A frugal influencer’s financial advice goes viral
Frugal living is becoming a hot topic on TikTok. USA TODAY’s Betty Lynn Fisher spoke with a financial planner who offered practical tips for saving money.
Would it help to cut back on your daily Starbucks run or DoorDash delivery to save money?
Two influencers who post content about frugal budgeting on TikTok are going viral with suggestions for people to cut costs. We received both positive and negative reactions from our followers.
USA TODAY asked both TikTok influencers and financial experts for comment and advice.
Influencer says she’s going into ‘survival mode’
“You have to live well below your means. I’m talking about survival mode,” Rachel Bienestin, a 31-year-old elementary school teacher who likes to share frugal living tips with her social media audience, said in a TikTok video.
Biennestine, who goes by “Ruck,” told her followers that she might not be able to go to her favorite sushi restaurant, DoorDash, that she might have to watch NFL games at home and that she might have to come up with a frugal hobby.
“This year I will not spend frivolously to set myself up for success,” she said in the video, which was posted on Dec. 30, 2025 and had just over 58,000 views as of Jan. 29.
Biennestin sometimes called out bluntly:
“Press-on girls, you might just need regular nail polish on your bare nails. Acrylic Gel X Queens, you might need a press-on,” she said. “I’m not telling you to stop, but I’m telling you to eat less.”
Biennestin also suggested bringing water with you when you go out to eat, clipping coupons, and throwing out or donating anything you haven’t touched in six months.
Her advice prompted comments from commenters who said they loved her advice and shared their own tips. However, there were also critics.
“You can’t budget to get out of poverty. Sadly, the solution is to increase your income. That’s it,” said one person.
In an interview with USA TODAY, Biennestine said she thinks there are ways everyone can save or cut back, even if they’re struggling financially.
“I think everyone should have goals,” she says, adding that you might be surprised when you actually look at how much you’re spending.
Although Biennestin said he was following his own advice, “I’m definitely a human being.” Her goal is to save $10,000 by the end of the year and avoid spending it. Last year, she had a goal of $5,000. It happened, she said, but then it cost her everything.
Biennestin, who lives in Boston and frequently uses ride-sharing and meal delivery services, said she was shocked when she took a closer look at her bank account. Last year, she spent $400 on Uber and Lyft. In December and January, she started riding the bus more often.
Influencer trying to save $50,000
Sophie Peacock, a 26-year-old social media influencer from Salt Lake City, shared a long list of ways she and her husband will cut back on spending this year in a video that has gone viral.
That includes stopping drinking $8 coffee every day, stopping impulse buys on Amazon, spending money on quality items instead of crap that won’t last, and cutting back on your gym membership.
But Peacock also said there are some non-negotiables for her and her husband, like eating out. The viral video, posted on December 28, 2025, has been viewed approximately 212,000 times as of January 29.
Peacock told USA TODAY that she and her husband hope to save $50,000 in cuts this year and $100,000 over the next two years. They want to buy a house and have children, she said.
Peacock’s online content initially focused on her dogs, but has now morphed into tips on frugal living. When asked how she could achieve that lofty goal, swimming coach Peacock said her husband has a well-paying job and the couple also make and sell dog treats through their social media channels.
Peacock said she made the video to hold herself accountable for cutting back on spending. Peacock said that since early January, instead of drinking $8 coffee every day, he has started making coffee at home.
What do financial experts say?
While the advice the two influencers are offering is not bad, it’s not surprising that some critics react negatively, Josh Brooks, a certified financial planner at Exponential Advisors LLC in Weatherford, Texas, told USA TODAY.
In an emailed comment about the advice to kick your coffee or latte habit to save money, Brooks said the backlash against the “latte factor” advice is justified because frugality cannot be used as the only way out of a systemic income deficit.
Similarly, kicking your $200 DoorDash habit won’t solve poverty if your fixed costs, such as rent, medical bills and debt, exceed your income, Brooks said.
“For people facing real economic hardship, it feels incomprehensible to suggest otherwise,” Brooks said. “But influencers aren’t completely wrong; they’re just applying their advice too broadly.”
Robert Wang, a certified financial planner with Claro Advisors in Boston, told USA TODAY that creating a spending plan is like going on a diet.
“It only works if it’s sustainable and reasonable. Many people want immediate results and will be disappointed by ‘small wins,'” he wrote in an email. The most effective diets are those that are moderate and those that are willing to stick with them no matter how difficult or unpleasant it may be, he said.
“That’s how I think about ‘budgeting.’ It’s primarily the ability and willingness to sacrifice something from you now so that you benefit in the future, rather than the $4 you save by not buying coffee,” Wang said.
Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Contact her at blinfisher@USATODAY.com or follow her at @blinfisher on X, Facebook and Instagram and @blinfisher.bsky.social on Bluesky.. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, breaking down complex consumer and financial news. Subscribe here.
