3 min read People & Culture

The Return to Cash: Why Millennials and Gen Z Are Embracing Physical Money in 2024–2025

A hand places $20 bills into a glass jar filled with coins, beside bold text reading “Why Millennials and Gen Z Are Turning to Cash” on a mustard-yellow background.
Millennials and Gen Z are embracing physical cash again — a visual shift in money habits that’s reshaping the fintech and budgeting landscape.

Summary

Millennials and Gen Z are surprising the financial world by turning to physical cash in 2024–2025. This shift is driven by digital burnout, financial anxiety, and a desire for tangible control. With viral trends like "cash stuffing" dominating TikTok, cash isn’t just practical — it’s cultural. Here’s why it matters for fintech, retail, and behavioral economists.

A. Introduction

In an age of contactless payments and mobile wallets, the idea of returning to physical cash seems retrograde. Yet in 2024 and 2025, a growing number of Millennials and Gen Z are doing just that. Federal Reserve data and social media signals point to a revival of cash usage, driven not by nostalgia, but by financial stress, behavioral fatigue, and a pushback against algorithmic spending.

According to the Federal Reserve's 2024 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice, 83% of consumers used cash at least once in the past 30 days, and over 90% say they plan to continue using it as payment or store of value.[3]

Derek from TrendFoundry

Derek from TrendFoundry

Breaks down AI, tech, and economic trends—usually before your boss asks about them. Founder of TrendFoundry. Writes like a smart friend with too many tabs open. Still refuses to call himself a “thought leader.”
San Diego, CA, United States