One of the most important parts of growing up is learning how to manage money, and Gen Z is continuing that tradition. Just as they are influencing other aspects of pop culture, Gen Zers are reshaping the world of personal finance with social media trends and new vocabulary.
The Generation Z age group is defined by the Pew Research Center as those born between 1997 and 2012. The oldest members of Generation Z turned 27 this year, and many are experiencing the financial challenges of young adulthood. You might want to start your career, manage your credit cards, and save money to buy a home or invest for retirement.
Many Gen Zers have a pessimistic attitude about their financial situation. Her 25% of Gen Zers, who entered adulthood during a pandemic, economic crisis, and high inflation, are worried they'll never be able to retire. From coining new money catchphrases to complaining about budgets and going viral on his TikTok, Gen Zers are learning how to understand the financial world and find their place in it. Masu.
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Let's take a look at some of Gen Z's biggest financial trends and catchphrases.
1. “Cash Stuffing” — Good Strategies to Save Money
Most people think of Gen Z as tech-savvy, digital natives who want to do everything through mobile apps. But many Gen Zers prefer to save money the old-fashioned way: by dealing with cold hard cash.
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“Cash stuffing” is Gen Z’s nickname for the envelope method. The idea is to set specific spending goals each month and allocate a certain amount of cash for each purpose.
You may have separate envelopes such as:
- $800 for groceries
- $300 for a night out with friends
- $200 for gas, transportation, and additional vehicle costs.
- $200 for clothes
- $150 in vacation funds
By putting your cash into envelopes in several budget categories, you can (ideally) better manage your spending. Looking at a stack of bills in an envelope can also help you clearly visualize how much money you have left by the end of the month.
2. “Soft Life” — The antidote to “hustle culture”
Gen Z has been through a lot in their youth. Many have had their high school graduation ceremonies canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, navigated an awkward college experience with social distancing, and entered the job market amid tech layoffs and economic uncertainty.
These dark times have left many Gen Zers skeptical about their career ambitions. Instead of a hustle culture of being entrepreneurial and working hard to make as much money as possible, many Gen Zers are embracing a “soft life” with the goal of improving their work-life balance and living for today. Selected.
3. “Disastrous Spending” — Retail Therapy for the End of the World
Whether it's a pandemic, high inflation, global war, or climate change, Gen Z often feels like they're coming of age in times of upheaval, disaster, and existential fear. To cope with financial stress, Gen Zers sometimes practice “catastrophic spending.” In other words, they feel it's not worth planning for the future and end up spending money they don't actually have.
If that sounds too gloomy and pessimistic, keep in mind that 41% of Americans have less than $500 in savings. A recent survey from Intuit Credit Karma found that 27% of all Americans admit to “catastrophic spending” and 96% of Americans are concerned about the economy.
4. “Big Budgeting” — Declaring boundaries and financial independence
Personal finance news for Gen Z isn't all negative. One young TikTok comedian named Lucas Battle went viral with his idea for a new concept called “loud budgeting.” The only way to clearly declare that you intend to save money and enjoy it, rather than spending it on “quiet luxuries” or worse, suffering in silence while racking up credit card debt The idea that you should defy expectations is to make a budget out loud. Splurge.
Budgeting out loud is a powerful concept because it can help people set clear boundaries. If you don't want to spend $100 on dinner and drinks with friends, you can say so. If you'd rather keep her $1,000 in your bank account than buy her an expensive handbag or attend a destination wedding you can't afford, make a budget out loud and declare your intentions. can.
5. “Money Dysmorphophobia” — Your personal finances may be better than you think
Even though some Gen Zers have plenty of money, they still feel financially insecure. They worry that even if they are doing well, they are not doing well enough financially or are not saving as much money as they should for their age.
This disconnect between financial self-image and financial reality is called “money dysmorphophobia.” If you're in your 20s and have an emergency fund, retirement accounts, and no credit card debt, you're probably in a better personal financial situation than most people your age.
conclusion
I empathize with Gen Zers who are worried about not making enough money to get ahead and who feel like their future is so bleak that they can't save or invest. But even if you're young, underpaid, and feel overburdened with debt, it's important to have hope.
Every generation has its challenges. My parents' generation had to worry about the Vietnam War and the economic stagnation of the 1970s. My grandparents' generation had to survive the Great Depression and World War II. Throughout all of these crises, most people just showed up, went to work, and continued to try to improve the situation.
While you're young, keep investing in your career growth. Build relationships with great people. Try hard to bring about change. And enjoy! No matter how much money you have in the bank, your future is unwritten and could be brighter than you imagined.
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