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Live: Gen Z Is Putting Their Paychecks on Blast
Not long ago, talking about your salary was considered more scandalous than sneaking into the dining hall without swiping. But that taboo is gone.
Thanks to TikTok’s #PaydayRoutine trend, thousands of twenty-somethings are not only sharing how much they make, but exactly where it goes. Whether it’s groceries, rent, Roth IRAs, and yes, even that suspiciously high Zebra costume budget.
It’s a cultural change. For decades, companies have thrived on secrecy around pay. Nobody would know how much the person working next to them earned, and they could be paid less because of it.
Now people our age are sharing their numbers and building community in the process. Seeing someone else break down their $2,300 paycheck makes money feel less mysterious and more manageable. It’s like getting a practice test for adulthood that older generations never provided.
What’s best is that this trend shows how you can make responsible money management an empowering practice. It’s about turning payday into a ritual, not just a fleeting “treat yourself” moment.
Learn: Your Payday Ritual
Think of a PaydayRoutine as taking care of your money over time.
When you receive cash you don’t want to be sloppy with how you use it. Your PaydayRoutine should be a ritual that ensures when you get money it gets used on what you actually want.
Here’s an order you could follow:
Cover the essentials: Rent, utilities, loans, phone bills, etc. — pay these first so you’re not scrambling two weeks later.
Pay your future self: Automate transfers to savings or investments. Even $25 matters. Between this and paying your essentials, you have now “paid yourself first.”
Give yourself fun money: Budget a set amount for guilt-free spending so you don’t binge later. That way you can buy all the Zebra costumes you want.
Do a 2-minute money check: Log into your accounts, glance at balances, and make sure nothing fishy is going on. You should only be paying for what you want to pay for.
Pro tip: Decide where percentages/amounts are going before payday so you’re not budgeting in the heat of the moment. That’s like grocery shopping while starving: a dangerous game.
If you do this every payday, then you’ll feel like you have way more money to work with in the long term. Instead of posting TikToks about your money, you can just buy the app.
Your financial security comes from ritual. So celebrate your PayDayRoutine! Feel free to respond to this email or share it online to celebrate it!
Leverage: Ritualize Your Payday
If automation feels too intimidating (or you have a paycheck that varies), you can turn your payday into a ritual with reminders:
Calendar/reminder pings: Set an event called “Send $50 to Future Me.” Outline exactly what you are going to do with your cash when you get it.
Budgeting app notifications: Apps like RocketMoney will notify you when you get your paycheck, so you don’t even have to set a reminder to do your routine.
Habit stack: Link your money moves to something you always do, like grabbing a coffee. Or you can reward yourself every time you do your PayDayRoutine. Treat yourself for taking care of yourself.
Pros:
Ensures that you consistently do your routine.
Delegates the responsibility of remembering to your phone/apps.
Rewards you for doing good things for yourself.
Cons:
Requires more effort than automating.
RocketMoney requires a bit of setup and uses your data.
This way, payday stops being just a dopamine hit and becomes a financial checkpoint in your life goals.
Also, quick reminder that I am not sponsored by any of the tools I note here. I wish I was! These are just the tools I use.
Launch!
Create your first PaydayRoutine.
Today, write down exactly where you want your next paycheck to go: bills, savings, fun, whatever. Then set a reminder for payday to actually do it.
Bonus points if you share it with someone.
Your money deserves more than a “f*** it we ball” mentality.
Make payday a plan, not just a party. ;)
Hey!
Thank you so much for being a part of this newsletter. I am grateful to write to you weekly and I hope this helps you feel more confident with your finances.
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Thank you for helping me (and your friend) out!
—Ben Brosnahan
