Growing up, I dreaded everything relating to math. I hated math class. It was my worst subject every single year, and I hated math homework even more. (Yes, I was that kid who sat at the kitchen table sobbing while their dad attempted to help them with their math homework.) So, because of my math-induced PTSD, I’ve been a huge fan of the Girl Math trend on TikTok.
“Girl Math,” as TikTok calls it, is a dream if you’re bad at math like me — it basically breaks down the cost of big purchases and also labels items purchased with cash as free because it’s not directly coming out of your bank account, Refinery29 reported.
Girl Math can also consist of paying for lunch instead of Venmoing a friend for the coffee they bought you, or splitting everything together. Life is complicated, OK? Girl Math makes it easy.
There are certain purchases where I’m a firm believer that Girl Math is applicable, like nice clothes for a job or internship because you’ll be wearing them every single day. Although I hate to admit it, it’s time for my fellow seniors in college to start focusing on their financial independence after college, how does Girl Math affect your plans?
I spoke with three finance experts — Ben Gold, Kimberly Marek, and Oleg Sega — about how the Girl Math trend could impact your financial future, and here’s what I learned.
Prioritize balancing your budget.
While the trend is definitely something fun and lighthearted, it could, unfortunately, encourage people to ignore their spending habits and act recklessly with their financial future.
Although spending $5 at Starbucks may not seem like anything in the moment, it adds up. For example, Americans spend about $1,100 on Starbucks coffee each year, according to the Commons. That’s more than $1,000 you could have used toward other necessities, like utilities, food, or upcoming loan payments.
“Girl Math could lead to short-sighted financial decisions, masking the true impact of spending,” says Ben Gold, the founder of Recommended Home Buyers. “It’s essential for individuals to recognize the potential pitfalls and address them for a healthier financial future.”
When considering a purchase, you should ultimately consider whether the product is a want or a need. For example, do you really need another pair of matching sweatshirts and shorts? Or is the store you like just having a sale?
“I recommend people create a budget that works for them and then stick to it,” says Kimberly Marek, the founder and managing partner for Marek CPA and Business Consulting. “Everyone should be saving [at least] 10% of their income, 20% is better. The remainder should go to your needs (50%) and then your wants (30%).”
For college students who are starting to create their budgets now, you should start by tracking your spending, making a list of your income and expenses, and then doing the math to determine how much you need to spend throughout the semester and create your budget based on how much money you have leftover. Pro tip: If there isn’t a lot of money left, you need to adjust your budget; if you have a lot of money left over, maybe consider investing some of it.
You could also use some of that extra money to treat yourself. It’s always a nice little reward after a long day, but the key is to not be constantly treating yourself to extravagant treats while ignoring the price tag.
Think about your long-term financial future.
Did you know that women couldn’t have credit cards in their own name until 1974? That’s an incredibly disturbing fact, but we should all be taking advantage today of our ability to control our financial futures.
While it may not be the intention, Girl Math does have the ability to diminish one’s ability to manage their assets, Marek says. “It perpetuates the antiquated stereotype that women are impulsive and illogical. Tropes such as these have no place in a society that values individual autonomy and personal accountability,” Marek adds.
Girl Math is just supposed to be a fun trend for the Gen Zers out there, but we should still be wary of its real-life implications. Instead, we should all be looking toward a mindset that’s based more on economics (which doesn’t have to be boring, BTW).
“Instead of Girl Math, I advocate for a mentality that embraces financial literacy, smart budgeting, and future planning,” says Oleg Sega, the CEO of DealA. “For a healthy financial outlook, it’s key to distinguish between wants and needs and understand the power of compound interest.”
Thinking about economics and finances is scary, but the good news is that you don’t have to do it all by yourself. For example, Marek recommends the book How To Money by Jean Chatzky and Kathryn Tuggle as it’s “easy and accessible read for any young person looking to increase their financial literacy.”
Girl Math is fun and we all love to pretend like the money we’re spending doesn’t affect us, but your future self (who is financially stable and is thriving) will thank you for putting in the effort now to recognize any unhealthy spending habits.