Cash stuffing to loud budgeting: viral saving trends that actually work (2025)

With the cost of living set to dominate the next election campaign, more Britons are being pushed into the red than ever.

Five million people across the country are now in a “negative budget” – having more money going out than coming in – compared with 3.25 million at the start of 2020, recent research from Citizens Advice shows.

It’s no wonder then that money saving trends are going viral on social media, with “finfluencers” (financial influencers) racking up thousands of followers with their tips on anything from buying a house to spending less on flights.

They’re feeding the demand from cash-strapped Gen Z’ers in particular, with 25 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds in the UK turning to social media for financial guidance, according to Deloitte.

Budgeting techniques including cash stuffing, the 1p challenge and loud budgeting, are becoming as common on TikTok and Instagram as outfits of the day and get ready with me posts.

Finfluencers are good at, not only popularising different budgeting techniques but also inspiring people by creating momentum around a challenge, says Kim Uzzell, a financial coach who runs the consultancy My Money Movement.

“Often with our finances, we know we should do more, but we don’t really know how to do it. These challenges are all very doable, and very effective, if they are maintained. One of the best ways to do that is to put it out on social media and say, ‘I’m gonna do this – is anybody with me?’” says Norwich-based Uzzell.

Below i outlines some of the latest budgeting trends and how you can implement them.

Cash stuffing

Cash stuffing is the practice of withdrawing the majority of your money each month and distributing different amounts across a dozen or so envelopes labelled with individual spending categories.

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For example, they could cover expenses like the weekly grocery shop, occasional takeaways as well as treats for the children like coffee and cake outings, birthday party presents and sporting events.

Uzzell said that equally important were the envelopes that covered self-care.

“It wasn’t just about paying the bills or making sure that the children were okay. One of my priorities was putting away £15 every week towards my haircut that I would have every six weeks. I had that envelope, I could see it and it was tangible. There was no way that I was going to dip into that money to pay for a bottle of wine because my priority was my haircut.”

Cash stuffing can also be done digitally, setting up folders in your online bank account and distributing the designated amounts electronically. But it only works if you don’t move things around if you change your mind.

No-spend challenges

Laura Pomfret, co-founder of the female-focused financial advice platform Financielle, a community of 104,000 TikTok and 17,000 Instagram followers, reveals that “no-spend challenges” are a trend that have taken off.

These are when you pick a set period to spend only on essentials. They work like a kind of detox where you can reset bad spending habits and they can help you reach a goal quickly, says Pomfret.

“This really can help people who have impulsive spending habits – our members that emotionally spend or who are addicted to overspending benefit from this cold turkey approach. It can help to break the cycle and also help them to focus on a dopamine hit when they don’t spend,” she says.

“Everyone’s rules could be different. It can include events that are already planned and in the budget. The fact that people are documenting it on social media and it’s becoming a trend makes it more achievable.”

No spend challenges require preparation, communication and discipline, especially if you have children. Pomfret admits she has found them difficult and will be more likely to break the challenge if she hasn’t planned things like shopping and free activities in advance.

“It’s easy to just throw money or a screen at children to keep them quiet, and they get so addicted to that, it’s no wonder they feel they have to have something, so breaking that cycle can be beneficial,” says Pomfret.

“But you don’t want to push financial pressure on to children and keep saying you can’t afford things. We have to be very careful about how we manage budgeting with children.”

The 1p challenge

The “1p challenge” – where you save 1p on the first day and keep adding 1p on to the amount each day for a set time, has also been making the viral rounds.

Bloggers like Skint Dad claim you can save around £668 in a year following this method.

It is easier if you can set it up automatically with your bank, transferring your saving into a connected savings pot, but otherwise, the amount of time it takes to make a real difference can lead a lot of people to abandon it out of boredom and lack of motivation.

However, it is one of the easiest to complete so may be worth it for those who find it hard to save.

Cash stuffing to loud budgeting: viral saving trends that actually work (2)

The 100-day challenge

Similar to the 1p challenge, but often seem as more impactful is the 100-day challenge.

The TikTok trend has had millions of views of finfluencers documenting the process.

As part of the challenge, savers take 100 envelopes and write the number 1 to 100 on them. This number is the number of pounds they will need to add to the envelope.

Each week, the saver picks out two envelopes at random and puts the amount shown on the front into them. In 50 weeks, they will have saved £5,050.

While perhaps not a long-term method for many people, it could be useful to save for big-ticket items with a short deadline, for example, needing a new car, or paying for an upcoming holiday.

Loud budgeting

Loud budgeting – being upfront and transparent about your financial limitations and goals – can go against the grain of the inherent politeness of being British where conversation about money can often be seen as a taboo subject.

But those practising and preaching it are helping normalise not having to keep up with social norms or pressures to spend.

