I’m sure by now the term ‘girl math’ is something you have heard before across social media platforms. In recent years, the trend blew up specifically on TikTok and looked at how girls can reframe their spending habits in creative ways to, in a sense, justify their purchases.
I will say that I am a girl math believer, so for example, if I pay in cash, it’s basically free, or if I do a return, I’m getting back money from the shop that I never had before, so it’s like free money. My favorite and maybe the one I’m most known for falling for is sales. If something is on sale and I even like it just the tiniest bit, I have to have it; otherwise, I’m losing money.
Now, after typing that paragraph, I realize just how delusional I sound, but now I want to know if ‘girl math’ can lead to financial delusion in the future.
Now I will say this: the unconventional logic at its heart is surrounded by humour, and it can easily be exaggerated. Since we are so surrounded by it on social media, will it begin to influence how people think about money?
If these habits move beyond humour, they can create a sense of financial delusion. If you keep saying a purchase doesn’t count, it’s incredibly easy to underestimate just how much you are actually spending. For example, if you repeatedly buy discounted items that you don’t even need, you are overspending on unnecessary purchases. These small things in the end add up and can result in serious financial strain.
Another risk associated with the idea of ‘girl math’ is the impulsive spending it can encourage. Because purchases are being reframed in your mind as justifiable, people feel less guilty about spending money. This is something that is easily influenced by social media, with creators normalising this. However, this could affect younger people who are still learning to budget their money.
Even with these concerns, ‘girl math’ is not something that can be deemed inherently harmful. Once it’s understood to be satire, it sparks discussions about finances. The trend has opened my eyes to just how easy it is for me and others to justify a purchase in a creative, simple way, but once those patterns are recognised, it is possible to shift your mindset.
The key to all of this is balance. The humour in girl math will always be there, and I’m sure it will remain a factor in our lives to some extent, as long as we also understand our finances.