TikTok Finance Trends Singaporeans Are Copying—Useful or Dangerous?

In the digital world, we can get information almost instantaneously. The rise of the Internet around 2 decades ago (I remember using MSN Messenger, which makes me feel old!) enabled us as individuals to share information with a much wider audience as well.

However, social media platforms have taken that accessibility to the next level—with specific finance-related trends going viral on the famous short-video app in recent years.

Indeed, a lot of Singaporeans are copying these behavioural trends that aim to instil better money habits. 

I personally have my own TikTok account, trying to create useful content (do check me out at @timtalksmoneysg if you’re on there!), but it does beg the question of whether these viral trends that many of us are copying are useful or dangerous.

To find out, let’s dive into the world of TikTok Finance (also known as FinTok) and its various trends to see if we can determine where on the spectrum this advice sits. I’ll be giving each a “yay!” or “nay!” depending on how I feel about it.

 

Underconsumption core: Yay!

The “underconsumption core” trend took on TikTok in mid-2024, and basically, the gist of it is that we should be focusing on making the most of existing items and, therefore, avoiding those unnecessary purchases.

This is a great one for me, as it puts the focus on getting the most use out of the goods we already have. Beyond that, it promotes a sustainable mindset and challenges the culture of overconsumption that has been actively pushed by clothing brands like Shein.

Furthermore, if we can buy 1 solid (albeit more expensive) piece of clothing, for example, then it could likely last longer than 5 or 10 pieces that cost $5 each on Shein. Of course, with prices as cheap as that, quality isn’t great, and therefore these clothes typically won’t last long.

This can be applied to other consumer goods too, and underconsumption core really makes us think hard about each item we have and whether we can maximise its utility. That’s super important, especially in a place as expensive as Singapore.

And if we do need something, maybe we can explore using Carousell (yes, yes, it can be “Carouhell” to some of us!) to obtain a second-hand version of something we’ve been eyeing but don’t really need brand new. That’s great for both the environment and our wallet/purse.

 

Loud budgeting: Nay!

The “loud budgeting” movement started on TikTok and took off as a trend where individuals were open but also honestly vocal about their financial situations and budgeting choices.

In theory, I think this is a good idea. You decline invitations to expensive dinners or outings with friends because of the cost and explain it’s because you’re saving for a down payment on a house, for example.

However, in reality, it seems super individualistic as to whether someone is comfortable being that open about their finances in front of friends and family. That level of candidness and sharing might not come naturally to a lot of people.

And if it does come naturally, people are at risk of letting “loud budgeting” become their entire personality and declining nearly everything and perhaps going to the other extreme—living an austere life and avoiding social gatherings altogether because they’re hyper-focused on the cost.

Of course, there are benefits too, which I can see. It does give individuals a level of accountability on their spending (something young, single people might not have if they don’t have a partner/spouse to hold them accountable to their financial goals).

It also makes you think harder about what really matters to you when you spend, at least in social situations. Yet, as I said above, I think the concept of it sounds much, much better than putting it into practice.

We also have to take into account the cultural nuances of the “loud budgeting” trend, which originated in the US. Individuals there are much more open about money decisions and happy to share these candidly, which is something that might not resonate with many of us in Singapore.  

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ALSO READ: 9 Free Budgeting Apps to Help You Manage Your Expenses (2025)

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No spend challenge: Nay!

The “no spend challenge” had actually been around for a few years before it got a new lease of life in January 2024 as it went viral on TikTok. Essentially, the idea is to challenge yourself to not spend on anything non-essential, so that means foregoing things like eating out, coffee, drinks, clothes, and even haircuts.

While it’s interesting to see how much you could potentially save, it seems like a financial version of “dry January”, where individuals abstain from drinking alcohol after really indulging during the Christmas month of December.

Inevitably, no one continues to abstain completely from alcohol when February comes around. Similarly, this seems to have taken off right after December, when people may be spending more on Christmas gifts, eating out and just generally spending more.

As a result, I see there being a real danger of people getting super into the “no spend challenge” and then perhaps unleashing revenge spending the following month. That could really counteract the whole point of the exercise.

Instead, it might make more sense to figure out a more sustainable budget that cuts out activities that don’t “bring you joy” and just try to be ruthless about not spending on those while still spending money on things that you really love.

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ALSO READ: Ultimate Dummies Guide On How To Start Saving Money

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Cash stuffing: Yay!

Now this is a hard one for me as I’m an avid fan of air miles credit cards—and cash back when it makes sense!—but the cash stuffing trend goes against the concept of getting something (i.e., miles or cash back) for your spending.

That’s because “cash stuffing” relies on individuals using actual physical cash and dividing it into various envelopes for their different spending categories.

So, think of having a dedicated envelope for groceries, one for rent, one for dining out, one for ride sharing, and so on. Once you get paid, you withdraw the cash from an ATM and put the various amounts into each labelled envelope—spending only what you’ve allocated to each.

The idea is great but I personally think it’s based on one crucial caveat; that it’s temporary. It’s a logical way of actually physically understanding how much you’re spending on each category per month. By living like that for a month or 2, you’ll be able to see where the bulk of your cash is going.

In a way, it’s also proactively stopping you from spending money (no more random purchases on Shopee or Lazada) yet how sustainable is it? A lot of things in Singapore are now done online, particularly ordering something you might need online rather than having to physically go out to get it—which would be a huge drag.

Beyond that, if you can identify where you’re spending a lot of money on (unnecessarily through cash stuffing, that’s awesome. But it’s not worth doing indefinitely, as you’re leaving loads of miles, as well as cash back, on the table by not utilising credit cards.

 

Great ideas but adjust for you

On the whole, I think there are some really great FinTok trends out there that we can take inspiration from. They tend to encourage responsible spending, or at least a level of introspection on how we spend.

If we can follow those trends and take some important lessons away from them for how we want to plan our future budget, then there’s really no harm. The only reason I could see it being detrimental to your financial wellness is if you have to completely change who you are to adapt to these trends. 

Everyone can always have more discipline in the way they spend (or channel it better to things they really value), so these trends can help us identify where and how we can improve in both our spending and savings. That’s no bad thing.