by Ainsley Moore ’24
December 5, 2023
“Girl Math” is a trend on the internet and social media platforms. “Girl math,” as seen on TikTok, is a light-hearted and whimsical approach to personal finance. It involves making financial decisions based on unconventional reasoning, leading to justifications for spending on items or experiences that might seem unnecessary or irrational from a traditional financial perspective.
The origins of “Girl Math” can be traced back to a radio segment of the same name hosted on a New Zealand-based radio station. In this segment, listeners recounted their purchases and costs, and the hosts collaborated to justify the spending until it was deemed “basically free.” Girl Math justifies our daily indulgences.
Take that $300 purse—wear it 20 times, and you’re looking at $15 per wear. Push it to 50 wears, and suddenly it’s 6 dollars. And let’s be real, anything under $5 might as well be free, making it a solid one-dollar investment per wear.
Or, if an item is on sale for $50 from an original price of $90, technically $40 was earned. If your online total is $15, but you can get free shipping at $30, you will spend $15 more to get that free shipping instead of paying $3.99 for shipping. This is so you do not waste $3.99 on shipping, which essentially *poofs* into thin air.
If I preload my Starbucks account with $25 and go to Starbucks the following week, my order is free. Concert tickets, a trip, or any event bought months in advance will become free with enough time. By the time the event comes around, the payment is already forgotten about. If you pay for an item with some leftover cash in your wallet, the item is free. This is because you are not watching the number in your account drop. You also have to buy a new outfit for a new event.
In response to girl math, a wave of anti-girl math sentiment has arisen, with some men struggling to understand it. This led to “boy math,” a response that applies complex reasoning to male-related decisions. The “Boy Math” meme, emerging as a response to the “Girl Math” meme, targets the quirks and flaws of men, pointing out their illogical behaviors and general hypocrisy. Boy math is less about money and finances, and more about lifestyle choices.
“Boy math” is asking a woman to name off numerous random facts to prove she is indeed knowledgeable about said sport. Boy math is how 5’10” measures 6′. Boy math has a 70-inch tv but no dining room table. Boy Math has blue sheets, one pillow, and a TV on the floor.
I love Girl Math. Not only does it make sense, but it gives me the flexibility to make self indulging purchases and not feel guilty about it. Yes, you should be smart with your money, what you are buying, and how expensive it is, but it’s ok to buy a Starbucks coffee, and not feel bad about it. As long as you’re buying things you truly love and not spending money just to cope or on things that you can’t afford, then I think Girl Math works. Like when you buy that Taylor Swift concert ticket so far in advance that by the time the show rolls around, you feel like you didn’t really spend any money because it was so long ago, so it was actually free.
Get it? It’s girl math.
