Gen Z isn't just YOLOing, they're money-managing smarter than you think  

Our teens and young adults have earned a bad reputation for their FOMO and YOLO mindsets. And all that coded language they use doesn’t really help overcome communication roadblocks.  

But is Gen Z’s penchant for experiencing the world to the fullest — you know, got to address that Fear of Missing Out because You Only Live Once, after all! — truly synonymous with a frivolous and foolhardy lifestyle? 

Several years ago, the answer mught have been “yes”. But not anymore.  

Listen to the Filipino Gen Z speak: 

“Hindi naman ako madalas lumabas. Mas gusto ko gumastos sa travel once in a while kaysa every weekend na gastos,” said a Gen Zer from Metro Manila.   

Another from Iloilo said: “Sa totoo lang, di ako mahilig gumimik. Gusto ko sa bahay lang, tipid pa. Iniipon ko nalang para sa future.”   

The older segment of Gen Z, now in their early to late 20s, already comprise more than a quarter of the country’s workforce. They are awake to the intertwining economic-social-political realities that have been borne during and in the aftermath of the disruptive pandemic period.  

“As I grow up, spending became more practical. I divide wisely my wants and needs,” said a Gen Z from Davao in southern Philippines. 

The lockdowns that prompted faster rollout of digital applications have also enhanced the instinctively online nature of Gen Z, who was born into and grew up in the internet age. 

They are digital natives, and that has consequently made them global citizens – borderless, empowered, and conscious of concepts and viewpoints beyond those of their family and the local culture. 

In that context of a no-boundaries online universe, Gen Z embraces their freedom and they want to grab opportunities to travel and explore the wider world. 

More than just FOMO, their deep angst is losing that freedom on different levels: physically, emotionally, and mentally.   

“Gusto ko yung feeling na may sarili akong pera, na hindi ako hingi nang hingi sa magulang,” says a Gen Z from a highly-urbanized area.  

The Gen Z hold their freedom dearly, and they understand that freedom must be earned.   

In their professional lives, though, they remain uncompromising in their positive wakefulness and independence.  

“Mas gusto ko na yung mga trabaho na masaya, hindi lang basta mataas ang sweldo. Gusto ko rin ng purpose,” said an Ilonggo Gen Zer. 

“Ayoko na ng toxic na environment. Gusto ko peaceful, tahimik, maka-focus ako sa goals ko,” according to a Gen Zer from Metro Manila.  

And when they talk about “purpose” and “goals”,Gen Z means that they value career and other monetary pursuits in terms of being a bridge towards becoming financially stable – and capable of enjoying their YOLO bucket list.  

The bottom line is that beneath casual slang and carefree aesthetics lies a generation that has fundamentally changed what fiscal responsibility looks like. Gen Z isn’t abandoning financial prudence; they’re reimagining it. They’ve seen their older ates and kuyas, and young titos and titas struggle with poor financial choices, witnessed their parents navigate economic crises, and came of age during a global pandemic that upended any notions of stability. 

The result? A pragmatic cohort that saves deliberately, spends intentionally, and refuses to sacrifice mental health and meaningful experiences for outdated definitions of success. 

Their “YOLO” isn’t reckless — it's calculated. 

They’re not choosing between financial security and living to the fullest, they’re engineering a life where both coexist. When a generation can code-switch between discussing investment portfolios and planning their next adventure with equal fluency, perhaps it’s time executives and companies recorgnize that their approach to money isn’t naive — it has evolved. 

Gen Zers aren’t just smarter about money than we think. They might just be smarter about money than we’ve ever been. 

Take a deeper dive into the Gen Z's money-managing mindset by subscribing to Project Alphabet.