If you’ve ever stayed in on a Saturday night because you are saving, separated your holiday spending into daily envelopes or tried to get through a weekend without any spending, you have already tried a viral money trend – whether you knew it or not.Social media has turned budgeting into content, and nearly 7.7 million of us have taken financial advice from an influencer, according to research by TransUnion. But before you change your money habits based on the words of a social media personality, it’s important to consider what will actually work for your situation.Here we look at the biggest viral money trends around - and whether they are any good.Loud budgeting Loud budgeting simply means speaking openly about your budget and your financial boundaries. For example, being clear about how much you want to spend on a group trip while it is still in the planning stages.We often spend money on events we’d rather skip, according to research from savings app Spring. It found that the average person spent up to £240 on events they would rather not have attended.“Loud budgeting can help take some of the pressure out of spending and make it easier to stay on track,” says Derek Sprawling, head of money at Spring.Turning down a social plan, or setting boundaries on what you can spend because you are saving for something else can be a lot easier than simply saying you can’t go because you can’t afford it.(Getty Images)It can also help you stick to your savings goals. “When people are open about their financial goals, they’re often more likely to stick to them,” says Vix Leyton, a consumer finance expert from Think Money.No-spend weekends Get a free fractional share worth up to £100.Capital at risk.Terms and conditions apply.Go to websiteADVERTISEMENTGet a free fractional share worth up to £100.Capital at risk.Terms and conditions apply.Go to websiteADVERTISEMENTA no-spend weekend is “the financial equivalent of a crash diet,” says Clare Stinton, senior personal finance analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown. “It’s not a long-term solution but it can be a useful reset. The less you spend, the quicker you can free up cash to help achieve your goals.”But what truly is a no-spend weekend? The idea is to pack away your wallet and discover free or low-cost ways to spend your time. It could mean seeing friends at home rather than heading out, exploring local areas or using those existing memberships you’d forgotten about. It is “simply being more mindful about where money disappears,” says Leyton. “The key is treating it as a creative challenge rather than a punishment. With clear boundaries and a defined timeframe, these savings challenges can be eye-opening without becoming unrealistic.”Be too restrictive with it and, like a crash diet, you can find you swing too far the other way when the weekend is over, overspending and parting with more money than you managed to save.Cash stuffing Cash stuffing is a visual tool that can help you stick to a budget. You withdraw your weekly budget from a cash machine and place the money into different envelopes for different categories of spending – like groceries or going out.When the envelope is empty, you must stop spending on that category.(Getty Images/iStockphoto)“If you’re struggling to see where your money is going, and need an extra reason to stop spending, it can be useful,” says Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at AJ Bell. “However, it’s not always practical in an increasingly cashless society, and withdrawing cash and leaving it lying around at home can be a security issue.”A better option may be to use your banking app to put money into virtual pots and manage it that way.You can do this with Monzo, NatWest and Revolut among others.The 50/30/20 rule It is by no means new, but this budgeting rule is enjoying a resurgence thanks to social media. “The 50/30/20 rule is a good example of a trend that can be genuinely helpful,” says Sprawling.It’s a simple idea: you set aside 50 per cent of your income for essentials, 30 per cent for fun and 20 per cent goes in your savings. The problem is the soaring cost of living means 50 per cent of your income may not cover all your essentials - and then the rule can fall apart.“That can create a sense that people are somehow failing at budgeting when actually the cost of living is the problem, not necessarily their financial behaviour,” says Leyton.Even if 50/30/20 rule may not work due to your essential outgoings, you can tweak the ratios to make it work for your budget.Reverse budgetingAlso known as “paying yourself first”, reverse budgeting flips standard savings practices on their head. Instead of squirrelling away what is left at the end of the month, you move a set amount into your savings account on payday or the start of the month.“By moving savings at the same time as bills, people treat their future goals as a priority rather than an afterthought,” says Leyton.This can also be a useful trend as it automates saving. When you don’t have to think about it, setting money aside for the future becomes an easy habit.Just make sure you are setting aside a realistic amount and not so much that you must dip into your savings to get to the next payday.Used wisely, any of these viral money trends can be a useful starting point to improve your finances. “Trying trends might not build long-term resilience, but they can spark inspiration, challenge your thinking and get you more engaged with your money. Just don’t mistake them as a substitute for consistency and a clear, structured plan,” concludes Stinton.When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.