Frugal and proud of it: how 'loud budgeting' became cool

Young Australians are embracing global ‘cash conscious’ trends popularised via social media to proudly cut back on increasingly expensive non-essential items, not only to cope with the cost-of-living crisis but also to prioritise saving and reduce debt while interest rates are high. A consumer sentiment survey conducted by National Australia Bank (NAB) revealed a 24 percent annual increase in the number of NAB Reward Saver accounts opened by Gen Z customers and an average 5.3 percent growth in their account balances over the past 12 months.

On average, NAB says their Gen Z customers are saving $450 per month by cutting back on spending, with 56 percent putting spare dollars into high interest savings accounts or mortgage offset accounts. Young people are saving an average of $124 per month by not eating at restaurants, $96 per month by not using food delivery services and $73 per month by skipping coffees, snacks and café lunches. They are also saving an average of $70 per month on petrol by using their cars less frequently, $64 per month by foregoing entertainment and $30 per month by quitting streaming services.

NAB Personal Banking executive Paul Riley said: “In 2024, being ‘cash conscious’ is officially cool … ‘Loud budgeting’ is all about unapologetically prioritising your own financial goals, setting smart boundaries on spending, and feeling comfortable to talk about it openly and authentically. Rather than going out for an expensive dinner with friends, younger Australians are confidently opting to stay in and choose to put that amount into a high interest savings account or pay down debt.

“The other hot budgeting trend is ‘no or low spending months’ which involve giving up alcohol, takeaway food or shopping for clothes or beauty for the month, not booking holidays, food prepping or bringing your lunch to work or finally asking mates to repay cash you’re owed,” Mr Riley said.

Maya McIntyre, 23, is putting an extra $250 into a high interest savings account each month.

“I’m definitely making some changes to what I’m spending money on and I’ve cut back on things like streaming subscriptions, I’m eating out less and I’m choosing cheaper or free things to do with friends rather than expensive meals and pub visits,” Ms McIntyre said. “Most of my friends are making some changes to the way we think about our finances and some of us are definitely more open to saying ‘no’ to things if we feel like we want to save money instead.”

Since mid-2023, NAB has seen a 62 percent increase in the number of customers using its personalised spending feature available on the NAB app and internet banking. This automatically categorises transaction data to help customers easily identify where their money is going. Categories include subscriptions, memberships, gym and health, insurance and supermarket spending.

A new investment fund targeting celebrity-founded consumer brands has secured US$40 million in commitments and is rapidly approaching its US$50 million fundraising target, signalling growing investor appetite for alternative opportunities beyond traditional asset classes.

The Global Talent Fund, which has a maximum raise of US$100 million, focuses on building and investing in consumer businesses alongside celebrities, athletes, and influential personalities who play an active role as co-founders rather than simply endorsing products.

The strategy is based on the belief that changes in consumer behaviour, particularly the rise of social media and digital engagement, have fundamentally altered how brands are built and scaled.

GTF founding partner Jeremy Hunt, who is helping lead the fund’s strategy, said consumers increasingly feel connected to personalities they follow online and are more willing to support products developed by those individuals.

“Consumers are searching for content to engage with, and when a celebrity they like or follow takes them on the journey of creating a product or brand, they genuinely feel part of that process,” he said.

The fund is targeting high-growth consumer sectors including wellness, hydration, beauty and recovery, areas Hunt believes continue to benefit from strong global demand and ongoing innovation.

Rather than backing celebrity endorsement deals, the fund is seeking businesses where talent is deeply involved in product development, brand creation and long-term growth.

According to Hunt, authenticity remains one of the biggest differentiators between successful celebrity-backed brands and those that fail.

“The consumer can see clearly if someone is simply being paid to promote a product,” he said. “The winners are typically the brands where the celebrity has genuinely helped build the business from the ground up.”

The model has attracted support from several prominent Australian investors and business families, reflecting broader interest in alternative investments with global growth potential.

Hunt said consumer brands offered a level of tangibility that many investors found appealing.

“Consumer brands are what we touch, feel, smell and taste every day,” he said. “Our investors understand the growth potential in the model, but they also want to be part of the journey.”

The fund’s rapid progress towards its fundraising target comes amid growing recognition that celebrity influence, when combined with strong commercial execution and scalable business models, can create significant enterprise value.

With several high-profile celebrity-founded businesses generating billion-dollar exits in recent years, supporters of the strategy believe the opportunity remains in its early stages.

For more information, contact marc@kanebridge.com.au

Frugal and proud of it: how ‘loud budgeting’ became cool

Australians under 30 are enthusiastically adopting ‘cash-conscious’ behaviour to grow their savings while interest rates are high

With US$40 million already committed, the Global Talent Fund is attracting investor attention with a strategy focused on building globally scalable consumer brands alongside high-profile talent.