The term was created by New York-based TikTok creator Lukas Battle. In a video posted on 30 December, 2023, he said, “It’s not, ‘I don’t have enough,’ it’s ‘I don’t want to spend.’”

The idea of loud budgeting is that it takes away the stigma of talking about money and dispelling any feelings of shame or discomfort surrounding the topic.

“Changing the language from ‘I can’t afford it’ to ‘I’m not doing it because I’m choosing to put my money towards my house deposit, or I’m choosing to put tires on my car this month’, or whatever it might be, makes it empowering, rather than coming from a place of lacking,” Uzell says.

Cash stuffing to loud budgeting: viral saving trends that actually work (2025)

FAQs

How effective is cash stuffing? ›

Bottom line. Cash stuffing might appeal to consumers who prefer simplicity or have problems with impulse control. But the risk of having all that cash around — not to mention missing out on interest and card rewards — should make you think twice before labeling all those envelopes.

What is the cash stuffing budget method? ›

The cash envelope system (aka cash stuffing) is a way to manage your spending by putting cash in physical envelopes labeled for specific budget categories. The goal of cash stuffing is to only spend what's in your envelopes for the month.

Is there a cash stuffing app? ›

Simple budgeting using the envelope budget system, also known as cash stuffing. Create envelopes, enter transactions, and take full control of your spending. This app is free with zero ads for budgeting on a single device.

How to do the cash envelope system? ›

You begin with multiple envelopes, each of which represents a budget category. You then assign a certain amount of cash to each one, based on how much you anticipate spending in that category for the month. Once an envelope is empty, you can't spend any more money in that category until your new budget period begins.

What is the 50/30/20 rule? ›

Those will become part of your budget. The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings.

What is Dave Ramsey's envelope method? ›

The envelope budgeting method is a budgeting system that was popularized by personal finance author Dave Ramsey. The method involves dividing your take-home pay into spending categories (e.g., rent, utilities, et cetera), labeling an envelope for each category, and putting the cash you plan to spend into the envelopes.

What is an example of cash stuffing? ›

Cash stuffing involves taking your spending money, converting it to cash and stuffing it into envelopes marked with spending categories like rent, bills, groceries and gas. You determine how much money you want to spend in each category on a weekly or monthly basis.

How does the 50/20/30 rule distribute your income? ›

One of the most common types of percentage-based budgets is the 50/30/20 rule. The idea is to divide your income into three categories, spending 50% on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% on savings.

What is an alternative to cash stuffing? ›

As an alternative to cash stuffing, many banking services and apps offer “savings pot” features that can help with budgeting in a similar way.

Are there any cash apps that actually work? ›

There are several money-making apps that allow you to make real money, including Rakuten, Survey Junkie, and Swagbucks.

What is the best budgeting tool? ›

Best Budgeting Apps Of May 2024
  • YNAB (You Need A Budget): Best for Setting Goals.
  • Empower Personal Dashboard™: Best for Tracking Net Worth.
  • Goodbudget: Best for Envelope Budgeting.
  • Oportun (formerly Digit): Best for Passive Saving.
  • PocketGuard: Best for Tracking Spending.
  • Stash: Best for Automated Investing.
3 days ago

How to do cash stuffing digitally? ›

However, you can easily start using digital cash envelopes with these four steps!
  1. Create a budget. First, you'll need to create a budget. ...
  2. Choose categories for your digital cash envelopes. ...
  3. Create subaccounts at your bank. ...
  4. Track your spending.
Aug 24, 2023

Is it a good idea to stash cash at home? ›

Key takeaways. Reasons people keep cash at home include emergency preparedness, financial privacy concerns and mistrust of banks. It's a good idea to keep enough cash at home to cover two months' worth of basic necessities, some experts recommend.

Is it smart to hide cash at home? ›

You Shouldn't Keep Much Cash at Home

“This is because it is not secure and can be easily stolen. It is also not insured against theft or damage. It is better to keep your money in a bank or other financial institution, insured and secure. This is especially important if you have large amounts of money.”

Is it smart to stash cash? ›

Most financial experts suggest you need a cash stash equal to six months of expenses: If you need $5,000 to survive every month, save $30,000. Personal finance guru Suze Orman advises an eight-month emergency fund because that's about how long it takes the average person to find a job.

What is the safest way to stash cash? ›

Here are some low-risk options.
  1. Checking accounts. If you put your savings in a checking account, you'll be able to get to it easily. ...
  2. Savings accounts. ...
  3. Money market accounts. ...
  4. Certificates of deposit. ...
  5. Fixed rate annuities. ...
  6. Series I and EE savings bonds. ...
  7. Treasury securities. ...
  8. Municipal bonds.
Oct 18, 2023

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