip brunch with your friends this week to set aside more for plans later this year, like a trip home for the holidays or a friend's birthday that's coming up. Or you might say no to a deal on an item that you don't need to put more money toward concert tickets.
If you're struggling with your spending habits and want a reset, loud budgeting can also help. My colleague, Kelly Ernst, is skipping the summer sales after successfully completing a 30-day no-buy challenge, which encouraged her not to spend on anything other than necessities and emergencies. Eating out and other luxuries were a no-go for one month. While her no-buy challenge may seem like a more extreme example of loud budgeting, she found cutting this type of spending actually brought her more joy.
Loud budgeting can cut through the social media noise
One big reason experts love loud budgeting is because it can help you limit how much your financial decisions are influenced by social media. Lifestyle inflation and keeping up with social trends can be costly. It's easy to get influenced into buying just about anything today -- think the infamous Stanley cup. These impulse buys can lead to guilt and other negative emotions that can put you in an unhealthy mind-set when it comes to money, said Alaina Fingal, a CNET Money expert.
"There has been so much guilt around budgeting and other money topics. There are people who have feelings of shame for not having as much money as their peers and others who feel extreme guilt for having more money than their circle," said Fingal.
If you're prone to impulse spending by seeing Amazon sale deals while scrolling on social media, posting your money goals online so others can help hold you accountable. It could also help you find other accounts that are following the loud budgeting trend so you can help cheer each other on.
How to practice loud budgeting during Prime Day sales
Loud budgeting shouldn't prevent you from spending on experiences or products if they're important to you. But it can help you focus on where your money is going and weed out expenses you'd like to minimize, especially with so many tempting deals that can add up quickly. Here's how you can plan to use this trend to stay accountable:
1. Set money goals
Before you can share your goals with your family and friends, you have to figure out what you want to put your money toward. If you don't know how much is going in and out of your account each month, start there. You can use an app like Rocket Money to track your spending or review your bank statements. From there, create a budget for essentials -- bills, grocery shopping, gas, etc.
Then, it's time to set money goals. Maybe you want to bulk up your retirement fund or save for a trip next summer. Or maybe there are multiple goals you're looking to hit. Figure out how much money you need for these goals, then set monthly savings goals to help you reach each one.
What you do with your leftover funds is up to you. If going out with friends on the weekends is important to you, you might reserve that money for restaurants and traveling. Or if you enjoy playing video games, you might create a fund to buy new games. This can change as your interests adapt and is worth revisiting periodically.
2. Share your goals
You may not broadcast your savings goals on social media, but sharing them with friends and family as invites and expenses pop up can be just as effective. This can help them understand your mind-set for the year and could help brainstorm more affordable events.
It could also help a friend or family member who's struggling with FOMO stay on track. Opening a dialogue about money can help others share their own goals.
3. Focus on your future self
The money goals I'm prioritizing -- a few planned trips and renovations -- will help me enjoy meaningful time with friends and family without blowing my budget. When invites pop up that might derail my goals, reminding myself and others of these priorities can help me stay on track.
For example, you may decide at the last minute to buy a new tablet during the Prime Day sale to treat yourself. But what if you had plans to be more laser-focused on saving for the holidays? You may save the money now to prepare for holiday travel, gifts or outings that you're expecting later this year and hold off on getting the tablet later by creating a sinking fund for it. Saying no now lets you focus on saying yes to future opportunities.
4. Make easy compromises
Does following loud budgeting mean turning down every lightning deal on Amazon this week? Maybe. Instead, think of it as being more intentional by making trade-offs to fit it into your budget.
For instance, if you really want to shop this week's sales, consider buying necessities. For example, I usually buy hand soap, batteries and cleaning supplies that I'm running low on. These necessities are already in my budget and I may even be able to save some money.
Don't want to share your money goals? Try 'quiet' budgeting instead
The biggest downside of sharing your money goals online or with family and friends is that not everyone will agree with them. This can make it even harder to stick to your plan.
"In a world where many people are driven by likability and approval from their peers, you can feel discouraged in your own spending if it doesn't match other people around you," said Bernadette Joy, a personal finance coach and CNET Money expert. "But that doesn't mean you should stop."
Instead, make sure you're doing what's making you happy. That involves aligning your spending with your values, instead of what social media may pressure you to spend on. It also may mean that you set your budgets and goals, but instead of loud budgeting, you do so quietly, Joy said.